Healthy Whole Wheat Blueberry Pancakes
by Katie Webster
July 15, 2022 (updated 9/11/23) Jump To Recipe
You’ll adore these fluffy whole-wheat blueberry pancakes. They are bursting with fresh blueberries and made entirely with whole-grain goodness! They are the perfect healthy way to start your morning.
Table of contents
Why We Love This Recipe For Whole-Wheat Blueberry Pancakes
As someone who makes their own small-batch maple syrup at home in Vermont, pancakes are in constant rotation in my household! Healthy Oatmeal Pancakes are one of my favorite breakfast staples of all time, and as I was whipping them up the other day I thought it was about time to incorporate whole-wheat flour into a classic blueberry pancake recipe!
Choosing whole grains over refined flour is an easy substitute that’ll make your pancakes healthier and heartier, and blueberries are positively packed with antioxidants. On top of these pancakes being fluffy, delicious, and bursting with blueberry juiciness, both whole grains and blueberries are associated with good heart health! As Hannah Montana would say, this is the best of both worlds.
I’ve made the whole-wheat swap before with other pancake recipes as I mentioned above, but even my Whole Wheat Crepes recipe went off without a hitch! These healthy blueberry pancakes are no exception, and I can’t wait for you to try them. Let me know what you think!
Key Ingredients for This Recipe
Blueberries
Blueberries are so good for you, so pile them on! Use frozen or fresh, it’s your choice! Just keep in mind that if you use frozen blueberries the pancakes will take a little longer to cook.
Whole-Wheat Flour
You can use either whole-wheat flour option for this recipe. They both have the same nutritional value and they only vary slightly in flavor. White whole-wheat flour is mild, and whole wheat has a slightly nutty taste.
Buttermilk
Buttermilk is widely used for baking and pancake batter because it is acidic. Once the wet ingredients are blended with the dry ingredients, the tart acidity in the buttermilk reacts with the baking soda and creates O2 gas, giving the pancakes lots of lift and fluffy texture.
Additional Ingredients
- Baking Powder
- Baking Soda
- Salt
- Eggs
- Avocado Oil (or melted coconut oil, or organic canola oil)
Step By Step Instructions to Make This Recipe
Step 1: Preheat
Preheat your pancake griddle to medium-high heat, or choose the pancake setting on an electric griddle. It’ll be about 400 degrees F.
Step 2: Combine Dry Ingredients
Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl while the griddle heats.
Step 3: Combine Wet Ingredients
Whisk the eggs together and then beat in the buttermilk and oil.
Step 4: Combine Mixture and Add Blueberries
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, and stir to combine with a silicone spatula or spoon. It’s okay if the batter is lumpy! Then fold your blueberries into the batter.
Step 5: Oil Griddle and Cook
Lightly brush the griddle with oil and ladle ¼ cup of batter onto the heated surface at a time. Space them so they don’t run together, and cook them until they’re browned on the bottom. This should take about 2 to 4 minutes.
Step 6: Flip and Enjoy!
Carefully flip the pancakes over and continue cooking until they’re browned on both sides and cooked through. I like to press down gently in the center of the pancakes to see if they are still squishy. This will be able 2 to 3 minutes.Once they are set up, they are ready to enjoy! Pile them up on a plate and don’t forget the maple syrup!
FAQs and Expert Tips
The use of whole-wheat flour and blueberries certainly add more health benefits to these pancakes, but like with anything, moderation is key!
This recipe can be made in a large non-stick skillet. Make sure to regulate the temperature of the pan between batches as it will get hotter and hotter as you go. Brush with additional oil as necessary.
You can use either! Keep in mind that frozen blueberries will make the pancakes take longer to cook through.
You can store leftovers in a resealable container or bag, and then reheat your pancakes in the microwave for 40 seconds each.
Pancakes are ready to flip when the bottoms are browned (simply lift them up and take a peek) and are set slightly along the edges. The batter will look dry along the edges. If your batter makes a lot of bubbles as they cook (this one doesn’t) wait for them to mostly pop before flipping them over. Allow the pancakes to cook through on the second side. You can press your fingertips down on the center of each pancake to see if they are set up. If they feel squishy, let them cook for an additional minute.
If you cannot find fresh buttermilk or don’t have it on hand, simply pour 1 tablespoon of lemon juice into the bottom of your 2-cup measuring cup. Then fill to 1 1/3 cup line with regular milk. Let it sour for a minute and you have a great substitute for buttermilk! (White vinegar works too if you don’t have a lemon.)
I also keep dried buttermilk powder on hand for moments like this and I add it to my Ranch Dressing and Ranch Dip for concentrated buttermilk flavor. It keeps for months in the fridge.
Additional Healthy Pancake Recipes to Try
- Gingerbread Apple Pancakes are perfect for when you have house guests or any leisurely weekend morning. And our Whole-Wheat Pumpkin Pancakes, are plate-lickin’ good!
- Gluten-free and dairy-free? No problem – try these Paleo Pancakes.
- You will fall in LOVE with these Tangerine Protein Pancakes. I’m saying this from experience!
- Apple Protein Pancakes are fall on a plate, and you’d never guess they don’t have any flour in them!
Additional Blueberry Recipes to Try
- Sweet and bursting with blueberries, this quick Healthy Blueberry Lemon Bread is a MUST if you have leftover blueberries!
- Gluten Free Maple Peach Blueberry Crisp is high in Omega-3 fatty acids, fiber, and delicious flavor!
- Love blueberries so much that you want them for dinner? Try this Kale Salad with Blueberries, Manchego, and Pumpkin Seed Clusters!
- If you haven’t had baked oatmeal try this Blueberry Baked Oatmeal first!
- Make the perfect blueberry snack with this 3-Ingredient Blueberry Fruit Leather recipe.
- Try either this Blueberry Banana Smoothie or our Blueberry Overnight Oats for a super quick breakfast on mornings when pancakes aren’t an option.
Thanks so much for reading! If you are new here, you may want to sign up for my email newsletter to get a free weekly menu plan and the latest recipes right to your inbox. If you make this recipe, please come back and leave a star rating and review. I would love to hear what you thought!
Happy Cooking! ~Katie
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Healthy Whole Wheat Blueberry Pancakes
- Total Time: 20 mins
- Yield: 4–5 servings 1x
Description
You’ll adore these fluffy whole-wheat blueberry pancakes. They are bursting with fresh blueberries and made entirely with whole-grain goodness! They are the perfect healthy way to start your morning.
Ingredients
2 cups white whole-wheat flour or whole-wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1 1/3 cup buttermilk
2 tablespoons avocado oil, melted coconut oil or organic canola oil, plus 1 teaspoon for griddle
1 dry pint blueberries, rinsed and any stems discarded
Instructions
- Preheat pancake griddle to medium-high heat, or pancake setting on an electric griddle (400 degrees F.)
- While griddle heats, whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl.
- Whisk eggs in a medium bowl. Beat in buttermilk and 2 tablespoons oil.
- Add dry ingredients and stir to combine. Batter will be lumpy. Add blueberries and stir.
- Lightly brush griddle with ½ teaspoon oil. Ladle batter about 1/4 cup at a time onto the griddle, spacing so they do not run together. Cook the pancakes until browned on the bottom, 2 to 4 minutes.
- Carefully flip the pancakes over and continue cooking until browned on the bottom, 2 to 3 minutes. Keep cooked pancakes warm while cooking the remaining batter, re-brushing the griddle with the remaining oil as necessary.
Notes
Ingredient Note: Frozen blueberries can be substituted. Add them to the batter while frozen. The pancakes will take slightly longer to cook.
Tip: This recipe can be made in a large non-stick skillet. Make sure to regulate the temperature of the pan between batches as it will get hotter and hotter as you go. Brush with additional oil as necessary.
Make-Ahead: Store leftovers in a resealable container or bag. Can be reheated for 40 seconds per pancake in the microwave.
- Active Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 20 mins
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Stove Top
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 pancakes
- Calories: 315 cals
- Sugar: 10 g
- Fat: 9 g
- Carbohydrates: 46 g
- Fiber: 8 g
- Protein: 11 g
Katie Webster
Katie Webster studied art and photography at Skidmore College and is a graduate of the New England Culinary Institute. She has been a professional recipe developer since 2001 when she first started working in the test kitchen at EatingWell magazine. Her recipes have been featured in numerous magazines including Shape, Fitness, Parents and several Edible Communities publications among others. Her cookbook, Maple {Quirk Books} was published in 2015. She launched Healthy Seasonal Recipes in 2009. She lives in Vermont with her husband, two teenage daughters and two yellow labs. In her free time, you can find her at the gym, cooking, stacking firewood, making maple syrup, and tending to her overgrown perennial garden.
Hi Katie,
I just tried your Whole Wheat Blueberry Pancake recipe yesterday morning and it was a delightful experience! The pancakes turned out fluffy and the blueberries added a burst of freshness that brightened up our breakfast table. I appreciate how you’ve made a healthier version of this classic breakfast item without compromising on taste. As someone who’s mindful about incorporating whole grains into my family’s diet, this recipe was a perfect fit. Plus, it was a great way to use the blueberries we picked from our backyard garden. Thank you for sharing such a wonderful recipe, it’s definitely going into our regular breakfast rotation!
Best,
Kimberly
Thank you so much for the thoughtful and thorough review Kimberly.
I love how these pancakes are crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. Perfection!
I am so happy you tried these pancakes Kate. Thanks for reporting back and leaving your star rating too! I appreciate it.
When I’m eating these I feel like I’m cheating the code because I get to enjoy such a delicious treat and feel healthier about it. 🙂
Haha! Love that and thank you, Ashley!
I also wanted to mention I used your suggestion on the butter milk, I did half skim milk 1/2 plain Greek yogurt. It worked great and to sweeten the batter just a tish I did a pinch of raw stevia.
My husband just had a major heart attack so we had to change his diet drastically. This is a fun way to have pancakes which also gives some healthy alternatives. He loved it tastes great and will make them again
I had to make a substitution for regular milk and that would impair their ability to be fluffy. These proportions make a very thick batter that is difficult to cook through. Even with more milk added until you get a normal pancake batter consistency, it remains very dense and is very bland except for the blueberries. I cannot agree that this works with frozen blueberries. Given the density of the batter, frozen blueberries make the interior of the pancake fight quite hard to get cooked.
Wow so it sounds like you had a lot of variables that may have affected the results of your pancakes Geoff. You used milk instead of buttermilk, added extra milk, and also used frozen blueberries. Did you catch my notes about letting them cook longer when they are frozen? You mention that it was hard for you to cook them through with the frozen berries. That’s why they need to go longer. Additionally, adding extra milk would definitely cause a big change in the recipe and I am worried that since you changed the formula you wouldn’t get great results. Take a look at the video we made and see how thick it is! That’s the texture you are looking for with this whole-wheat recipe. Next time, if you don’t have buttermilk, add a little lemon to your milk and that will help to activate your leavener better and give your batter more lift. Hope this helps.
These were perfectly fluffy! Can’t wait to make again! 🙂
Fantastic, Kris! So happy that you enjoyed these pancakes!
Fantastic! Went blueberry picking yesterday – sweet berries in healthy pancakes. I’m writing this review as I wait for the second batch. Thanks for the tip on buttermilk! Your recipes are so easy to follow!. Thanks!
Wow, thank you so much for the lovely comment, Jenn! So glad that you enjoyed my breakfast recipe as much as I do!
I’ve been looking for a way to make healthier pancakes and this is perfect! The blueberry flavors really came through and it was so fluffy. Thank you!
You are very welcome, Jamie! I am thrilled that you enjoyed my recipe!
I’m a sucker for both wheaty pancakes AND blueberry pancakes. So combining the two is a total dream. These were amazing and I can’t wait to make them again this weekend 🙂
I absolutely agree, Dana! It’s the best of both worlds.
So not only am I craving breakfast for dinner now I’m wanting some of your homemade maple syrup! I love a good healthy breakfast and we have tons of blueberries we just picked at a local farm. I can’t wait to make these!
This recipe is definitely a great way to use up fresh blueberries. Hope you enjoy, Aimee!
Breakfast is my favorite part of the day and I’m always looking for new things to make in the mornings. Can’t wait to try these pancakes this weekend, and I love that they’re healthier for you!!
Please let me know how it goes, Nathan! Thank you for the kind words!
I love starting my day off with a delicious and healthy breakfast and these blueberry pancakes couldn’t be more perfect.
Thank you for the sweet comment, Sharon! Hope you have a great weekend!