These blueberry pancakes start with my simple buttermilk pancake base and are loaded with plump, sweet blueberries!
This recipe is the best for making pancakes from scratch and yields thick, fluffy pancakes every time!
Oh, hey there, blueberry pancakes.
Let’s just pretend for a moment that I haven’t been neglecting every single other perfectly good summer fruit out there and that I haven’t already shared a blueberry cobbler or blueberry muffins or half a dozen other blueberry recipes so far this summer, and take a minute to, one last time, appreciate blueberries in the form of these thick, fluffy blueberry pancakes.
Are you with me?
While we generally keep our breakfasts pretty lean around here (i.e. boring), both yesterday and Saturday Zach and I indulged in platefuls of blueberry pancakes, topped with generous pats of butter and drizzled with maple syrup (the memory is making this morning’s granola bar seem extra sad and dry in comparison as I sit here typing this).
As you can probably imagine, we’ve gone through pounds and pounds of blueberries this summer to the point where I think I’m going to plant my own bush next year. I’m slightly discouraged from doing this because my parents have tried growing their own blueberries the past few years, but every berry has been devoured by the birds, and after an unfortunate and slightly traumatic netting incident they’ve given up trying to protect their plants that way.
Any tips on raising your own blueberries would be welcome, but let’s get to the actual point here and talk about exactly how to make your own blueberry pancakes from scratch.
Can you use frozen blueberries for pancakes?
Yes, just substitute the same amount of frozen berries for fresh. You do not need to thaw the berries before adding them to your batter.
I’ve found that when I use frozen berries they do tend to streak my batter a bit, so your pancakes may have some purplish/blue streaks, but they’ll still taste perfect!
Why is it so important to not over-mix pancake batter?
When making blueberry pancakes (or any pancakes, really!) it is so important that you don’t over-mix your batter. Over-mixed pancake batter will result in flat, tough pancakes instead of thick and fluffy ones.
When stirring in add-ins like these blueberries, I always recommend adding them about halfway through the process of combining your dry and wet ingredients rather than waiting until they’ve already been combined to add your blueberries (I use this same technique with my blueberry muffins, too). It’s completely acceptable to have a few flour streaks left in your batter when you’re finished mixing, and I usually aim for this to know that I haven’t overworked my batter.
If you really want to go overboard with fresh blueberry flavor, you can skip the butter and syrup and top your blueberry pancakes off with the blueberry sauce that I shared a few weeks ago (pictured above) instead.
Enjoy!
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How to Make Blueberry Pancakes
Blueberry Pancakes
How to make perfect blueberry pancakes completely from scratch.
Ingredients
- 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter melted and cooled for several minutes 57g
- 2 cups all-purpose flour 250g
- 3 Tablespoons granulated white sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 1/4 cups buttermilk* 530ml
- 2 large eggs lightly beaten room temperature preferred
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries see notes in post about using frozen blueberries
Instructions
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Melt your butter first and set it aside so that it has time to cool.
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Meanwhile, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl and whisk together until well-combined.
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In a separate, medium-sized bowl, whisk together buttermilk, eggs, and vanilla extract.
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Take your melted (slightly cooled) butter and slowly drizzle it into your wet ingredients while whisking, stirring until well-combined (the butter may separate and curdle if your other ingredients are cold and the butter is still hot).
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Pour the wet ingredients into your dry ingredients and use a wooden spoon to stir until dry ingredients are about halfway incorporated into the batter. Now add your blueberries and gently fold them in while continuing to stir your bater. Take care that you do not over-stir your pancake batter or your pancakes will come out flat. Use a gentle hand when stirring, a few flour streaks in the batter are fine.
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Allow your blueberry pancake batter to rest for 5 minutes before continuing.
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Once batter has rested, spray a non-stick skillet with cooking spray or lightly brush with canola oil and place on burner on medium-low heat.
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Allow the skillet to preheat before adding batter (this could take about another 5 minutes, and it's good to let your batter rest for this additional time, it will help give you thicker fluffier panckaes). Once skillet is heated (I usually test this by hovering my hand several inches above the pan and making sure I can feel the heat radiating from it) scoop pancake batter into pan (I use about 1/2-2/3 cup of batter per pancake).
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Allow pancake to cook until edges begin to appear cooked and bubbles in batter begin to burst. Using a pancake spatula, carefully flip pancake and continue to cook several more minutes until pancake is golden brown.
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Repeat until all batter is used -- I recommend spraying or brushing the pan between each batch of pancakes.
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Serve warm.
Recipe Notes
*If you don't have buttermilk on hand, you can use my easy buttermilk substitute. However, I have found that my blueberry pancake batter is thinner and my pancakes are less thick when using this substitute.
Hira says
Sam, these look absolutely incredible! Have you considered doing a food photography post (or have you)? You always post such beautiful pictures! 🙂
Sam says
Thank you so much, Hira! I always beat myself up about my photography so it means a lot to me that you think it’s that good, I haven’t done a food photography post and definitely don’t have the confidence to do one at this point, but thank you so much for writing <3 🙂