Cornmeal Is The Secret To Muffin-Inspired Pancakes

Although simple, nothing quite beats the flavor of cornmeal muffins — they have the perfect hint of savoriness combined with a delectable nutty sweetness. Cornmeal muffins are always a treat, so for an incredible breakfast, create something similar by sprinkling cornmeal into your pancake batter. A stack of fluffy pancakes in the morning makes for a delicious way to start the day, but the cakes are even better when combined with cornmeal.

Cornmeal gives pancakes a mildly earthy taste, with the natural sweetness of corn amping up the flavor. Adding a cornmeal with larger granules, like medium or coarse grain, will make the pancakes a little more dense with a slightly gritty texture. Texturally speaking, the cornmeal will balance with the silky flour, so the pancakes will still be fluffy overall, like a more luscious cornmeal muffin.

In his fluffy blueberry cornmeal pancakes, recipe developer Alexander Roberts explains that he loves how the simple addition replicates a classic favorite. "Adding cornmeal to the pancake batter will give it a blueberry muffin vibe, with subtle notes of sweet yellow corn melding with juicy berries," he remarks. While these pancakes are denser than the traditional kind, they still require the same amount of cooking time. Add the batter to a hot greased skillet and wait about two minutes before flipping. Once both sides are golden brown, serve with a pat of butter and a generous drizzle of syrup.

In the fluffy blueberry cornmeal pancakes recipe, Roberts relies on flour to ensure the pancakes don't end up too dense. If you're looking for a flourless or gluten-free recipe, you can use just cornmeal, but it'll need to be finely ground. While cornmeal-only pancakes may sound suspiciously like Johnny cakes, they're not the same thing, as they use baking soda and baking powder for a thicker, fluffier texture. They're also sweeter than Johnny cakes, and use eggs in the recipe.

Full cornmeal pancakes will be a little crispier on the outside, but still have the signature soft interior that all pancakes have. While they already have a natural sweetness to them, you can enjoy them even more with a slather of honey or maple syrup, and you can go with Roberts' recipe and add blueberries to the batter for juicy bursts of flavor and beautiful streaks of purple throughout. Other types of berries like raspberries or strawberries can also bring a floral-like tartness to the cornmeal pancakes. For a fruity flavor on top, whip up some vanilla blackberry jam or a simple strawberry compote to accompany them.