Zeldas' Buttermilk Pancakes * the very best pancake recipe !!! * Marilyn Dishes (2024)

We used to go visit Murray’s parents in Kelowna, British Columbia every summer. My mother-in-law Zelda made these pancakes for breakfast! She did not make them every morning but when she did…everyone was so happy! We all loved her pancakes. Zeldas’ Buttermilk Pancakes

Zelda stood by the stove making the pancakes fresh for each person when they woke up as they wandered into the kitchen! Zelda made one large pancake per person but she would make another one or as many as you wanted but always liked us to eat them fresh from the skillet! They were fluffy and a bit crispy since she fried them in oil. We ate them with butter and Canadian maple syrup. Really…Zelda’s Buttermilk Pancakes

As I write this, I am filled with such wonderful memories of those mornings.. young kids, grandparents, sometimes other relatives, sun shining through the large dining room windows. I know I appreciated and loved it when we were there but as the years have gone by things have changed. I won’t go into it but suffice it to say that those summers were amazing & I miss them terribly.

I had scribbled down the recipe for Zelda’s Buttermilk Pancakes many years ago. Murray usually makes them but the other day I had a quart of buttermilk in the fridge I needed to use up. I made 4 recipes of these pancakes. I froze all of them ( after eating a few to make sure they were ok). I gave Seth some & we have some for ourselves ready to warm up whenever we want some pancakes. They are not quite as good from frozen but still ok. I like to just microwave them for a few seconds to warm them up. You can alway re-fry them if you want them crispy. They freeze really well. Just lay the pancakes out in a single layer on some parchment paper lined baking sheets, freeze them, then put them into a ziplock or freezer container. I used parchment paper between the layers in the bag otherwise they stick together!

You will see when you cook them they are a bit fluffy on the first side, then when you turn it over & the pancake continues to cook it gets very fluffy!!! Of all the recipes I have tried over the years, this is by far the easiest & best one!

Zeldas’ Buttermilk Pancakes are simple to make. The come up so light & fluffy.

There are some options for you if you do not have buttermilk. You can 1 tsp of vinegar to a cup of milk or you can use buttermilk powder which is what we do quite often. I have to say though that using buttermilk really makes a difference in the texture and fluffiness of the pancakes!

UPDATE TO THE RECIPE… we used 3/4 cup plain yogurt thinned out with 1/4 cup milk. The flavour is great & the pancakes are so fluffy!!

Here is the recipe This makes approx 6-8 pancakes but the amount you will get will depend on the size you make them

1 cup all-purpose flour

2 tsp white sugar

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1 cup of buttermilk ( or 1 cup milk + 1 tsp vinegar mix well). **** UPDATE. USE 3/4 CUP PLAIN YOGURT THINNED OUT WITH 1/4 CUP MILK …. THIS MADE THE MOST FLUFFY PANCAKES!!!

1 egg

1 tbsp oil

oil for cooking

Method

you will need a skillet

1. Mix the dry ingredients together with a whisk or fork in a large bowl
2. To the dry ingredients, add the buttermilk, egg & oil, Mix well until there are very few lumps in the batter
3. Depending on how big you skillet is, heat, over medium heat, some oil to coat the entire bottom of the pan.
4. I use a soup ladle to put some batter into the hot pan & gently spread the batter out into a larger circle so that it is not too thick but thin like a crepe! You will find your way here I am sure! Sometimes it can take one pancake to see just how thick you want them and how high the heat should be for your pan.
5. When you see bubbles forming in the pancake, gently flip it over & cook the other side. You can tell when it is done when it slides around nicely in the pan.. be careful not to undercook your pancake as you do not want to bite into a raw middle !
6. Use more oil for each additional pancake that you will be making. Continue the same way until you have used all of the batter ***Note, if your pan gets bits of burnt or splattered batter, take it off the heat and very carefully wipe the skillet out using some paper towels. Be very careful not to burn yourself! Sometimes I hole the paper towel with tongs to do this

Enjoy!