If I’m going to eat something called blueberry pancakes, I want a sweet indigo marble to burst into a pool of tart flavor with every bite. Sadly, most pancakes I’ve come across that proudly proclaim their contents, are a far cry from the berry spangled pancake of my dreams. Devoid of flavor and with giant hollows carved out by flaccid watery berries that interfere more than enhance. Boxed mixes are in some ways worse, with an over-the-top “blueberry” flavor that reminds me of the Hubba Bubba bubblegum I used to chew as a kid. My solution is to use wild blueberries. They tend to be much smaller than the commercial variety found in supermarkets and unlike their watery over-sized counterparts, they actually taste like blueberries. Fresh wild blueberries are only available in mid to late summer, in areas where they grow, but thankfully, most upscale grocery stores (like Whole Foods) sell frozen wild blueberries. This means you can always have them on hand for those times when you wake up with a serious craving for blueberry pancakes. Speaking of sudden cravings, how many of you keep buttermilk in the fridge on a regular basis? Unless I’m making fried chicken or pancakes, I hardly ever keep it on hand, and it seems silly to buy a whole quart of buttermilk only to use a cup of it before it expires. Plain yogurt on the other hand is a regular in my fridge. That’s why I make my pancakes with yogurt combined with a little milk. I love the tangy cheese-like (cream cheese, not cheddar) flavor the yogurt imparts and it keeps the pancakes delightfully moist. One last trick I want to share with you for making the best pancakes possible is to use butter rather than oil in the batter. It infuses the whole pancake with flavor, and while you can always add another pat on top, it’s really not necessary. Since butter tends to clump when mixed into cold ingredients, I whisk the melted butter and egg yolk together to form an emulsion that distributes more easily into the rest of the batter. Because it’s difficult to pour a lumpy batter evenly, most recipes will have you add the blueberries after you’ve poured the batter into the pan. The problem is that it’s almost impossible to generously stud the pancakes with berries before they set. That’s why I mix most of the blueberries into the batter and hold some aside to fill in the gaps. Your pancakes might not turn out perfectly round, but you’ll have a less harried pancake making experience and you’re guaranteed to get a blueberry in every bite! Though maple syrup is traditional topping for pancakes, you could also top them with Raspberry Coulis for double the berry deliciousness (think Red, White, and Blue pancakes), or try them with some Meyer Lemon Curd for an extra tangy zing. If you’re a pancake fan and enjoy a good TikTok challenge, check out my Pancake Cereal recipe. It’s flippin’ delicious!
📖 Recipe
