Lemon Blueberry Pancakes

Blueberry Love

Picking fresh blueberries is one of those classic summertime activities where we live in the Midwest. There are several great U-pick farms nearby, and we love to hunt for the biggest, juiciest berries. If you’re like me, you often pick more berries than you can use right away, which means it’s time to cook what you can and freeze what you can’t!

Blueberry lemon pancakes are the perfect way to make use of any blueberries you have on hand, whether you pick them yourself or buy a package at the grocery store. (If you are looking for dessert recipes with blueberries, be sure to try my fresh blueberry pie or these blueberry crumb bars.)

Lemon Blueberry Pancakes

Lemon and blueberries are best buddies! You’ll frequently find lemon paired with blueberries. There’s just something about the combination of tart lemon and the subtly-sweet blueberries that works out deliciously every single time! The pancake batter includes both lemon zest and lemon juice for plenty of pucker power.

Easy to make. Really, homemade pancakes are not difficult to make and they are so much better than boxed mixes. Once you try them, you’ll never go back. Lemon blueberry pancakes are easy to make and will become a morning favorite!

Can use fresh or frozen berries. Fresh blueberries literally burst with flavor when you cook them in your pancakes but this recipe can accommodate frozen berries, as well. See the tips below for advice on freezing berries and how to use them in this recipe.

Ingredient Notes

• All-purpose flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt: These are pantry ingredients commonly used to make homemade pancakes. Be sure to spoon the flour lightly into your measuring cup so it isn’t compacted.
• Eggs: You’ll need 2 large eggs to make the pancakes. They help make the pancakes “cake-like.”
• Butter: I like to use melted butter to make pancakes because it adds lots of rich flavor. Melt the butter before you begin making the pancakes so it has a chance to cool down before adding it to the batter. If you prefer, canola oil, vegetable oil, or melted coconut oil can be substituted.
• Milk: I usually use 2% because that’s what I have in the house. Pretty much any type of milk can be used, including nondairy milk. If you want, buttermilk can be substituted. The resulting batter will be thicker, and the pancakes will be thicker and fluffier, too.
• Vanilla: Pure vanilla extract adds subtle warm flavor.
• Lemon: You’ll need 2 large lemons to make these lemon blueberry pancakes. Zest one lemon first, then juice both lemons.
• Blueberries: Of course, fresh blueberries are the star of the show! You’ll need one cupful (or more, if you like!). Frozen blueberries can be substituted.

How to Make Lemon Blueberry Pancakes

Prep the lemons. Thoroughly wash each lemon. Zest one lemon; you should have about a tablespoon of zest. Juice both lemons which should yield about ½ cup of juice.

How To Zest A Lemon

For baking purposes, you want a tool that will give you very fine zest. I use a microplane like this one. You can also use a lemon zester, or the small holes of a grater.

Preheat the griddle. The batter doesn’t take very long to make so you can start preheating your griddle right away over medium heat.

Mix the dry ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

Blend the wet ingredients. In another medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk the eggs lightly until the yolks and whites are combined. Add the milk, melted butter, lemon zest, and vanilla extract. Whisk until well-combined. Make sure the lemon zest isn’t clumped together.

Combine. Add the egg mixture to the bowl containing the dry ingredients. Lightly stir just until the dry ingredients are combined with the wet ingredients. Add the lemon juice to the batter, stirring lightly until mixed. The lemon juice will cause the batter to bubble up as it interacts with the baking soda. Don’t overstir the batter at this point because this chemical reaction is what makes your pancakes light and fluffy.

Add blueberries. Fold the blueberries into the batter just until they are distributed. If you prefer, you can add the blueberries once you have the batter on the griddle so they are more evenly placed in the pancakes.

Fry the pancakes. To the preheated griddle, add ¼ cupfuls of pancake batter to form each pancake. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes on the first side. Once you see bubbles forming on the top that don’t pop immediately, flip the pancakes over. They should be golden brown. Cook for another 3 to 4 minutes, or until done.

Serve. Transfer the pancakes to a serving platter or to individual plates. Serve with your choice of toppings (keep reading for lots of topping ideas!). Enjoy!

Easy Recipe Variations

• Add more blueberries. If you really love blueberries, you can add extra! Just be sure to let the pancakes cook a full 3 to 4 minutes before you flip them so that the pancakes hold together.
• Use frozen blueberries. If you’re using frozen berries, there’s no need to let the berries thaw. Turn down the heat to let the pancakes cook a little slower and longer, and add the berries directly to the pancakes on the pan, not into your bowl of batter. (If you add frozen berries to your batter they will start to thaw and color your batter blue.)
• Make buttermilk pancakes. For a really flavorful and tender blueberry lemon pancake, use buttermilk in place of milk. It adds a rich depth of flavor.
• Add extra nutrition. If you are watching your sugar or carbs, you can reduce the amount of sugar in this recipe to 1 ½ tablespoons. Use a lower-carb flour, such as buckwheat flour (low), coconut flour (lower), or almond flour (lowest!). You can also substitute whole wheat flour for the all-purpose flour, or use a combination of the two. The texture of the pancakes will be affected by using different flours. Cooking oil can be substituted for the melted butter.

Serving Suggestions

Top with whipped cream and fresh fruit. These lemon blueberry pancakes are delicious with a dollop of whipped cream and fresh fruit, such as fresh blueberries, raspberries, sliced strawberries, or a combination.

Spoon on warm sauces. Be sure to try my cooked blueberry sauce, it’s amazing on these pancakes and it’s very easy to make. Warm lemon curd really enhances these lemon blueberry pancakes, too.

Add protein-boosting toppings. Top the pancakes with ricotta cheese or Greek yogurt. Garnish with toasted almonds or walnuts. 

Refrigerate/Freeze: Leftover pancakes can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. They can be frozen for up to 3 months. Put waxed paper or parchment paper between the pancakes so they don’t stick together and place them in a freezer bag or container.

Reheat: Rather than reheating lemon blueberry pancakes in the toaster, you may want to reheat them on the stovetop to prevent fruit from landing in the bottom of your toaster and burning. You could also use a toaster oven or microwave oven.

• Preheat griddle to medium heat.

• In a large bowl, mix flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

  2 cups all purpose flour, 3 tablespoons granulated sugar, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1 teaspoon baking soda, ¼ teaspoon salt

• In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, melted butter, vanilla, and lemon zest until completely combined.

  2 large eggs, lightly beaten, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, 1 ¼ cups milk, 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly, 1 tablespoon lemon zest

• Add the egg mixture to the dry ingredients, mix lightly. Fold in lemon juice. Mixture will bubble up and get somewhat fluffy. Do not overstir. Gently fold in blueberries (see note).

  ½ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice, 1 cup blueberries, more if you prefer

• Drop batter by ¼ cupfuls onto hot griddle. Cook 3 to 4 minutes or until bubbles appear on top and don’t pop. Flip, and cook 3 to 4 more minutes or until golden brown.

• Yield: This recipe yields 20 to 24 pancakes. You may get more or fewer pancakes, depending on large you make them, or if you happen to add a few extra berries.
• Cooking tip: You can leave blueberries out and sprinkle them on after pouring batter onto the griddle if you prefer a more uniform distribution of berries.
• Using frozen blueberries: If you’re using frozen berries, there’s no need to let the berries thaw. Turn down the heat to let the pancakes cook a little slower and longer, and add the berries directly to the pancakes on the pan, not into your bowl of batter. If you add frozen berries to your batter they will start to thaw and color your batter blue. 

Serving: 4pancakes, Calories: 354kcal, Carbohydrates: 55g, Protein: 10g, Fat: 11g, Saturated Fat: 6g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 3g, Trans Fat: 0.3g, Cholesterol: 97mg, Sodium: 564mg, Potassium: 217mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 14g, Vitamin A: 396IU, Vitamin C: 14mg, Calcium: 191mg, Iron: 3mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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