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).
This is one of my most popular recipes – and for good reason. This recipe is easy, delicious, and it’s always met with rave reviews. Think of it as a mashup between pancakes and coffee cake.
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Why you’ll love this recipe
Flavor: Buttermilk pancakes with a touch of vanilla, lemon, blueberries, and maple syrup.
Texture: Imagine a super thick and fluffy pancake filled with juicy blueberries and a crunchy crumb topping.
Ease: Although this recipe has several steps, it is super easy. No special equipment or techniques needed.
Feed a crowd: If you don’t feel like standing over the stove flipping individual pancakes for a crowd this is a great alternative. I often make this dish for holiday breakfast/brunch.
Great leftover: Reheat individual servings in the microwave, this casserole reheats beautifully.
Pancake casserole recipe overview
*Full recipe below in recipe card*
Crumb topping:
Combine flour, sugars, cinnamon, salt, and melted butter. Pop the topping into the fridge while you proceed with the pancake batter.
Pancake batter:
- Combine dry ingredients in one bowl.
- Combine wet ingredients in another bowl.
- Combine wet and dry.
- Be careful not to overmix (it will be lumpy).
Add the batter to a greased 9×13 pan. Top with blueberries and crumb topping.
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 bake and 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.
Serving and storage
Serve warm topped with maple syrup. Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
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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 and set aside.
Crumb topping:
- In a medium bowl combine flour, sugars, cinnamon, and salt. Add melted butter and stir until fully incorporated. Cover and 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 over the top. Remove the crumb topping from the fridge and crumble over the top of the blueberries and 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
Nutrition
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!
Jennifer @ Show Me the Yummy
Such a great idea to turn pancakes into a casserole!
Megan @ MegUnprocessed
This looks fantastic! Beautiful photography, as well!
Janellen
Looks great! Would you make any adjustments for high altitude? (I live in Denver.) Thanks!
Celebrating Sweets
Unfortunately I have no experience with high altitude baking. I would suggest that you adapt it as you would a cake recipe. This link might have some helpful tips. http://www.kingarthurflour.com/learn/high-altitude-baking.html
Melinda
I have Celiac Disease and can’t have wheat. Do you think I could substitute a gluten-free pancake mix for the batter??
Celebrating Sweets
Hi, Melinda. I have never tried it, but I would guess that a gluten free cup for cup flour could be substituted. Note that if you use a pancake mix it might already have leavening in it. Best of luck. Let me know how it goes. Thanks!
Cindy
Could,it be baked then frozen?
Celebrating Sweets
Hi, Cindy. I have never tried it. I really think that it is best freshly baked, but it probably would hold up to freezing, if necessary.
Teresa
I tried this recipe for breakfast this morning and it was absolutely delicious! A keeper of a recipe for sure! I topped my servings with a sprinkle of powdered sugar and syrup. I’m looking forward to leftovers tomorrow morning. I’m thinking I’ll warm in the microwave and then put inside the oven to crisp up some so it’ll be like just coming fresh out of the oven! 🙂
Celebrating Sweets
Glad to hear that you liked it. It is a favorite around here. Thanks for stopping by!
Nina
Hi, thanks for fab recipe, can you give me any advice please I have to avoid butter do you think it might work using oil (e.g.g light Rapeseed Oil UK think it’s like Canola) in the batter mix? Not sure if it would work with Oil for Crumble topping either?
If anyone rading this has experimented please let me know – thanks
Nina
Forgot to click notify me so adding this note to my question above.
Celebrating Sweets
Hi, Nina. Yes, oil will work just fine in the batter. You can try coconut oil (in a solid form) or margarine for the topping. Enjoy!
Krysta
Am making this now and kinda concerned because your video doesn’t match the recipe written on the page. The video is missing baking soda and the extra milk. My batter, from following the page recipe, is MUCH thinner than yours in the video.
Which one is the correct recipe?
Celebrating Sweets
You want to make this according to the recipe. The written recipe is correct, and I’ve had many people make it with success. I combined the buttermilk and milk in the video, as well as the baking powder and baking soda (just to shorten the video). The video is just a quick snip to show it coming together, it’s not meant to be the complete recipe (which is why there are no measurements in the video). Sorry for any confusion. Enjoy!
Melaney
Iis there an alternative to using buttermilk? i can never find it in the gorcery store
Celebrating Sweets
Hi, Melaney. You can actually make buttermilk by adding lemon juice or vinegar to milk. I’ve done it before and it totally works! Here’s how: buttermilk substitute.
Melaney Rebello
Thank you so much! I had no idea it was so easy
Catherine
Hi my daughter is getting baptized this weekend and I’m wanting to make this but the real easy way with the pioneer mix that’s ready to be mixed with milk and eggs. Is that compatible with this recipe?
Celebrating Sweets
I can’t say for sure. The bake time might be a bit different, I would suggest checking it early. Hopefully it works for you. Enjoy!