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.
How to Make Blueberry Pancakes
- Whisk together whole milk and lemon juice in a medium bowl or large measuring jug, and let the mixture sit for 5 minutes.
- Add the eggs, melted unsalted butter, and vanilla extract to the milk mixture and whisk until well combined.
- Whisk together the all-purpose flour, white sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl.
- 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!
- 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.
- 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.
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!
