The Fluffiest Vegan Blueberry Pancakes

It’s Sunday! We want pancakes. I feel like there are two groups of people who are hankering for some serious stacks of maple soaked homemade pancakes on a Sunday morning. Group One is likely trying to get in a hearty breakfast to start the day and be productive, hang out in the Sunday glowing sun, maybe carbo-load for some light jogging, and then finish the day having an adorable sing-along with the birds. Group Two wants nothing to do with the sun, they’re perhaps even wearing their sunglasses indoors, and are looking for something fluffy to soak up a few of those Pino Grigios from Quarantine Zoom Meeting Girls Night #7475859901. I will not say which camp I’m in, but it’s a little bright in here for my liking.

These are some of my favorite pancakes. They’re huge and soft and light as clouds, and they always do the trick. I smother – no actually, really smother, like drown – them in maple syrup and shovel them into my face like it’s my job. I’d consider it a skill, but I’m not trying to brag. I’m from the Poconos, land of … land … and I grew up in a forest surrounded by thousands of maple trees. We always had fresh tapped maple syrup from our front yard (front forest) so I’ve grown very fond of weekend pancakes.

These are super easy for beginners or pancake aficionados. Either way, I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised with how delicious these are for so little work. This recipe makes about 10 pancakes if you make monsters like I do, or closer to 12 if you’re a regular person. Pro tip: you can also pop the extras into the freezer and eat during the week when you don’t have time to make a whole pancake spread but deserve it.

I love pancakes with fruit for two reasons. One being, if my fluffy dough is riddled with fruit, it means I am healthy and can eat as many pancakes as I want because it is for my well-being. I need anti-oxidants, what!? And two, it cuts down on food waste. I buy berries every damn time I go to my produce store, but I rarely eat enough of them when they’re at their peak because we buy in bulk and it is just too many berries. We freeze a lot of them for later use in jams and breads, but ugly old berries also deserve new life to brighten up some Sunday morning hangover pancakes. I mean … productivity pancakes? Definitely gonna go jog after this… If you’re interested in reading about cutting down on food waste in the kitchen, check out my post here.

Substitutions:

• These pancakes originally called for oil, but I swapped for applesauce to cut back on calories and increase fluffiness. If you want to use oil or don’t have applesauce, no worries, simply sub in a 1:1 ratio.

• You can also change up the fruit, and add in raspberries, diced peaches, or even apples and cinnamon for more of a fall flavor.

• You can even pop in a few scoops of protein powder and remove 1/3 cup of flour to keep the same consistency. I like Nuzest vanilla probiotic protein powder if you’d like a recommendation.

Method:

Whisk all ingredients except the blueberries together in a bowl until the batter is smooth. Gently fold in the blueberries with a wooden spoon after the batter is fully whisked, until they are evenly distributed.

Turn on your stove top burner, and heat a frying pan or griddle over medium-high heat. Cast iron or nonstick pans work well here if you have one on hand, but any kind will do. If you’re using a traditional pan, the metal is thinner so just watch the bottoms so the pancakes don’t burn; you may need more oil than with the other types. Be careful to make sure the pan is completely hot before you add the batter. If you wait to add the batter until the pan is thoroughly heated, the pancakes will cook evenly. If you put the pancake batter in as the pan is heating up, the bottom will burn before the inside cooks.

Pour in a teaspoon of oil at a time, making sure it covers the bottom of the pan evenly. Using a large ladle, scoop out batter in 1/4 cup increments. If using a large frying pan, you should be able to fit about 2-3 pancakes in the pan at a time if that helps you for size reference. I usually make mine about 4 inches in circumference, because if they’re too much bigger than that, they’re hard to flip with the spatula. Using your spatula, flip the pancakes once you begin to see bubbles in the top of the batter. This is something that blew my mind when I learned it. I was always sticking my spatula under raw pancakes thinking I could tell if they were done by the color on the bottom. This resulted in hundreds of crinkly, squished pancakes with burnt outsides and gooey insides. Wait. For. The. Bubbles. When flipping, add more oil if the pan is dry so they don’t stick. If you have silicone rings, you can also pour the batter into those and bake for 15 minutes at 400° to go totally oil free.

Top with powdered sugar and fresh maple syrup. Mmmm. Is there anything better in the morning than soft, fluffy, dreamboat pancakes with coffee and some OJ? I’d like to suggest Rise Brewing oat milk lattes if you’re looking for the perfect compliment to your pancakes. It’s organic, non-GMO, non-dairy, and low acid. I’m pretty sensitive to overly acidic foods and drinks, and this low acid coffee hits the spot for me.

As always, if you make this recipe, let me know in the comments or tag me in your photo on Instagram or Facebook! I love to hear what you guys think! You can also check out my Pinterest page if you’re interested in more breakfast ideas and recipes to help cut down on food waste.