Our easy and delicious buttermilk butterscotch pancakes are perfect when you're looking for something sweet for breakfast. The batter is flavored with a foolproof homemade butterscotch sauce and the recipe makes enough sauce to pour over the top. Double yum!
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If you’re looking for heaven on a plate for breakfast, look no further than these crazy good butterscotch pancakes. I thought our cornbread pancakes with butter pecan syrup were good, but these beauties take the pancake goodness to a whole ‘nother level! Seriously. If you like these, you will love our bananas Foster pancakes. They’re like having dessert for breakfast.
The homemade butterscotch sauce is well worth the effort to make. You can even make a second batch to use as a dessert topping or in this tasty butterscotch milkshake! This all-American pancake recipe has got to be one of the best I have ever tasted!
What You’ll Love About This Recipe
Ingredients
Butterscotch Sauce
- Unsalted butter (½ cup). It’s important to use unsalted butter because you will be adding kosher salt. We don’t want the sauce to be too salty.
- Dark brown sugar packed (½ cup). When measuring out the dark brown sugar, press it down into the measuring cup with the back of a spoon. See photo below.
- Heavy cream (1 cup). This may be labeled heavy whipping cream. Be sure to use fresh cream.
- Kosher salt (½ teaspoon). Adds flavor.
- Vanilla extract (2 teaspoons). Adds flavor.
- Scotch whiskey (1 tablespoon). This is an optional ingredient. It adds flavor if you choose to use it.
Pancakes
This recipe uses both baking soda and baking powder which makes for fluffy pancakes despite the additional of the butterscotch sauce, which could weight them down a bit. The flavor payoff is well worth it!
- All-purpose flour (1½ cup).
- Baking powder, double acting (1½ teaspoon). Necessary to add rise. Double acting baking powder is the most common and what you are likely to find in your grocery store. It is first activated when you add liquid to it, then it is activated again when baked (in this case on a griddle or skillet).
- Baking soda (¾ teaspoon). Adds rise. This ingredient needs to be very fresh to be effective. It only lasts a couple of months. If your box of baking soda is very old, put it in your fridge to absorb odors and buy a new carton.
- Salt (¼ teaspoon). Helps to bring out the butterscotch flavor.
- Large eggs (2). Adds structure and rise.
- Buttermilk (1 cup). Adds tangy flavor and helps with the rise.
- Homemade butterscotch sauce (1 cup). The recipe for this sauce is included here. This is where the flavor and sweetness lies. Good stuff!
- Unsalted butter, melted and cooled (3 tablespoons). Using unsalted butter allows us to control the salt content. It’s a good idea to melt it and allow it to cool fully before using it in this recipe. If you forget to allow it to cool, it’s no biggie, but I usually try to avoid adding anything hot to raw eggs. We don’t need to make scrambled eggs here! 😉
Instructions
Butterscotch Sauce
Pancakes
Step 4. Heat a griddle or skillet over medium heat. Coat generously with butter, then ladle ⅓ cup batter onto griddle for each pancake.
Storage Instructions
- Refrigeration. If you have leftover pancakes, allow them to cool to room temperature. Place the pancakes in an airtight container or wrap them individually in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for up to 2 to 3 days.
- Freezing Pancakes. To freeze pancakes for longer storage, arrange them in a single layer on a baking sheet and place the sheet in the freezer until the pancakes are firm. Once frozen, transfer the pancakes to a freezer-safe bag, separating each pancake with parchment paper. Label the bag with the date. Frozen pancakes can be stored for up to 2 months.
- Reheating from Refrigeration. To reheat refrigerated pancakes, use a toaster, toaster oven, or microwave. For a toaster, place the pancakes in the slots and toast until heated through. In a toaster oven, place the pancakes on a baking sheet and warm at a low temperature. In the microwave, heat the pancakes in 20 to 30-second intervals until warmed to your liking.
- Reheating from Freezing. When reheating frozen pancakes, it’s recommended to thaw them in the refrigerator overnight before reheating. Use the same methods as for refrigerated pancakes—toast in a toaster, warm in a toaster oven, or heat in the microwave.
- Butterscotch Sauce Storage. If you have leftover butterscotch sauce, store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator. The sauce will thicken as it cools. To reuse, gently warm it on the stove or in the microwave, stirring until it reaches the desired consistency.
- Quality Check. Before reheating, check the quality of the pancakes. If they appear dry, you can brush them lightly with melted butter before reheating to add moisture.
- Serve Freshly Made. For the best flavor and texture, pancakes are ideally enjoyed freshly made. If you plan to store them, consider storing the batter separately and cooking fresh pancakes as needed.
Complete Pancake Guide
Looking for more information about making pancakes? Visit our complete guide for making homemade pancakes from scratch, including detailed ingredient information, step-by-step instructions and more!
Tips for Success
- Accurate Measurements. Use accurate measuring tools to ensure the correct proportions of ingredients, especially when making the butterscotch sauce and pancake batter. Precise measurements contribute to the overall balance of flavors.
- Preheat the Skillet or Griddle. Make sure that the griddle or skillet is preheated before cooking the pancakes. A medium heat setting works well. A properly heated surface helps achieve even cooking.
- Use a Ladle or Ice Cream Scoop. Use a measuring cup, ladle, or ice cream scoop to portion out the pancake batter. This ensures that each pancake is of a similar size and cooks evenly.
- Bubbles as Indicator. Watch for bubbles forming on the surface of the pancakes. When bubbles pop and create small craters, it’s time to flip the pancakes. This indicates that the underside is golden brown.
- Flipping Carefully. When flipping the pancakes, use a spatula to lift and turn them gently. Avoid pressing down on the pancakes, as this can deflate them.
- Stacking with Parchment. If you need to stack the pancakes, place a sheet of parchment paper between each pancake to prevent them from sticking together. This also helps maintain their shape and texture.
- Creative Toppings. Consider adding creative toppings such as chopped nuts, whipped cream, or a sprinkle of cinnamon to enhance the flavor and appearance of the pancakes.
FAQs
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Butterscotch Pancakes
Our easy and delicious buttermilk butterscotch pancakes are perfect when you're looking for something sweet for breakfast. The batter is flavored with a foolproof homemade butterscotch sauce and the recipe makes enough sauce to pour over the top. Double yum!
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Ingredients
Butterscotch Sauce
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- ½ cup dark brown sugar packed
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon Scotch whiskey optional
Pancakes
- 1½ cup all-purpose flour
- 1½ teaspoon baking powder double acting
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 cup butterscotch sauce recipe included
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter melted and cooled
Instructions
Butterscotch Sauce
- In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat.
- Add the brown sugar and stir to combine.Bring to a boil then reduce to a slow and steady boil and continue cooking, stirring frequently, for 2-3 minutes.
- Carefully add the heavy cream and salt. Stir to combine. Bring mixture back to a slow boil. While stirring, cook another 3-4 minutes.
- Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract and Scotch, if using.
- Set aside and allow to cool. Sauce will thicken as it cools.
Pancakes
- In a large bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, buttermilk, homemade butterscotch sauce (recipe above) and melted butter.
- Add the wet mixture to the dry mixture and stir until incorporated. Do not overmix. The batter will still be slightly lumpy.
- Heat a griddle or skillet over medium heat. Coat generously with butter, then ladle ⅓ cup batter onto griddle for each pancake.
- Cook until the edges are golden and bubbles form and pop on the surface, about 2-3 minutes. Flip and continue cooking, about 2-3 minutes longer.
Notes
Butterscotch sauce recipe adapted from Ridiculously Easy Butterscotch Sauce from The Cafe Sucre Farine.
Nutrition
Calories: 424kcal | Carbohydrates: 34g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 29g | Saturated Fat: 18g | Cholesterol: 132mg | Sodium: 467mg | Potassium: 123mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 15g | Vitamin A: 1040IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 125mg | Iron: 1mg
Servings: 8 pancakes
Calories: 424kcal
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References
Butterscotch sauce recipe adapted from Ridiculously Easy Butterscotch Sauce from The Cafe Sucre Farine.
This was an awesome recipe! My 17 year old son wanted butterscotch pancakes for his birthday (all three of my kids get to select their entire daily menu 🙂 but I’d never even heard of them before! I searched the internet and with 5 starts, I selected this one. I was not hard to make, and all the photos matched all of the steps I did at home. That gave me comfort. I accidentally added the scotch and vanilla too early (it didn’t make a difference actually, but be CAREFUL as it began to sizzle, pop and bubble I got splattered and it could have been more dangerous I think). I have never eaten butterscotch pancakes, but as a child that was one of my favorite candies! This was incredible and they were delicious! I felt like I had baked something (and I don’t bake). I had extra sauce leftover and we all used it in place of syrup, incredible! Also, I added a handful of butterscotch baking candy melts because I wanted to make sure it was really flavorful. It was perfect! :)Thank you!
I’m so glad you enjoyed the pancakes, Amber! I hope your son had a wonderful birthday! 🙂 We have a butterscotch shake coming up soon also. Stay tuned!
Sandra’s pancake recipe is really good!
Butterscotch really enhances the flavor. Can’t wait to make them again.
I’m so glad you enjoyed the pancakes!