Buttermilk Griddle Cakes Recipe

Prepare dry ingredients

In a large bowl whisk together the all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and fine salt until evenly combined.

Combine wet ingredients

In a separate bowl or large measuring cup whisk the buttermilk, eggs, melted butter, and vanilla extract until smooth and homogeneous.

Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour the wet mixture in. Stir gently with a spatula or wooden spoon just until the flour is incorporated and you no longer see large streaks of dry flour. The batter should be thick but pourable; a few small lumps are fine. Do not overmix — overmixing will make the cakes tough.

If using mix-ins, gently fold them in now: fold in the blueberries or chocolate chips just until evenly distributed (about 6–8 folds). If using frozen blueberries, fold them in straight from frozen to prevent too much color bleed and do not thaw fully.

Let the batter rest for 5–10 minutes at room temperature while you preheat the griddle. This hydrates the flour and helps the cakes become tender and slightly taller.

Preheat griddle

Heat a large nonstick skillet or griddle over medium heat until hot — about 2–4 minutes. The surface should sizzle lightly when a drop of water is flicked onto it. Reduce heat to medium-low if it seems too hot (you want an even golden brown, not burning).

Grease

Add about 1 tsp of additional butter or a light brush of oil to the griddle and spread evenly. Reapply a small amount between batches as needed.

Scoop batter

For each griddle cake, pour or ladle about 1/4 cup of batter onto the hot griddle, leaving 1–2 inches between cakes. If you prefer larger cakes use 1/3 cup.

Cook first side

Cook until bubbles form across the surface and the edges look set, about 2–3 minutes. Watch the color on the underside by lifting a corner with a spatula — it should be golden brown.

Flip and finish

Flip the cakes and cook the second side until golden and cooked through, about 1–2 minutes more. The total cook time per cake will be about 3–5 minutes depending on griddle temperature and cake size.

Keep warm

Transfer finished cakes to a warm plate or oven set to 200°F (95°C) to keep warm while you cook remaining batter. Do not stack too many while very hot or they will steam and soften; stack just before serving if desired.

Serve

Serve griddle cakes hot with a generous pat of whipped butter and warm maple syrup. Offer additional blueberries or chocolate chips at the table if you used plain batter.