Fluffy Blueberry Pancakes
Every now and then I get a real craving for some light and fluffy pancakes. In fact, I have officially declared Wednesday night in our house to be breakfast night so that I have an excuse to make them. They are super easy to throw together and freeze really well. I love to make a big batch on the weekend, sometimes of different varieties and then freeze them for a quick and easy breakfast before school. But we all know that pancakes don’t top the list of being one of the healthiest foods. They usually contain sugar and a lot of processed white flour. To top it off (literally), we usually drown them in even more sugar in the form of syrup. But what if I told you that this didn’t have to be the case? Would you believe that pancakes can be both delicious and healthy? It’s true! These fluffy blueberry pancakes are going to show you how!
Pancakes For Everyone
Blueberry pancakes have long been a favorite of mine. Any time we would find ourselves at a diner, it would be my breakfast of choice. Sometimes I’d even be lucky enough to find some that had not only blueberries mixed in, but on top as well (in place of syrup). For this recipe, we are going to put lots of delicious little wild blueberries in our pancakes. Even if you are not a big fan of blueberries, I encourage you to give this recipe a try. You might just be surprised!
Despite what one might think when reading the ingredient list, these fluffy blueberry pancakes are indeed light and fluffy. They are also filling thanks to some extra protein from the yogurt. Perfect to keep you full and ready to tackle the morning. Most of the ingredients are pretty standard when it comes to a homemade pancake. I used to always grab a box of bisquick, but have found that it is just as easy to make them from scratch.
Healthy Substitutes
Some of my favorite substitutes for white flour and milk are oat flour or whole wheat flour and almond milk. I have made pancakes many times from just wheat flour but I myself prefer to use a mix. The oat flour is a healthy option, but I do find that on its own the pancakes can be somewhat brittle. An even amount of both oat and wheat are the perfect combination. You can really use any kind of flour that you prefer here, but if you are looking to make them a little more nutritious then I would steer clear of straight white flour.
Now let’s talk about yogurt. You might think that adding something heavy like yogurt would weigh your pancakes down. But it is quite the contrary! You will be amazed just how light and fluffy they are! I have used both greek and regular yogurt and have found that both are equally good. Most of the time I just regular vanilla yogurt. The yogurt will take the place of some of the milk in this recipe, which will definitely make your batter more on the thick side. But don’t fret, despite how thick it is, they will be as light as clouds.
Making Fluffy Pancakes
All you need to do to make these fluffy blueberry pancakes is to mix all of your ingredients together, adding the almond milk last. Just like the flour, the kind of milk you use here is up to you. I personally like to use almond milk to cut out some of the fat and I love the flavor of the unsweetened vanilla. But use whatever you prefer! Just be sure that you add only the amount that is called for. It will seem like it is too thick, but if you add too much you will end up with super flat cakes. Still yummy, but definitely not as fluffy.
The blueberries I like to use for really just about any blueberry recipe are the wild blueberries that I find in the frozen fruit section. They are much smaller than the fresh ones and I think they are much sweeter. You will get a more even distribution throughout your pancakes when using these too. Ready to get cooking? Grab your griddle!
Patience Is Key!
All you need to do is ladle about ¼ cup of the batter onto a preheated griddle and smooth it out a little bit with the back of a spoon. This is necessary because the batter is thick and won’t cook evenly if you don’t spread it out slightly. Cook on the first side until little bubbles form and begin to burst. You will also notice that the edges start to look dry. Another good indicator that they are ready to flip is that they will flip easily.
We love to eat these with a little bit of berry flavored cream cheese on top. You could also top them with blueberry syrup, or even a dollop of whipped cream if you are walking on the wild side! However you top them, they will disappear quickly. These fluffy blueberry pancakes are perfect for the kids or even for your holiday company. Enjoy! Want some other fluffy pancake variations?
Peanut Butter Banana Variation:
1 C. unsweetened almond milk
1 C. whole wheat flour
1 C. gluten free oat flour
½ C. creamy peanut butter
1 tsp ground cinnamon
2 large overripe bananas
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp vanilla
Plain Banana Variation:
2 large overripe bananas
12 oz vanilla yogurt
2 tsp cinnamon
½ unsweetened vanilla almond milk
1 c whole wheat flour
1 c gluten free oat flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp vanilla
And don’t forget to check out these yummy recipes too!
Blueberry Pancakes
Ingredients
- 6 oz vanilla yogurt
- ¼ c almond milk
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- ½ c blueberries fresh or frozen
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- 1 c whole oat flour
Instructions
- In a medium sized mixing bowl, combine the yogurt, milk, egg and vanilla until well mixed.
- In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon.
- Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet and stir until just combined. Batter will be thick.
- Fold in the blueberries.
- Drop batter by about ¼ c onto a greased and preheated griddle. Use the back of a spoon to gently spread the batter evenly if needed.
- Cook for 2-3 minutes, or until bubbles form and edges start to set.
- Flip and cook for another 2-3 minutes, pressing down gently if necessary to ensure even cooking.
- Remove and serve hot!
