These Homestyle Vanilla Cinnamon Buttermilk Pancakes are a weekly staple here. There are two food items that, guaranteed, we make each week: pizza dough and pancakes. The kids love these pancakes so much and I love how versatile and freezer friendly they can be.

When it comes to breakfast, we are big fans of the classics: pancakes, eggs, bacon, and loads of coffee. We cook up a big batch of these pancakes on Sunday and I freeze the rest for the week ahead. Top with butter, a drizzle of syrup and seasonal fruit. A delicious breakfast indeed.

Overhead shot of three homestyle vanilla cinnamon buttermilk pancakes topped with syrup and fresh berries.

Homestyle Buttermilk Pancake Essentials

I've long believed that quality ingredients lead to quality finished products for recipes. That holds true for these delicious pancakes. That said, here's what we need to make the best homestyle Vanilla Cinnamon Buttermilk Pancakes:

Pastured Eggs: We rotate between eggs from either our CSA box with Sage Mountain Farm or from local farm stand, From Her Farm. If you're in the local Pomona/Claremont area, From Her Farm is based in Upland and is one to check out.
Good Quality Buttermilk: buttermilk helps to kick start the baking soda and supports leavening in each pancake. The more rise, the fluffier our pancake crumb. I love this texture and good quality buttermilk from Clover Sonoma or Kalona Supernatural are great options I use every time.
Vanilla Extract: Good quality vanilla extract adds a dimension of subtle sweetness that is a perfect addition to our pancakes.
Cinnamon: Over a decade ago, I enjoyed a short stack of pancakes at a local cafe in Huntington Beach, CA where my husband and I lived before we started our family. I remember asking the owner about her pancake recipe and she mentioned they used cinnamon in their batter. I've incorporated this spice into our own batter ever since. It offers a subtle warmth that is just delicious here.
All-Purpose Flour: I'm a long time fan of King Arthur Baking and their flours. Their signature all-purpose flour is my go-to and you can also swap out for their measure-for-measure blend for a gluten-free option.

Additional Tips for Making the Perfect Pancake

We've been making this version of buttermilk pancakes since March 2020 and I make them religiously on Sundays. I've experimented with a mix of flours, such as whole wheat and all-purpose flour blends, and have even added chia seeds to the mix. It has been a fruitful and enriching learning experience on what goes into making the perfect pancake. A couple of key tools in the kitchen that have also helped me include:

Non-stick Griddle: This non-stick griddle from All-Clad has been a wonderful investment for our stovetop. Since this recipe use butter, I never have to use oil or butter on this griddle to cook pancakes. I take it out each sunday so I can make at least a half dozen pancakes at once. That helps cut down on cook time too. A big win!
Pancake Molds for Fun and Festive Shapes: Some days we love to mix it up with fun and festive shapes for our pancakes. These Mickey Mouse Molds from Williams-Sonoma and the seasonal heart shaped silicone pancake molds from Target are ones we use time and again.
Freezer Tips: These pancakes are super freezer friendly. Allow pancakes to cool completely before layering them in a resealable and freezer friendly storage bags. They'll freeze well for up to a month, though we tend to go through the full batch in a week for our family of four (with the kids eating the bulk of them 😉).

More Pancake Recipes to Add to the Mix

There are plenty more pancake recipes to love here that celebrate seasonal ingredients. Check out a few more of our favorites below:

Fluffy Cottage Cheese Pancakes are great if you're wanting to add a bit more protein to the pancake mix. I love this variation over adding in a protein powder, though I am experimenting with using plant based protein powders here too.
Heirloom Blue Corn Pancakes with Piloncillo Syrup are a beautiful option for using blue corn masa harina to elevate your pancake recipe rotation.
Pumpkin Pancakes with Maple Cinnamon Syrup are great to keep in mind for fall/winter to use either canned or fresh roasted pumpkin.
Finally, these browned butter pears and apples make for a wonderful fall topping for pancakes, oats, and more.

Homestyle Vanilla Cinnamon Buttermilk Pancakes

Frances Kellar

These pancakes are a staple in our house where we usually make a big batch on Sunday and freeze the leftovers for easy weekday mornings. This recipe yields approximately 3 dozen pancakes, about 3 pancakes per person or 12 servings total.

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Prep Time 5

Cook Time 35

Course Breakfast

Cuisine American

Servings servings

Ingredients

4 cups all purpose flour
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
3 teaspoons baking soda
3 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons kosher salt
¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 cups buttermilk
4 whole eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
additional butter or coconut oil for pan
garnish options: fresh berries, powdered sugar, more butter, maple syrup. You get the idea.

Instructions

Melt butter in microwave in 15-20 second intervals (depending on your microwave’s power settings) or in a small saucepan on the stove. Set aside to cool. Meanwhile, preheat your skillet or griddle on medium heat.
In a large bowl, add the flour, sugar, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and the cinnamon. Whisk together to combine. In the same bowl, add in the buttermilk, eggs, vanilla bean paste, and the cooled melted butter. Whisk to combine wet and dry ingredients. Be careful not to over whisk as the batter can become tough and the pancakes will flatten when cooking. If the batter looks airy, slightly puffy, with just a few small lumps, this is good.
Using a ladle or ¼ cup measuring cup, scoop batter and pour onto the skillet or griddle. Depending on the space of your cooking surface, you might be able to fit at least 4 pancakes. Be careful not to overcrowd the pancakes on your skillet or griddle as they might stick together. Allow pancakes to cook for at least 2 minutes or until you observe bubbles starting to form. Flip the pancakes and cook the other side for at least two minutes, until both sides are slightly browned. Adjust your heat as needed.
Remove pancakes to a plate or serving platter. You can keep warm in a heated oven (set to lowest temp) while cooking the remaining pancakes. Once all pancakes are cooked, garnish and serve immediately. This recipe yields 8 to 12 pancakes depending on how big you make them when pouring the batter.