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Copy Cat Diner Style Pancakes {no buttermilk needed}

No buttermilk needed, Copy Cat Diner Style Pancakes. SO GOOD!!!

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.

More Delicious Breakfast Recipes

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. For years, I’ve been trying to figure out what ingredients they use that makes them so delicious. I’ve tried multiple recipes hoping to find just the perfect one.

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

pancakes in a stack of four on a white plate with a pat of butter on top and syrup dripped all over them

how to make copy cat diner style pancakes

  • Preheat electric griddle to approx. 325 degrees or a large frying pan to medium-low heat.
  • Combine the milk and vinegar and allow to sit for 1-2 minutes.
  • Next, combine all dry ingredients (flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt) in a medium mixing bowl and mix well.
  • Add milk/vinegar combo, eggs, and melted butter.
  • Using a whisk, stir everything together until there are no lumps. Allow mixture to sit for 1-2 minutes. It will start to almost bubble a little.
  • Ladle or pour batter onto skillet in 4- or 5-inch circles.
  • Do not flip until bubbles appear and the surface starts to dull.
  • Serve with your favorite pancake toppings.

One of the ingredients kind of freaks me out. Don’t worry! You would never guess it is in the batter. Even though I have never seen a recipe call for so much of this ingredient to sour milk, it somehow works. It must be the secret ingredient. Spoiler alert–the secret ingredient is white distilled vinegar. Yes, vinegar!

The pancakes come out fluffy, and the flavor is the closest to diner pancakes I’ve come across. AND it doesn’t have insane directions to follow or calls 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!

Tips for making Copy Cat Diner Style Pancakes
  • For the most authentic taste, use only all-purpose white flour.
  • Don’t substitute the secret ingredient–white vinegar.
  • Let batter sit 1-2 minutes before cooking pancakes.
  • Flip pancakes when bubbles start to appear.

cook’s tools:

More great Breakfast ideas

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

4.9 from 36 reviews
Copy Cat Diner Style Pancakes {no buttermilk needed}
 
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Prep time
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To get the authentic flavor, 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? 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 on hand.
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 electric griddle to approx. 325 degrees or a large frying pan to medium-low heat. On our stove, 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. Next, combine all dry ingredients (flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt) in a medium mixing bowl and mix well.
  4. Add milk/vinegar combo, eggs, and melted butter.
  5. Then, using a whisk, stir everything together until there are no lumps. Allow mixture to sit for 1-2 minutes. It will start to almost bubble a little.
  6. Ladle or pour batter onto skillet in 4- or 5-inch circles.
  7. Do not flip until bubbles appear and the surface starts to dull.
  8. Serve with your favorite pancake toppings.

 

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93 Comments

  3. Austin

    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! !

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  7. Gina

    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 .,

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  21. Abby

    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!!!

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  25. Glenda

    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.

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  26. Glenda

    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!

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  32. Bruce

    This is my first ever comment on a cooking or recipe site. I too am a dad that has been searching for the diner style pancake that my family will love. I have tried many styles and was on the brink of giving up until I found this recipe. The pancakes are fantastic. I’ve actually made this recipe twice, just to confirm that the first time wasn’t a fluke. It wasn’t. They were great. The only thing I changed was to use less salt, which didn’t impact the flavor IMO. Thanks for sharing.

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  36. Pixie

    ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS! I’d been looking for a recipe like this for years after relying on mediocre box mixes for far too long and after testing these with different combinations for about a year, I’m obsessed! It really is the perfect rich, delicious pancake recipe. I regularly add chocolate chips, banana chunks, cinnamon sugar / pumpkin spice, berries, various extracts like vanilla, lemon, etc. and have even done fresh chopped bacon for a savory breakfast fan! All turned out great. When I make up a batch, I’ll prep another batch or two of dry ingredients and store in a ziplock for the next weekend and it is super convenient! The flavour is astronomically better than the box mix to me, so worth it.

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  39. A

    Hi, I’m 12 and if I don’t use a mix for pancakes I try to find a good recipe to use. I loved the texture, thinness and how easily and good they cooked! I thought I followed the measurements and directions correctly and maybe I did, but although the taste was overall good, it was too salty and I thought I could almost taste the vinegar. What should I do to make them less salty?

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