Pancakes are a quintessential breakfast food, and creating fluffy, tall, restaurant-quality blueberry pancakes at home is so easy! You just need a few simple ingredients, a little time, and a hot griddle to create this tasty brunch meal. The best part? You can enjoy this blueberry pancake recipe all year long because you can use fresh or frozen berries!
While some recipes mix the blueberries into the batter, I prefer sprinkling each pancake as they cook with juicy blueberries so you have a burst of warm blueberry juice in every bite. This also helps prevent blueberry juice from dyeing the batter a blue-green color. Instead, you get perfect blueberry-filled pancakes every time. For more pancake recipes, try my banana pancake recipe, chocolate pancakes recipe, or classic pancake recipe.
What You Need to Make this Recipe
Sugar — you only need a few tablespoons of granulated sugar (white sugar) in these homemade pancakes. Since pancakes are typically served smothered with maple syrup, the pancakes themselves don’t need to be too sweet.
Leavening — baking powder, baking soda, and a mixture of whole milk and lemon juice work together to give you fluffy pancakes with a perfect rise. Lemon juice activates the baking soda, but the flavor is subtle. If you don’t have lemon juice, you can use lime juice or white vinegar instead.
Eggs — act as a binding agent, as well as providing the pancakes with structure and a fluffy texture.
Butter — use unsalted butter so the pancakes don’t end up being too salty.
Vanilla and salt — two important ingredients for flavor! Good vanilla extract adds rich flavor and a mouthwatering aroma, white salt enhances all the other flavors in the pancakes.
Blueberries — fresh or frozen blueberries work well. No need to thaw frozen blueberries (see why in the FAQ section below).
How to Make Blueberry Pancakes
1. Whisk together whole milk and lemon juice in a medium bowl or large measuring jug, and let the mixture sit for 5 minutes.
2. Add the eggs, melted unsalted butter, and vanilla extract to the milk mixture and whisk until well combined.
3. Whisk together the all-purpose flour, white sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl.
4. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir together until combined. Don’t fret if there are a few lumps, as they actually give you fluffier pancakes!
5. Heat a large nonstick pan or griddle over medium heat. Lightly grease the griddle with butter. Using a ¼ cup measure, drop pancake batter onto the hot griddle. You’ll have to work in batches.
6. Sprinkle blueberries onto the uncooked side (top side) of the pancake. Cook until the edges are set, lots of bubbles have formed on top of each pancake, and the bottom side is golden brown. This will take a few minutes. Carefully flip and cook until the bottom side is also golden brown. The centers should feel springy to the touch, and each blueberry pancake should have golden edges. Transfer the cooked pancakes to a plate and keep warm while you cook the rest of the pancakes.
Pro Tips for Making this Recipe
- Don’t over-mix the batter. A few lumps in the batter are okay, and actually result in fluffier pancakes, so don’t try to stir the batter until smooth. Over-mixing will yield dense, tough blueberry pancakes.
- To prevent discolored pancakes: Wipe the skillet clean between batches to remove caramelized blueberry juices from the pan. If using frozen blueberries, do not thaw them beforehand. The juices will bleed into the batter, turning the pancakes a strange color.
- To prevent sticking: Butter the skillet between batches to prevent the pancakes from sticking. I also recommend using a large skillet that is nonstick or a well-seasoned cast iron skillet.
- For blueberry buttermilk pancakes: Swap the whole milk out for an equal amount of buttermilk, and leave out the lemon juice.
- For extra flavor, add the grated lemon zest of 1 lemon or a splash of almond extract to the batter.
Frequently Asked Questions
Absolutely! There’s no need to wait until blueberry season to enjoy the best blueberry pancakes. Use an equal amount of frozen blueberries, and don’t worry about thawing them beforehand. Simply sprinkle them, still frozen, onto the pancakes as they cook. The blueberries will warm up as the pancake cooks. If you use thawed frozen blueberries, the juices will bleed into the batter and discolor the pancakes. They’ll still taste wonderful, but they will be dyed a blueish-green color.
Frankly, my family and I can devour a batch of these pancakes plain. They’re that delicious! But topped with a pat of butter (or honey butter!) and a big glug of maple syrup, these easy blueberry pancakes are simply sublime! Feel free to add extra fresh blueberries on the side as well.
When the edges of the pancakes are set, and lots of bubbles form on the surface, it’s time to flip them! The time it takes can vary, but it’s usually around 3 to 4 minutes. The bottoms should be golden brown, not very dark brown, and your spatula should slide underneath the pancakes easily. If the bottoms are browning too fast, turn down the heat.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat them in the microwave for about 10 to 20 seconds.
Flash freeze the pancakes on a baking sheet until sold, about an hour. Then store pancakes in a single layer in a freezer-safe container. If you need to store multiple layers, separate each layer with a sheet of parchment paper so the pancakes don’t stick together. You can freeze blueberry pancakes for about 2 months. Reheat from frozen in the microwave for about 20 seconds.
If you love this recipe try these out!
If you’ve tried this blueberry pancakes recipe, then don’t forget to rate it and let me know how you got on in the comments below. I love hearing from you!
Blueberry Pancakes
Equipment
- Large skillet
Ingredients
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour (180g)
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup whole milk (300ml)
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 2 large eggs
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter melted plus more for cooking (56g)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries (158g)
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the milk and lemon juice, and let it sit for 5 minutes. Add the eggs, melted butter, and vanilla extract and whisk until well combined.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture and stir together until combined. (A few lumps in the batter are okay and actually result in fluffier pancakes, so don’t try to stir it until smooth.)
- Heat a large nonstick pan or griddle over medium heat. Lightly grease with butter. Working in batches, drop the pancake batter into the hot skillet using about ¼ cup per pancake. Sprinkle the top of each pancake with blueberries. Cook until the edges are set and lots of bubbles have formed on top of each pancake, 3 to 4 minutes.
- Carefully flip and continue cooking until golden brown, and the centers feel springy when you press on them, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to a plate and keep warm while you cook the rest of the pancakes. Butter the skillet for each new batch. (You may have to occasionally wipe the skillet clean from caramelized blueberry juices.) Serve hot with butter and maple syrup.
Notes
- Don’t over-mix the batter. A few lumps in the batter are okay, and actually result in fluffier pancakes, so don’t try to stir the batter until smooth. Over-mixing will yield dense, tough blueberry pancakes.
- To prevent discolored pancakes: Wipe the skillet clean between batches to remove caramelized blueberry juices from the pan. If using frozen blueberries, do not thaw them beforehand. The juices will bleed into the batter, turning the pancakes a strange color.
- To prevent sticking: Butter the skillet between batches to prevent the pancakes from sticking. I also recommend using a large skillet that is nonstick or a well-seasoned cast iron skillet.
- For blueberry buttermilk pancakes: Swap the whole milk out for an equal amount of buttermilk, and leave out the lemon juice.
- For extra flavor, add the grated lemon zest of 1 lemon or a splash of almond extract to the batter.
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