Lemon Blueberry Pancakes
Make breakfast extra special with these fluffy lemon blueberry pancakes! Top with maple syrup or powdered sugar, blueberries, and lemon zest.
Update: This recipe was originally published in 2016 and has been republished with all new photos.
These aren’t your ordinary pancakes. There’s a time and place for those. This is not that time and this is not that place. These yummy pancakes include the tartness of lemons and the sweetness of blueberries. Oh yes, yes, and more yes.
Lemons remind me of warm weather. They take me back to the sticky sweetness of lemonade and summers playing in the pool as a kid. They were refreshing then and they’re refreshing now as an adult.
So why not add them to pancakes? Doesn’t everybody love a good pancake? It has the word cake in it for crying out loud.
Pancakes in general are the ultimate breakfast food when you have young children. They can be portable. My toddler carries them around in her chubby little hands and snacks while she plays. She doesn’t need syrup or anything else. She’s happy just to enjoy them in their simplest form.
Pancakes are of course also a winner for adults. They’re hearty and filling which satisfies my husband who likes a big breakfast on the weekends. For me, I enjoy pancakes because they’re so easy to prepare. I can wow my family without creating a giant pile of dirty dishes. Score!
For this recipe you’ll need (full list of ingredients and instructions can be found in the recipe card below):
- All purpose flour
- Baking powder
- Baking soda
- Vanilla extract
- Milk
- Lemon juice
- Egg
- Lemon juice
- Lemon zest
- Blueberries
How to make perfectly cooked pancakes
- Preheat your nonstick skillet or griddle on medium heat. Once the pan is warmed, reduce the heat to medium-low.
- Add a tablespoon or two of butter (ghee or vegan butter also work well) to the pan. Let it completely melt before moving to the next step.
- Ladle the batter into the pan to create pancakes the size you desire. The key to cooking pancakes all the way through without burning them is to watch for bubbles. Once you see a lot of bubbles for on top and they start to pop a bit, carefully flip those pancakes. Then cook the remaining side for a minute or two until golden brown.
Note: Adjust the heat as you cook. If your pancakes are browning too quickly reduce your heat. You may find that you have to reduce the heat after the first batch because your pan will get hotter the longer you use it.
Can these be made vegan and dairy free?
These pancakes are dairy free if you use a dairy free milk. Almond milk works great! If you’re wanting to make the pancakes vegan use a dairy free milk and sub flax seed meal for the egg.
How to serve
You can of course go the classic route and simply serve with a little butter and syrup. Or if you’re want to make them extra special go with powdered sugar, lemon zest, and extra blueberries!
Can you freeze these pancakes?
Aboslutely! I love to freeze pancakes so we have a ready made breakfast ready to go when we want them.
I recommend separating the pancakes with a piece of wax or parchment paper before freezing in a freezer ziplock bag or other container. This way the pancakes won’t stick to each other so you can pull out one at a time.
How to store leftovers
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator (I recommend separating with wax or parchment paper to prevent sticking) for up to 5 days.
Lemon Blueberry Pancakes
Ingredients
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1 tbsp vanilla
- 1 cup milk, any kind
- 1/2 cup lemon juice
- 1 beaten egg
- zest of one lemon
- 1 tbsp butter for cooking, optional
- 1 cup blueberries, halved
Optional toppings: maple syrup, powdered sugar, fresh or dried blueberries, and additional lemon zest
Instructions
- Combine your flour, sugar, baking powder, and baking soda.
- Stir in your vanilla, milk, lemon juice, and beaten egg. Add the zest of 1 lemon.
- I use a dollop of butter in the nonstick pan for cooking. For each pancake pour about a 1/4 cup or less (depending on if you like smaller pancakes) onto a hot skillet or griddle. Add a few of your halved blueberries with the flesh side down, skin side up. You do not need to cut your blueberries if you don’t want to. This is a matter of preference. For me personally, I don’t like giant blueberries to overpower my pancakes.
- Cook each side on Medium Low to Medium heat until your pancakes are a light golden brown.This typically takes approximately 2 minutes per side.
