Small-Batch Mixed-Berry Cornmeal Pancakes

These mixed-berry pancakes were my on-a-whim “patriotic” meal 4th of July treat this year, and perfectly encapsulate midsummer happiness. 

Serendipitous carbs, if you will…

I woke up starving and wanting something special and slightly indulgent, without being fussy, time-consuming, or over the top gluttonous.  I also was leaving the next morning for several days, so my fridge was pretty bare. 

But I had, like…an insane amount of berries that were going to end up in the garbage otherwise. 

So I tried out a small-batch adaptation of the delicious strawberry cornmeal griddle cakes that I made on 4th of July several years ago after hiking like 20+ miles the day before. 

I remember being enamored of the buttery flavor, studded with bright strawberries, and the unique texture.  This version ups the fruit content even more, with a mixture of strawberries, blueberries, and cherries (or whatever you have on hand), and the addition of cinnamon and a splash of almond extract.

They’re also so easy!  They’re perfect if you want a last-second treat, coming together in just 5 minutes.

In a large bowl, stir together the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

Melt the butter, then add it along with the buttermilk, egg, vanilla, and almond extract to the dry ingredients.  Whisk together until just combined.

If your mixture is too thick, you can add a little more buttermilk until it’s the right consistency.

Gently stir in the chopped berries, until just combined (you don’t want to overmix this batter).  Let it rest for about 5 minutes.

Heat a large skillet (cast-iron is my favorite for pancakes) on medium or medium low (my burners are intense so I do medium-low), and melt a little butter or oil. 

Spoon or pour a scant 1/4 cup of batter into the skillet for each pancake.  Cook until the bottom is golden and bubbles appear on the top, about 1 to 2 minutes.

Flip the pancakes and cook until the second side is golden, another minute or two.

If you’re not going to eat them right away, you can spread them on a baking sheet and keep them warm until needed in a 200-degree oven, but I highly recommend drenching them in butter and maple syrup and devouring right away.

BAM!  Patriotic mixed-berry pancakes 🙂  No lie, I took these downstairs and ate them while watching Independence Day, as is my 4th of July tradition…

Other delish pancake recipes you’ll love:

• My Family’s Best Buttermilk Pancakes Ever
• Bourbon Banana Pancakes
• Cinnamon Polenta Pancakes
• Fluffy Lemon Ricotta Pancakes
• Needing a gluten-free or keto option?  Easy Almond Flour Pancakes

Original recipe from Smitten Kitchen

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Small-Batch Cornmeal Mixed Berry Pancakes

Yield: ~5 pancakes

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 10 minutes

These delicious small-batch mixed berry pancakes have the addition of cornmeal to make more traditional "griddle cakes"...a lovely texture and perfect summer brunch for one or two people!

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Ingredients

• Heaping 1/3 cup of all-purpose flour
• Heaping 1/3 cup of yellow cornmeal
• 1 tablespoon of granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon of baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon of fine sea or table salt
• 1 1/2 tablespoons of unsalted butter, plus more for buttering skillet
• 1/2 cup of buttermilk (I usually need a little more)
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• Optional: a few drops of almond extract
• 3/4 cup of chopped mixed berries (I used cherries, blueberries, & strawberries)

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, stir together the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.
2. Melt the butter, then add it along with the buttermilk, egg, vanilla, and almond extract to the dry ingredients.  Whisk together until just combined. If your mixture is too thick, you can add a little more buttermilk until it's the right consistency.
3. Gently stir in the chopped berries, until just combined (you don't want to overmix this batter).  Let rest for about 5 minutes.
4. Heat a large skillet (cast-iron is my favorite for pancakes) on medium or medium low (my burners are intense so I do medium-low), and melt a little butter or oil.  Spoon or pour a scant 1/4 cup of batter into the skillet for each pancake.
5. Cook until the bottom is golden and bubbles appear on the top, about 1 to 2 minutes. Flip the pancakes and cook until the second side is golden, another minute or two.
6. If you’re not going to eat them right away, you can spread them on a baking sheet and keep them warm until needed in a 200-degree oven, but I highly recommend drenching them in butter and maple syrup and devouring right away.