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 (my homemade granola recipe in yogurt is amazing, but I can only eat it so many days a week), both yesterday and Saturday Zach and I indulged in platefuls of blueberry pancakes, topped with generous pats of butter and drizzled with maple syrup.
As you can probably imagine, we’ve gone through pounds and pounds of blueberries this summer (have you tried my blueberry cake yet!?) 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. King Arthur Flour did a pretty interesting in-depth analysis on why you shouldn’t overdo it with your batter if you love nerding out about that sort of thing like I do!
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!
More Breakfast Recipes to Try
Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Pancakes Scones Cinnamon Rolls Banana Muffins Chocolate Chip Muffins
