Recipe

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Whip up these old-fashioned pancakes, which are soft and fluffy with golden edges, just like grandma used to make.

This easy recipe brings back all the nostalgic weekend morning vibes, with a video and tips to help your old-fashioned pancake stack look like this:

stack of old fashioned pancakes made with buttermilk at home topped with butter and drizzled with maple syrup

What are Old Fashioned Pancakes

Old-fashioned pancakes have a soft and light fluffy texture that soaks up butter and pancake syrup like a dream. It’s the signature ingredient behind IHOP pancakes and Cracker Barrel pancakes.

Unlike classic fluffy pancakes, these are made with tangy buttermilk and cooked in oil instead of butter (to grease the pan), which gives them their signature golden edges. My recipe for buttermilk pancakes rivals this one.

The Most Important Ingredient in Old Fashioned Pancakes

Buttermilk and baking soda are what make old-fashioned pancakes special, giving them their signature tang, soft texture, and fluffy rise. If you don’t have buttermilk on hand, you can make your own in 5 minutes by mixing milk with lemon juice or vinegar (see the recipe card for instructions).

Ingredients

Buttermilk is the liquid that gives these pancakes their signature tang and soft texture. It reacts with the baking soda and baking powder to create a light, fluffy rise, while all-purpose flour forms the base of the batter. Sugar adds a touch of sweetness and helps the edges caramelize, and a pinch of salt balances the flavors. Eggs bind the ingredients together, and a bit of unsalted butter brings richness and moisture.

Vegetable Oil vs. Butter for Cooking Pancakes

Using vegetable oil ensures golden pancakes with crisp edges, and since these take a little longer to cook, it holds to the heat better than butter, which can brown too quickly.

How to Make Old-Fashioned Pancakes

If it’s your first time making these, watch the short full video in the recipe card. Otherwise, here is the gist of making these pancakes:

Make the pancake batter by mixing the dry ingredients in a bowl. Then add the wet ingredients and, using a fork, whisk the eggs first before incorporating them into the batter. This prevents overmixing, a common pancake fail that yields chewy pancakes.
Cook the pancakes on a cast-iron skillet or non-stick surface. Once hot, grease it well with oil and then pour ¼ cup of pancake batter. Cook each side about 2 minutes over medium heat.
Serve them or keep them warm while you cook the rest of the batter. Drizzle some pancake syrup over the top, or go all out with this blueberry syrup, strawberry syrup, or cinnamon syrup.

stack of old fashioned pancakes made with buttermilk at home topped with butter and drizzled with maple syrup that has been sliced to show the inside fluffy texture

Other Pancakes Similar to These

If nostalgic pancakes that let you enjoy a slower weekend morning are your thing, try these cast-iron pancakes, banana buttermilk pancakes, and ricotta pancakes.

Old Fashioned Pancakes (Just Like Grandma’s)

Servings: 16 pancakes

Prep Time: 8

Cook Time: 12

Total Time: 20

Whip up these old-fashioned pancakes, which are soft and fluffy with golden edges, just like grandma used to make.

5 from 41 votes

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Watch how it’s made:

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons sugar
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
Pinch salt
1 ¾ cups buttermilk
2 large eggs
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Instructions

Make the pancake batter:

In a large bowl, whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Make a well in the center.
Pour the buttermilk into the middle of the bowl, and add the eggs and melted butter. Whisk the eggs first, breaking them up into the buttermilk, then work from the outside of the bowl in. Mix all the liquid ingredients with the dry ingredients until the flour is incorporated. The batter is on the thick side but not dense, with an airy and slightly lumpy feel.

Cook the pancakes:

Heat a large non-stick griddle, a cast-iron pan, or a non-stick pan over medium heat. Once the surface is hot, grease it with oil or butter and immediately pour ⅓ cup of batter per pancake.
Cook the first side for 2 minutes until bubbles rise to the surface, the edges of the pancakes become defined, and the bottoms are golden brown. Flip the pancakes over and cook for an additional 2 minutes (or slightly less). Do not press down with a spatula.
Remove the pancakes and serve immediately, or keep them warm in a 200F preheated oven until the remaining batter is cooked.

Serve:

Serve these old-fashioned pancakes with butter and pancake syrup or your favorite pancake toppings.

Notes

Make your own buttermilk by adding 2 tablespoons of white vinegar or fresh lemon juice inside a large measuring cup. Add enough regular milk to fill it to the 2-cup line. Stir and allow the mixture to sit for 5 minutes before using.