You can make IHOP buttermilk pancakes just like they do—it is easy to do! We are proud of this long-awaited creation. Enjoy these famous fluffy pancakes at home!
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IHOP Buttermilk Pancakes
Who doesn’t love a great big stack of IHOP’s famous pancakes? Now you can have these anytime without a long line. I sometimes know on the weekend the line can go out the door. When you make breakfast at home, the lines are short! Guess what, your food is just as delicious.
I love these pancakes because they have a wonderful flavor, a little sweet, and the buttermilk gives them a bit of a tang.
They aren’t hard to make at all. Sometimes I will make a double batch so I have some to freeze and enjoy later.
What Makes these IHOP Buttermilk Pancakes so Good?
IHOP serves many different kinds of pancakes, but believe it or not, according to a survey by Mashed, the original buttermilk pancakes are still the favorite. It’s not too surprising when you think about it.
There is just something comfortingly delicious about the combination of tangy buttermilk, rich butter, and sweet syrup.
What Makes This the Best Recipe to Try for Making IHOP Pancakes at Home?
There are a lot of IHOP pancakes recipes floating around the internet, but this version takes the, uh, cake. It is straightforward and delivers tasty and fluffy pancakes that are just like the ones you get at IHOP. What’s not to love?
IHOP Pancake Recipe Ingredients
- All-purpose flour
- Baking powder
- Sugar
- Salt
- Baking soda
- Buttermilk
- Vegetable oil
- Egg
How to Make IHOP Pancakes
To make the batter:
- Whisk the flour, baking powder, sugar, salt, and baking soda together in a large mixing bowl.
- Whisk the egg, buttermilk, and oil in a separate mixing bowl.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir just enough to mix everything. Don’t overmix.
- Cover the bowl and pop it in the fridge for 10 minutes. Then stir the batter to make sure there aren’t any patches of dry ingredients and that most of the lumps are out.
- If the batter is a little thick, thin it out with a bit of buttermilk.
To make the pancakes:
- Heat a griddle or heavy-bottom skillet (cast-iron is perfect) over medium-low heat.
- Once the pan is hot, lightly coat the cooking surface with a thin layer of vegetable oil.
- Pour enough batter on the cooking surface to form four-inch pancakes. Space the pancakes so you can easily flip them with a spatula.
- Let the pancakes cook until tiny bubbles form on the surface and the edges begin to dry out.
- Cook the second side until it is golden brown.
- Place the cooked pancakes on a baking tray in a WARM oven (200°F) under an aluminum foil tent and finish cooking the rest of the pancakes.
How to Store, Freeze, and Reheat IHOP Pancakes
Homemade IHOP pancakes freeze beautifully and make a quick and filling midweek breakfast. You can store extra pancakes overnight in an airtight container in the fridge, but for any longer than that, it is best to freeze them.
To freeze pancakes:
- Cool the pancakes on a wire rack.
- While the pancakes cool, cut parchment or wax paper into squares about the same size as the pancakes.
- Stack the pancakes with a sheet of parchment or wax paper between each one and stack them in a freezer bag.
- Store in the freezer for up to a month.
The easiest way to reheat pancakes is in the microwave:
- Heat three frozen pancakes for about a minute and a half.
- Heat pancakes from the fridge for around 45 seconds.
IHOP Pancakes Recipe Toppings
From the mundane to the extraordinary, pancakes toppings seem endless. Here are three exciting toppings to try:
- Poached fruit. Apples and peaches are particularly delicious. Don’t forget to drizzle some cooking liquid onto the pancakes for extra flavor.
- ‘Smores. Spread a thin layer of Fluffernutter between each pancake, top with chocolate sauce, and sprinkle with crushed graham crackers.
- Banana Custard. Spread vanilla pudding between each layer of pancakes. Place a dollop of whipped cream on top of the stack, add a few slices of fresh banana and a sprinkling of crushed vanilla wafers.
FAQs for IHOP Original Buttermilk Pancakes
How Does IHOP Get Its Pancakes so Fluffy?
IHOP Original Buttermilk Pancakes owe their fluffiness to both baking soda and baking powder in the recipe. Baking soda and baking powder are both rising agents that release C02; however, they do it slightly differently.
Baking soda is 100 percent sodium bicarbonate and creates CO2 when it mixes with acid and a liquid, in this case, the only slightly acidic buttermilk. Baking powder contains sodium bicarbonate and powdered acid, so it only needs a liquid to generate CO2.
How Many Calories Are in IHOP Buttermilk Pancakes?
According to the IHOP’s nutritional menu, each buttermilk pancake contains around 150 calories and 6 grams of fat. But remember, that is before adding butter and syrup!
What Is the Difference Between Original and Buttermilk Pancakes?
All the various IHOP pancake recipes are based on buttermilk pancakes, but you can find non-buttermilk pancakes elsewhere. The main difference between the two varieties is that regular pancakes use whole milk instead of buttermilk and don’t have any buttermilk tang that many people adore.
Love IHOP? Check out these copycat recipes
- Bacon Omelette
- Banana Bread French Toast
- Buttermilk Griddle Cakes
- IHOP Cupcake Pancakes
- Cinnamon Pancakes
- Meat Lovers Omelette Recipe
- Pumpkin Pancakes
More Breakfast Recipes
- Chicken and Waffles Recipe
- Egg McMuffin
- How to Make an Omelette Fluffy
- How to Make Homemade Waffles
- How to Make Sausage Gravy
- Monkey Bread
Check out even more of my easy breakfast recipes and copycat food.
IHOP Buttermilk Pancakes
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 1/2 teaspoon sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 1/2 cups buttermilk plus 2 to 4 tablespoons if needed to thin the batter
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil plus more for the pan (or nonstick cooking spray)
- 1 egg lightly beaten
- Syrup, for serving
Instructions
- Place the flour, baking powder, sugar, salt, and baking soda in a bowl. Whisk to combine.
- Add the buttermilk, oil, and egg.
- Use a spoon to mix all ingredients until smooth.
- If batter seems to be too thick while you’re cooking the pancakes, add a little more buttermilk and mix well.
- Heat a skillet or a griddle over medium-low heat. Brush with a little oil or spray with nonstick cooking spray.
- Pour in batter until it spreads to the desired size.
- Let the batter start to show small bubbles on top before you turn the pancake over to finish cooking.
- Cook the pancakes until golden on both sides.
- Serve warm with your favorite syrup.
Judy
These are the bestest pancakes ever!!
So light & fluffy and the same great flavor like IHOP
Crown
Nice tasty and amazing
K
Best pancake I have ever made. Very fluffy, better than IHOP pancake.
sheila doiron
COULD YOU USE THIS RECIPE AND MAKE WAFFLES INSTEAD OF THE PANCAKE
Stephanie Manley
I think you would need to add some extra flour to the batter to support the structure of a waffle.
Dawniss
This recipe is the best❤️🔥
SCV
I posted here with a question so why was it taken down or not shown?
Stephanie Manley
I don’t know what happened. What was your question? I don’t know if you will receive a notification to this question because you left an invalid email address. I tried to reach out to you, but again it was invalid.
Lori Graber
That was delicious. My husband told me they were the best pancakes I have ever made.
Kyle
If you really want these good, use Bob’s Red Mill Whole Wheat Pastry Flour instead of the all-purpose flour!
Stephanie
I wished their flour was easier to find!
Rhonda
Yummy
Allan Brand
I think you mean IHOB 😉
Stephanie
Only for this summer 😉 Have you tried any of their burgers?
Dave
The burgers aren’t the only good thing there. I’ve been getting the country fried steak with mashed and corn with the white sausage gravy over all. Delicious and all for about $10. I use their app so I can swing by on my way home from work and do a grab-and-go!
Stephanie
I never thought of trying a chicken fried steak with sausage gravy before, it sounds great!
Josh Wright
These pancakes were amazing! They taste just like IHOP. Instead of using cooking spray we use real butter to coat the skillet. All of the required ingredients is cheap. I never go to IHOP anymore because I can make the same quality pancakes in the confront of my House. Every time I make these people love them. I’m a very picky eater, and I love these. If you love pancakes you will love this recipe!
Elsa
I made these this morning and they were delicious!!! However, like some of the comments suggested, I would not grease my stainless steel griddle so that the pancakes would have a nice even color, instead of spots. Aside from the spotty look (which was completely my fault), the pancakes were light, fluffy, and delicious! My entire family enjoyed them. Thank you!
Cristy K.
Delicious! I’ve made many different homemade pancakes recipes but was never able to replicate the signature IHOP taste. These are definitely a great replication! I never have buttermilk on hand so I soured milk. I also don’t spray the griddle or use butter on the pan as the pancakes get that signature all over golden brown surface by not greasing the surface. If you’re looking for pancakes with that “something special” these are it.
Jeanine
You don’t need buttermilk in hand all you need is a tablespoon of lemon and a cup of milk stir let stand for 5 minutes
Jonathan
Has a former IHOP cook, I will tell you there is one serious error in this recipe. IHOP does not use cooking spray or oil to cook the pancake. A pancake will not stick to a properly prepared griddle or non stick cooking surface. Using cooking spray or oil changes the top of the pancake from a soft sold golden color to a crispy splotched crater effect. You want to have the flavor of pure melted butter on the hot pancake as opposed to an absorbed flavor during cooking.
joel
Johnathan,
Thank you for your post. I have been making pancakes for a very long time. I would always apply butter to the cook surface. I could not get the desired effect on the finished product. I use a cast iron griddle that is always properly seasoned. By not applying butter or spray the pancakes came out perfect! This recipe is dead on. Thanks guys.
Joel
Carol
I lived in America for the past two years as an exchange student, and IHOP was one of my favorite restaurants. Right now I am back in Brazil, where I’m from, and this pancakes recipe definitely made me feel like I was eating at IHOP, I loved it. And my mom put her hands down to it too !!!
Jim George
Hi great recipe. In fact it’s my go to recipe for pancakes.
However, if there’s one thing I do differently and would change its that the egg white be separated from the yolk. Mix the yolk with the wet ingredients and beat the white separately until slightly stiff.
Fold the egg white into the batter slowly at the end after you have mixed all your wet and dry ingredients together. This way you get the fluffiest pancakes.
Thanks again for sharing this with the world.