Cracker Barrel Pancakes
Enjoy Cracker Barrel’s famous fluffy pancakes from home with this perfect copycat recipe. No need to wait for a table when you can make your own taste just as good!
I, like many, am a fan of Cracker Barrel. What’s not to love about good old fashioned country cooking in an environment that feels like Grandma’s kitchen?
Of course it is difficult to justify paying restaurant prices and waiting in a crowded restaurant, especially if what you are craving is some simple, old fashioned pancakes.
Luckily I believe we’ve cracked the code on how to make delicious Cracker Barrel pancakes from home. The good news is, it’s easy to make the perfect pancakes!
With the right combination of ingredients you can whip up this batter and enjoy the best buttermilk pancakes any time. Who says pancakes are only a breakfast food?
Follow these simple instructions and in no time at all you can be enjoying restaurant-worthy, copycat Cracker Barrel pancakes from the comfort of your own kitchen table. Enjoy!
Why Make This Recipe
- Save Money: As much as I love eating out, this recipe makes it easy to enjoy great food at home without the guilt of a crushing price tag.
- Simple Ingredients: The fanciest ingredient on this list is buttermilk and while I do believe it is essential (we will get to that later) it’s not hard to find at your local grocery store.
- Restaurant Quality: Pancakes are one of those recipes you can usually throw together on a busy morning and call it good–but you don’t have to settle for so-so pancakes. Go for the fluffiest, most delicious pancakes! This recipe would be great for pulling out when you have guests over!
What Do You Need to Make This Recipe?
Ingredients
- Salt: Feel free to adjust the salt according to your preference. Some people may think 1 teaspoon is a lot of salt but the key to restaurant quality is a lot of sugar and a lot of salt!
- Baking Soda: This recipe calls for two full teaspoons of baking soda. This ensures the pancakes are nice and fluffy.
- Buttermilk: Buttermilk is really the star of this recipe and the not-so-secret ingredient to perfect pancakes. It adds the best moisture and flavor to your mix. You can certainly use a buttermilk substitute like milk with a tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice, but your pancakes won’t be quite as rich and flavorful. If you can help it, buy the buttermilk.
- Unsalted Butter: Another restaurant secret, don’t skimp on the butter!
Tools
- Whisk
- Large Mixing Bowl
- Griddle or frying pan
- Measuring Cups
How to Make This Recipe
Step One: Mix the Dry Ingredients
Preheat your griddle (or frying pan) to about 300 degrees.
In a medium bowl, combine the flour, salt, sugar and baking soda. Whisk to combine, set aside.
Step Two: Mix the Wet Ingredients
In a large bowl, use a whisk to beat the eggs until scrambled.
Add in the buttermilk and melted butter. Mix well.
Step Three: Mix Together
Slowly add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Mix well, scraping down the sides and mixing again. Allow the batter to rest for 5 minutes.
Step Four: Cook and Serve
Melt a pad of butter on your griddle (or pan) or spray evenly with nonstick spray to coat.
Using a ¼ cup measuring cup, pour the batter onto the griddle (or frying pan), leaving space to spread.
Cook until the edges are set and bubbly. Carefully flip and cook for an additional 3-5 or until golden brown.
Expert Tips
- Be careful when you are measuring your flour to ensure you don’t add too much. The best way to measure flour is to gently spoon it into a measuring cup and use the back of a butter knife to level off the top. Do not pack your flour or pat it down inside the measuring cup.
- As tempting as it is to mix all the ingredients together at once, it really does make a difference when you make sure the dry ingredients are evenly mixed together in a separate bowl before mixing with the wet. Don’t skip this step.
- You can use butter, nonstick cooking spray or vegetable oil on your griddle to make sure your pancakes don’t stick, but my personal preference is butter for the additional flavor and the perfect crispy edge.
- Wait until you see bubbles throughout the pancake to flip. This ensures even cooking.
- Do not over-stir your batter. Mix it until it is combined, then leave it alone. Overmixing can make your pancakes lose some of their natural fluffiness.
How to Guarantee Fluffy Pancakes
If you love fluffy, tender pancakes there are a few things you can do to ensure your turn out that way.
The first starts with the ingredients you use. True buttermilk, rather than a buttermilk substitute, will give you fluffier pancakes. You also need a good amount of baking soda, carefully mixed through the cracker barrel pancake mix.
Too much flour can also make your pancakes heavy and cause them to lose some of their fluffiness so be cautious about how much flour you are adding.
At the same time, too little flour can cause flat pancakes. You want your batter to be just the right consistency. Not too thick that it doesn’t spread, but not so thin that it slides right off the back of a spoon.
Make sure your griddle is preheated before cooking. You want your pancakes to bubble up and cook quickly on a hot griddle to achieve the fluffiest pancakes.
Lastly, make sure to give your pancakes that 5 minutes of resting time, as this allows the baking soda to start working its magic!
What to Serve With Your Cracker Barrel Pancakes
The best pancakes require excellent pancake toppings. You can serve your pancakes with a classic butter and maple syrup or you can really make it a meal and serve it with:
- Buttermilk syrup
- Fresh fruit: Strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, bananas
- Nutella
- Cookie Butter
- Powdered sugar
- Peanut Butter (or any nut butter of your choice)
- Cinnamon and sugar
- Whipped cream
- Chocolate Chips (try these Chocolate Chocolate Chip Pancakes for an delicious chocolatey version!)
These pancakes make a great breakfast but you can serve them any time with a side of scrambled eggs and bacon or sausage!
Can You Make This Recipe Ahead of Time?
You can make this pancake batter ahead of time. Cover your large bowl with plastic wrap and put it in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours until you are ready to cook a batch of these amazing buttermilk pancakes.
You can also store leftover pancakes in a ziploc bag or airtight container and reheat in the toaster, microwave or on a griddle.
They also freeze well and last for up to three months in the freezer, making it very easy to get your pancake fix any time! Just remove how many you want, reheat and serve!
Did you enjoy this recipe for Cracker Barrel Pancakes? If so, make sure to check out these other recipes I picked out just for you:
- How to Make a Pancake Breakfast Board
- Zucchini Slice from Australia
- Egg in a Hole Bake with Dinner Rolls
Cracker Barrel Pancakes
Equipment
- Whisk
- Large Mixing Bowl
- Griddle or frying pan
- Measuring Cups
Ingredients
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 Tbsp granulated sugar
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 2 eggs
- 2 cups buttermilk, room temperature
- 2 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted + cooled a bit
- Additional butter or nonstick spray to coat the pan
Instructions
- Preheat your griddle (or frying pan) to about 300 degrees Fahrenheit.
- In a medium bowl, combine the flour, salt, sugar and baking soda. Whisk to combine, set aside.
- In a large bowl, use a whisk to beat the eggs until scrambled.
- Add in the buttermilk and melted butter. Mix well.
- Slowly add in the dry ingredients. Mix well – scraping down the sides and mixing again. Allow the batter to rest for 5 minutes.
- Melt a pad of butter on your griddle (or pan) and spray evenly to coat.
- Using a ¼ cup measuring cup, pour the batter onto the griddle (or frying pan), leaving space to spread.
- Cook until the edges are set and bubbly. Carefully flip and cook for an additional 3-5 or until golden brown.
Notes
- Salt: Feel free to adjust the salt according to your preference. Some people may think 1 teaspoon is a lot of salt but the key to restaurant quality is a lot of sugar and a lot of salt!
- Baking Soda: This recipe calls for two full teaspoons of baking soda. This ensures the pancakes are nice and fluffy.
- Buttermilk: Buttermilk is really the star of this recipe and the not-so-secret ingredient to perfect pancakes. It adds the best moisture and flavor to your mix. You can certainly use a buttermilk substitute like milk with a tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice, but your pancakes won’t be quite as rich and flavorful. If you can help it, buy the buttermilk.
- Unsalted Butter: Another restaurant secret, don’t skimp on the butter!
- Be careful when you are measuring your flour to ensure you don’t add too much. The best way to measure flour is to gently spoon it into a measuring cup and use the back of a butter knife to level off the top. Do not pack your flour or pat it down inside the measuring cup.
- As tempting as it is to mix all the ingredients together at once, it really does make a difference when you make sure the dry ingredients are evenly mixed together in a separate bowl before mixing with the wet. Don’t skip this step.
- You can use butter, nonstick cooking spray or vegetable oil on your griddle to make sure your pancakes don’t stick, but my personal preference is butter for the additional flavor and the perfect crispy edge.
- Wait until you see bubbles throughout the pancake to flip. This ensures even cooking.
- Do not over-stir your batter. Mix it until it is combined, then leave it alone. Overmixing can make your pancakes lose some of their natural fluffiness.
