If you’re looking for Pancake Day inspiration or a new Sunday morning breakfast, then we’ve got it right here. Ditch your usual lemon juice or chocolate spread toppings and serve your pancakes up with blueberries – with a zingy hit, they’re a perfect (and healthy!) accompaniment to the traditional batter-based favourite. Whether you’re after a sweet or savoury option, these three flippin’ delicious recipes from award-winning chef and author Sophie Michell will liven up your dose of pancake goodness tomorrow. (NB: we are not responsible for any drooling that occurs as a result of reading on.)
Spelt and vanilla blueberry pancakes with agave syrup
‘This is my favourite type of pancake: fluffy, light and packed full of flavour and superfood goodness with the Chilean Blueberries,’ reveals Michell. ‘To make them even healthier I’ve used spelt flour, which is easier to digest than wheat flour, and I’ve sweetened them with a touch of lower-GI agave syrup.’
Makes 8-10
Ingredients
500g white spelt flour
1 tsp baking powder
Pinch of sea salt
5 eggs, beaten
600ml of milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
200g Chilean blueberries
Agave syrup, to serve
Icing sugar, to serve
Method
1 Mix the flour, baking powder and salt together, then whisk in the eggs, milk and vanilla.
2 Heat up a little vegetable oil in a large, non-stick frying pan. Then, add a large dessert spoonful of the pancake mix at a time to make mini pancakes and cook in batches. Add about three to five blueberries to each pancake before turning them over, cooking for about 3 mins each side. Keep warm in a very low-heat oven if needs be while you cook the rest.
3 Serve topped with a drizzle of agave syrup, a sprinkle of icing sugar and more blueberries.
Blueberry buckwheat crepes with Greek yoghurt and blueberry lemon compote
‘Buckwheat has been used for creating delicate crepes in France for years,’ explains Michell. ‘Amazingly, buckwheat is not actually a grain, and these babies are gluten free! I’ve used Chilean blueberries to add a hit of amazing flavour and stunning colour; great for every occasion from breakfast through to dessert. Make them naughtier with the addition of vanilla ice cream.’
Makes 8
Ingredients
250g buckwheat flour
75ml sparkling water
3 eggs
100ml milk
50g melted butter
100g Chilean blueberries
200g Greek yoghurt, to serve
For the blueberry and lemon compote
250g Chilean blueberries
50g caster sugar
1 tsp lemon zest
Method
1 Puree the blueberries and sparkling water together until a fine mix. Then whisk the eggs, milk and the melted butter in a separate bowl.
2 Place the flour in a large bowl, then pour in the egg mix, followed by the blueberry puree into the centre of the flour. Whisk well to combine until smooth. Let the batter sit for 30 mins whilst you make the compote.
3 To make the compote, put the blueberries, sugar and lemon zest into a small saucepan and place on a medium heat. Bring to the boil, then turn down and simmer for 10 mins.
4 When you are ready to make your pancakes, heat up a frying pan to a medium high heat, add a touch of oil and a tiny knob of butter, then pour about 4 dessert spoonfuls of the mix into the centre; swirl it around quickly to cover the pan and produce a thin pancake. Then flip over, and cook on the side for one more minute.
5 To serve, fold the pancakes over into quarters, then place 2 on each plate and spoon over a dollop of Greek yoghurt and compote.
Blueberry feta hotcakes with bacon and honey
‘An ideal brunch dish, this sweet-savoury recipe is SO moreish,’ Michell says. ‘The salty feta and blueberries work really well together, and the crunchy bacon and sweet honey take it to the next level!’
Serves 4
Ingredients
400g self raising flour
1 tsp baking powder
Pinch of sea salt
4 eggs, beaten
400ml milk
150g feta cheese, crumbled
300g Chilean blueberries
250g smoked streaky bacon
2 tbsp honey (or maple syrup)
Method
1 Mix the flour, baking powder and salt together, then pour the milk and egg mix in slowly; whisk to combine. Add half the blueberries and all the feta cheese.
2 Heat a large frying pan on medium-high, add a splash of oil. Put a couple of large spoonfuls of batter in the pan for each pancake – I like to do one large hotcake per person, or you can do a few smaller ones. Cook for about 4 mins on each side until golden brown.
3 When cooked, serve topped with two slices of bacon, a few more blueberries and a drizzle of honey or syrup.
For more berry facts and recipe inspiration, visit the Seasonal Berries website here.
If you give any of these recipes a try, we’d love to see your photos! Tweet them to us @healthymag or post them on our Facebook page.