Brighten your day with lemon buttermilk pancakes. Buttery and fluffy, with a slight hint of lemony flavor. My favorite pancake recipe of all time!
This recipe is probably my favorite pancake recipe of all time. They are buttery and fluffy, with a slight hint of lemon flavor. Adding fresh lemon zest is the easiest way to add sweet citrus flavor to the pancakes.
For some reason, adding lemon to anything makes it seem lighter and healthier, don’t you agree?
These fluffy lemon buttermilk pancakes are the fluffiest pancakes you will ever eat! Rich and tangy all at the same time, these lemon buttermilk pancakes are easy to make on a lazy weekend morning. They’re also a great way to impress house guests when visiting.
Perfect fluffy lemon pancakes brighten your morning and put you in a great mood for the rest of the day.
What You Need To Make Lemon Buttermilk Pancakes
Besides the buttermilk and lemon zest, these pancakes contain basic pantry ingredients. The recipe card at the end of this post lists the full ingredient list with measurements.
Dry Ingredients
- Flour: all-purpose flour
- Baking Powder: a leavening agent that gives the pancakes a fluffy texture.
- Baking Soda: together with baking powder, maximizes the flavor and the rise.
- Salt: Enhances the flavor of the pancakes. I almost always use kosher salt for recipes.
- Sugar: granulated sugar sweetens the pancakes without making them overly sweet.
- Lemon: The zest of the lemon is not as acidic as lemon juice but is more concentrated. The zest is perfect for getting hints of lemony flavor in each bite of the pancake.
Wet Ingredients
- Eggs: lightly beaten eggs bind the ingredients together and structure the batter.
- Buttermilk: makes your pancakes fluffier because it is acidic, which activates the baking soda and baking powder and makes even more bubbles. Buttermilk also gives pancakes a tangy, rich flavor. If you don’t have buttermilk, make some with this recipe.
- Oil: provides a moist texture to your pancakes so they won’t dry out. Many recipes call for melted butter (unsalted butter), but I use olive oil instead. I used to always make this recipe with vegetable oil, but olive oil is a healthier option, and it amplifies the flavor of the pancake instead of masking it. Use whatever cooking oil you like; you’ll only need a quarter cup plus some to lubricate the griddle.
Optional Pancake Toppings
- maple syrup
- pats of butter
- sweetened whipped cream
- powdered sugar
Optional Add-Ins
- blueberries (rinsed, tossed, and coated with flour)
- raspberries (rinsed, tossed, and coated with flour
- blackberries (rinsed, tossed, and coated with flour
- chopped bacon
How To Make Lemon Buttermilk Pancakes
Making pancakes is mixing dry and wet ingredients into a batter poured over a heated service. This easy recipe uses pantry staples perfect for lazy Sunday mornings or special occasions during the week. Here’s a basic overview of how to make the pancakes. The recipe card at the end of this post provides detailed instructions with times and temperatures.
- Combine the Dry Ingredients: Use a whisk to mix the dry ingredients and lemon zest in a large bowl.
- Combine the Wet Ingredients: In a separate bowl, combine the wet ingredients and whisk until well combined.
- Combine the Dry Ingredients and the Wet Ingredients: Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until the dry ingredients are moistened and no large clumps of flour are visible.
- Rest: Let the batter rest for 10 minutes while preheating the griddle.
- Cook: Pour about ¼ cup of the batter onto a preheated, lightly greased griddle for each pancake. Cook the pancakes over medium-low heat until the tops are covered in bubbles and edges and are golden brown; turn and cook the other side. Repeat the process until all of the batter is used.
- Serve: stack the pancakes onto plates and serve warm with toppings of your choice.
Recipe Tips
- Do not over-mix the batter; it will deflate the pancakes and make them tough. The batter does not need to be beaten until it’s smooth. Seeing some lumps in the pancake batter is ok!
- Toss fresh blueberries in some flour and add them directly to the pancake batter, if desired.
- Start with a fully preheated surface before you add the batter.
- Don’t press the pancake with a spatula while they cook. This will deflate them and make them tough.
Storing Leftover Pancakes and Batter
- Storing Leftover Pancake Batter: You can store unused batter in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
- Storing Leftover Pancakes: I always freeze leftover pancakes for David in the freezer, and they freeze well! The main thing is to ensure they have cooled completely before refrigerating or freezing so they don’t stick together. Slide them in a ziptop bag and seal, pressing out as much of the air as possible.
Reheating Leftover Pancakes
The three methods we recommend for reheating your pancakes are in the oven, microwave, or toaster. Below is a little more detail for each method.
- Oven Method: Bake them in a 350-degree F oven on a baking sheet for 5-10 minutes. Place pancakes on a rimmed sheet pan and warm through. (More time is needed for frozen pancakes vs. refrigerated ones.)
- Microwave Method: microwave on high for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Remove promptly so they don’t become soggy from steam.
- Toaster: Place the pancakes in the toaster slots and toast them like a bagel.
I wish everyone many lazy pancake weekends!
Fluffy Lemon Buttermilk Pancakes
Useful Equipment:
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon Kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest zest of (1) lemon
Wet Ingredients
- 2 large eggs lightly beaten
- 2 cups buttermilk
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil + some for the griddle/pan as needed
Optional Toppings
- maple syrup
- butter
- sweetened whipped cream
- powdered surgar
Optional Add-Ins
- blueberries (rinsed, tossed and coated with flour)
- raspberries (rinsed, tossed, and coated with flour
- blackberries (rinsed, tossed, and coated with flour
- chopped bacon
Instructions
- Combine the dry ingredients and lemon zest in a large bowl with a whisk; stir well.
- In a separate bowl, add eggs; lightly beat. Pour in buttermilk, and oil, stir well.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, stirring until dry ingredients are moistened and no large clumps of flour are visible.Do not over mix. The batter does not need to be beaten smooth. A few lumps here and there are ok!
- Preheat a lightly greased breakfast griddle to 350 degrees F or a non-stick skillet over medium-low heat.
- Pour about ¼ cup of the batter onto a hot, lightly greased griddle or non-stick skillet, for each pancake. Cook the pancakes until the tops are covered in bubbles and edges are lightly browned, about 2 ½ minutes; turn and cook other side for about a minute. Repeat the process until all of the batter is used.
- Serve warm with toppings of your choice.
Notes
-
- Do not over-mix the batter; it will deflate the pancakes and make them tough. The batter does not need to be beaten until it’s smooth. Seeing some lumps in the pancake batter is ok!
- Start with a fully preheated surface before you add the batter.
- Don’t press the pancake with a spatula while they cook. This will deflate them and make them tough.
- Storing Leftover Pancake Batter: You can store unused batter in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
- Storing Leftover Pancakes: I always freeze leftover pancakes for David in the freezer, and they freeze well! The main thing is to ensure they have cooled completely before refrigerating or freezing so they don’t stick together. Slide them in a ziptop bag and seal, pressing out as much of the air as possible.
- Oven Method: Bake them in a 350-degree F oven on a baking sheet for 5-10 minutes. Place pancakes on a rimmed sheet pan and warm through. (More time is needed for frozen pancakes vs. refrigerated ones.)
- Microwave Method: microwave on high for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Remove promptly so they don’t become soggy from steam.
- Toaster: Place the pancakes in the toaster slots and toast them like a bagel.
Debbie - Mountain Mama says
You kill me lady!! Every time I come here my mouth waters!! Pinning this for a nice lazy weekend to come!!
The Mountain Kitchen says
Thanks for stopping by Mountain Sister! Hope you are doing well. Enjoy the pancakes!! 🙂
givememeatloaf says
Giiirrrrllllll, that last photo….perfect food, perfect morning, perfect scenery!! Love it! These pancakes look incredible – going to give ’em a go!
The Mountain Kitchen says
Thanks Annie. You will love them!
Julie is Hostess At Heart says
I love a great pancake and I’m definitely going to try these! You strike me as a softball player!
The Mountain Kitchen says
Thanks, Julie. You will love these pancakes. Softball was many moons ago! ?
CakePants says
I am definitely struggling a bit to accept that summer is over and school is back in session…how did it go by so quickly?! These pancakes look like a great way to treat yourself and savor the simple things, which is so important to do (but so easy to forget) when life gets busy. By the way, I love the photo of the pancakes with the mountains in the background – what a view!
The Mountain Kitchen says
Thanks. I hope you will enjoy these pancakes.?
Annan says
Just leaving a comment here to let you know I love lemon and these pancakes are fantastic. I make this recipe about 70% of the time I make pancakes (I use my traditional recipe the other times when I’m in the mood for extra fluffy and cinnamon). Thank you!