Easy Blueberry Pancakes are ready in minutes and crazy good. The buttermilk pancakes are perfect in texture and flavor while wild blueberries add sweet bursts of tangy flavor. Top with my simple Wild Blueberry Syrup or your favorite topping.
What is it about pancakes??? They captivate our breakfast longings SO much that we have entire chains of restaurants devoted to them! One of the best parts of my Saturday morning is coming downstairs to find my husband in the kitchen with flour, buttermilk and the pancake griddle. It just makes me happy nose to toes.
I first started making Copycat Cracker Barrel Pancakes three years ago to feed my inner pancake beast and since then it has become one my favorite recipes and one of the most beloved by all of you here at MK. This spring it just seemed like it was time to do a blueberry version and of course a blueberry syrup recipe too! Like the original, this blueberry version is amazingly good and wonderful simple.
How to Make Blueberry Pancakes
I’ve tried a lot of pancake recipes to get here and I still love buttermilk pancakes more than anything else I’ve had. They are simple and have excellent flavor! The secret to this version of blueberry pancakes is two part:
- Â When the butter is added
- How I incorporate the blueberries.
Instead of mixing melted butter into my pancake batter I use the butter to grease my hot griddle. This gives the pancakes a buttery, crispy outside and a fluffy inside.
Most people mix the blueberries right into the pancake batter. This gives you a sort of purple pancake. I prefer to put my pancake batter right on the griddle and then sprinkle the blueberries on top. This also lets me pick if I want a TON of blueberries or more of a sprinkling.
Why I Use Wild Blueberries for Blueberry Pancakes
I use wild blueberries instead of the cultivated varieties available. Wild blueberries are small, with bold flavor. The size makes them perfect for cooking into pancakes. Most grocery stores carry some version of frozen wild blueberries.
It is harder to specifically find wild Main blueberries and I don’t think there is a clear difference between wild main blueberries and other wild blueberries. So use what you can get!
The Best Tools for Blueberry Pancakes
Pancakes are darn simple! You don’t need a lot of fancy equipment. However, I do have two solid recommendations for your pancake making adventures.
-  Buy a ice cream scoop! I use scoops to portion cookies, muffins and now pancakes! It is an easy way to get the perfect amount of batter on the griddle. Also the bail perfectly removes the batter quickly so I get a nice round pancake. Then I flip the scoop over and quickly spread the batter a little bit. Trust me – this is genius!
- Buy a good griddle. For YEARS we have used various Presto electric griddles for breakfast. Over and over we have dealt with broken handles and heating elements that were uneven at best. Several years ago we finally bought a really high quality electric griddle and it has been amazing. I ended up wit ha Zojirushi because somebody had actually taken an image of the heating element’s heat distribution and you could see how well it worked. If you use an electric griddle to cook often I would suggest getting a good quality one that will last a long time! This one also has a lid (great for hashbrowns) and comes apart for washing!
Copycat Cracker Barrel Blueberry Pancakes
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour see note on measuring
- 2 tsp. baking soda
- 1 tsp. salt
- 3 Tbsp. granulated sugar
- 2 eggs
- 2 1/3 cups buttermilk 1% is what you are looking for here
- 2 cups frozen wild blueberries see note
- Butter for the pan
Instructions
- Preheat a pancake griddle to 350. Peel the paper off of one end of a stick of butter and set on a plate next to the griddle for greasing. Measure blueberries and set next to the griddle.
- Whisk eggs and buttermilk together in a medium bowl. Add flour, baking soda, salt, and sugar. Whisk just until combined.
- Rub butter in a circle on the griddle and drop 1/2 cup of batter into the butter spot. I like to use a large ice cream scoop for this. As soon as the batter hits the griddle, level it out and smooth it quickly into a circle with the back of the ice cream scoop. Sprinkle as many blueberries as you like into the pancake.
- The pancakes should be flipped when the 4th bubble pops. This will take about 2 - 3 minutes on most griddles. Flip the pancake and cook on the second side until no longer doughy.
- Between pancakes it helps to take a paper towel or cotton cloth and wipe away any blueberry residue.
- Every time you put new batter on the griddle you need to butter it again.
- Pancakes should be served piping hot off the griddle. Stacking them up or holding them in an oven can cause them to lose the crunchy outside and / or become tough.
Helpful Recipe Notes
Your Rating Matters
When you leave a comment or star rating, it means more than you might think. It helps me understand what you’re enjoying, builds trust for other readers, and supports real, tested cooking content. If you have a moment, I’d truly appreciate you sharing your experience. - Mirlandra
Nutrition Estimate
A Note on Nutrition
Nutritional info is an imperfect estimate. Please take it with a grain of salt.
This post was originally published in March of 2018. It was updated with additional information in May of 2020.
Amy Moreland says
Can you use a buttermilk substitute in this recipe? I forgot to get buttermilk at the store. 😩
Mirlandra says
Absolutely! I make buttermilk by putting 1 Tbsp of buttermilk in a one cup measure and then filling the rest of the way with milk. Good luck!
Mary says
These pancakes were delicious, but they weren’t very fluffy. I think I could have even made them into crepes. Do you think they needed an altitude adjustment?
Mirlandra says
Awe, I’m sorry it didn’t come out as intended! It shouldn’t be like a crepe for sure! If you live very high it could be an issue. I’m just below 3,000 feet and it is fine here and I’ve made it at sea level also with no issues. I don’t usually cook above 3,000 feet just because I’m not usually that high! The first thing I would check is the expiration date on your baking soda – just make sure it isn’t expired. It will be less effective over time as a rising agent. Both baking soda and baking powder you need to use or replace by the expiration date. But assuming that is not the issue you might check your altitude and make adjustments. Google can suggest what might be best to do for adjusting rising agent or flour to help.