Sour Cream Pancake Recipe
This is the best sour cream pancake recipe you’ll ever want to try. Fluffy, Light, delicious, golden brown, and can magically vanish in minutes. I have been enjoying these bad boys for the past few weeks, and since these pancakes have passed the quality test, it’s time to share them with you. Don’t forget to watch the video!
The Best Sour Cream Pancakes Ever
There is a story behind each dish, and there is a story behind the Best Sour Cream Pancakes, too; the story, in short, I had sour cream, and it was about to expire, and my brain couldn’t think of better use for it than in pancakes!
If you browse through my blog, you will find several pancake recipes, and I am proud of having such a delicious collection of different flavors. Chocolate pancakes, pancake souffle, yogurt pancakes, oh, and why not also try Buttermilk Waffles, the list is yummy and worth trying.
Adding sour cream in pancakes is the best thing I ever made. You must follow the recipe to the T, it’s a straightforward, but the most crucial part is to never overmix the batter. Seeing small lumps in the batter will urge you to beat some more, but please don’t. The lumps will dissolve while the pancakes are cooking, I promise!
Ingredients of Sour Cream Pancakes
Milk – I always use full cream or whole milk, and you can go for lactose-free milk. It works well with this recipe.
Sour cream – Go for full cream; you can also use lactose-free sour cream for this recipe.
Flour – I have used all-purpose flour. Some might prefer mixing all-purpose with whole wheat, but the pancakes will not be as fluffy.
Oil – Instead of butter, I went for oil because these pancakes are super delicious, and when I make a batch and freeze it, it stays moist, tender, and tastes as if freshly made when reheated. You can use butter if you wish but believe me, the rich taste is there even if you don’t add butter to the batter.
White vinegar – Yes, we need white vinegar because we are going to make homemade buttermilk. I didn’t use regular buttermilk because I wanted the reaction between baking soda, sour cream, and vinegar to become a little more aggressive and result in tender pancake crumbs.
Sugar – We all need some sweetness in life, and it also helps the pancakes to stay tender longer.
Egg – Besides the richness and the rise, egg also enhances the flavor of sour cream pancakes.
How to Make Sour Cream Pancakes?
Pre-step (Making the buttermilk)
In a bowl, add the milk and vinegar, stir for a few seconds, and your homemade buttermilk is ready.
Step 1
Add the wet ingredients and sugar to a mixing bowl. Mix well until well combined.
Step 2
Sift the dry ingredients and add to the wet. Mix well, but do not overmix. You’ll see small lumps, but that’s alright.
Step 3
Cover the batter and let it rest for 3 minutes. You’ll see a few bubbles and that’s what we are looking for.
Step 4
Pour the pancake batter over the hot pan. When the bubbles appear, flip the pancake.
Step 5
Flip the pancake and cook the other side. It will puff a little and you can immediately see how fluffy it is.
Step 6
Cover the cooked pancakes to prevent them from drying.
Sour Cream Substitute
You will love adding this substitute instead of sour cream to the batter! I couldn’t believe it when I first tasted these pancakes with the substitute instead of sour cream. The texture was great, and so was the flavor. The best sour cream substitute is a heavy cream mixed with regular yogurt.
I know it sounds strange, but believe me, as much as we love sour cream pancakes, I mostly use this substitute to make it. The taste of cream is very much there, and the yogurt balances all the flavors. It’s a magical substitute. Indeed, it makes the pancakes delicious, fluffy, and mind-blowing! The exact measurements are in the notes section of the recipe card below.
Thin or Thick Pancakes?
If you are in America, the pancakes will be thick, Americans like to add a lot of butter and syrup on their pancakes, and I don’t blame them. It tastes heavenly; however, in Europe and other countries, you’ll find it to be a little thinner. But the taste should stay the same.
In the video, you’ll see me, with the help of the measuring cup, spreading the pancake batter after pouring it into the pan because this is how we like it; if you fancy thick pancakes, pour the batter into the pan and do not disturb it, this sour cream pancake recipe makes thin and thick pancakes.
How to Serve Fluffy Sour Cream Pancakes
- Maple syrup.
- Honey.
- Strawberry jam.
- Fresh fruit.
- Whipped cream.
- Chocolate sauce.
- Bacon.
- Scrambled eggs.
- Sausages.
How to Freeze Pancakes and Reheat Them
If you are making sour cream pancakes, make sure to make a few for later. You will want to have them often for breakfast with some bacon and maple syrup (Yum!), it is a time saver on those busy mornings.
You can freeze the pancakes for up to 2 months, and all you need is parchment paper and a Ziplock bag to store them.
After the pancakes come to room temperature, stack them in a freezer-friendly bag and make sure to place parchment paper between each pancake to prevent it from sticking together.
You can also place the pancakes on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and freeze them until they are hard. Then put those frozen pancakes in a Ziplock bag, there won’t be a need to use parchment paper since all the moisture in the pancakes is frozen.
Reheating the pancakes is easy. Place the frozen pancakes on a microwave-friendly plate and microwave for a few seconds (around 30 seconds), depending on your microwave.
A more straightforward method is placing the frozen pancake in the toaster slot. Toast the pancakes on low to medium-low; toasting them on high will make them hard. You don’t have to thaw/defrost the pancakes before toasting. If this is your first time toasting frozen pancakes, keep a close eye since every toaster is different!
Pancake Variations
Have fun with these pancakes, after pouring the batter into the skillet, sprinkle some blueberries and you get blueberry pancakes or slices of banana on top. If you love chocolate, then don’t feel shy from adding some chocolate chips to the batter.
In the summer, add some freshness to the batter and stir in some lemon zest or orange zest.
More Breakfast Recipes
Tips for Making Fluffy Sour Cream Pancakes
- It’s best to allow the ingredients to come to room temperature before mixing.
- Do not overmix; the gluten will develop, and pancakes will come out dense.
- I know that seeing lumps in the batter will urge you to mix some more, don’t do it.
- Allow the batter to rest for at least 3 minutes; some of the ingredients need to work together to create tender fluffy crumbs.
- Make sure to cook the pancakes on low heat to allow them to cook evenly.
- Use a nonstick pan and do not grease it; oil or butter in the pan will make the pancake crispy from the outside.
Related Recipes
- Easy French Toast.
- Crispy hash brown recipe.
- Coco bread recipe.
- Quick croissant recipe.
- Strawberry refrigerator jam recipe.
- Middle Eastern Manakeesh.
⭐Please Review and Rate
If you have tried this Sour Cream Pancake recipe and liked it, please give it a 5-star rating and leave a comment below with your experience!
Best Sour Cream Pancakes
Ingredients
- ½ cup whole milk
- ¼ cup sour cream substitute in the notes
- 1 ¾ tablespoon white vinegar
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 large egg Read the notes
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoon oil
Instructions
- In a large bowl, mix the milk with white vinegar, let it sit for 3 to 5 minutes.
- Add the sour cream, oil, vanilla, sugar, and egg. Beat the mixture until well combined.
- Sift in the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk gently. Over whisking/mixing at this point will result in tough and flat pancakes.
- Cover the batter and allow it to rest for three minutes. Tiny bubbles will surface, and it means that the vinegar and baking soda are activated.
- Heat a nonstick skillet or pan over medium- heat. Pour ¼ cup of the batter onto the skillet. To make a thick pancake, pour the batter and do not move the griddle or spread the batter. To make the pancakes a little thinner which my family prefers, spread the batter a little.
- When the bubbles appear on the surface, it’s time to flip the pancake. Flip the pancake and never press it down; it will puff, which means it is cooking from the inside.
- Remove the pancake from the skillet, place it in a container and cover it to prevent drying.
- And this is how you make fluffy sour cream pancakes! Don’t forget to serve them with your favorite syrup.
Video
Notes
- Substitute sour cream with 2 tablespoon yogurt mixed with 2 tablespoons heavy cream. You can use Greek yogurt.
- If you don’t have large egg use 1 medium egg or 2 small eggs.
- The method of storing the pancakes is mentioned in the post above.
- Two methods of reheating the sour pancakes are mentioned in the post.
- Use a nonstick pan for best results.
- This post was originally published in 2016, and it is updated with more information, new images, and a video.
Very fluffy and delicious!
Indeed, I hope you give it a try 🙂
Sour cream pancakes! Yummy! Ready for breakfast! 🙂
I love adding sour cream to pancakes, makes it light and extra yummy 🙂
These look perfect. Love pancakes.
Hi Lisa, Thanks for your kind words 🙂
I would like to adapt this for waffles. Can it be done and how please? Thank you in advance.
Yes you can use the same recipe for waffles.
Really, really delicious!!! I made these and the were so fluffy. I think I would add maybe a tablespoon or two more of milk as it was a little thick., but other than that, AMAZING!