Blueberries are a popular pancake inclusion. They’re a very breakfast-y fruit—there is literally a cereal called “Blueberry Morning”—and they add a nice pop of color to an otherwise beige dish. Also: They just taste good. They’re sweet and slightly sour, the perfect counterbalance to sweet, buttery pancakes. But making blueberry pancakes isn’t as simple as tossing a handful of the fruit into a bowl of batter.
When you shouldn’t add blueberries to your pancakes
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Frozen berries hold their shape better than fresh ones, and starting out with a lower-temp fruit means it’s less likely to overcook. Once you have your berries, you need add them at the appropriate moment. Stirring them into a bowl of raw batter can cause them to burst, coloring your entire pancake. And, even if they make it through the stirring portion of the recipe, a hot pan can cause them to rupture on contact. To add blueberries to pancakes and keep them (mostly) intact, you need to give them a cushy foundation on which to rest.
When to add blueberries to your pancakes
Start by ladling circles of batter onto a griddle or flat pan, just like you would any pancake. Let it cook until you start to see some bubbles, which indicates a beautifully browned crust has formed on the bottom of your flapjack. Gently place as many berries as you desire on top of the batter, leaving a little space between each berry to ensure the pancake cooks properly. Flip the pancake over, and resist any urge to press down on it with your spatula.
Let it cook for another minute or two, then slide onto a plate with bacon, syrup, butter and/or whatever breakfast accoutrement you usually consume with pancakes. Enjoy your perfect blueberries inside your perfect pancakes.