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Small batch buttermilk pancakes are light, fluffy, and made from scratch for one in about 15 minutes. Simple pantry ingredients cook up a stack of three tender pancakes with a subtle buttermilk tang.
Featured Comment
“I love pancakes and I have tried so many recipes. These are the best pancakes ever. They brown nicely, they are so fluffy and they cook through evenly…”
– Doris
Quick Look
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Equipment: 10-inch skillet
- Cook Method: Stovetop
- Servings: 3 pancakes
- Difficulty: Easy
- Flavor Profile: These pancakes taste buttery and only lightly sweet, with a mild tang from the buttermilk and a little vanilla in the background.
This single serving buttermilk pancake recipe is made from scratch with everyday ingredients.
Why You’ll Love This Single Serve Buttermilk Pancake Recipe
I’ve been making buttermilk pancakes since long before I scaled them down for one, and this small batch gives me that same tall, tangy stack in a size that’s right for a single person. It comes together from scratch and cooks in one skillet.
The buttermilk does most of the work in this recipe. When it mixes with the baking soda, the batter fills with tiny air bubbles and rises thick and soft, and the buttermilk gives the pancakes a mild tang and a little extra richness that regular milk doesn’t. Cooking for one is what we do, so we tested this recipe until the pancakes rose as tall and fluffy as they would from a full-size batch.
You can keep them plain or fold in blueberries or a handful of chocolate chips. I eat them hot off the skillet, with butter melting down the sides and a pour of homemade pancake syrup on top.
Pancakes are one of my favorite things to make when I’m cooking for one. Here are a few more of my small batch pancake recipes to try: fluffy pancakes for one, small batch banana pancakes, chocolate chip pancakes for one, and small batch pumpkin pancakes.
Table of Contents
Ingredient Notes
Here’s what goes into this buttermilk pancake recipe and why each ingredient matters. If you have left over ingredients, check out our Leftover Ingredients Recipe Finder.
Buttermilk: Buttermilk is the key ingredient here. It keeps the pancakes tender and carries their flavor. If you don’t have any, stir 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar into enough milk to make 1 cup, then let it sit for 10 minutes before using. Got buttermilk left over? Use it in small batch hush puppies, buttermilk quick bread, or mini red velvet cake.
Baking powder and baking soda: You need both for these pancakes to rise well, and both work best when fresh. To test baking powder, stir ½ teaspoon into ¼ cup of hot water and look for bubbles. To test baking soda, stir ¼ teaspoon of vinegar into ½ cup of hot water, then add ¼ teaspoon of baking soda; it should fizz right away.
Flour: All-purpose flour gives the pancakes their structure. Spoon it into your measuring cup and level off the top, since packing the cup adds too much flour.
Egg: One large egg binds the batter so the pancakes hold together.
Sugar: Just ½ tablespoon. It adds a little sweetness and helps the pancakes brown.
Butter: Salted butter melted into the batter adds flavor, and you’ll use a little more in the pan to cook the pancakes.
Vanilla: A quarter teaspoon of vanilla adds a gentle, warm flavor.
Recipe Variations
These swaps all work with the same small batch buttermilk pancake recipe.
Blueberry buttermilk pancakes: Fold ⅓ cup of fresh blueberries into the batter, or scatter a few over each pancake right after you pour it into the skillet.
Chocolate chip buttermilk pancakes: Fold a handful of chocolate chips into the batter.
Cinnamon sugar buttermilk pancakes: Stir ½ tablespoon of sugar with ¼ teaspoon of ground cinnamon, then sprinkle it over each pancake right after you pour the batter into the skillet. Flip as usual, and the cinnamon sugar cooks into the top.
How To Make Buttermilk Pancakes
These step-by-step photos walk you through single serve buttermilk pancakes, from batter to skillet. For the full ingredient amounts, see the recipe card below.
- Melt the butter: Melt 1 tablespoon of butter and set it aside to cool for a minute.
- Mix the dry ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Mix the wet ingredients: In another bowl, whisk the egg and buttermilk until smooth, then whisk in the cooled butter and vanilla.
- Make the batter: Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir gently until just combined. A few lumps are fine.
- Heat the skillet: Set a 10-inch skillet over medium heat and brush it lightly with oil or a little butter.
- Cook the pancakes: Pour in ½ to ¾ cup of batter for each pancake. Cook until the edges look dry and bubbles form and pop across the top, about 2 to 3 minutes. Lift an edge to check that the bottom is golden, then flip and cook 1 to 2 minutes more.
- Cook the rest: Add a little more oil or butter and repeat with the remaining batter.
- Serve: Serve warm with butter and syrup.
Expert Tips
Don’t overmix the batter: Stop stirring the moment the dry flour disappears. Overmixing works the gluten in the flour and makes buttermilk pancakes dense and flat.
Let the first pancake set your heat: Cook one pancake first, then look at it. If it browned too fast or too slowly, adjust the heat before you cook the rest. Medium heat usually gives an evenly golden pancake.
Use a 10-inch skillet: The batter makes large pancakes, about ½ to ¾ cup each, so cook them one at a time in a 10-inch skillet to give each one room to spread.
Flip each pancake only once: Once you flip, leave it alone. Flipping again or pressing it with the spatula pushes out the air and flattens it.
Keep the finished pancakes warm: Since you cook them one at a time, hold the finished pancakes on a plate in a 200°F oven so all three are warm when you sit down.
Troubleshooting
If your buttermilk pancakes aren’t turning out quite right, here’s how to fix common problems like thick batter, flat pancakes, or a raw center.
Why is my buttermilk pancake batter too thick?
Your flour is probably over-measured, or your buttermilk is on the thick side. Both make the batter stiff. Stir in a little more buttermilk, a tablespoon at a time, until the batter pours slowly off the spoon.
Why are my buttermilk pancakes flat instead of fluffy?
Your baking powder or baking soda has most likely lost its strength. Both weaken with age, so replace them if they’re past date. Overmixing flattens pancakes too, so stir the batter just until the flour disappears.
Why are my buttermilk pancakes raw in the middle?
Your pan is running too hot. The outside browns before the inside can cook. Lower the heat to medium and give each side a little longer so the center cooks through.
Why are my buttermilk pancakes sticking to the pan?
Your pan needs more fat or more heat. Brush it with a little butter or oil before each pancake, and let the pan warm up before the batter goes in.
Buttermilk Pancake Toppings
Take your small batch of pancakes to the next level with these delicious topping ideas:
- A pour of small batch pancake syrup or butter pecan syrup
- A spoonful of homemade whipped cream
- Fresh berries or sliced banana
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Stir 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar into enough milk to make 1 cup, let it sit for 10 minutes, then use it in place of the buttermilk.
Yes. Cool the pancakes, freeze them flat on a baking sheet, then move them to a freezer bag for up to 2 months.
Store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Warm them in the microwave for about 20 to 30 seconds, or in a 325°F oven until heated through.
Yes. Double all of the ingredients to make about six pancakes, enough for two.
Yes. Pour it into an ice cube tray, about 1 tablespoon per cube, freeze until solid, then move the cubes to a freezer bag and thaw what you need later.
It’s best made fresh. Baking soda starts working the moment it hits the buttermilk, so batter that sits loses some lift and the pancakes rise less.
Ways To Use Leftover Ingredients
If you have any ingredients leftover from this recipe, check out our Leftover Ingredients Recipe Finder or you might like to consider using them in any of these single serving and small batch recipes:
If you’ve tried this small batch buttermilk pancake recipe or any recipe on One Dish Kitchen please let me know how you liked it by rating the recipe and telling me about it in the comment section below.
Also, if you take a picture please tag us on Instagram (@onedishkitchen) we’d love to see it!
Small Batch Buttermilk Pancakes
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon salted butter – melted, plus more for the pan
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- ½ tablespoon sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup buttermilk
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Optional toppings: butter, syrup, or berries
Instructions
- Melt the butter and set it aside to cool for a minute.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- In a separate bowl, whisk the egg and buttermilk until smooth, then whisk in the melted butter and vanilla.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir gently until just combined. A few lumps are fine.
- Set a 10-inch skillet over medium heat and brush it lightly with ½ tablespoon of butter or oil.
- Pour ½ to ¾ cup of batter into the skillet. Cook until the edges look dry and bubbles form and pop on top, about 2 to 3 minutes.
- Flip and cook until the second side is golden, about 1 to 2 minutes more.
- Repeat with the remaining batter, adding a little more butter or oil to the skillet as needed.
- Serve warm.
Notes
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Such a delightful recipe! I had leftover buttermilk from making Irish Soda Bread for St. Patrick’s day and I found this recipe. Thank you! These were the best pancakes I’ve ever made!
I’m so happy you enjoyed them – thank you!
Made these tonight. Perfect!
I’m so glad you enjoyed them.
Hello,
If I wanted to double the recipe…pancakes for 2, would everything double including the baking soda and baking powder? thank you!!
Yes, everything can be doubled, including the baking powder and baking soda. Just mix the batter as directed and cook the pancakes the same way.
These buttermilk pancakes are light and fluffy. I made 3 smaller pancakes and they were delicious. Definitely a recipe to keep
Thank you! I’m so happy you enjoyed the pancakes.
I love this recipe, definitely a keeper. Pancakes are so nice and fluffy and I got enough for two servings. Thanks for the recipe, one of many of yours that I’m keeping.
I love pancakes and I have tried so many recipes. These are the best pancakes ever. They brown nicely, they are so fluffy and the cook through evenly, no soggy centers. The recipe makes 6 small pancakes, my preference. Some days I have pancakes for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Yep, that good!
I had a late night hankering for pancakes but didn’t want to have more than a couple and didn’t want to be stuck with a bunch of extra batter. This was quick, easy, and hit the spot! It made about four 6inch pancakes for me.
Wendy B., make your own buttermilk by adding 1 TBS of vinegar to 1 cup of milk.
I had it for Bfast this morning and enjoyed the lightness of it. Had three so blew my calorie goal (268) out of the window. Will skip snack and likely lunch too !!! But it was worth every bite.
The only source of buttermilk around here sells it in gallon containers so I was peering in the fridge trying to think of a substitute and spotted the Greek yogurt. It made the batter thick, so perhaps subing it in at a 50:50 ratio with water for buttermilk might have worked better, but the pancakes were incredible. Light, fluffy, delicious. I used plain unsweetened, but I suppose any flavor could work if you like that flavor in your pancakes.
Also, a hack for cutting down recipes: quail eggs. They are just like chicken eggs, but small. Six quail eggs equals one large chicken egg. So it’s child’s play to cut recipes in half. There’s no more wondering about how to use a third of an egg. Some places sell fresh quail eggs or you can grow your own.