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This Sour Cream Pancakes recipe makes perfectly, light, fluffy pancakes. Top with sour cream & warm maple syrup for a tasty breakfast treat.
Love pancakes? Checkout my cornbread pancakes or mini scotch pancakes!
My Best Pancake Recipe
I’ve made a lot of pancakes in my time, but I have to say this is my favorite recipe. They cook up golden brown on the outside, and wonderfully fluffy in the middle.
These simple and fluffy pancakes are delicious and super simple to make requiring very little effort. Once you try them, you’ll never go back to a mix again.
Why This Recipe Works
- The sour cream adds a tangy element that elevates the recipe
- The Vanilla, cinnamon & nutmeg give them a spicy warmth and depth of flavor.
- The pancakes turn out lighter than most making them fill you up without weighing you down.
The Trick to Making Fluffy Pancakes
Don’t over mix the batter. Over mixing will make dense, heavy pancakes. Start with mixing the wet and dry ingredients separately. To combine them stir just until the flour is moistened. Lumps are totally fine!
What Sour Cream Is Best
When cooking or baking with sour cream, it’s vital to use full-fat sour cream as opposed to fat-free or low fat. When heated, low-fat sour cream liquefies and essentially turns to water changing the recipe completely.
When To Flip Pancakes
Flip when the edges look dry and the surface bubbles have popped, forming holes that don’t fill up with batter.
How To Make Sour Cream Pancakes
Start with adding the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, cinnamon & nutmeg to a large bowl.
Mix well to combine.
In a separate bowl, add the sour cream, milk, egg, oil, melted butter, and vanilla extract.
Mix well to combine and then add the wet ingredients into the flour mixture.
Stir to combine. Then allow to rest for 5-10 minutes.
Stir just until the flour is moistened to avoid over mixing. A few lumps are totally fine!
Coat a large skillet with melted butter and heat over medium heat until hot.
Make a small test pancake to check the pan temperature. If your pancake is overcooked on the outside and raw on the inside, adjust the heat.
Working in batches, pour the batter into the skillet.
To make your pancakes consistent in size, use an ice cream scoop or quarter-cup measuring cup to add the batter to the pan.
Cook until holes appear on the surface of the pancake.
Flip and cook the other side for about a minute or until golden.
Serve pancakes warm and enjoy every last bite.
Tips For Fluffy Pancakes
- Stir gently by hand to combine until ingredients are just moistened. Be careful not to over-mix. The gluten in the flour starts to develop as soon as the liquid touches it. The more you mix, the tougher it becomes. Don’t worry about lumps; lumps are fine; they’ll cook out in the pan.
- Let the batter stand after mixing. This will allow the flour to puff up and the gluten to rest after mixing. Let stand for 5-10 minutes at room temperature or chilled for up to 3 hours (but allow to come back to room temperature before cooking).
- Don’t leave mixed pancake batter overnight. It will exhaust the baking soda, and your pancakes won’t rise as they should.
- Don’t skip the melted butter in the batter – it interferes with the gluten in the flour that causes toughness.
- Be careful not to overheat the pan. A good test is to heat the pan over medium heat until a drop of water jumps across the surface.
- Make a small test pancake to check the pan temperature. Adjust the heat if your pancake is overcooked on the outside and raw on the inside.
- Try greasing the pan with clarified butter or vegetable oil to avoid burning butter.
- After flipping, the second side will cook quicker than the first.
- If making pancakes to freeze, add a half teaspoon of vinegar to the batter. It will help stop them from getting rubbery.
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FAQs
How do you make pancakes ahead?
Combine the dry and wet ingredients separately (excluding the melted butter). Store the wet ingredients overnight. Then in the morning, melt the butter and combine everything together in one bowl.
How do you freeze pancakes?
Freeze in a freezer separated by parchment paper for up to 3 months.
Rate This Recipe
Recipe
Sour Cream Pancakes
Ingredients
- 1 cups all-purpose flour
- 3 teaspoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 pinch ground nutmeg
- ½ cup sour cream (full fat) (plus extra for serving)
- ½ cup milk
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoons butter (melted, plus additional for cooking pancakes)
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 200°F
- Mix together flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, cinnamon & nutmeg in a large mixing bowl.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the sour cream, milk, egg, oil, melted butter, and the vanilla extract then whisk into the flour mixture until the flour is just moistened. Lumps are fine.
- Brush a large skillet with melted butter and heat over medium heat until hot.
- Working in batches, using an ice cream scoop or quarter cup measurein cup, pour the batter into skillet and cook until bubbles appear on the surface of the pancake. Flip and cook the other side for about a minute or until golden.
- Transfer to a baking sheet and keep warm in the oven. Lightly butter skillet between batches.
- As the batches are done, add them to an oven-safe dish and keep in the oven until ready to serve.
- Serve pancakes with warm syrup & topped with a dollop of sour cream if desired
Tips
- Stir gently by hand to combine until ingredients are just moistened. Be careful not to over-mix. The gluten in the flour starts to develop as soon as the liquid touches it. The more you mix, the tougher it becomes. Don’t worry about lumps; lumps are fine; they’ll cook out in the pan.
- Let the batter stand after mixing. This will allow the flour to puff up and the gluten to rest after mixing. Let stand for 5-10 minutes at room temperature or chilled for up to 3 hours (but allow to come back to room temperature before cooking).
- Don’t leave mixed pancake batter overnight. It will exhaust the baking soda, and your pancakes won’t rise as they should.
- Don’t skip the melted butter in the batter – it interferes with the gluten in the flour that causes toughness.
- Be careful not to overheat the pan. A good test is to heat the pan over medium heat until a drop of water jumps across the surface.
- Try greasing the pan with clarified butter or vegetable oil to avoid burning butter.
- After flipping, the second side will cook quicker than the first.
- If making pancakes to freeze, add a half teaspoon of vinegar to the batter. It will help stop them from getting rubbery.
Save to favoritesYour saved recipes will be right here waiting for you every time you visit, so you can easily find and make the meals you love.Update Notes: This recipe was originally published in 2015, but was re-posted to include new photos and tips in 2020.
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