Use simple, real food ingredients to make a fast and healthy blueberry skillet pancake!

Michigan blueberry season!

There is truly nothing like it. Something about where we are right along the Lake Michigan shoreline that makes the perfect environment for the most beautiful blueberries…and boy, oh, boy, are there U-Pick farms everywhere! We will pick from the one right down the road from us on a weekly basis from the end of July through the first part of August! Most of those blueberries will be eaten fresh all week long for that mid-summer antioxidant boost we all need, we’ll freeze some, and then there’s those select few cups that we’ll use in blueberry muffins, blueberry coffee cake, or blueberry pancakes!

Pancakes for a busy morning!

We sure do love making pancakes, but there are definitely mornings that I don’t have the time to fuss with standing over a skillet pouring and flipping little pancakes! I love the idea of a sheet pan pancake, but when I have played around with those, then end up needing to bake longer than I have, and I really love recipes that I can use on repeat – meaning I can make them even on a weekday! So, instead of a sheet pan, I used the concept of a “Dutch Baby” which is a very quick, egg-y skillet-like pancake, and use my hot skillet to make a fast blueberry pancake. The texture is less egg-y and delicate like a Dutch Baby, and more pancake-like in texture which my kids prefer.

Whole food ingredients that count!

In addition to lower fuss on the prep, another “must have” in the kind of recipes that I like to have on repeat, is wanting the ingredients to actually matter. I’m all about fun, special occasion breakfast treats, but if it’s something I’m going to make my family on the regular, especially before a busy summer day, or before school, the main goal is going to be real, whole food ingredients. Here are the main players in this recipe!

Oats – the main grain base for this recipe is oats, and that whole grain powerhouse is packed with fiber that the kids need for proper digestion. And when you use the kind of carbohydrate that is packed with fiber, you’re going to get the kind of carbohydrate energy that burns nice and slow, instead of a quick up and down. I like to use a sprouted oat for best digestion – I get them at Costco.
Full fat coconut milk (or milk) and real butter – It’s 2023 now, so I don’t think I have to tell you how important healthy fat is, but for my friends still stuck in the diet messages of 1987, I’m here to tell you healthy fats are crucial to you and your children’s hormone development, neurological function, as well as satiation.
Eggs – Preferably pasture raised for the most nutrients, eggs are not only packed with protein to keep blood sugars stable and build muscle for all age groups, the nutrients in the yolks like healthy fat, choline, folate, and fat soluble vitamins like A, D, and E, are vital for daily growth, development, and function.

Do I have to have a cast iron skillet?

Any oven safe skillet will work, though I’m partial to cast iron. I have had my pans for over a decade, and one of them was passed down from my parents. In other words…they LAST! I think you’ll get a more even cook with cast iron, so if you do use something else, be sure to watch the times and how it is baking. I use my cast iron pans on the daily – if you have questions, I’m happy to answer them in the comments!

The Method :: The Pancake Batter

You’re going to start by pre-heating your skillet while you make the pancake batter! After you melt butter in the skillet and put it into your blender, you’ll put the skillet in the oven to pre-heat while you make the rest of the pancake batter. It’s as simple and dump it all in and blend, and takes literally minutes.

The Method :: Making the Blueberry Skillet Pancake

Once your cast iron skillet is pre-heated, you’ll melt some butter in the bottom, and pour in the batter. Sprinkle the blueberries in, and you’re ready to bake it off – easy, right? The best part is that while it is in the oven, you can fix some eggs or sausage as breakfast cohorts for your pancake, or get that infamous 5-minute momma shower in!

Do you top the pancake with syrup or powdered sugar?

I skip it in my house, but you could drizzle some maple syrup or dust some powdered sugar if you wish! The pancakes have a mild maple syrup sweetness in the batter, and for my crew that is plenty. If you have little ones in the house, I’d skip it, and if you have an older kid crew, try setting it out to serve without the syrup and see how they respond. You could always add a little extra syrup in the batter if you think it needs a more sweetening.