A high altitude recipe for tender, fluffy blueberry pancakes, flavored with cardamom and almond extract. The pancakes are bursting with fresh blueberries, then topped with blueberry sauce and vanilla whipped cream. They’re delicious with just butter and maple syrup, but the blueberry sauce and whipped cream makes them extra special for a weekend breakfast!
You might also love these whole wheat cornmeal pancakes, apple cider pancakes, and bakery style blueberry crumb muffins.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Bursting With Blueberries. With fresh blueberries in the pancake batter, and more in the sauce spooned on top, there’s blueberries in every bite of these decadent pancakes.
Standard Pantry Ingredients. This is a simple recipe that doesn’t require any fancy ingredients, just staple ingredients that you likely keep on hand already.
Quick and Easy to Make. Although there are three components to this recipe with the blueberry sauce, the whipped cream, and the blueberry pancakes, each one comes together easily and quickly.
Great with Syrup and Butter. If you don’t feel like making the sauce or whipped cream, just top your pancakes with butter and pure maple syrup. They’ll be fantastic.
High Altitude Tested. I develop all the recipes on my site for Denver’s altitude of 5,280 feet. If you’re at a lower or higher elevation, please see my FAQs for guidance on adjusting recipes for your altitude.
See the recipe card at the end of the post for the full ingredients list and instructions.
Ingredients
Blueberry Sauce
- Blueberries. Either fresh or frozen blueberries works for the sauce. You can also use frozen wild blueberries, which are smaller than cultivated blueberries.
- Sugar. Adds a touch of sweetness to the berries.
- Corn Starch. Thickens the juice to a syrupy consistency.
- Vanilla Extract. Flavor.
Whipped Cream
- Heavy Whipping Cream. Be sure your cream is cold, so you can whip it to soft peaks.
- Powdered Sugar. Sweetens and stabilizes the cream.
- Vanilla. A touch of vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract adds the best flavor to the whipped cream.
Blueberry Pancakes
- All-Purpose Flour. Provides structure to the batter.
- Granulated Sugar. A little sweetness.
- Baking Powder + Baking Soda. Leavens the batter, making the pancakes light and fluffy.
- Coarse Kosher Salt. Balances the sweetness.
- Cardamom. This spice adds such a nice flavor to complement the blueberries. You can leave out the cardamom, if you like, or replace it with another spice like cinnamon or nutmeg.
- Vanilla + Almond Extracts. Flavor. Almond is often paired with cardamom, and the flavors are delicious together.
- Whole Milk. Adds richness and moisture.
- Melted Unsalted Butter. Butter adds flavor and richness, as well as tenderizes the pancakes.
- Eggs. Add protein and structure to bind the batter together.
- Blueberries. Use fresh blueberries, if you can.
Instructions
Blueberry Sauce
- In a saucepan, combine the blueberries, sugar, corn starch and vanilla. Over medium heat, bring the blueberries to a simmer, stirring frequently. Once the berries begin to boil, stir constantly, until the juice thickens into a syrup. This should take about 5-10 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and let cool at room temperature until ready to serve with the pancakes.
Whipped Cream
- With an electric mixer, whip the cold heavy whipping cream with the powdered sugar and vanilla for several minutes until soft, thick peaks form.
- Refrigerate the whipped cream while you make the pancakes.
Blueberry Pancakes
- In a bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cardamom, then whisk to combine well.
- Add the milk, melted butter, eggs, vanilla, almond extract, and whisk just until combined. Fold in the blueberries.
- Let the batter rest for a few minutes while you preheat the griddle to a moderate temperature, around 325 F.
- Use a 1/4 cup measuring cup to measure the batter, leaving plenty of space between the pancakes so you can flip them. Cook the pancakes on one side until golden brown underneath and bubbles are rising to the surface.
- Flip the pancakes and cook the other side until cooked through.
- Serve the pancakes immediately with the blueberry sauce and whipped cream.
Be sure to read all of my BAKING FAQs where I discuss ingredients, substitutions and common baking questions, so that you can be successful in your own baking!
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I keep the pancakes warm while cooking the rest of the batter?
You can keep the cooked pancakes warm in a 200-degree oven, while you finish cooking the rest.
How should I store leftover pancakes?
Leftover pancakes can be wrapped and refrigerated for up to 5 days, or frozen for 3-6 months.
What’s the best way to reheat pancakes?
Reheat leftover pancakes in the microwave (on 70% power) or toaster for a quick breakfast. Microwaved pancakes will be soft, while toasted pancakes will be crispier.
Can I use frozen blueberries in the pancake batter?
I prefer to use fresh, but you can use frozen blueberries with a few extra steps, since the ice crystals on the frozen berries will stain and discolor your pancake batter. To prevent this, you need to first rinse the frozen berries, then pat them dry of excess moisture. Gently fold them into the batter, taking care not to create blue streaks.
Will this recipe work with other types of berries?
Yes, it should work well with raspberries, blackberries, boysenberries or huckleberries. I probably wouldn’t use diced strawberries, which could get watery and mushy in the cooked pancakes. If the berries are large, like blackberries, cut them into halves.
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High Altitude Fluffy Blueberry Pancakes
All recipes on Curly Girl Kitchen are developed for high altitude at 5,280 feet. See FAQs for adjusting to higher or lower elevations.
Equipment
- Nonstick Electric Griddle
Ingredients
Blueberry Sauce
- ¾ lb fresh or frozen blueberries
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 1 ½ tbsp corn starch
- 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
Whipped Cream
- ½ cup cold heavy whipping cream
- 1 tbsp powdered sugar
- ⅛ tsp vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
Blueberry Pancakes
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp coarse Kosher salt (if using table salt, use half the amount)
- ⅛ tsp ground cardamom, cinnamon or nutmeg
- 1 ¼ – 1 ½ cups whole milk, buttermilk or kefir
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp almond extract
- 1 cup fresh blueberries
Instructions
Blueberry Sauce
- In a saucepan, combine the blueberries, sugar, corn starch and vanilla. Over medium heat, bring the blueberries to a simmer, stirring frequently. Once the berries begin to boil, stir constantly, until the juice thickens into a syrup. This should take about 5-10 minutes.Note: With frozen blueberries, the ice crystals will create liquid in the pan as the berries warm up. With fresh berries, it may take longer for them to become juicy, so add a small splash of water if you feel like you need it.
- Remove from the heat and let cool at room temperature until ready to serve with the pancakes.
Whipped Cream
- With an electric mixer, whip the cold heavy whipping cream with the powdered sugar and vanilla for several minutes until soft, thick peaks form.
- Refrigerate the whipped cream while you make the pancakes.
Blueberry Pancakes
- In a bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cardamom, then whisk to combine well.
- Add the milk, melted butter, eggs, vanilla, almond extract, and whisk just until combined. Fold in the blueberries.
- Let the batter rest for a few minutes while you preheat the griddle to a moderate temperature, around 325 degrees F.
- Use a 1/4 cup measuring cup to measure the batter, leaving plenty of space between the pancakes so you can flip them. Cook the pancakes on one side until golden brown underneath and bubbles are rising to the surface.
- Flip the pancakes and cook the other side until cooked through.
- Serve the pancakes immediately with the blueberry sauce and whipped cream.
Notes
- You can keep the cooked pancakes warm in a 200-degree oven, while you finish cooking the rest.
- Leftover pancakes can be wrapped and refrigerated for up to 5 days, or frozen for 3-6 months. Reheat leftover pancakes in the microwave or toaster for a quick breakfast.
Delicious!
Wonderful pancakes – enjoyed by all!
Is it possible that water (or other liquid) was inadvertently omitted from the Blueberry Sauce Recipe?
I don’t use water, since berries have a high water content. If using frozen blueberries, the ice crystals will create a lot of liquid in the pan when the blueberries warm up. If using fresh berries, it may take a few minutes longer, but with the sugar, they will become juicy. You can always add a splash of water if you think you need it.