The Fluffiest Blueberry Pancakes
After testing and tweaking a whole lotta blueberry pancake recipes, I can tell you for certain that these are the fluffiest, most melt-in-your mouth delicious pancakes I’ve ever made or eaten.
We have been eating a lot of blueberry pancakes around here. For weeks. And weeks. Mostly for breakfast on the weekends, but we’ve had blueberry pancakes for dinner once or twice as well. (JK. It was at least 4 times.)
With each batch, I tested and tweaked and improved. Plus there was that time when the pancakes were totally delicious but we ate them all before I got pictures so I had to make another batch. Darn it.
Are we sick of blueberry pancakes yet? Not even close.
How many times would I need to indulge in a plate full of these super fluffy, flavorful pancakes packed with sugar coated blueberries and dripping with maple syrup, to get actually sick of them? I have no idea. I LOT. I’m not actually sure it’s even possible.
Why, you might be asking, have we been eating so many blueberry pancakes? Because I wanted to create the be all end all recipe for blueberry pancakes. The most fluffy. The most tender. The most flavorful and rich and comforting and mmmmmmmmm.
I wanted pancakes that were the MOST of all the things I love about pancakes. Because if you’re going to eat a plate full of blueberry pancakes, they should be of the absolute best variety. Otherwise, why bother?
The 4 Secrets to making the BEST fluffy blueberry pancakes.
In all my pancake experiments, I learned a few things about making super flavorful and fluffy blueberry pancakes. Here’s what you need to know:
1. Buttermilk rocks.
I made pancakes with regular milk, yogurt, part milk and part buttermilk, and part buttermilk and part sour cream. And now I’m on team ALL buttermilk ALL the time. Buttermilk makes these pancakes rise to all their tall, fluffy glorious potential while they cook.
Buttermilk also adds flavor and creates a melt-in-your-mouth consistency that makes you want just one more bite. Ok. Just one more. One more. This is the last one, I prommmmmm…..
2. Vanilla. And Almond. And Cardamom.
At the very least, please put some vanilla extract in your pancake batter. But, if you really want to kick it up a notch (and, of course you do), you should also throw in a splash of almond extract and dash of cardamom.
That hint of cardamom mingling with the vanilla and blueberries is THE thing that will have everyone you share these with say “What’s in these?” – in the best possible way, of course. And almond extract is the thing you never knew your pancakes needed, but now you can’t live without.
3. Toss the blueberries in sugar.
This is something I tried on a whim, and it’s kind of magical. It works best if you’re using frozen blueberries because as they thaw, the sugar sticks to them. If you’re using fresh blueberries, rinse your blueberries in cold water, let them drain a bit, then toss them in a bowl with sugar and you’ll get the same effect.
The sugar not only boosts their sweet blueberry flavor, it caramelizes slightly in the pan, creating a kind of delicious blueberry syrup coating over every single berry.
Another unexpected bonus that I’m super excited about: If you have any leftover blueberry sugar after making your pancakes, save it and coat sugar cookies in it. SO. GOOD.
4. Cook your pancakes in butter.
I’ve read a lot of pancake recipes that talk about brushing the pan with oil instead of butter because butter will burn when exposed to heat for a long time – like, with successive batches of pancakes. But, while using oil is slightly more practical, it adds absolutely nothing in the flavor department. And, the point of making pancakes is to add as much flavor as is humanly possible.
Also, even a little bit of oil in the pan can make your pancakes, well… oily. Butter makes the outside of the pancakes gorgeously crisp and buttery. Oily or buttery? This is an easy decision.
So, use butter. Yes, you’ll have to rinse out your pan after each batch so that the butter doesn’t burn. So what? Do you really care? Flip out your pancakes, run the pan under water to rinse out the excess butter, put it back on the burner, add a pat of fresh butter and get on with it. The whole process takes bout 30 seconds and you end up with PANCAKES COOKED IN BUTTER.
If you have clarified butter or ghee, even better. Use that and don’t worry about rinsing out your pan because it won’t burn. If not, use butter. For the love of all things that are good and holy, use butter.
Quick perfect pancake recap:
- Buttermilk, all day every day.
- Vanilla. AND almond extract. AND cardamom.
- Roll those blueberries around in sugar.
- BUTTER.
More popular morning pastries:
- Overnight Homemade Caramel Rolls
- Overnight Apple Fritters
- French Crullers
- Mixed Berry Muffins with Brown Sugar Streusel
Used in this recipe:
If you give this recipe a try, let me know! Leave a comment, rate it, or take a picture and tag it #ofbatteranddough on Instagram.
Happy baking!
PrintHow To Make the Fluffiest Blueberry Pancakes
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 15 pancakes
Description
After testing and tweaking a whole lotta blueberry pancake recipes, I can tell you for certain that these are the fluffiest, most melt-in-your mouth delicious pancakes I’ve ever made or eaten.
Ingredients
- 2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
- 1 cup granulate sugar, divided
- 2 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 3 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp cardamom
- 6 tbsp butter, melted and at room temperature + 4 tbsp butter for the pan
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp almond extract
- 2 cups buttermilk (full fat)
- 2 large eggs
Instructions
- Add the blueberries and 1/2 cup of sugar to a bowl and toss the blueberries around in the sugar to coat. If you’re using frozen blueberries, more sugar will stick to them as they begin to defrost. If using fresh blueberries, rinse and drain thoroughly in the sink, then toss them in the sugar. Their dampness will help the sugar stick to them.
- Add the remaining 1/2 cup of the sugar, flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cardamom to a large bowl and stir with a wire whisk to combine.
- Stir the vanilla and almond extract into the 6 tbsp melted butter. (Fat helps to evenly distribute the flavor of the extracts.)
- Add the eggs to the buttermilk and whisk briefly with a fork to combine.
- Add about 3/4 of a tablespoon of butter to a skillet and set it over medium heat.
- While the skillet heats, pour the butter and buttermilk mixtures into the dry ingredients and whisk just until the batter is mostly smooth. It’s fine if there are a few lumps, but be careful to not over beat the batter.
- Swirl the melted butter around in the pan so that the bottom is completely coated. Pour about 1/3 cup of batter into the pan per pancake. Cook no more than 2 or 3 pancakes at a time. The batter will be very thick, but will spread out as the pancakes cook, so be very careful to not overcrowd the pan. Dot the surface of each pancake with a generous amount of blueberries.
- As the pancakes cook, lower the temperature slightly so that it’s somewhere between medium and medium low. The goal is to regulate the temperature so that the middle of the pancakes have time to cook before the outsides are overcooked or burned. If it looks like the outside of your pancakes are cooking considerably faster than the inside, lower the heat.
- Cook the pancakes on one side until the sides of the pancake are firm up enough to not fall apart when you flip them. Flip the pancakes and cook until golden brown on the other side. These are fluffy pancakes, so it can be tricky to know if they are done in the middle. Press gently on the center of a pancake to see if it feels doughy. You can also take a sharp paring knife and cut into the center of a pancake to see if there’s any raw batter in there.
- Use a spatula to remove the pancakes from the pan. Spray the pan out with water to remove the used butter. Add about 3/4 tablespoon of fresh butter and repeat the process to cook the remaining pancakes.
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Hi Rebecca! The photos are amazing! I really enjoy all the recipes you post and this is funny. I thought when I saw this post for pancakes that it would not really be much that I haven’t already put to practice.I have made more pancakes and used more recipes than I care to remember and (sigh), I have never made pancakes using anything other than oil. I can only imagine how much better they are made with butter.I have never coated the berries with sugar,and I do agree about using buttermilk.So you gave me great inspiration for my next batch of pancakes, whatever type they may be.YUM
★★★★★
Hi Carol! Thank you so much for the kind words! Butter really does make a difference, because, well… butter is delicious. 🙂 If you make these, I would LOVE to hear what you think. xoxo
We had your blueberry pancakes for dinner last night and they were wonderful!!!!
(Actually, I replaced the blueberries in my pancakes with raspberries because I’m not a blueberry fan) Both, the blueberry and the raspberry, versions were big hits!
I really liked the addition of the cardamon…..I’ve never tried that before.
Definitely one of our new ‘favorites’!!!
I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe! Raspberry pancakes sound soooo good! And, pancakes for dinner is the BEST. Thank you for taking the time to leave this comment! xo
I love blueberry pancakes! These look so delicious and perfect for weekend brunch!
★★★★★
Best Pancakes Ive ever made! You go girl!!! Can you make waffles with this recipe?
★★★★★
I am so happy to hear that you like this recipe Gloria! I wouldn’t suggest making waffles with this recipe… Waffle batter and pancake batter are actually quite different when you make them from scratch. I’m working on perfecting a good waffle recipe though and hope to have it published in a month or two. So, stay tuned! 🙂 Thank you SO much for taking the time to leave a comment for me! xo
just finished eating this incredible blueberry pancake, thank you!! strangely enough to reward myself for losing some weight. (this can’t go on!) it was really quick to make and even better than I could’ve imagined. I halved the recipe cuz its just me. So good, thank you
★★★★★
Your comment just made my whole day, Cindy! I’m so happy to hear that you liked this recipe so much. I make these for my husband and I whenever we have a leisurely weekend morning and we never get tired of them. Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a comment for me. I truly appreciate it! xo