Experience the taste of a classic diner breakfast without leaving the comfort of your home with this fantastic copycat Denny's pancake recipe. These golden, fluffy pancakes are crafted from scratch in your very own kitchen and deliver that delicious diner flavor, at home.
Recipe: $1.78 | Per Serving: $0.15 | Yield: 12 pancakes
Buttermilk pancakes are a true breakfast delight. The moment they hit the griddle, the kitchen fills with an irresistible aroma that awakens your senses. As they sizzle and take on that perfect golden hue, you can't help but anticipate the taste that's about to come.
Each bite is pure bliss, with a melt-in-your-mouth texture that's soft, airy, and just a touch tangy thanks to the buttermilk. These are the best ever buttermilk pancakes and are the embodiment of comfort, like a warm hug on a cozy morning.
Whether you're savoring them on a lazy weekend morning or whipping them up for a special occasion, these pancakes are a cherished part of breakfast traditions everywhere.
Buttermilk pancakes are a breakfast classic that never goes out of style. If you love buttermilk pancakes make sure to check out my Birthday Cake Pancakes and Salted Caramel Banana Pancakes.
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🍯 Why This Recipe Works
- It's more economical. We love Denny's so much but now that we live a good 40 minute drive from the nearest one, it's hard to justify the drive and costs. Making this Denny's pancake recipe at home has been a huge budget saver.
- You can eat as many as you want. One pancake, three pancakes, or even all of them. Have your own "endless pancake breakfast" in your own dining room.
- They taste great reheated too. Don't worry about the leftovers because these pancakes are just as good the next day!
🥘 Ingredients
Ingredient Notes:
Buttermilk- You can make your own buttermilk with the instructions below, or you can use storebought. The results are still pretty tasty!
Leavening agents- To help the pancakes rise as they cook, you'll need both baking powder and baking soda.
Egg- This is a binding agent to help the pancakes texture. The yolk also adds a richer taste.
Granulated sugar- This will help to create a fluffier structure within the pancake. If you want a sugar-free recipe then you should check out our Sugar Free Pancakes.
For specific ingredients and measurements, please see the recipe card below.
🧾 Quick DIY Buttermilk
If you're out of buttermilk, you can easily make some at home with common ingredients.
Take 1 cup of milk (any type) and remove 1 tablespoon of liquid. Add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar, stir, and let rest for 5 minutes before use.
🔪 Instructions for Denny's Pancake Recipe
Step 1: In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda until well mixed.
Step 2: In another bowl whisk together the egg, oil, and buttermilk until blended.
Step 3: Add the egg mixture to the dry mixture and whisk until combined and no flour streaks remain. Do not overmix. The batter will be lumpy.
Step 4: Scoop the batter by the ¼ cup measures onto a preheated greased skillet over medium heat.
Step 5: Cook for about 1-2 minutes per side or until both sides are golden in color.
🍴 Recipe Tips
- When mixing the batter, avoid overdoing it. Aim to incorporate the flour until no streaks remain, leaving a few lumps for fluffy pancakes.
- To determine when to flip, watch for set edges and bubbles in the center. Adjust the cooking temperature as needed, possibly with a few test pancakes.
- Be gentle when flipping to preserve fluffiness. Squishing pancakes flattens them and removes air, resulting in rubbery texture. Let them rise for tall, fluffy pancakes. These tips apply to all pancake recipes, including Hot Chocolate Pancakes Muffin Mix Pancakes and Strawberry Cheesecake Pancakes.
💭 Recipe FAQs
To make the fluffiest buttermilk pancakes, avoid overmixing the batter, and let it rest for a few minutes before cooking. This allows the leavening agents to work their magic.
Buttermilk adds a pleasant tanginess to pancakes and helps create a light and fluffy texture. It also reacts with leavening agents like baking soda to give the pancakes a good rise.
Yes, you can substitute regular milk for buttermilk in pancake recipes, but the texture and flavor of the pancakes may be slightly different. To mimic the acidity of buttermilk, you can add a small amount of lemon juice or vinegar to the milk.
❤️ More Delicious Pancake Recipes
If you tried this (Copycat) Denny's Pancake Recipe, please leave a ⭐️ star rating and share your feedback in the 📝 comments section below. I would truly appreciate it!
📖 Recipe
(Copycat) Denny's Pancake Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 ¾ cups all purpose flour ($0.23)
- 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar ($0.05)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder ($0.10)
- ¼ teaspoon salt ($0.01)
- ½ teaspoon baking soda ($0.01)
- 1 large eggs, lightly beaten ($0.15)
- 3 Tablespoons vegetable oil ($0.13)
- 1 ½ cups buttermilk ($1.10)
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda until well mixed.
- In another bowl whisk together the egg, oil, and buttermilk until blended.
- Add the egg mixture to the dry mixture and whisk until combined and no flour streaks remain. Do not overmix. The batter will be lumpy and thick.
- Let the batter rest for about 5 minutes while you preheat your skillet to medium heat (about 350 degrees F).
- Scoop the batter by the ¼ cup measures and round out into circles. Cook for about 1-2 minutes per side or until both sides are golden in color.
Notes
- Do not overmix the batter. You should only try to get the flour incorporated so that there are no dry streaks left in the batter. Overmixing will result in rubbery pancakes. There should be a few lumps.
- The pancakes are ready to flip when the edges look set and there are bubbles on top.
- Do not squish the pancakes. Squishing will make them rubbery and dense. Let them rise naturally. If the outside is cooking faster than the insides, turn down the heat.
- Leftovers. Keep your leftovers stored in an airtight container or Ziploc bag in the fridge for 3-4 days. Reheat again before eating.
Melissa says
Best recipe I’ve found , sooo good!
Nicole Durham says
Thanks so much! 🙂
Janice says
when I have eaten
Denny's pancakes they seem to have a special smell, that I Iove. By any chance is it vanilla?
Jeannie says
My pancakes were gummy ~ any advice?
Nicole Durham says
Gummy pancakes occur when the batter is over mixed. By mixing flour and liquids, stirring or whisking will help the glutens to develop in the flour. When making pancakes you want to develop them as little as possible which is why it's okay to leave some lumps in the batter and why the recipes say to just mix until combined. Your goal is to stir just enough that no flour streaks remain and then stop. So my advice is to simply stir less the next time you make pancakes. 🙂
Jeanne says
I had extra buttermilk on hand after making ranch, and spur of the moment decided to google a new recipe and make pancakes. I have tried A LOT of pancake recipes trying to find one that meets pancake house standards, and so far this has been the only one that I’ve tried that hit the mark. So fluffy, so perfect! My batter was super thick but I found that that made the perfect medium sized pancake (I weighed the flour for exact measurement and only added a small extra splash of buttermilk).I will only be using this recipe from now on!
Nicole Durham says
So glad you enjoyed it!
Jen Talley says
Every time we pass Denny's my 10 year old daughter asks if we can go. It has become a joke in the family. She has never been to Denny's, but I think it would be fun to try these pancakes as home!
Nicole says
Ha gotta love kids. The good news is you can save a drive by making these at home 😉