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Copy Cat Diner Style Pancakes {no buttermilk needed}

My husband is the weekend breakfast champion! Every Saturday he makes some kind of high carb treat for us and we love him for it. He usually makes these awesome Whole Wheat Waffles or this Yummy Corn Bread, but occasionally he changes things up and makes pancakes.

A few weeks ago he found a recipe for pancakes that blows my mind……let’s back this story up a little and fill you in on something about me. I have never been a huge fan of pancakes, unless they are from IHOP or a Diner.

There is something so yummy about those pancakes and for years I’ve been trying to figure out what they do to them to make them so delicious and I’ve tried multiple recipes hoping to find just the perfect one.

Some mixes you can buy at the store are pretty good, but I try to stay away from those if I can. A few recipes have come close, but for the extra effort of whipping and folding in egg whites or needing to use buttermilk (which I don’t always have on hand) it was just too annoying.  That is why this recipe he found is so freaking amazing!

One of the ingredients kind of freaks me out, but don’t worry, you would never guess it is in there and even though I have never seen a recipe call for so much of this ingredient to sour milk, it somehow works and must be the secret ingredient.

The pancakes come out fluffy and the flavor is the closest thing to diner pancakes I’ve come across that doesn’t have insane directions to follow or call for buttermilk. I am so excited for you to try these pancakes.

Serve them with this awesome Brown Sugar Buttermilk Syrup, you won’t regret it!

More great Breakfast ideas

Gingerbread Waffles with whipped cream and bananasEasy Gingerbread WafflesWhole Wheat WafflesHomemade Whole Wheat WafflesBrown-Sugar-Buttermilk-SyrupBrown Sugar Buttermilk Syrup

4.7 from 18 reviews
Copy Cat Diner Style Pancakes {no buttermilk needed}
 
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To get the authentic flavor you should use all white flour, we have tried it with half whole wheat and they are still good, but they are perfect with white flour and worth the carb splurge once in a while. And yes, that really says 4 tbsp of white vinegar, crazy right, but don't worry you won't taste it. You can substitute buttermilk for the milk and vinegar if you want to, or if you have some around .
Author:
Recipe type: Pancakes
Cuisine: Breakfast
Serves: 6
Ingredients
  • 1½ cups milk
  • 4 tbsp white vinegar
  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • 4 tbsp white sugar
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 eggs
  • 4 tbsp melted butter
Instructions
  1. Preheat skillet, or large frying pan to approx 325 degrees, or medium low. On our oven he sets the large burner between the 3 and 4, you may have to experiment to find the sweet spot temperature for whatever pan you are using.
  2. Combine the milk and vinegar and allow to sit for 1-2 minutes
  3. Combine all dry ingredients (flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt) in medium mixing bowl and mix well.
  4. Add milk/vinegar combo, eggs and melted butter.
  5. Using a whisk, stir everything together until there are no lumps. Allow mixture to sit for a minute or two, it will start to almost bubble a little, then ladle, or pour batter onto skillet in 4 or 5 inch circles.
  6. Do not flip until bubbles appear and surface starts to dull.
  7. Serve with your favorite pancake toppings.

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52 Comments

      • Christi

        January 21, 2018 at 1:39 am

        I agree – I was a bit nervous about the amount of vinegar. What made me use it anyway was a bit of understanding the chemical reaction. Acid makes baking soda more effective, and so a bit more acid meant a bit more reaction from the baking soda. DEFINITELY the BEST pancakes I’ve ever made. Hubby says the best he’s ever eaten!

        reply to this comment

  2. Susanne

    September 28, 2014 at 10:59 am

    I make pancakes from scratch almost every Sunday and this is the easiest, fluffiest and best recipe I have used. The texture and flavor together are incredible. Thank you:) Tried ranking with 5 stars wouldn’t work?

    reply to this comment

  3. Austin

    December 4, 2014 at 5:25 pm

    My son loves pancakes. When he comes to Jersey on the weekends he always wants to go to the local diner for blueberry pancakes and order Chinese food for dinner.now I don’t have to wake up early to get to the diner before the older folks hog all the good seats. This is going to put my dad super coolness over the top! He will be devouring these this wknd. Thanks again for posting and keeping it real Maria! !

    reply to this comment

    • Maria

      December 4, 2014 at 9:21 pm

      Haha Austin,

      This made me laugh! I use to live in NJ and know exactly what you are talking about “before the older folks hog all the good seats!” SO TRUE!!!! And yes, your Dad super coolness is going to explode! Thanks for taking time to leave a comment!

      Maria

      reply to this comment

  6. Frank Furter

    June 28, 2015 at 4:12 pm

    Yep – these are a keeper. I’m a random lurker who was also in search of a diner style pancake. I have a great recipe that my kids devour for plain ‘ol fluffly pancakes, and they’re great, but lacking that taste – that taste that someone else made them. 🙂

    This gets added to my permanent file. Thanks for sharing!

    reply to this comment

  7. Gina

    January 31, 2016 at 10:27 am

    I have tried a lot of different pancake recipes my husband is so very picky ! I have been using a pancake recipe that I found on Pinterest it was good but not great my husband said today he wanted diner pancakes so I happen to look up diner pancake recipe and this one came up I figured I will give it a try I was worried about the vinegar I never seen a pancake recipe that calls for vinegar but I followed the recipe exactly I have to say this by far is the best pancake recipe I have ever made he took one bite and said “it tast like a diner pancake” .. Awesome recipe !! Now I just need a good waffle recipe I can’t seem to get that one right .,

    reply to this comment

    • plumpee

      April 15, 2016 at 10:47 am

      I made waffles today and I have the ‘non flip over’ type maker. The first waffle was too moist and it was too dense so the garbage had a nice breakfast. I made another and this time I flipped the machine over manually and the waffle was perfect. Doing that adds to the lightness. Also, the more oil spray you use, and the darker if you don’t mind it semi dark, the better for crispness. Also, if you use club soda with your pancake mix, that makes it lighter in texture, I also add a pinch more baking pwd to the mix and, never mix baking pwd. or baking soda based bread products more than necessary, it toughens them. You probably know some of this, if so, sorry, just trying to help.

      reply to this comment

  9. Tom

    April 10, 2016 at 10:49 am

    I thought I followed the recipe exactly but in the end the batter was very thick and sticky. I had to add water to loosen and make the batter pourable on the griddle. What do you think I did wrong?

    reply to this comment

  10. George

    June 29, 2016 at 4:29 pm

    My batter came out thick too, however I added a little more milk and they were the fluffiest pancakes. I’ve tried so many recepies and nothing comes close to this recepie. Thank you!

    reply to this comment

    • Maria

      November 30, 2016 at 2:53 pm

      Hi Joy, Sorry I didn’t see your comment earlier. The pancake batter will technically stay good stored for a day in the fridge, but unfortunately they will not cook up as fluffy and soft. What I usually do is cook them all and put the leftovers in the fridge for the next day or in the freezer to pull out on busy mornings.

      reply to this comment

  13. Clarance

    December 18, 2016 at 2:21 pm

    I made this recipe today but as vegan. It was outstanding! I used all the same ratios/ingredients but substituted almond milk, egg replacer, and vegan butter. I have made a lot of pancakes and this is one great recipe. Thanks for sharing.

    for those that are getting thick batter, either wait a few more minutes after mixing or it could be the altitude where you live.

    reply to this comment

  14. Becky Allen

    February 26, 2017 at 6:05 am

    I tried to make these pancakes today- no shame to your recipe but mine came out AWFUL. They tasted REALLY strongly of vinegar, and I’m not sure if it’s because I let the milk sit too long, or maybe not long enough? Either way, my family and I are eating a full breakfast SANS pancakes this morning

    reply to this comment

    • Maria

      March 7, 2017 at 1:36 pm

      Sad, that is so strange. I am baffled as to how they could have come out so badly. We make these all the time and have never had them taste strongly of vinegar. Did you use white vinegar?

      reply to this comment

  15. Christine

    July 16, 2017 at 10:15 am

    OMG! I’ve been on a pancake kick since last fall. I’ve tried about 40 different recipes, but have yet to find my “go to.” I think that I may have found it today. These pancakes tasted delicious and better than IHOP. Thank you for the great recipe!

    reply to this comment

  16. betty

    September 19, 2017 at 6:01 pm

    when vinegar is added to milk it “sours” turning it into buttermilk.
    This substitution can be used for any recipe calling for buttermilk – great if buttermilk isn’t a regular item in your fridge

    reply to this comment

  19. Christi

    January 21, 2018 at 1:43 am

    This is a definite keeper and my ONLY pancake recipe that isn’t gluten-free. It has the PERFECT texture, rise, flavor and is even perfect for freezing and reheating in the toaster or microwave. My husband and I wanted to cut back on going out for breakfast, but we’re reluctant because we love diner-style pancakes. Problem DEFINITELY solved! Thanks so much!

    reply to this comment

  21. Abby

    March 31, 2018 at 3:40 pm

    I have been on the lookout for diner-style pancakes, and these looked perfect!
    i only made a half batch, but i had the wrong kind of salt, so i think it affected the taste a bit. they were still very good though!! super airy inside. I also thought that no grease on the pan was maybe a typo, but i thought i’d just try it… and THAT’S how the restaurants do it!! no grease! Thank you for this awesome recipe, I’ll definitely be making them again!!!

    reply to this comment

  24. Courtney

    June 2, 2018 at 8:50 pm

    I am not sure what I did wrong but this is not pancake mix! I followed the directions TO THE T! And it came out like dough. There is no way that this thick concoction is going to be made into a yummy pancake.

    reply to this comment

  25. Glenda

    June 14, 2018 at 1:28 pm

    WOW! Four years later and you’re still gettin’ comments on this recipe? Awesome! I’m from the south and can sling hash with the best of them but have never been able to perfect a “diner” style pancake. Anyone who loves to cook understands this sense of longing for an elusive recipe. So, this weekend, I will give your what seems to be a godsend to others recipe a try super cool sister! Oh, and MAJOR LOL at the “old folks taking the best seats at the diner” comment. SO TRUE! Been there done that. These people are up before the rooster hits the snooze button and descend on a diner like squatters. Sipping coffee and conversing until they morph into the lunch rush already in place. One place was so overrun people started calling it “The Whitehead Diner” . Will get back to you after the weekend is over! God bless you and yours and all the commenters on here.

    reply to this comment

  26. Glenda

    June 21, 2018 at 6:35 pm

    Hmmm, apparently my previous comment didn’t make the grade or something. Don’t even know if the blog’s still active. Anyway, as a seasoned cook, I said I would try this recipe. I did and I used real buttermilk. I don’t live far from sea level. The ratio of dry ingredients to wet in this recipe is almost even in proportion with the dry being a bit more. That made for a very thick batter that wasn’t pourable. I had to add a 1/2 cup more buttermilk, still to thick, so I added a 1/4 cup of water to thin it out as to be pourable. The recipe, however, is absolutely a keeper and delicious. It makes those golden brown leathery looking diner pancakes and taste just like them! Thank you for sharing the recipe and ending my search for a diner pancake recipe! You did good!

    reply to this comment

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