Fluffy Blueberry Pancakes

Fluffy Blueberry Pancakes! Is there anything more beautiful than a giant stack, fresh off the griddle? Add a glass of orange juice, a strong cup (or two) of vanilla-flavored coffee, plenty of maple syrup and you have the perfect start to any day. Don’t you agree?

Reasons you’ll love this recipe

• Homemade. You simply cannot beat the flavor and texture of homemade pancakes. Not from a box mix, from scratch. And, actually, whipping up this recipe is almost just as easy as using the boxed pancake mix. I promise!
• Major fluff factor. This recipe creates a light, airy batter that makes those tall and fluffy pancakes that are super tender and studded with sweet, juicy blueberries.
• Easy to make with simple ingredients. In less than 30 minutes and one large bowl, you can have a delicious breakfast ready to serve! Just grab some blueberries, you probably already have all of the other ingredients on hand to make these!
• Perfect for meal prep. Make a large batch of these and you can have breakfast covered for a few days. They keep fresh in the fridge or freezer, and are super to reheat.

Ingredients needed

This recipe uses simple baking ingredients. You’ll need all of the usuals – flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Nutmeg or cinnamon is optional, but gives these lovely flavor. The wet ingredients are milk, an egg, butter and vanilla extract. Here’s a note on each of the ingredients:

• Flour. Regular all-purpose flour or whole wheat pastry flour will give you the best results. To make these gluten free, try using an all-purpose gluten-free flour or oat flour. Whole wheat flour works, but they may not turn out as light and fluffy.
• Baking staples. You’ll need some vanilla extract for flavor, a pinch of salt to pull the flavors together and baking powder to help the pancakes rise.
• Sugar. Add just one tablespoon of sugar for a touch of sweetness.
• Nutmeg or cinnamon. For warm, cozy flavor!
• Milk. You can use any milk you’d like. Whole milk will give these the richest flavor.
• Egg. Just one egg will help these stay together.
• Melted butter. A little bit of melted butter gives these the perfect texture.
• Blueberries. Feel free to use fresh or frozen blueberries in this recipe.

Simple ingredient swaps

• Make these gluten free. For gluten-free blueberry pancakes, we recommend using an all-purpose gluten-free flour. Our favorite options are Bob’s Red Mill gluten-free 1-to-1 baking flour or King Arthur gluten-free Measure for Measure flour.
• Dairy free. If you’d like to keep these dairy free, use unsweetened almond milk or another plant-based milk and a plant-based butter.
• Craving plain pancakes? This is a great base recipe without adding any extras! Or, you can substitute the blueberries for another add-in. Sometimes we love to mix in chocolate chips or banana chunks with macadamia nuts! You could also try chopped strawberries or raspberries.

How to make this recipe

These made-from-scratch blueberry pancakes take just a couple of minutes longer to whip up, than boxed pancake mix. And once you give this homemade version a try, you won’t be able to go back to eating boxed mix. No comparison! Here’s the easy method:

1. Mix dry ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder, sugar and nutmeg.
2. Add wet ingredients. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and stir in the milk, egg, melted butter and vanilla; mix until just combined. Do NOT overmix. Some small lumps are fine.
3. Let batter rest. For best results, rest the batter for 5 to 10 minutes. This will allow the gluten in the flour to relax and the starch grains to swell, so you have airy, fluffy pancakes.

4. Cook. Heat a large skillet, nonstick pan or griddle over medium to medium-high heat. Butter the surface and once hot, spoon out or pour about 1/4 cup of batter for each pancake. You may need to gently spread the batter out some. Arrange blueberries evenly over the tops, as many or few as you prefer. After about 3 minutes and when bubbles begin to form on the surface and the edges look set, flip and cook the other side until cooked through and golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes.
5. Serve and enjoy. Top with any favorite toppings. We love maple syrup and an extra handful of fresh blueberries!

Serving suggestions

The best thing about homemade blueberry pancakes is you get to pick exactly how you want them topped! Here are some ideas:

• Maple syrup
• Whipped cream
• Fresh berries (blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, etc.)
• Unsweetened shredded coconut
• Coarsely chopped nuts (pistachios, almonds, walnuts, etc.)
• Powdered sugar
• Butter or nut butter (Nutella, almond butter, peanut butter, etc.)
• Caramel sauce

Expert tips

This easy pancake recipe is pretty simple and straightforward, but I do have a few tips that I’ve learned along the way. Here are some recommendations:

1. Don’t over-mix the batter. You want to gently fold the wet and dry ingredients together until you have a lumpy, just-moist batter. Lumps are good, trust me! If you beat the batter until it is perfectly smooth, you’ll have a very dense, flat pancake instead of a light and fluffy one.
2. Don’t press down on the pancake with the back of your flipper. This can cause them to flatten and it won’t help them cook any faster.
3. Only flip once. Flipping these back and forth causes them to deflate and become dense, so when it’s time to check if they’re done on bottom, just barely lift them to take a peek.
4. Keep them warm. If you’re cooking a breakfast spread for the family, keep these warm until they’re all cooked and you’re ready to eat. Heat the oven to 200 degrees F., once a batch is cooked, transfer them to a large baking sheet and put them in the oven to stay warm.

Frequently asked questions

Make ahead

The batter can be made in advance. You can refrigerate it for up to 4 hours before you plan to use it.

Storing, freezing and reheating

• Storing leftovers. These keep well in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. To store in the refrigerator, let them cool completely and then put them in a zip-top baggie or other airtight container. You can reheat them in a toaster or microwave when you’re ready to eat.
• Freezing. Once they’re cooled to room temperature, freeze them first on a large pan or plate in a single layer. When they are slightly hard, transfer them to a freezer-safe bag. They will keep well in the freezer for up to 3 months. Freezing them first, separately, keeps them from sticking together.
• Reheating. To reheat frozen pancakes, you can either heat them in a toaster oven, microwave, or a warm oven. You can also reheat without thawing them first.

If you try this recipe, let me know! Leave a comment and if your family loves it as much as mine does, be sure to give it a five star ⭐️ rating! Also, tag @kimscravings on Instagram with a picture of your creation. Be sure to subscribe to our mailing list to receive more healthy delicious recipes straight to your inbox.