These fluffy lemon blueberry pancakes without buttermilk are made from scratch in about 20 minutes from start to finish. This drool-worthy pancake recipe is perfect for a quick breakfast or even weekend brunch.
What I Love About This Recipe
This lemon pancake batter is so fluffy! I really love how these pancakes fluff up as they cook. With the juicy fresh blueberries and maple syrup, these lemon blueberry pancakes are one of my favorite weekend brunch recipes.
Ingredient Notes
- All-purpose flour: Any type of allpurpose flour, bleached or unbleached will work just fine.
- Fresh blueberries: Do not use frozen blueberries.
- Lemon zest: Don't use the lemon juice in the pancake batter. Just use the zest from the outside of the lemon.
- Cow's milk: Any type of cow's milk works well for this recipe. I prefer reduced fat milk and whole milk.
- White vinegar: Use white vinegar, also known as distilled white vinegar. Red wine vinegar, apple cider vinegar, or any other type of vinegar is not a substitute. The other vinegar flavors will alter the taste of the pancakes
- Sugar: Substitute sugar in the raw or cane sugar for white sugar.
- Melted butter: I recommend using melted butter because of the flavor, however other fat substitutes are coconut oil and avocado oil.
- Baking powder and baking soda: Any type of baking powder and baking soda work for this recipe just check the expiration date on your container.
How To Make Lemon Blueberry Pancakes
Sour the milk by adding vinegar to the milk. Mix with a spoon and set aside for 5 minutes.
Measure out the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into a bowl. Mix with a whisk. Set aside.
Once the milk is soured, add the melted butter and egg. Zest a whole lemon into the bowl.
Mix the wet ingredients together using a whisk.
Add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix with a whisk.
Heat a greased nonstick frying pan on the stovetop to medium-high heat. Add ¼ cup of the lemon pancake batter. Once the pancake batter starts to bubble, add the fresh blueberries.
When there are several bubbles forming, flip the pancake with a spatula. Make multiple pancakes at a time to cut down on the cooking time.
Serve with maple syrup or honey.
Tips and Tricks
- Measure out the ingredients accurately. I prefer to weigh flour using a kitchen scale rather than use a measuring cup because I have found that to be the most accurate. Baking soda and baking powder can be measured with measuring spoons. Pancake batter is a science, and getting the right ratios for the most fluffy pancakes need accurate measurement.
- Sour the milk with vinegar. Basically, we are making a substitute for buttermilk with ingredients you likely have already at home.
- Use fresh blueberries not frozen blueberries. The pancakes cook too quick to use frozen blueberries.
- Pancake flipping is an art. Check the pancake by lifting up the side with a spatula to see if the pancake is cooking too slow or too quickly prior to flipping the pancake.
- Wipe out the pan with a paper towel in between pancakes. Grease the pan prior to adding new pancake batter.
Variations and Substitutions
- Make these pancakes plain. Substitute a teaspoon of vanilla extract for the lemon zest and blueberries.
- Eat these pancakes with all natural maple syrup or honey instead of high-fructose pancake syrup.
- Use whole milk, reduced fat milk, or fat-free cow's milk.
- Substitute coconut oil or avocado oil for the butter.
Equipment
- Use a kitchen scale (or measuring cups) to measure out the flour.
- Use measuring spoons for the other ingredients.
- Whisk the ingredients together using a hand whisk in a large bowl
- Zest the lemon using a zester or microplane (same thing)
- Cook the pancakes on a griddle or nonstick frying pan
- Flip the pancakes with a spatula
Storage
Store the cooked lemon blueberry pancakes in the fridge for up to 3 days in an airtight container. Reheat in the microwave when ready to serve.
FAQs
Substitute 1 cup of milk and 2 tablespoons of white vinegar for buttermilk.
Buttermilk interacts with the baking soda to form extra fluffy pancakes.
Serve bacon and scrambled eggs alongside blueberry pancakes.
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Ingredients
- 1 cup of blueberries about 40 blueberries
- zest from one lemon
- 120 grams 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ¾ cups milk** see note 1
- 2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
- 2 tablespoons white sugar** see note 2
- 1 egg
- 2 tablespoons of melted butter**see note 3
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- pinch of salt
- cooking spray
Instructions
- In a bowl, add the milk and vinegar together. Let the milk sour for about 5 minutes while preparing the other ingredients.
- In a second bowl, measure out the flour, preferably with a kitchen scale. Add the baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar. Mix together.
- Add the melted butter and egg to the curdled milk. Zest one whole lemon into the bowl. Mix well with a whisk.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Whisk everything together.
- Heat a nonstick skillet on the stovetop to medium-high heat. Once the pan is hot, spray some cooking spray. Using a ¼ cup measuring cup, pour the pancake batter into the hot pan.
- Once the bubbles start to form, sprinkle about 4 or 5 blueberries onto the pancakes. Check the pancake side that's cooking using a spatula. Flip the pancake when it's ready. Cook the other side until golden brown.
- Coat the pan with cooking spray (or butter) in between pancakes. Make 3 pancakes at a time if wanting to save time.
- Serve with honey or maple syrup.
Notes
- Use fat-free milk, whole milk, or reduced-fat cow's milk. I haven't tried this recipe with nut milk or oat milk.
- Substitute sugar in the raw or cane sugar for white sugar.
- Substitute coconut oil or avocado oil for butter if preferred.
- Measure out the flour with a kitchen scale. Use measuring spoons for the baking powder and baking soda.
Patty
Perfect! Made it exactly as written. Light, airy, right touch of lemon, and the blueberries were still plump. Don't change a single ingredient. Best pancakes we have ever had!
Lily
Thanks for taking the time to comment Patty! So glad you enjoyed these!