Blueberry Pancakes

These blueberry pancakes are everything you could ask for from a classic recipe: fluffy, sweet, and tart, satisfyingly thick but still perfectly light. And since the pancake batter isn’t overly sweet, the blueberries really shine through. That makes this an excellent way to showcase fresh-picked berries (though frozen berries can work here, too).

Each bite of these blueberry pancakes is bursting with berries—and the blueberry maple syrup takes the flavor to the next level. (You may choose to use the delicious berry syrup to give plain pancakes a pop, too.) Sour cream and buttermilk lend a tang, and the overall result is decadent and rich, a dream for company at a brunch gathering, or as a way to elevate any Sunday breakfast at home. 

Serve blueberry pancakes with oven-baked bacon or alongside a simple cup of coffee and the crossword puzzle for pure weekend indulgence.

Blueberry Pancakes Ingredients

This blueberry pancakes recipe serves five people with a serving size of three pancakes apiece and uses ingredients that are widely available. To make the blueberry pancakes, you will need:

• All-purpose flour: A great flour option for tender, fluffy pancakes. If you use another type of flour, you'll have to adjust the recipe so the pancakes cook properly.
• Granulated sugar: Adds sweetness and helps the pancakes brown.
• Kosher salt: Essential for the proper flavor of pancakes.
• Baking powder and baking soda: Leavening agents that help the pancakes rise and spread so they're light and tender.
• Fresh blueberries: Fresh or frozen berries will work. Bonus points if you pick the blueberries yourself. You can also easily substitute blueberries for strawberries or chocolate chips in this recipe instead.
• Eggs: Yolks bring the batter together, and beaten egg whites give the cooked pancakes a little bounce.
• Whole buttermilk: Buttermilk is a wonderful choice for pancakes because it activates the leavening agents and gives the batter a bit of a tang to balance the sweetness of the sugar and syrup.
• Sour cream: Makes the pancakes extra thick and tender, and works with the leaveners for a fluffy final product.
• Unsalted butter: Used to grease the nonstick skillet or griddle so the pancakes will brown and cook beautifully.

To make the blueberry maple syrup, you will need:

• Fresh blueberries: These add the tart-sweet flavor of the berries, but once they cook and burst, they help thicken up the syrup.
• Pure maple syrup: The base of the syrup. It heats well and won't change textures the way honey or pancake syrup might.
• Fresh lemon juice: Balances the sweetness of the syrup.
• Cornstarch: A thickening agent, it'll make the syrup "cling" a bit more to the pancakes.

How To Make Blueberry Pancakes

Grab your skillet or a griddle. These pancakes come together quickly and cook fast, too. Here's a brief outline of the process:

• Step 1. Make the syrup: In a saucepan, combine the ingredients for the Blueberry Maple Syrup, and bring to a boil. Once it boils, reduce the heat and let it cook for several minutes so the syrup will thicken up. The berries will burst and pop, giving the syrup it's wonderful texture and flavor.
• Step 2. Make the pancake batter: Combine the dry ingredients and add the blueberries. To that, add the wet ingredients, followed by whipped egg whites.
• Step 3. Cook pancakes: Add melted butter to a nonstick skillet or griddle, and cook the pancakes in batches until golden brown on both sides. Keep the pancakes warm until all of the batter is cooked.
• Step 4. Finish and serve: Serve the pancakes with the syrup, and enjoy.

Our Tips for the Best Blueberry Pancakes

After making dozens of these pancakes, we learned a few things in the Southern Living Test Kitchen that we're passing on to you so your batch of blueberry pancakes will be outstanding?

• Add berries early so they won't sink: Fold the berries into the dry mixture before combining with wet ingredients. This will give them a coat of flour mixture and help them avoid sinking into the pancakes.
• Save the whites for later: Folding egg whites into the batter at the very end prevents the pancakes from deflating. Be careful not to overmix once you're folding in the beaten egg whites or you'll work out all that precious air.
• Speed things up: For a shortcut, keep the dry mixture ready for pancakes any time; store it in an airtight container in the pantry.
• Flip for frozen: If you use frozen berries, it's better to scatter them atop the cooking pancake instead of adding them to the batter.

How To Make Fluffier Pancakes

For the fluffiest pancakes ever, give the batter a period of rest, approximately 10 to 15 minutes, before you cook them. A brief resting period gives the flour a chance to absorb the liquid, which results in lighter pancakes.

Resting also gives the protein and starches time to develop so the pancakes are taller and puff up with air, making them less dense and chewy. Further, resting gives the leavening agents in the recipe time to spread evenly throughout.

More Pancake Recipes

Planning for a weekend brunch? These pancakes recipes are favorites, too:

• Sheet Pan Pancakes
• Big-Batch Apple-Cinnamon Pancakes
• Ricotta Pancakes With Brown Butter Maple Syrup and Blueberry Compote
• Old-Fashioned Pancakes
• Chocolate Chip Pancakes
• Oatmeal Pancakes

Editorial contributions by Alesandra Dubin.