Fluffy buttermilk pancakes loaded with vanilla flavor and juicy strawberries. Top with homemade honey butter for the ultimate weekend indulgence!
For this recipe, use my go-to buttermilk pancake recipe. It’s the one I use time and time again when I crave a stack of classic, diner-style pancakes. This basic recipe because makes the fluffiest, softest, most tender buttermilk pancakes—that taste anything but basic. I love it so much that I published these pancakes, packed with juicy blueberries, in my first cookbook (page 35!). I’ve even made birthday cake pancakes before! Obviously.
Now for the strawberry version. I changed the recipe ever so slightly by adding a touch more vanilla and loads of sliced strawberries. I also added a little more flour because strawberries are so juicy. The vanilla extract and strawberries, along with the melted butter, give these pancakes that little something extra. So much so that you don’t even need toppings. Except for honey butter. There is always a need for homemade honey butter.
Honey + butter + strawberries + fluffy pancakes. Ah yes.
Remember when I taught you about baking powder vs baking soda? Well, we are using both in today’s pancakes! In this recipe, buttermilk is used partly for its unmistakable tangy flavor. If we used only baking soda in the pancake batter, the soda could neutralize all of the buttermilk’s acid. And we’d lose that tanginess! So, by including baking powder as well, some of the buttermilk’s flavor is left behind, and there is still enough leavening to yield the fluffiest of fluffy pancakes.
For more fresh strawberry goodness, try strawberry bread next. I compare it to “summer in a loaf pan,” but just like these strawberry buttermilk pancakes, don’t limit it to just a few months out of the year!
More Favorite Pancake Recipes:
- Birthday Cake Pancakes
- Whole Wheat Oatmeal Pancakes
- Greek Yogurt Lemon Poppyseed Pancakes
- Whole Wheat Pancakes or Whole Wheat Blueberry Pancakes
- Pumpkin Pancakes
- Healthy Banana Pancakes
Strawberry Buttermilk Pancakes with Honey Butter
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 11-12 pancakes
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Cooking
- Cuisine: American
Description
Fluffy buttermilk pancakes loaded with vanilla flavor and juicy strawberries. Top with homemade honey butter for the ultimate weekend indulgence!
Ingredients
- 6 Tablespoons (85g) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled (plus more butter for greasing)
- 2 and 1/4 cups (281g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1/3 cup (67g) granulated sugar
- 1 and 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs
- 2 cups (480ml) buttermilk
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup sliced strawberries (fresh or frozen)*
- honey butter and maple syrup for serving
Instructions
- Melt the 6 Tablespoons (85g) of butter first. Microwave or stovetop—either is fine. Set aside to slightly cool. You don’t want it piping hot.
- In a large bowl, preferably with a pour spout, toss the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together until combined. Set aside.
- In another large bowl, whisk the eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla extract together until combined. Whisk in the melted butter. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and gently whisk to combine. Make sure there are no patches of dry flour at the bottom of the bowl. The batter is thick and a few lumps are fine. Very gently, fold in the strawberries.
- Heat a griddle or large skillet over medium heat. Coat generously with butter or nonstick cooking spray. Once it’s hot, drop/pour a heaping 1/4 cup of batter on the griddle. Cook until the edges look set and you notice holes in the pancake’s surface around the border, about 2 minutes. Flip and cook the other side until cooked through, about 1–2 more minutes. Coat griddle/skillet with butter or nonstick spray again, if needed, for each batch of pancakes.
- Keep pancakes warm in a preheated 200°F (93°C) oven until all pancakes are cooked. Serve pancakes immediately with honey butter and maple syrup. (Though I love them even without the maple syrup!)
- Cover and store leftover pancakes in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Notes
- Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: Pancakes freeze well up to 3 months. Reheat frozen pancakes in the microwave. Or you can reheat frozen pancakes in a 350°F (177°C) oven. Place pancakes on a lined baking sheet and cover with aluminum foil. Bake for 6–8 minutes or until defrosted and warm.
- Can I make the batter the night before? No, I don’t recommend it. Baking powder is activated once wet. You can, however, mix the dry ingredients and wet ingredients together and keep them separate and covered in the refrigerator until the morning. (But do not add the melted butter until ready to cook, because that will solidify in the refrigerator.)
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Mixing Bowls (preferably with a pour spout) | Whisk | Electric Griddle, Griddle Pan, or Shallow Skillet/Pan
- Buttermilk: Though I typically suggest a DIY buttermilk substitute using regular milk and vinegar/lemon, I highly recommend real buttermilk. I used low fat buttermilk, but full fat works too. I do not suggest any substitutions. Try using any extra buttermilk in any of these recipes.
- Strawberries: If using frozen strawberries, thaw them, slice them, and pat them dry before adding to the batter.
- Adapted from Sally’s Baking Addiction Cookbook Blueberry Buttermilk Pancakes recipe.
Reader Comments and Reviews
Great recipe! Super easy to make. I whipped my egg whites separately for extra rise, and the pancakes came out wonderful!
I was wondering if I could do this recipe without the strawberries? Just to do as a normal buttermilk pancake.
Definitely!
Best pancake recipe ever! I use this recipe for blueberry pancakes. It’s so delicious… So fluffy with crispy edges. I always make my buttermilk the day before I make these, and they always turn out SO FLUFFY! It’s become part of the brunch line-up along with eggs benedict when I have my family over for Sunday brunch.
I just made this recipe with blueberries…delish! Wondering if I can freeze the extra batter?
Hi Beth! Pancake batter doesn’t freeze well, but pancakes do! See recipe notes for details.
This was awesome as written so I made some using freeze-dried strawberries, just soaked them in buttermilk overnight, then used both together, it was good, omg!!!
Is there a dairy-free alternative to buttermilk??
Hi Chris, we highly recommend using real buttermilk in this recipe. Unfortunately, any substitutes (like creating a DIY buttermilk with a dairy-free milk and lemon juice or vinegar) will not create the same final results.
Loved the pancakes.
And the tip on how to keep them warm. I’m only able to cook two at a time, so it took a bit to finish off all the batter.
Also loved that they came out exactly as pictured, delicious!
I did use the buttermilk, but will have to use an alternative in the future. I can handle certain foods that contain dairy, but clearly not these.
Hi sally! Can we use milk instead of buttermilk?
Hi Anna, we highly recommend using real buttermilk in this recipe. Any substitutes will not create the same final results.
Sally, I cannot begin to tell you how grateful I am for this recipe. These were beautiful. I have tried to make pancakes for YEARS without ever coming close to that golden-brown fluffy perfection that I managed to achieve today thanks to you. The internet is absolutely brimming with pancake recipes, but you can be sure I’ll never try another one, unless it’s from you!
These are INCREDIBLE! I love how fluffy and tender they are – and I love that I don’t have to beat the egg whites separately. SO SO SO good.
What would happen if I substitute 480ml of buttermilk for plain white yogurt?
Hi Marq, we highly recommend using real buttermilk in this recipe. Any substitutes will not create the same final results. Let us know if you give them a try!
We loved these!!! I had never made honey butter before even though it’s my favorite thing to eat on biscuits and now pancakes! The flavor combinations here are perfect. Even the batter smelled divine. I may have topped it with whipped cream that I had leftover from making your lemon blueberry tart…you know…to avoid wasting anything. YUM.
Hello Sally. I’ve done this recipe before following it to a T but substituting regular flour with a mix of GF flours.
Today, I had no strawberries, so I decided to finely chop a banana and added in 3/4 cup chocolate chips. Divine!
Can the batter be used the next day? It was just for me and my daughter. Shame to throw it away!
Hi Laura, we’re so happy you enjoy these pancakes! For any leftovers, we recommend using up the batter to make a full batch of pancakes, then storing any extras in the freezer. They freeze well, up to 2 months. Reheat as desired.
Made these for my family on Valentines Day and again this morning. They are so yummy! I’ve used fake buttermilk both times but will try with real next time. Also, used whole wheat flour. Your blueberry pancakes are delish too! Both don’t need any extra sweetener on top. We like to put a scoop of fresh whipped cream. Thanks
Happy Pancake Tuesday from Ireland…Sallys Pancakes for the win! Wonderful recipe! X
These pancakes were amazing! We subbed chocolate chips in place of strawberries. They had the perfect amount of sweetness and they were so light and fluffy. It was worth a trip to the store for real buttermilk, since I typically end up doing a DIY options. My 4 year old son ate about 5 pancakes, so I will definitely be making them again.
Hi Sally, i made these today and while texture wise they were superb, they came out very sour because of vinegar i added to make buttermilk. Did i add too much? I followed the recipe
Hi Sila – While we often use a DIY buttermilk option using 1 tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon for each cup of milk, for this recipe we highly recommend real buttermilk! See recipe notes for details.
Hi Sally. This was the second recipe of yours which I tried and it went down an absolute treat once again! I served these with strawberries on the side instead of in the batter (ok, and Nutella) and they were just so soft and fluffy! Thank you for sharing once again. Any tips to get a rounder shape? I got some oval pancakes but they were still super delicious
This pancake recipe is the best I’ve ever tried! Thank you Sally!
I didn’t have buttermilk, so I did a mix of whole milk & sour cream & I diced the strawberries. They were soft & just the right amount of sweetness. I served them with dulce de leche (like a caramel sauce but more scrumptious) & oh my, were they sooooo good!!!! You seriously have the best recipes!!!
Amazing. I need to keep buttermilk in my fridge at all times for this.
A great recipe! Thank you so much Sally!!
I made these this morning, swapped strawberries for blueberries, and OH MY GOD they were soooo good!! Like so good I had to call my brother and his little family over so they could taste the deliciousness that was your recipe. Thanks Sally for yet another mouth watering recipe.
Hello Sally! I have leftover buttermilk so I am looking up some buttermilk pancakes but would prefer to use a somewhat healthier flour option Hahh. Do you think White whole wheat flour or even whole wheat would work with these? Thank you!!
Yes, you can! You might also really like these Whole Wheat Buttermilk Waffles!
Thank you so much! These are delicious!!! My toddlers couldn’t stop eating them! I used whole wheat flour, frozen strawberries and only 3tbsp (41g) of sugar and they were perfect! Maybe not the best shaped pancakes Hahh but certainly delicious!
Hi sSally ! Made these beautiful pancake yesterday. They were SO SO SO delicious!! So fluffy, moist, rich and buttery ! It tasted like heaven, no, it was even better. I didnt had strawberries on hand so I made a simple batter. With a piece of butter and a dash of cinnamon and maple syrup, we were fulfilled! Thank you for this amazing recipe.
Hi! Would these work as waffles??
Yes, absolutely! Same recipe, just use the waffle machine. Make sure you grease it very well.
These were amazing and so easy to make. Thank you! Never even thought of strawberry pancakes. The honey butter was delicious as well.
Just made these today, just without the strawberries. My husband said that they were the best pancakes he has had. I may have found my go-to pancake recipe. 🙂 Thanks Sally!
Usually, my husband and I make your whole wheat pancakes on Sunday mornings, but today we decided to live on the wild side and try these out. They are heavenly! So thick, the right amount of sweet, and they melt in your mouth. Thanks for the ever-consistently perfect recipes, Sally!
I just tried these! that taste absolutely wonderful! I added blueberry’s instead of strawberry’s and it worked great! thanks for the recipe
Hello Sally, I want to make these but don’t have any butter, so I was wondering if I could substitute oil for the melted butter ?
You really want that flavor from the butter! But in a pinch, oil works.
Ok these are calling to me, I just have to make them! Could I possibly store the batter (without strawberries) in the fridge for a couple of days? Or is it better to just make the whole lot and freeze them as you suggested?
This batter cannot be prepared ahead of time because the baking powder is activated once it is wet. You can mix the dry ingredients and then the wet ingredients (separately) ahead of time and then continue to prepare the pancakes the morning of. Freezing works too!
Looks incredible! My son is allergic to eggs, is there a substitute you would suggest or is it ok to leave them out entirely?
Hi Ashna, we haven’t tested this recipe with any egg substitutes, but let us know if you give anything a try (we don’t recommend leaving them out completely). Here are all of our egg-free recipes if you are interested.
This is one of my favorite recipes! However, my pancakes don’t seem very fluffy! Any tips to help them fluff up?
Hi Krystal, we’re so glad you love these pancakes! Make sure your baking powder and baking soda are fresh. We often find they start to lose their effectiveness after 3 months of being opened, even if they are still within their expiration dates. Be sure you’re not over measuring your flour (spoon and level or use a kitchen scale), which can cause them to be a bit dense and dry. Hope these tips help for next time!