Break up your breakfast routine with these light and fluffy golden whole grain pancakes accented with morsels of fresh hot blueberries peeking out. Delicious served with fresh fruit, pure maple syrup, or blueberry sauce.
I absolutely love breakfast!
When I proclaim this, I fully and wholeheartedly admit that I love all breakfast foods – whether served morning, noon, or night. My daughter and I used to have breakfast for dinner quite frequently. Whether it was waffles, pancakes, or French toast. We simply enjoyed eating these foods no matter what time of the day.
I also love pancakes, cornbread, and blueberries. So what if I combined three of my favorite foods into one incredibly delicious and nutritious breakfast treat?
It sounds too good to be true, doesn’t it?
Lucky for you and me, these Blueberry Cornmeal Pancakes are real. Not only do they exist, they’re super easy to make and provide a well-balanced breakfast (or dinner). Featuring pantry staples, these pancakes contain wholesome ingredients, namely flour, cornmeal, baking powder, plant milk, apple sauce, and blueberries.
Starting with my Cornmeal Pancakes, I reduced the cornmeal in half to make these Blueberry Cornmeal Pancakes lighter and fluffier. I also prefer using white whole wheat flour and cornmeal to keep these whole grain and nutritious. If you are following a gluten-free diet, simply substitute the whole wheat flour with a high quality gluten-free baking blend.
Baking powder is then added to the flour and cornmeal. Two tablespoons may seem like a lot, but this is the correct amount. You see, the baking powder serves as an egg replacement in this recipe. It lifts and leavens as the pancakes cook, forming bubbles just like pancakes should. The end result is a super fluffy pancake that doesn’t taste or look vegan.
As for the plant milk, I usually use my Oat + Nut Milk or unsweetened almond milk. Feel free to use use any unsweetened non-dairy milk to these pancakes. They aren’t picky. However, if you are using sweetened vanilla flavored plant milk, please omit the maple syrup and vanilla. You don’t want these pancakes to be too sweet or the vanilla overpower the cornmeal and blueberries.
Since I try to avoid using unnecessary oil or butter, I like incorporating fruit like apple sauce as much as possible. And the applesauce really shines in this recipe. And when I say this, I mean that you can’t tell that there is apple sauce in these pancakes. It serves as a great substitute for oil without compromising texture or flavor. I purchase the unsweetened plain applesauce in half cup sizes at Costco. But feel free to scoop some out of a jar or make your own.
And these wouldn’t be Blueberry Cornmeal Pancakes without the blueberries. You can use fresh or frozen blueberries, though I do prefer using fresh for one reason. Frozen blueberries tend to turn the batter purple rather quickly. And while that may be pretty if you truly like the color purple, I don’t want purple pancakes. I want golden pancakes with bits of blueberries bursting out.
So, if you’re going to use frozen blueberries, I recommend tossing the blueberries on top of the freshly poured pancake batter before they’ve had a chance to cook. This will prevent coloring the batter purple. This method also works for fresh blueberries, if you prefer.
The key to these Blueberry Cornmeal Pancakes is allowing the batter to rest five to ten minutes. This does a couple of things. It allows the flour to absorb some of the moisture, which allows you to determine if your pancake batter is the right consistency. If the batter seems to wet, add one to two tablespoons of flour. If it’s way too thick, add one to two tablespoons of milk. Different types of flours and plant milks respond differently. So take your time and allow the batter to rest for a bit.
While the batter is resting, heat an electric griddle or a non-stick skillet or griddle on the stove. You can tell it’s hot enough when you drop a sprinkle of water and it dances across the surface. I have also found that a small ⅓ cup measuring cup allows me to easily pour relatively mess-free and uniform pancakes on a more consistent basis. You’ll know these Blueberry Cornmeal Pancakes are ready to flip when bubbles appear over the surface and the edges appear to be dry.
I like serving these pancakes with fresh blueberries and vegan butter, blueberry sauce, and/or pure maple syrup. A side of hash browns are always welcome in my house. How I love potatoes and pancakes together. Yum!!
And last but certainly not least, these pancakes store beautifully. Once completely cool, place any remaining pancakes in an air-tight container or plastic bag on the counter for 1-2 days. I like to wrap them in a paper towel to absorb excess moisture. Reheat the pancakes in a microwave, skillet or toaster. You can also freeze these pancakes in a freezer bag for up to two months.
I hope you enjoy these Blueberry Cornmeal Pancakes as much as I do.
I would love to see your results! Please leave a comment and rate it down below, tag a picture @pebblesandtoast and #pebblesandtoast on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook! Enjoy!!
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Ingredients
- 1¾ cups unsweetened plant milk*
- ½ cup apple sauce
- 2 Tbsp lemon juice or ACV
- 1 Tbsp maple syrup
- 2 tsp almond or vanilla extract
- ½ cup corn meal
- 1½ cups white wheat flour**
- 2 Tbsp baking powder
- 1½ cups blueberries, fresh or frozen***
- Spray oil or vegan butter for griddle (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat an electric griddle to 350° F or a non-stick skillet or griddle over medium heat.
- In a large bowl, combine the almond milk, apple sauce, lemon juice, maple syrup, vanilla, almond extract. Set aside.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the flour mixture. Stir just until combined; allow the batter to rest for 5-10 minutes. Then gently fold in the blueberries.*** See note below if using frozen blueberries.***
- Using a ⅓ cup measuring cup, scoop batter and pour onto the hot griddle or skillet.
- Allow the batter to cook until the edges are dry and bubbles form on the surface, about 3-4 minutes.
- Flip over and wait another 2-3 minutes, until golden brown.
- Remove from the griddle and place on a plate lined with a towel or paper towels to absorb excess moisture.
- Serve with fresh fruit, vegan butter, blueberry sauce, and/or pure maple syrup.
Notes
* You may use any unsweetened non-dairy milk for these pancakes. If using sweetened vanilla flavored plant milk, omit the maple syrup and vanilla.
** To make gluten-free, substitute the whole wheat flour with a gluten-free baking blend.
*** If you’re going to use frozen blueberries, I recommend tossing the blueberries on top of the freshly poured pancake batter before they’ve had a chance to cook for very long. This will prevent coloring the batter.
Blueberry Cornmeal Pancakes
Equipment
- griddle or stove
Ingredients
- 1¾ cups unsweetened plant milk
- ½ cup apple sauce
- 2 Tbsp lemon juice or ACV
- 1 Tbsp maple syrup
- 2 tsp almond or vanilla extract
- ½ cup corn meal
- 1½ cups white wheat flour
- 2 Tbsp baking powder
- 1½ cups blueberries fresh or frozen***
- Spray oil or vegan butter for griddle optional
Instructions
- Preheat an electric griddle to 350° F or non-stick skillet or griddle over medium heat.
- In a large bowl, combine the almond milk, apple sauce, lemon juice, maple syrup, vanilla, almond extract. Set aside.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the flour mixture. Stir just until combined; allow the batter to rest for 5-10 minutes. Then gently fold in the blueberries.***. See note if using frozen blueberries.
- Using a ⅓ cup measuring cup, scoop batter and pour onto the hot griddle.
- Allow to cook until the edges are dry and bubbles form on the surface, about 3-4 minutes.
- Flip over and wait another 2-3 minutes, until golden brown.
- Remove from the griddle and place on a plate lined with a towel or paper towels to absorb excess moisture.
- Serve with fresh blueberries, vegan butter, blueberry sauce, and/or pure maple syrup.