Fluffy Blueberry Cornmeal Pancakes Recipe

Picture this: It's Sunday morning and you just slept in because you're taking full advantage of the last day of your weekend. The only thing that could make this better is a warm plate of pancakes, freshly griddled and delivered to your bedside... right? Unfortunately, we can't bring them to you, but we can teach you how to make them! While store-bought mixes can be a quick shortcut to a stack of hot flapjacks, making them from scratch will reward you with fluffier, tastier pancakes. Using fresh ingredients, including shelf-stable ones like baking soda and baking powder (make sure they aren't expired), is crucial to getting a good rise in the skillet.

Adding cornmeal to the pancake batter will give it a blueberry muffin vibe, with subtle notes of sweet yellow corn melding with juicy berries. A non-stick pan will be your best friend for this recipe, ensuring no trouble from pancakes sticking in the pan. This recipe scales up easily, so if you need to make a big batch and keep some warm, just pop them into a 250 F oven until ready to serve.

To make these fluffy blueberry cornmeal pancakes, you'll need just a dozen ingredients. Most come from the pantry, such as flour, cornmeal, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Also from the pantry, sugar, and vanilla extract. Adding a bit of vegetable oil to the batter will help prevent it from sticking, but coconut oil or melted butter could work in its place as well. From the fridge, you'll need buttermilk, eggs, butter, and maple syrup. Once the batter is mixed, you'll fold in the blueberries — fresh or frozen will both work here. 

In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, and salt.

In another small bowl, combine the eggs, buttermilk, vanilla extract, and vegetable oil.

Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until just combined.

Stir in the blueberries.

Preheat a large skillet over medium heat for 2 minutes. Grease with cooking spray.

Add a heaping ⅓ cup of batter to the skillet per pancake.

Cook for 1–2 minutes, until large bubbles appear on top and bottom is golden brown.

Flip and cook for 2 more minutes, until done. Continue with remaining batter.

Serve pancakes hot with maple syrup and butter.

While these pancakes are certainly filling enough to be a meal on their own, maybe you want to make a full brunch experience, or you're serving more people. The obvious answers for pairings are crispy bacon and scrambled eggs, and maybe a cold mimosa with orange juice! To lighten things up, a fresh green salad with a light dressing could be served alongside the pancakes. Generally, it's a good idea to avoid serving other desserts or carb-heavy items when pancakes and syrup are part of the meal.

If you want to have friends over for brunch and make a do-it-yourself pancake bar, double this recipe and make smaller, 4-inch pancakes (sometimes called silver dollar pancakes) and serve on a large platter. Fill small bowls with various toppings like whipped cream, banana chunks, fresh-cut berries, rainbow sprinkles, and chocolate chips. Let guests make their own plates and top their pancakes to their preference!

Want to know an ingredient that contributes to the DNA of the best pancake you'll ever have? It's buttermilk, which adds tang and flavor. Unlike regular milk, buttermilk is fermented with active bacteria (the good kind!). Its acidic nature allows it to activate baking soda, lifting baked goods and promoting a tender crumb. There's a reason that buttermilk pancakes in particular are so famous.

You can make your own if you're in a pinch. Most of the time, it won't be as good as actual buttermilk, but it will work for this recipe and others in most cases. "Adding lemon juice to milk can give you a suitable substitute for buttermilk, but the real deal is typically going to perform better," says recipe developer Alexander Roberts. "With real buttermilk, you know you are getting a consistent product with the right amount of acidulation. If you make it yourself, there's a chance it will come out differently every time, and so will your pancakes or other recipes."