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Russian Pancakes {Buttermilk Pancake Recipe}

Russian Pancakes are perfectly fluffy and chewy, yet with crispy edges. This pancake recipe is made with a quick and simple buttermilk  batter, that is pan-fried in oil. Traditionally served with sweetened sour cream and jam, these pancakes are sure to become a family favorite for breakfast.

Want to check other popular Russian breakfast ideas? Try these Blini’s, these cheese crepes, and this yummy cheese danish recipe.

A plate with Russian pancakes, surrounded by jam and sour cream topping for them.

Homemade Pancakes

There is something so nostalgic about making homemade pancakes. It seems to me the entire world has eaten then growing up in some form or fashion! If you haven’t tried making homemade pancakes from scratch, I hope this simple recipe urges you to give it a try. It’s way better than anything that comes from a box, promise.

Questions About Homemade Pancakes

Over the years I’ve gotten several questions about homemade pancakes and making the batter. Here are some of the answers. If you have additional questions, please leave them in the comments and I’ll get back to you as soon as I can.

Will Pancake Batter Keep in the Fridge?

While there are many batters that can be mixed ahead of time, I don’t recommend doing it with these homemade pancakes. The texture just isn’t the same since baking soda and buttermilk produce a reaction once mixed. Instead, I recommend pre-mixing all the dry ingredients, then simply adding the wet ingredients to them right before you cook.

Can Pancake Batter Be Frozen?

For the same reason as above, no. However, you can easily make a stack of homemade pancakes and then freeze them. When you’re ready to eat, heat them up and enjoy!

Buttermilk Pancakes

Growing up, we always had some buttermilk in the fridge. Not intentionally, but as a byproduct of buying fresh, unpasteurized milk that tended to spoil super fast, even if kept in the fridge. While we made many things with buttermilk, my favorite was pancakes! We called pancakes by the Russian word, oladi, and they were one of my favorite treats growing up.

How to Make Buttermilk for Pancakes

While many of us don’t necessarily keep buttermilk on hand daily, this is one recipe that’s worth going to the store for some! If you are unable to, there’s an old trick you can use to make some buttermilk right at home.

Simply a cup of milk (I recommend using whole milk) and add 4 tablespoons of either fresh lemon juice or white vinegar. Let it sit at room temperature until it curdles, which takes about 30 minutes. Then, make your pancakes as direct below. Easy peasy!

Russian Pancakes stacked on a plate with a drizzle of sweetened sour cream and raspberries.

Tips for Making This Pancake Recipe

  • Whisk the ingredients together right before cooking to get those airy, fluffy pancakes. If you let the batter sit the texture will be compromised and you will end up with a dense, gummy pancake.
  • Let your pan heat up with oil before you drop your pancake recipe batter. This is how you end up with the nice, crisp edges.
  • Once you see bubbles forming on top of the pancake as it cooks, you’ll know it’s time to flip it over and cook the other side.
  • When eating, try pinching the two ends together which creates the perfect scooping vessel for getting some of the delicious berry jam or sour cream topping.

How to Make Russian Pancakes

*For detailed recipe instructions see the recipe card bottom of the post.

  • Whisk together all ingredients.

  • Heat a skillet with oil. Once it starts sizzling, add pancake batter to the pan.
  • Once you see bubble forming, flip the pancakes and cook the other side.

  • Serve with syrup or with fresh raspberry and sour cream topping (see below).

More great Pancake recipes:

Russian Pancakes – Fluffy Buttermilk Pancakes

4.58 from 7 votes

Delicious Russian Pancakes are made with pantry staples (buttermilk or sour cream, eggs, sugar, flour) and can be whipped up in seconds. It's my kids' favorite breakfast.

Author: Marina | Let the Baking Begin
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: Russian
Keyword: buttermilk pancakes, oladi, russian pancakes
Calories: 98 kcal
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 20 pancakes

Ingredients

For pancakes

Fresh Raspberry jam

Sour Cream Topping

Instructions

  1. In a bowl whisk together 2 eggs, 1 cup buttermilk, 1/4 cup granulated sugar, 1 tsp baking soda, and 1 tsp of vanilla extract if using. Add 1 1/2 cups of sifted flour and carefully mix until no lumps are seen. Do not overmix or the pancakes will be dense.

  2. Preheat skillet to medium heat, add 1-2tbsp of oil, then drop spoonfuls of pancake batter spacing them about 1 inch apart. Cook until the bubbles start breaking on top, then flip and cook until golden in on the other side.

    Cook the rest of the batter in batches, adding more oil as needed.

To make fresh raspberry syrup/jam

  1. Using a fork mix the raspberry and sugar together until the desired "chunkiness" of the raspberry.

To make sour cream topping

  1. Mix the sour cream and sugar (and vanilla, if using) until the sugar dissolves. Use more or less sugar as desired.

How to serve the Russian Pancakes

  1. Serve the pancakes with a drizzle of sour cream topping and/or raspberry jam.

Nutrition Facts
Russian Pancakes – Fluffy Buttermilk Pancakes
Amount Per Serving
Calories 98 Calories from Fat 36
% Daily Value*
Fat 4g6%
Saturated Fat 1g6%
Cholesterol 21mg7%
Sodium 87mg4%
Potassium 45mg1%
Carbohydrates 13g4%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 6g7%
Protein 2g4%
Vitamin A 79IU2%
Vitamin C 1mg1%
Calcium 25mg3%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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Marina | Let the Baking Begin

Welcome to Let the Baking Begin! I'm Marina and my love and passion for eating only the most delicious foods drive me to share that love here on Let the Baking Begin (since 2009). With over 20 years of experience in the kitchen, you know the recipes are tested and retested until perfect. I'm so happy to have you here. Enjoy! Read more...

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  • Caleigh

    So yummy! They look exactly as pictured and that’s a rare feat. I ended up adding only a cup of sour cream and it was too clumoy thats when I realized I was supposed to mix it with milk to I added a little until it was just right. Took a picture but I can’t add it here!

    · Reply
  • יבגני

    not russian traditional this is way too fluffy.

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  • Olga

    These were so fluffy and delicious. I didn’t have plain buttermilk so I used the one I had which was strawberry flavored. And oh my it just took this to another level. So so good.

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  • Lori Kurochkina

    Thank you, and they were delicious mini pancakes. I dipped them into (Russian) sour cream mixed with red currant jam, Mmmmm!

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  • Galina O

    Hi Marina,
    Over the last few years this has been “the only pancake recipe” I cannot get enough. I modified to 3 cups of flour and 3 tsp of baking powder since I cannot stand baking soda/vinegar combination. Sometimes I use real butter for frying, but most of the time coconut, it fits well with this recipe. As always, thank you for your blog!!!!

    · Reply
  • Samantha

    Just because it might be confusing for readers, there IS a significant difference between оладьи (this recipe) and блинчики…blinchiki are more like crepes, very thin, olday are puffy and dense.

    · Reply
  • Jakob

    Thank you for recipe, it was so delicious , prosto taet vo rtu. Jacob

    · Reply
    • Thank you for using my recipe Jacob!

      · Reply
  • Inessa at GrabandgoRecipes.com

    YUM!! They look soo delicious … 🙂

    · Reply
    • Oh they were! I love the crispy edges on these 🙂

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      • Galina O

        Marina, this recipe is бесподобное, thank you!
        Galina O

        · Reply
        • I’m going to have to agree with you Galya))) Thanks for your comment! 😀

          · Reply

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