Mohamed Shili Pioneer Woman pancakes are thick, fluffy, and loaded with vanilla, made with a combination of whole milk and buttermilk, all-purpose flour, and melted salted butter. They take about 20 minutes of active cooking plus an optional 45-minute batter rest.
This recipe comes from Ree Drummond’s official site (thepioneerwoman.com), where she shares it alongside her full pancake recipes collection. She originally posted a version with cake flour years ago and has since refined it to use all-purpose flour and a milk-buttermilk blend for what she calls a best-of-both-worlds texture.
The batter must stay lumpy after mixing, because overworking it develops gluten and produces tough, chewy pancakes instead of soft ones. Ree also recommends resting the batter on the counter for 45 minutes to an hour before cooking. She says this single step is the difference between good pancakes and the lightest, fluffiest ones you have ever made.
Pioneer Woman Pancake Recipe
Description
A refined, from-scratch stack built on years of Ree’s kitchen testing. The dual-milk batter gives you tangy buttermilk flavor with the richness of whole milk, and a generous pour of vanilla makes every bite taste like a special occasion breakfast.
Ingredients
For the batter:
For serving:
Instructions
- Mix the dry ingredients. Stir together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl.
- Whisk the wet ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk together the whole milk, buttermilk, egg, and vanilla. While whisking briskly, drizzle in the melted butter so it incorporates without clumping.
- Combine gently. Using a rubber spatula, slowly pour the wet ingredients into the dry while stirring gently. Switch to folding once everything is added. Stop as soon as the batter comes together. It should still be lumpy, so do not try to stir the lumps out.
- Rest the batter. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it sit on the counter for 45 minutes to 1 hour. This step is optional but makes noticeably fluffier pancakes. Before cooking, stir in up to 1/4 cup (60ml) additional milk if you prefer thinner pancakes.
- Cook the pancakes. Heat a griddle or skillet over medium heat and smear with butter. Drop 1/3 cup helpings onto the griddle for large pancakes, or 1/4 cup for smaller ones. Cook until bubbles form across the surface and the edges look set, about 2 to 3 minutes.
- Flip and finish. Flip each pancake and cook for another 1 to 1 1/2 minutes until golden on the bottom. Serve immediately with plenty of butter and warm syrup.
FAQs
Why use both whole milk and buttermilk instead of just one?
Buttermilk alone gives you tang and tenderness from the acid, but can make the batter too thin and the flavor too sharp. Whole milk adds richness and body that balances the buttermilk out.
Ree landed on this combination after years of testing her original recipe. The 1 1/4 cups whole milk to 3/4 cup buttermilk ratio gives you the tangy flavor people love in buttermilk pancakes without sacrificing the thick, creamy batter that produces fluffy stacks.
Why rest the batter for 45 minutes before cooking?
Resting lets the flour fully hydrate, which means the starches absorb the liquid and swell. It also allows the baking powder and baking soda to start producing gas bubbles throughout the batter before it hits the griddle.
The result is pancakes that puff up taller and cook with a softer interior. Ree says you can skip this step if you are short on time and the pancakes will still be good, but if you want the absolute best results, the rest is worth the wait.
Why does Ree drizzle the melted butter into the wet ingredients while whisking?
Pouring melted butter into cold liquid all at once causes it to seize into solid clumps that never fully incorporate. Those butter chunks create greasy pockets in the finished pancakes instead of even richness throughout.
Drizzling it in slowly while whisking briskly breaks the butter into tiny droplets that stay suspended in the liquid. This distributes the fat evenly through the batter, so every pancake cooks with the same golden, buttery flavor from edge to center.
How do you know exactly when to flip the pancakes?
Wait until bubbles form across the entire surface and the edges look dry and slightly set. If bubbles only appear near the center, the bottom is not ready yet and flipping too early tears the pancake apart.
The first side takes about 2 to 3 minutes on medium heat. After flipping, the second side cooks faster, only 1 to 1 1/2 minutes. Resist pressing down on the pancakes with your spatula, because that squeezes out the air you worked so hard to build.
Can you make these pancakes ahead and freeze them?
Yes, and Ree recommends it for busy mornings. Lay cooked pancakes in a single layer on a baking sheet and freeze until solid, then transfer to a zip-top bag. They keep for up to three months in the freezer.
Reheat frozen pancakes in the microwave for quick mornings, or wrap in foil and warm in a 350F (180C) oven. Refrigerated leftovers last up to four days in an airtight container. Ree shares additional freezing and reheating tips on her site.
