For The Best Berry Pancakes, Add Them In The Pan, Not The Batter

Berry pancakes are one of the culinary world's best combinations of sweet and savory. Fluffy, thick, and spongy in texture, the supremely buttery breakfast meal is a comfort food staple with an undeniably fresh and tangy flavor profile. The tartness of crisp, in-season berries provides the perfect counterbalance to the sweetness of the classic pancake recipe, adding a hint of brightness to the dish that makes them seriously hard to resist, not to mention fresher tasting than other popular pancake additions such as chocolate chips or pecans. 

However, what many cooks don't know is that the key to delicious berry pancakes is knowing exactly when to add the berries for the best, most decadent results. Turns out, whether you're centering your recipe around wild blueberries, raspberries, or blackberries or using fresh or frozen berries, adding your berries after you've already poured the batter on your griddle is the best way to keep them from burning, bursting, or discoloring your batter. And it's the most effective method of making pancakes so good they'll practically beg to be doused in syrup and consumed on sight. 

The key when adding berries to your pancake batter is to add them after the batter has already been poured into the pan. While you may be tempted to fold them into your batter earlier, placing your berries carefully on top of your pancakes while cooking — just after bubbles have begun to appear — will prevent them from sinking to the bottom of the batter due to their weight, and subsequently burning. Because your batter will have already started setting, your berries will stay toward the top of the pancake, retaining their fresh taste. Additionally, if you add your berries to the batter beforehand, you risk them rupturing while being folded, leading to them bleeding into your batter and discoloring it. And while frozen berries retain their shape better than fresh ones, they are more likely to add dark streaks to your pancake batter, so you'll want to add these as late as possible when your pancake batter is on the griddle pan.

It's important to know that berries are also likely to burst when in direct contact with a hot pan, so for an extra layer of protection from that heat, add a little extra batter on top of your berries as a sealant. After you've added the berries to your pancakes, go ahead and flip them — but be sure that you don't press down on your pancakes with your spatula, as you don't want your berries to burn. 

For the ultimate delectable berry pancakes, use buttermilk in your pancake recipe. Buttermilk will serve to activate your baking soda, which will, in turn, help make your pancakes fluffy — and who wants flat, sad pancakes? Additionally, due to its acid content, buttermilk will help break down the gluten, making your pancakes tender and adding a mildly tangy flavor that will enhance the taste of your berries. If you don't have buttermilk on hand you can swap it out and add one tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar to a cup of milk. Additionally, while fresh and frozen berries can both yield fantastic pancakes, if you use frozen, be sure that you don't thaw them out first — thawed berries bleed more easily than frozen or fresh. 

It's also important not to overmix your batter — too much stirring will make your batter too thin, and you'll lose the fluffiness that makes pancakes so luxurious. For a fun twist on your berry pancakes, add some lemon zest or white chocolate chips. And don't be afraid to switch up your toppings — pecans, whipped cream, or even sliced peaches can take your pancakes to the next level and create a comfort food dish worth writing home about.