Melt in Your Mouth Buttermilk Pancakes [+ Video]

The absolute best recipe (after testing hundreds) for buttermilk pancakes. In fact, these are melt in your mouth buttermilk pancakes!

The BEST Buttermilk Pancake Recipe

It’s finally here!!!! After testing, and testing, and testing all sorts of buttermilk pancake recipes, we’ve finally come up with what Cade and the girls say is finally the award winning, melt in your mouth buttermilk pancakes recipe!!

Woop there it is!

This recipe for buttermilk pancakes truly took us months of testing, but I just know you’ll love it too so it was worth every disaster and every re-do.

We tried all sorts of different techniques, like adding oil instead of butter, sifted flour or regular flour, egg whites beaten to stiff peaks, an extra egg yolk, whisking versus stirring, baking powder, both baking powder and baking soda and blah blah blah.

Everyone swears by the egg white method, but we actually found that not only did it take too much time, but the pancakes were surprisingly too airy for us. We wanted a light pancake but we still wanted it to melt in our mouths, which means we had to ditch the egg white and change up our baking soda and baking powder method.

“I make pancakes a lot, but tried this recipe this morning for the first time and the kids deemed them the BEST PANCAKES EVER! “

– OSB Reader

Buttermilk Syrup

When you make these buttermilk pancakes, be sure to try these melt in your mouth buttermilk pancakes with our Buttermilk Syrup — the combination is ridiculously amazing and delicious!

If you’re a coconut lover, try our coconut buttermilk syrup. It is actual heaven!

What is Buttermilk? 

If you don’t often cook with buttermilk, you may not understand why it’s an essential ingredient in these pancakes, or even what it is.

Real buttermilk is the fat-free, flavorful liquid that’s left over after you’ve churned a batch of homemade butter (have any of you churned your own butter before?). Buttermilk is full of natural cultures and is slightly tangy, which makes it great for tenderizing meat and adding to baked goods. 

Can I Substitute Powdered Buttermilk?

You can use buttermilk powder, however I HIGHLY recommend sticking with the liquid as it is absolutely better, thicker and fluffier. If you need to use powdered, I suggest our Read more

Authentic Finnish Pancakes Recipe [+Video]

Authentic Finnish pancakes are a popular traditional dish eaten during Midsummer’s Eve or Christmas. Learn how to make traditional Finnish pancakes with this recipe.

Bon Appétit describes Finnish pancakes as somewhere between “crepes, pancakes and heaven” and I couldn’t agree more. These are light and tender and ready to top with your favorite pancake toppings.

If you have been joining us on our tour of pancakes around the world, then welcome to Finland! I have never been there, but it is definitely on my list of places to visit! Now don’t get confused, there are two types of pancakes that are popular in Finland, a baked oven pancake (pannukakku) and a pan fried pancake (lettu or lätty). This version is the pan fried, crepe-like pancake, and they are fabulous!

My Tie to Finland

We lived by the most amazing mother-daughter-duo for quite a few years in Lehi, Utah, Alison and her mother, Marty. Marty is a spunky explosion of happiness in my life and the lives of my family members. She and her daughter welcomed us into their lives in a way that can be nothing other than a spiritual gift from heaven. We felt like family and will always love them like family. 

These two women have witnessed more heartache than most, especially with the loss of loved ones and I am living my life differently because of how deeply they love, mourn and continue on faithful regardless of their trials. They live sweet, happy lives. They cherish the people around them and are always spinning new paths on metaphorical spider webs of family. I love them. And I love that they love where they come from, Finland. 

Not just Finland, but the people and stories around their lives matter. So, I have no reason to have made Finnish Pancakes other than to think of them and try to be more like them because no one does family like they do. 

What Do I Need to Make Finnish Pancakes?

The ingredients for Finnish pancakes are items that you’ll probably have in your pantry or fridge so they are a great option to make spur of the moment (same story for our more traditional buttermilk pancakes if you want to go with an old reliable pancake)! If you want to try something new, the kids will be over the moon for these Finnish pancakes! Here is what you will need:

• Eggs: You want the eggs well beaten so I usually just use a blender for mixing all the ingredients.
• Milk: For the best flavor and texture, use whole milk.
• Flour: just regular all purpose flour works great
• Vanilla: adds flavor
• Salt: enhances all the flavors
• Sugar: You can totally control the sweetness here. Add as little as 3 tablespoons for mild sweetness up to 6 tablespoons for maximum sweetness.

The Most Perfect Moist Chocolate Cake [+Video]

Homemade Chocolate Cake like this is not easy to find. This is the Most Perfect Moist Chocolate Cake recipe, and that’s coming from an obsessed cake tester!

Moist Chocolate Cake Recipe with Chocolate Frosting

You all know how I work. It’s why we have the best Traeger Ribs, Buttermilk Pancakes and Banana Bread recipes among a gazillion others. I get all sucked into finding the best of the best for a specific recipe and I can’t let it go until I’ve achieved it.

And friends, I’ve discovered which chocolate cake is best. If you’re needing chocolate cake for a birthday or a family celebration, you just step right up.  (Who am I kidding, just make it because you are surviving the crazy these days.)

Everyone I know loves a moist chocolate cake with cream cheese frosting, but no one has great luck with a homemade chocolate cake without just using a cake mix. I am crazy giddy to share all of my secrets!

Don’t go crazy, but this is a chocolate cake recipe without butter. That’s for a very specific reason. As much as I thought that butter would be all the difference in flavor, it just wasn’t the truth. The flavor didn’t count enough for how much the cake lacked moisture.

Apparently butter doesn’t make cakes moister, which makes sense. Butter has a high water content that evaporates as steam in the baking process so it can’t keep the moisture like an oil can. If you really want to use butter you can, just use equal amounts or half and half, but all oil did lead to a better chocolate layer cake!

Homemade Chocolate Cake Ingredients

As I already mentioned, the moistness of this homemade chocolate cake is thanks in part to the oil used in the batter. Our other secret? Buttermilk! Yep, this is a buttermilk chocolate cake.

Any time a recipe calls for buttermilk, it makes me think it’s going to be a fancy recipe. But in reality, this chocolate cake from scratch couldn’t be simpler to make.

Here’s what you’ll need to make this moist chocolate cake recipe:

1. All-Purpose Flour: I’ve tested all sorts of flours but had the worst luck in a chocolate cake with cake flour.
2. Unsweetened Natural Cocoa Powder: Do not use dutch-process cocoa powder, but opt for an unsweetened cocoa powder, which will give a better rise. Try Hershey’s or a similar brand just in the grocery store. Not crazy trip to a gourmet store needed.
3. Espresso Powder: Espresso powder is optional, but listen, as one who does not drink coffee for religious reasons I really do believe this makes a difference in the chocolate flavor.
4. Baking Soda & Baking Powder: Yes, use both!!! I’ve tried many baking powd

Cheesy Ground Beef and Potato Casserole [+Video]

Casseroles are such a great dinner option! This cheesy ground beef and potato casserole is creamy, comforting and perfect for a busy day.

We had received so many messages about our readers making our mega viral busy day casserole with potatoes instead of rice that I just had to try it for myself. This casserole is full of creamy potatoes, seasoned ground beef and melted cheese for days.

We are giving you two versions of this recipe…a quick version with cream of mushroom soup and a totally made from scratch version where you make the creamy sauce yourself. You can choose whatever you have time for!

Now if you force me to choose between the rice version and the potato version of this casserole, I will have to give the slightest edge to the original rice version. It’s probably nostalgia for me, but I just like it a little better. This potato version is pure comfort food and it reminded me of camping and eating a tinfoil dinner. It tastes so similar!

What Ingredients Go in Cheesy Hamburger Potato Casserole?

For the quick version, you’ll only need 7 simple ingredients. For the homemade version, you’ll need a few more ingredients to make the cream of mushroom soup from scratch, but all the ingredients are easy to find. Here is what you will need for both versions:

Quick Version

• Cream of Mushroom Soup, Russet Potatoes, Milk, Carrots, Ground Beef, Onion, and Cheese (Cheddar or Colby Jack)

From Scratch Version

• Sauce: Butter, Onion, Garlic, Mushrooms, Flour, Cream, Chicken Broth, Pepper, Salt, and Milk
• Casserole: Ground Beef, Salt, Garlic Powder, Onion, Carrots, Cheese (Cheddar or Colby Jack), and Russet Potatoes

PRO TIP: You can also make this recipe with frozen hash browns to make it even easier!

The measurements of all the ingredients can be found in the recipe card at the end of the post. Keep scrolling to see all the details!

What Potato is Best to Use?

We prefer Russet potatoes in this recipe. They are starchy and soak up a lot of the flavors of the ground beef, carrots and creamy sauce. You could honestly use any p

Apple Cider Braised Pork Recipe [+Video]

This braised pork recipe is a flavor-packed pork dish braised in apple cider and chicken stock until fork tender. We also add some fresh herbs, roasted garlic and onions for even more rich flavor.

Combining the savory pork with the sweet apple cider and apple slices makes this the perfect comfort food for a cool fall evening!

Recommended Equipment

• Large Dutch Oven

Before You Begin…

We will start by getting the pork ready to be braised. Pat dry the chunks of pork shoulder and season them with salt and pepper. Then you will brown the chunks on all sides. This locks in the juices and adds so much flavor to the pork. Don’t skip this step!

What is Braising?

Braising a method for cooking meat. It uses a combination of both wet and dry heat to cook the meat until it is super tender and saucy. In this recipe we sear the pork using a dry heat, and then the pork is cooked in a little bit of liquid (wet heat) over a longer period of time. Braising creates deep and rich flavors and fall apart tender meat. It’s one of my favorite ways to cook meat.

What Do I Need to Make Apple Cider Braised Pork?

Here are the items you will need to make this recipe:

• Pork Butt: I prefer to buy a bone-in pork butter because it has better flavor and then cut it off the bone into large chunks for this recipe.
  • PRO TIP: I buy a big pork butt and chop it in half, remove the bone and then quarter each half and freeze them in two bags for two separate rounds of braised pork.
• Canola Oil: used to brown the pork chunks
• Braising Liquid: Apple Cider, Chicken Stock, Apple Cider Vinegar, Dark Brown Sugar, Dijon Mustard, Salt and Pepper
• Aromatics: Garlic, Rosemary, Thyme, and Red Onion
• Butter: adds richness and flavor to the pork while keeping it moist
• Granny Smith Apples: added for the last little bit of cooking to add more flavor and they make a delicious addition to the meal

This is meant to just be an overview of the ingredients. Keep scrolling down to the recipe card to see all the measurements needed for each ingred