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These lemon blueberry pancakes are light and fluffy, with just the right citrus zing and sweet bursts of berries! Serve with blueberry compote.

Lemon blueberry pancakes
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Here’s a breakfast that’s the best way to make Saturday morning even more special: lemon blueberry pancakes! These are quite the treat: tender and fluffy, they have just the right citrus zing! Top them off with tangy sweet blueberry compote and it’s all you can do not to exclaim Wow! on your first bite (we did). This recipe was inspired by a haul of blueberries we picked in Michigan, and it’s every bit as good as it looks. You can also use frozen berries if you don’t have a fresh stash. Here’s what to do!

Ingredients for the best lemon blueberry pancakes

This lemon blueberry pancakes recipe is based on our fluffy Greek yogurt pancakes. Because who needs buttermilk! We always have Greek yogurt in the refrigerator, so prefer using that to buttermilk. Greek yogurt pancakes get just as tangy and creamy! There’s enough lemon to peak through with a tangy citrus zing. Here’s what you’ll need for these pancakes:

  • All purpose flour: you can also use half and half all purpose and whole wheat flour: you may need a splash of extra milk
  • Baking powder, sugar and salt
  • Egg
  • Milk
  • Greek yogurt
  • Lemon juice and zest
  • Neutral oil like grapeseed, organic canola oil, or organic vegetable oil
  • Blueberries: fresh or frozen

Want more with lemon? Try these 15 Zesty Lemon Recipes.

Lemon blueberry pancakes

How to add berries to pancakes: the secret!

Here’s the biggest mistake people make with blueberry pancakes: they add the blueberries to the pancake batter. What’s wrong with that? Well, there’s a better way to add berries to pancakes. How should you add berries to pancakes?

  • Pour the batter onto the griddle, then place the blueberries on top of each pancake. Why?
  • This makes for even blueberry distribution! Place the berries in the batter itself and it makes lumpy pancakes and uneven distribution. You’ll thank us later.
Blueberry compote

Use fresh or frozen berries: you don’t even need to thaw

Got loads of fresh blueberries for these lemon blueberry pancakes? Perfect! Fresh berries are our favorite for adding to blueberry pancakes. But guess what? Frozen are just as good!

Here’s a question: do you need to thaw frozen blueberries for pancakes? Good news: no! There’s no need to thaw frozen berries because they defrost as part of the cooking process. Defrosting blueberries can be a messy business, and once they’re thawed they can make purple streaks in baked goods and pancakes. So just pop them in frozen: it works like a charm!

Variations on lemon blueberry pancakes

Want a vegan variation on these lemon blueberry pancakes recipe? Here’s what to do to make it plant-based:

  • Substitute almond milk for the milk AND Greek yogurt. Use 1 cup almond milk total, then add a few more splashes to get to a pourable consistency.
  • Use a flax egg for the egg. A flax egg is simply flax seed plus water, combined to form a gel that’s used in vegan baking. It acts as a binder just like a real egg.

Or, go to Vegan Blueberry Pancakes and add 2 tablespoons lemon juice and 2 teaspoons lemon zest.

How to make lemon blueberry pancakes

Topping ideas for lemon blueberry pancakes

These lemon blueberry pancakes are stunners! Of all of our pancake recipes, they’re one of our favorites because they’re so unique and fresh. Step them up by topping them with even more incredible flavors. Here are some of our favorite topping ideas:

  • Maple syrup: The easiest basic topping is maple syrup: and it’s oh so good.
  • Compote (highly recommended!): This Blueberry Compote we made to go especially with these pancakes! It’s lightly sweetened with maple syrup and full of berry flavor.
  • Sauce: Or try this Blueberry Sauce: it’s even sweeter and thicker!
  • Nut butter: Nut butter is great for pancakes because it makes a filling breakfast by adding a hit of plant-based protein. Try Almond Butter, Cashew Butter, Pecan Butter or Peanut Butter
  • Toasted nuts: These add a great crunch! Try Toasted Almonds, Toasted Pecans or Toasted Walnuts.
  • Whipped cream: If you like a decadent pancake, top with Homemade Whipped Cream.
  • Sweetened Greek yogurt: For a healthier spin, mix a little maple syrup with Greek yogurt for a creamy topping.
Lemon blueberry pancakes

This lemon blueberry pancakes recipe is…

Vegetarian. For vegan, plant-based, and dairy-free, see the notes in the section above. For a gluten free pancake, go to Gluten Free Pancakes.

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Easy Lemon Blueberry Pancakes

Lemon blueberry pancakes
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4.5 from 2 reviews

These lemon blueberry pancakes are light and fluffy, with just the right citrus zing and sweet bursts of berries! Serve with blueberry compote.

  • Author: Sonja Overhiser
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 10 minutes
  • Total Time: 20 minutes
  • Yield: 10 medium pancakes 1x
  • Category: Breakfast
  • Method: Stovetop
  • Cuisine: American
  • Diet: Vegetarian

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 cup all purpose flour*
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 3 tablespoons sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 large egg
  • ¾ cup milk
  • ½ cup full fat Greek yogurt
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 2 teaspoons lemon zest
  • 2 tablespoons neutral oil (vegetable or grapeseed)
  • 1 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen
  • For serving: Blueberry Compote or maple syrup

Instructions

  1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt.
  2. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg, then whisk in the milk, Greek yogurt, lemon juice, lemon zest, and neutral oil.
  3. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. If the batter is too thick, stir in another splash of milk (the consistency of each yogurt brand varies).
  4. Lightly butter a skillet and wipe off extra grease with a paper towel. Heat the skillet to medium low heat. Pour the batter into small circles, then place blueberries into the top of each pancake. Cook the pancakes until the bubbles pop on the top and the bottoms are golden. Then flip them and cook until done. Repeat with the remaining batter.
  5. Serve immediately with blueberry compote or maple syrup.

Notes

*Or,  make these high protein Lemon Ricotta Pancakes and top with blueberry compote!

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About the authors

Alex & Sonja

Hi! We’re Alex & Sonja Overhiser, authors of the acclaimed cookbooks A Couple Cooks and Pretty Simple Cooking—and a real life couple who cooks together. We founded the A Couple Cooks website in 2010 to share seasonal recipes and the joy of home cooking. Now, we’ve got over 3,000 well-tested recipes, including Mediterranean diet, vegan, vegetarian, pescatarian, smoothies, cocktails, and more!

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3 Comments

  1. Gabrielle says:

    These come together quickly and are just lemony enough. They could be a little sweeter but if you eat them with syrup they are truly perfect. I would make them again!






  2. Liza Keen says:

    Yummy and easy, definitely a do-over






  3. Lora says:

    These were so delicious!