Clara’s Sunday Morning Pancakes (Family Pancake Recipe from Scratch)

Sunday morning pancakes used to be my thing. Nana Ruth taught me her recipe—just flour and eggs and buttermilk and a touch of vanilla. Simple enough that I made them half-asleep with coffee still brewing.

Then one morning, Clara asked if she could make them. Not help me make them. Make them.

She was nine, and she’d been watching for years. She stood at the counter with her recipe notebook—the little one Nana Ruth gave her before she passed—and opened to a page she’d already filled with our family recipe in her careful handwriting. She measured twice. She whispered the steps to herself.

The pancakes came out perfect. Golden. Fluffy in the middle. Not too thin, not too thick. She plated them and set them on the table like she was serving something that mattered, because to her, it did.

That’s when I realized: she wasn’t learning the recipe. She was learning that she was capable. Not in a big way. Just in the way that matters—in the way that makes a kid stand a little straighter and set the table for dinner without being asked.

How to Make Clara’s Sunday Morning Pancakes

Mix the dry ingredients. Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Make a well in the center for the wet ingredients.

Combine the wet ingredients. In a separate bowl (or a measuring cup), whisk together buttermilk, egg, melted butter, and vanilla. Pour into the well and stir just until combined. Lumps are fine—lumps are actually preferred. Overmixing makes tough, rubbery pancakes. Clara was very upset the one time she stirred too long.

Cook on a hot griddle. Heat a griddle or large skillet over medium heat (375°F if electric). Lightly grease with butter. Pour about ¼ cup of batter for each pancake. Wait for bubbles to form across the surface and the edges to look set—about 2–3 minutes—then flip once. Cook another 1–2 minutes until golden on the bottom.

Serve immediately. Stack them high, add a pat of butter between layers, and drizzle with warm maple syrup. We go through real maple syrup in this house—the cheap stuff sits untouched since Clara declared it “not the same.” She’s right.

If Sunday pancakes are a tradition, try my Cottage Cheese Pancakes for the high-protein version. My Cream Cheese French Toast Casserole is perfect when you have guests, and my Easy Banana Bread is another breakfast bake the kids ask for by name.

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Clara's Sunday Morning Pancakes

Fluffy, golden buttermilk pancakes made from scratch — the Sunday morning recipe our 10-year-old Clara has claimed as her own. Simple ingredients, foolproof method, and worth every minute.

Course Breakfast

Cuisine American

Keyword buttermilk pancakes, pancakes from scratch, Sunday breakfast

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Servings 4 servings

Author Maggie

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/4 cups buttermilk the real kind, not a substitute
• 1 large egg
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• butter or oil for the griddle

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until evenly combined.
2. In a separate bowl or measuring cup, whisk together the buttermilk, egg, melted butter, and vanilla extract.
3. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir gently with a wooden spoon or spatula until just combined. The batter will be lumpy — that's exactly right. Do not overmix. Lumps mean fluffy pancakes.
4. Let the batter rest for 5 minutes while you heat a cast iron griddle or large skillet over medium heat. Add a thin layer of butter or oil.
5. Test the griddle by flicking a few drops of water onto the surface — if they sizzle and dance, you're ready. Pour about 1/4 cup of batter per pancake onto the griddle.
6. Cook until bubbles form on the surface and the edges look set, about 2-3 minutes. Flip gently and cook another 1-2 minutes until golden brown on both sides.
7. Serve immediately with butter and warm maple syrup. Keep finished pancakes warm on a plate in a 200°F oven while you cook the rest.

Recipe Notes

The buttermilk is what makes these special — don't substitute regular milk. If you don't have buttermilk, add 1 tablespoon of white vinegar to 1 1/4 cups regular milk and let sit 5 minutes. Leftover pancakes freeze well — reheat in the toaster.

More Recipes You’ll Love

• Resurrection Rolls (The Easter Morning Tradition Our Family Won’t Skip)
• Cream Cheese Stuffed French Toast Casserole (Easter Brunch Made the Night Before)
• Old-Fashioned Tiramisu
• Two-Ingredient Japanese Cheesecake

What I Use for This Recipe

A couple things from my kitchen that make this one easier.

Lodge 10.25-Inch Cast Iron Skillet(~$20)

The skillet that never leaves our stovetop. Pre-seasoned, affordable, and built to last.

T-fal Nonstick Frying Pan(~$15)

Pancakes slide right off. Eggs never stick. The pan the kids are actually allowed to use.

Pyrex 9x13 Glass Baking Dish(~$12)

Casseroles, brownies, brunch bakes. I own three and somehow always need a fourth.

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