copycat cracker barrel buttermilk pancake recipe

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Prep Time: 10 min

Cook Time : 10 min

Total Time: 20 min

cracker barrel pancake ingredients

Makes: 10–12 pancakes
Serves: 4–6

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Cracker Barrel pancake recipe ingredients

How to Make Cracker Barrel Pancakes

Melt the Butter

  • Take a small saucepan and start by melting 3 tablespoons of butter over low heat.
  • Set the melted butter aside for about 5 minutes to cool slightly. It should feel warm, not hot, before you add it to the pancake batter.
Melting the butter in a small saucepan

Whisk the Dry Ingredients

  • In a large mixing bowl, add 2 cups all-purpose flour, 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon baking powder, and ½ teaspoon salt.
  • Using a whisk, stir everything together for about 30 seconds, making sure all the dry ingredients are evenly mixed throughout the flour.
2 cups all-purpose flour in a mixing bowel
1 tablespoons salt in mixing bowl
2 tablespoons granulated sugar in mixing bowl
whisking the dry ingredients

Mix the Wet Ingredients

  • Take a separate medium bowl, add 2 cups buttermilk, 2 large eggs, the cooled melted butter, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract.
  • Whisk everything together until the eggs are fully blended and the mixture looks smooth and evenly combined. The buttermilk may still look slightly thick, which is perfectly normal.
2 cups buttermilk in mixing bowl
2 eggs in buttermilk in mixing bowl
1 tsf vanilla extract in bowl
fully blended smooth mixture

Bring the Batter Together

  • Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl with the dry ingredients.
  • Now, gently stir everything together using a whisk for 20–30 seconds until large patches of dry flour are no longer visible.
  • Not to overmix. Too much stirring can develop the gluten in the flour and leave your pancakes dense.
  • Let the batter sit for about 5 minutes so the flour can absorb the buttermilk.
wet ingredients pouring in dry ingredients bowl
ready batter for cracker barrel pancake

Heat Your Griddle

  • Place a large nonstick skillet over medium heat and let it preheat for about 2–3 minutes.
  • Add a small amount of butter and spread it over the cooking surface with a spatula.

Cook the Pancakes

  • Scoop about ¼ cup of pancake batter onto the hot, lightly greased griddle for each pancake. Leave about 2 inches of space between the pancakes so you have enough room to flip them easily.
  • Let the pancakes cook without moving or pressing them for about 2–3 minutes. Keep the heat at medium, but lower it slightly if the bottoms are browning too quickly.
  • When bubbles form across the surface, a few of the bubbles begin to pop, and the edges look set and slightly dry, they’re ready to flip now.
cracker barrel pancake recipe step 13
cracker barrel pancake recipe step 14

Flip and Finish

  • Lift and flip each pancake with the help of a spatula in one smooth motion.
  • Cook the second side for about 1–2 minutes, until it is golden brown and the center feels set.
  • Transfer each finished pancake to a plate or wire rack as you cook the remaining batter.
cracker barrel pancake ready to serve

Serve Them Warm

  • Serve the pancakes while they’re still warm. Add a small pat of butter to the top and drizzle generously with maple syrup.
  • Put the syrup on the table and let everyone add as much as they like. Stack them high, grab a fork, and enjoy them while they’re fresh and fluffy.

Equipment

  • Large mixing bowl
  • Medium mixing bowl
  • Small saucepan
  • Whisk
  • Measuring cups and spoons
  • Griddle or large nonstick skillet

Nutrition Per Serving

Nutrient

Per Serving

Calories

~300 kcal

Total Fat

~12 g

Saturated Fat

~7 g

Cholesterol

~120 mg

Sodium

~600 mg

Total Carbohydrates

~38 g

Dietary Fiber

~1 g

Total Sugars

~9 g

Protein

~9 g

Ingredients Swap

I prefer from-scratch version because I love the texture it gives these pancakes, but you can still get a good, fluffy stack with these twaeks.

No butter milk

For a quick substitute, mix 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar with each cup of milk. Give it about 5 minutes to sit, then use it just like buttermilk in the recipe. Make sure your milk is not ice cold when you mix everything together.

Cornmeal instead of flour 

You can also add fine cornmeal to the batter by replacing about ½ cup of the flour. I prefer keeping some all-purpose flour in the mix because it helps keep the pancakes light and tender. If your cornmeal is coarse, give it a quick pulse in a blender or food processor first for a finer texture.

Recipe with Bisquick

And if you’ve got Bisquick in the pantry, that’s also fine.Since Bisquick already contains flour, leavening, salt, and fat, use it in place of the flour and adjust the other dry ingredients rather than adding everything as written in the recipe.

My pro tips – Secret to Cracker Barrel’s pancakes

The batter doesn’t need to be perfectly smooth. I actually prefer seeing a few little lumps because I know I’ve stopped mixing before the batter gets overworked.

Give it about 5 minutes to rest, then get your griddle going over medium heat. Don’t rush the first side. Once those bubbles start popping and the edges look set, that’s when I reach for the spatula.

After the flip, I leave the pancake alone. No pressing, no fussing. Just let it finish cooking until golden brown.

What makes Cracker Barrel pancakes different?

These pancakes have everything I want in a good breakfast stack. They’re fluffy, golden, buttery, and delicious with a generous pour of maple syrup.

The best part is how easy they are to fit into a normal morning. The ingredients are simple, the recipe doesn’t take all morning, and you can have a warm stack ready for the family without much fuss.

They’re especially good for weekend breakfasts, brunch with family, or whenever you’re in the mood for that classic Cracker Barrel-style breakfast at home.

Serving Tips

Serve warm straight off the griddle. Add a pat of butter and drizzle with warm maple syrup.

Top with fresh berries or a dusting of powdered sugar.

For a cozy Cracker Barrel vibe, pair them with crispy bacon or sausage. You can also make it a bigger breakfast by serving them alongside some Cracker Barrel Hash Brown Casserole.

Warm the plates first, pile everything up, and bring it to the table while it’s hot. It makes the whole breakfast feel like a treat.

Final thoughts

Picture a slow morning, kids still in pajamas, the smell of butter warming. You whisk buttermilk and eggs, and when that batter hits the griddle, it sizzles like a small promise.

Pancakes puff up, golden edges forming. Flipping one feels like catching the morning. Plates come to the table with syrup gleaming. Someone always asks for seconds. 

That’s the feeling I bring to the table with this Cracker Barrel Pancake recipe. 

I’ve stood over this griddle plenty of times, and I’ve learned to trust the batter, wait for those bubbles, and flip only when the edges are ready.

Frequently Asked Questions

For me, it comes down to keeping things simple. The combination of buttermilk, eggs, butter, and the right amount of leavening gives these pancakes that soft, fluffy texture we all love. A few little lumps in the batter are nothing to worry about.

Cracker Barrel sells its own Buttermilk Pancake Mix, and the company says it uses the same recipe in its restaurants. The boxed mix is made to be simple, too—you just add water and cook the pancakes on the griddle.

That said, you don’t need a box of Cracker Barrel mix to make a delicious stack at home. I prefer making these pancakes from scratch because I can use fresh buttermilk, eggs, butter, and vanilla and adjust the batter to get the fluffy, golden pancakes I want.

The first thing I’d check is the batter. Overmixing can make pancakes dense, so stop stirring once the large patches of flour are gone. Fresh baking soda and baking powder also make a difference.

Absolutely. You can double the recipe when you’re feeding a crowd. When I’m making a big stack, I keep the finished pancakes warm while the rest cook so everyone can sit down together.

Yes. Let them cool completely, place parchment between the pancakes, and freeze them in a freezer-safe bag or container for up to 2 months.

Cracker Barrel-style pancakes use buttermilk rather than regular milk. The buttermilk gives the pancakes that slight tang and helps keep them soft and fluffy. If you don’t have buttermilk on hand, the simple milk and lemon juice or vinegar substitute works well too.

For me, it starts with the batter. Don’t overmix it, and give it a few minutes to rest before cooking. Fresh baking soda and baking powder help the pancakes rise, too. Then it’s all about getting the griddle to the right temperature and knowing when to flip. Once those bubbles start popping and the edges look set, that’s when you get that light, fluffy center.

❤️ Did You Make This pancake?

I’d love to hear how your Cracker Barrel pancake turned out!

⭐ Leave a star rating below and share your experience in the comments.

If you snapped a photo, tag @crackerbarrelrecipes on Instagram.

Happy baking! 🍎🥧

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I’m Kim Nguyen, a former Cracker Barrel cook who loves sharing the kind of comforting, homestyle food that brings folks together. My time working in the Cracker Barrel kitchen taught me that simple ingredients, careful preparation, and a few good cooking tips can make all the difference.

Here, I share Cracker Barrel-inspired recipes that are easy to follow and made with everyday home cooks in mind. From breakfast to dessert, my goal is to help you recreate those familiar comfort-food favorites and bring a little Southern warmth to your own kitchen.