This thick and fluffy pancake casserole is filled with blueberries and topped with a brown sugar crumble. This is a great way to make pancakes for a crowd, and it’s a great meal prep dish -it reheats beautifully!
Jump to:
What sets this recipe apart
Flavor: The perfect combination of buttermilk pancakes with a touch of vanilla, lemon, and blueberries.
Texture: A thick and fluffy pancake filled with juicy blueberries and a crunchy crumb topping.
No flipping: You don’t have to stand over the stove flipping individual pancakes! This is a great way to make pancakes for a crowd.
Two recipe sizes: Choose from a large recipe (9×13) or a smaller recipe (8×8).
Visual recipe overview
*Full recipe below in recipe card*
Crumb topping
Stir together to the crumb topping and pop it in the fridge while you proceed with the pancake batter.
Pancake batter
Stir together the pancake batter. It will lumpy – that’s ok! Add to a greased pan.
Add topping and bake
Add crumb topping and blueberries over the top of the pancake batter. Bake!
Make ahead options
Can this be made ahead?
I highly recommend serving this right after baking but you can do most of the prep in advance. Note: individual leftovers reheat well in the microwave but I do not reheat the whole dish.
Use this method to prep ahead and you will only have a couple of “hands-on” minutes in the morning:
- Prepare the crumb topping and refrigerate until ready to use (up to 1 day in advance). It will firm up quite a bit as the butter chills in the fridge. Let it sit at room temp for an hour (if you have time), or just use your fingers to break the crumb topping into chunks as you scatter it over the pancake batter.
- Pancake batter: combine all of the dry ingredients (flour, sugar, salt, baking powder and baking soda) in a large bowl and tightly cover at room temp overnight.
- Pancake batter: in a large glass measuring cup or bowl, whisk the eggs, buttermilk, milk, lemon zest and vanilla (all of the wet ingredients except the melted butter). Tightly cover and refrigerate overnight.
- In the morning: Preheat the oven, whisk 4 tablespoons melted butter into the wet ingredients. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry, stir well, pour into a prepared casserole dish. Top with blueberries and the refrigerated crumb topping and bake!
Can you use pancake mix?
I have tried swapping the dry ingredients (flour, sugar, salt and leaveners) in place of 2 ½ cups of pancake mix. It did work, but I found that the packaged pancake mix puffed up really high, which made the blueberries and crumb topping sink in. It tasted fine, but I prefer this recipe made the way it is written.
Can you use frozen blueberries?
YES! Swap the fresh blueberries for frozen blueberries (without thawing them). Note: You might need to increase the bake time by a couple minutes, and the blueberry color will bleed into the pancake batter a little more than it does with fresh blueberries. It will still taste fine.
Psst: If you absolutely LOVE blueberries (like my family does), you can top this Pancake Casserole with Blueberry Sauce.
Option for a smaller recipe
If you need a smaller size you can half the recipe and bake it in an 8×8 baking dish. See notes in the recipe card for details.
Recipe
Blueberry Buttermilk Pancake Casserole
Ingredients
Crumb topping:
- ½ cup flour
- 3 tablespoons light brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Pancake:
- 2 ½ cups all purpose flour, see note
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 large eggs
- 2 cups buttermilk
- ½ cup milk, I used skim milk
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 1-2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
- 1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 ⅔ cups blueberries
- maple syrup, for serving
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Thoroughly grease a 9×13 baking dish (see notes for smaller size) and set aside.
Crumb topping:
- In a medium bowl combine flour, sugars, cinnamon, and salt. Add melted butter and stir until fully incorporated (I use a fork). Refrigerate while you prepare the pancake batter.
Pancake:
- In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and baking soda.
- In a separate bowl, combine eggs, buttermilk, milk, melted butter, lemon zest, and vanilla extract (the butter might clump from the chill of the cold ingredients- that’s ok). Whisk wet ingredients until well combined. Add wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and use a rubber spatula to stir until combined. The batter will be lumpy; do not over mix.
- Pour the batter into the greased baking dish. Sprinkle the blueberries and the crumb topping over the pancake batter. Bake for about 35-45 minutes, until puffed and light golden brown (check the center for doneness). Serve warm with maple syrup.
Video
Notes
Flour:
Whisk the flour to fluff and lighten it. Lightly scoop a heaping portion and level it off with the back of a knife.Half recipe:
If you’d like a smaller size recipe you can half the recipe above and bake it in an 8×8 baking pan. Bake time will be 25-30 minutes.See the following in the post above:
Make ahead options, using frozen blueberries, using pancake mix.Storage:
Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat individual servings in the microwave. Recipe adapted from The KitchnNutrition
Nutritional Information is an estimate based on third-party calculations and may vary based on products used and serving sizes.
Tried this recipe?Leave a comment and rating below!
Kerry says
New family favorite!
Allison says
I’m so glad! Thanks for stopping by!
Dina says
Loved this recipe! I had buttermilk I wanted to use up and this was a great solution. I used frozen blueberries and since I only had salted butter, I just cut back on the salt ingredient a bit. Definitely follow directions and only mix until dry ingredients are wet and batter is still lumpy. Turned out light and fluffy and full of flavor. Thanks!
Allison says
You’re welcome. I’m glad you enjoyed it. 🙂
Susan Paterson says
I have an instant buttermilk pancake mix (just add water). Any suggestions regarding the amount of liquid I should use (milk/water)?
Allison says
Hi, Susan. You will want to add all the liquid ingredients (from the eggs down) to the pancake mix. Here is the note I have in the post regarding my experience with this:
Can You Make Pancake Casserole with Pancake Mix?
I have tried swapping the dry ingredients (flour, sugar, salt and leaveners) in place of 2 ½ cups of pancake mix. It did work, but I found that the packaged pancake mix puffed up really high, which made the blueberries and crumb topping sink in. It tasted fine, but I definitely prefer this recipe made the way it is written.
Amy S. says
MAKE THIS NOW! My daughter wanted pancakes but I HATE making them because of they are so time consuming. I also don’t get to enjoy them with my family because I gotta cook till the batters gone. I also despise the left over!
Found this recipe and it fixes EVERYTHING! All in one pan….cut and serve. Not to sweet and light and fluffy. I can already tell it’s going to reheat like a boss.
I will make this over and over again.
Allison says
I’m glad you enjoyed this recipe. I totally agree, this is so much nicer than standing at the stove flipping pancakes while the rest of the family eats. Thanks for stopping by! 🙂
Mary says
Great recipe. But my streusel topping was soggy and not crunchy as I had hoped. I used 2 cups of wild frozen blueberries and baked the casserole for 40 minutes. Any ideas?
Allison says
Hi, Mary. The extra moisture from the frozen berries was probably a factor, especially since the streusel topping is on top of/next to the frozen berries. If you want the topping crunchier you can try fresh berries or if you’re going to use frozen I would reduce the amount. Enjoy!
Heather says
Can this be frozen and reheated?
Allison says
Yes, you can freeze and reheat individual servings. I would not recommend freezing and reheating the whole casserole.
Annalisa Lucas says
Has anyone tried replacing flour with a gluten free blend?
Aly says
This was fabulous! My whole extended family raved about it at brunch and demanded I share the recipe. Thank you!
Allison says
You’re welcome! I’m glad you enjoyed it. 🙂
Heidi Roberts says
My entire house loved this so much they want me to make at least a few more batches to freeze in single servings. Also, my 10 year old who is on the spectrum and never wants to eat anything but pizza and fries actually at this and didn’t even want syrup! This is so great!
Allison says
Yay! I’m so glad. Thanks for taking the time to comment. Enjoy!
Jenifer Peterson says
Can this be frozen for a later time?
Allison says
You can freeze and reheat individual servings. I would not recommend freezing and reheating the whole casserole. Enjoy!