Light and Fluffy Restaurant Style Pancakes (2024)

With a just few simple tricks, you can make the best Fluffy Diner Pancakes Recipe at home. These diner style pancakes are thick and fluffy, made using pantry staples and they’re ready in just 20 minutes!

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We’re huge pancake fans in this house. While I’m all about trying new variations, there’s nothing quite like a big stack of thick, fluffy diner pancakes! Add some syrup and butter for some total breakfast comfort food that makes the whole family happy.

The secret to fluffy restaurant style pancakes? Buttermilk! The acid in the buttermilk reacts to the leavening agents in the pancake batter, creating air bubbles that make the pancakes tall and fluffy. It’s a simple switch that makes all the difference.

I’ve also included a few of my other tips for the best light and fluffy pancakes below.

What Makes This Diner Pancakes Recipe So Great?

• Quick and Easy. Ready in just 20 minutes, making it a perfect option for a speedy and delicious breakfast.
• Simple Ingredients. Uses everyday pantry staples, so you don’t need to hunt for fancy items.
• Thick and Fluffy Texture. The buttermilk trick creates tall and fluffy pancakes that are a delight to bite into.
• Versatile Toppings. Enjoy with your favorite toppings like maple syrup, whipped cream, Nutella, or fresh berries.

Ingredients For Diner Pancakes

• All-purpose flour – I have not tested this diner pancakes recipe with gluten-free or other types of flour.
• Sugar
• Vegetable oil – The oil keeps the pancakes moist and also helps to avoid giving them a yellow-brown color.
• Salt – A pinch of salt helps to enhance the other flavors.
• Vanilla – Vanilla adds a light flavor to the pancakes.
• Eggs – Eggs help give the pancakes form.
• Baking powder & baking soda – Both of these leavening agents work together to help create the softest, fluffiest buttermilk pancakes.
• Buttermilk – The secret to restaurant-style pancakes is that they’re made with buttermilk. If you don’t have any on hand, see below for a trick to make your own in a pinch!

See the recipe card below for exact quantities.

Pancake Toppings & Serving Ideas

There are so many ways to serve these homemade buttermilk pancakes! You can serve them as part of a bigger breakfast, brunch, or breakfast for dinner spread with sausage or bacon, eggs, and other breakfast foods or enjoy a tall stack as the main dish.

And, of course, don’t forget the toppings! Here are a few of my favorite pancake toppings:

• Maple syrup
• Whipped cream
• Nutella
• Chocolate or peanut butter drizzle
• Butter
• Fresh berries

How to Make This Fluffy Diner Pancakes Recipe

Making this diner pancakes recipe is super simple and you can have the first round of pancakes done in just 15 minutes or so.

1. Start by whisking all of the ingredients together. Let the batter rest for about 10 minutes to give the baking soda and powder time to activate and release gas. This is an important step that you don’t want to skip, as it gives them their fluffy texture and lift!
2. Once the batter has rested, add a little vegetable oil or butter to a large non-stick pan over medium heat. In my opinion, vegetable oil is the better option because it doesn’t burn or make the pancakes dark.

3. Add 1/3 cup of the batter to the pan and let cook until the bubbles start to pop up on the surface of the pancake. Depending on the size of your pan, you may be able to cook 2 pancakes at a time but I like to stick to one so I can flip the pancake easier without making a mess.
4. Once the bubbles start to pop, use a spatula to carefully flip each pancake. Let cook on the other side for about 30 seconds. Transfer to a plate and serve hot.

Tips

Here are a few things I’ve learned with trial and error in making these pancakes.

• Don’t overcrowd the pan. Depending on the size of your pan, I’d recommend cooking no more than 2 pancakes at a time. You want them to be able to spread out and become perfectly round. Plus it makes them easier to flip as well!
• Use oil, not butter. While technically you can cook the pancakes in butter, I much prefer to use vegetable oil. I’ve found it’s the best way to get perfectly golden pancakes and avoid an icky brown color on the bottom.
• Always let the batter rest. Letting the batter sit for 10 minutes before beginning to cook is key to these light and fluffy pancakes. It allows the leavening agents to work their fluffy magic.
• Don’t overmix the batter. Once the batter is mixed and resting, leave it alone. Don’t mix it again or you risk releasing the air in the batter and ending up with flat pancakes.

Storage

Store. While these pancakes are always best fresh, you can store any leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days. Just keep them covered in plastic wrap. To reheat, you can pop them in the microwave, in the toaster, or quickly reheat them on the stovetop.

Freeze. These homemade buttermilk pancakes freeze super well. Just allow them to cool, then transfer them to a plastic freezer bag for up to 2 months. To prevent any sticking, you can also flash freeze them on a baking sheet first.

Reheat. Reheat from frozen in the microwave or the toaster and add your favorite toppings.I find that 25 seconds in the microwave followed by a few minutes in the toaster to crisp the outside edges again is the sweet spot!

This recipe makes a tonne of pancakes and is really what I would consider a double batch unless you are cooking for more than one family. You can easily cut this recipe in half and still have left overs to freeze.

My son loves pancakes so I like to make this huge batch so I can freeze them for a quick before school breakfast.

Diner Style Pancakes FAQs

More Pancake Recipes:

• Cinnamon French Toast Pancakes
• Oatmeal Cottage Cheese Pancakes
• Peanut Butter Protein Pancakes
• Easy Scallion Pancakes
• Aunt Lillian’s Polish Potato Pancakes

For the step-by-step version of this recipe, check out theHow To Make Restaurant Style Pancakes Story.