Light and fluffy blueberry pancakes are the epitome of the PERFECT Sunday morning breakfast. But what’s the secret to making fluffy pancakes?!

light fluffy blueberry pancakes

We had pancakes for dinner last night and that meal? It was so, so satisfying! 

We also had some big storms rumble through yesterday and even though I’m cooped up in a windowless office M-F 9-5 (which suuuucks, btw), I always get the same feelings when it rains. Mainly, my sinuses kill me. 

And I crave homey food, like these light and fluffy blueberry pancakes. So I scratched last night’s planned dinner off the menu, made these pancakes, and curled up with some sinus meds and a good book.

light fluffy blueberry pancakes

It’s a recipe I made once last year and fell in love with. Then forgot where I found it, rediscovered the recipe, made the pancakes again a few weeks ago for Sunday breakfast, and fell in love with them again. And now here I am! Whew! 

I know I’ve got 5 other pancake recipes, as well as a skillet pancake, already happening here on the site. And seriously, who could possibly resist toasted coconut chocolate chunk pancakes?!

But none of those recipes are quite like this one. And actually, this is the first blueberry pancake recipe on the site!

light fluffy blueberry pancakes

What Makes Fluffy Pancakes

These pancakes, aptly named, are light and fluffy AND they don’t call for whipped egg whites to make them this way! The fluffy lift in the pancakes is due to a chemical reaction between the baking soda, buttermilk, and lemon zest. Baking powder also helps give the pancake some additional lift.

Pro Tip: I’ve found that giving the batter a few minutes to rest before pouring it onto the hot griddle makes these pancakes even fluffier! Just 5 minutes of rest will give the baking soda (a base) time to react with the buttermilk and lemon zest (both acids). This reaction produces carbon dioxide bubbles in the batter, which helps to produce a light and fluffy pancake.

So if you’re wondering why your pancakes aren’t fluffy, it’s probably because you haven’t given the base and acid ingredients enough time to react with each other and allow for the carbon dioxide in the batter to develop.

A few scrapes of lemon zest also gives these pancakes a bit of underlying brightness that blends so well with the blueberries. 

light fluffy blueberry pancakes

What Does Buttermilk Do for Pancakes

Aside from reacting with baking soda to make a fluffy pancake, buttermilk also breaks down some of the gluten in the flour. This makes for a more tender pancake too!

The buttermilk in these pancakes causes exactly the same effect as it does in this blueberry buttermilk upside-down cake and this lemon buttermilk loaf cake. It makes the pancakes impossibly soft, with a tender crumb, and an unforgettable flavor.

Basically, these are absolutely perfect blueberry pancakes in every way and if I could work brinner (breakfast for dinner!) into my menu plans every week, this is what we’d be having!

Light and Fluffy Blueberry Pancakes

Light and Fluffy Blueberry Pancakes

Yield: about 8 to 10 large pancakes
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes

If you thought the best pancakes come from a box mix, I'll say that you're just wrong. You can make these light and fluffy blueberry pancakes in less than 30 minutes using everyday ingredients. Buttermilk is the secret to light and fluffy pancakes so don't be tempted to skip it!

Ingredients

  • 2 cups (10 oz) all-purpose flour
  • 2 tbsp granulated sugar
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • ½ tsp baking soda
  • ½ tsp table salt
  • 2 cups buttermilk
  • 1 large egg
  • 3 tbsp unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
  • 1 tsp lemon zest
  • ½ tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 1-2 tsp vegetable oil
  • 1 ½ cups fresh blueberries, washed and dried

Instructions

  1. In a large bowl, whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together; set aside.
  2. Pour the buttermilk into a 4 cup liquid measuring cup and warm it in the microwave for 45 seconds. Whisk the egg, butter, lemon zest, and vanilla into the buttermilk until well-combined.
  3. Make a well in the dry ingredients and pour the wet ingredients into the well. With a rubber spatula, stir everything together until combined, leaving the batter slightly lumpy. Do not overmix. Allow the batter to rest for 5 minutes while the skillet or griddle heats.
  4. Heat a 12-inch skillet or an electric griddle to medium heat. Brush a little oil onto the hot surface and with a large ice cream/cookie scoop, scoop the batter out onto the surface. Add a few blueberries to the top of each of the batter spots. Cook the pancakes until they start to bubble and the bottoms are golden brown and spotty, about 1 ½ to 2 minutes then flip them over with a wide, heatproof spatula. Cook for another 1 ½ to 2 minutes. The pancakes should start to feel soft rather than crispy when lightly touched. Repeat with the remaining batter. Serve hot with butter, syrup, and extra blueberries, if desired.

Notes

To keep the pancakes warm while you cook all of them, heat the oven to 250° F with a large platter inside. Transfer the cooked pancakes to the platter as you take them off the griddle.

adapted from The New Best Recipe by the editor's of Cook's Illustrated

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Leave a Comment

  • Warm Vanilla Sugar
    July 24, 2013 at 7:25 AM

    This is my boys favorite flavour!! Lovely!

  • Ashley
    July 25, 2013 at 12:42 PM

    Oh my gosh, these are beautiful!

  • Megan Weal
    July 26, 2013 at 4:56 PM

    Absolutely love your photography! Hope your feel better 🙂

    • taraliptak
      July 29, 2013 at 10:40 AM

      Thank you, Megan!

  • Susan
    August 2, 2013 at 9:09 PM

    I made blueberry pancakes from scratch a few weeks ago and they were so awful I swore I would never make pancakes from scratch again. But, these look so good, I might try again.

    • taraliptak
      August 7, 2013 at 4:03 PM

      Aww Ma…you guys will love this recipe. You’ll never go back to Bisquick!

  • Christine Chong
    August 5, 2013 at 11:49 PM

    I made this recipe this past weekend and this. is. the. one… My almost 4 year old ate a whole pancake, while i was cutting up bite sized pieces for my 9 month old, before I got a chance to sit down and enjoy them myself. He even asked for seconds which is unheard of for breakfast. That in itself speaks volumes. Thank you for sharing. I love your blog!

    • taraliptak
      August 7, 2013 at 4:01 PM

      Thanks, Christine! Great to hear that your family loves these pancakes – we do too!

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