Blueberry Pancake Casserole is pancakes for a crowd with no flipping: a buttermilk pancake batter poured into a 9×13 dish, scattered with fresh blueberries and a brown sugar cinnamon crumb topping, and baked until golden. Everyone eats at the same time, and nobody stands at the stove. It cuts into 12 pieces.
How to make it: Mix the crumb topping and chill it. Stir together a buttermilk batter, fold in a quarter of the blueberries and pour it into the dish. Scatter the rest of the berries and the crumb topping on top, bake at 350°F for 38 to 45 minutes, and let it sit 10 to 15 minutes before cutting.
Why You’ll Love It
- One dish: no flipping pancakes in batches.
- Bursting with blueberries: a full 16 ounces, in the batter and on top.
- Crumb topping: brown sugar, cinnamon and butter bake into crunchy clusters.
- Made for brunch: serve it warm with butter and syrup.
Ingredient Notes
Crumb topping: 1/2 cup flour, 1/2 cup light brown sugar, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon and 1/4 cup melted butter.
Flour: 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour for the batter, spooned into the cup and leveled.
Leaveners: 1 teaspoon each of baking powder and baking soda.
Buttermilk and eggs: 2 1/2 cups buttermilk and 2 large eggs, at room temperature. Cold straight from the fridge works too, but the melted butter may clump a little.
Flavor: 2 tablespoons sugar, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon vanilla and 1 teaspoon lemon zest (optional).
Butter: 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled, for the batter.
Blueberries: 16 ounces fresh. A quarter go into the batter and the rest on top.
Ingredients
For the crumb topping
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour (for the crumb topping; spooned and leveled)
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar (for the crumb topping)
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon (for the crumb topping)
- 1/4 cup butter (for the crumb topping; melted and slightly cooled)
For the pancake batter
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (for the batter; spooned and leveled)
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar (for the batter)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 1/2 cups buttermilk, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest, grated; optional
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter (for the batter; melted and slightly cooled)
- 16 ounces fresh blueberries (divided: one quarter folded into the batter, the rest scattered on top)
How to Make Blueberry Pancake Casserole
1. Heat the oven. Heat the oven to 350°F. Generously spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with non-stick spray and set it aside.
2. Make the crumb topping. In a small bowl whisk together 1/2 cup flour, the brown sugar and the cinnamon. Add the 1/4 cup melted butter and mix again. The mixture should look like large grains of chunky wet sand.
3. Chill the topping. Place the crumb topping in the freezer for 15 minutes while you make the batter.
4. Mix the dry ingredients. In a large bowl stir together 2 1/2 cups flour, the granulated sugar, salt, baking powder and baking soda with a whisk or fork.
5. Mix the wet ingredients. In a separate bowl gently whisk together the eggs, buttermilk, lemon zest and vanilla.
6. Make the batter. Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture, then add the 1/4 cup melted unsalted butter and combine again. Do not overmix; the batter can still be a little lumpy.
7. Add the first blueberries. Fold in one quarter of the blueberries and mix a few times until no dry spots remain. Pour the batter into the greased baking dish.
8. Top with blueberries. Scatter the remaining blueberries over the batter.
9. Add the crumb topping. Re-stir the chilled crumb topping with a heavy-duty fork and sprinkle it over the casserole. It will not fully cover the blueberries, and that is what you want.
10. Bake. Bake at 350°F for 38 to 45 minutes, until the top is golden brown, a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and the center reaches 165°F on a food thermometer.
11. Rest and serve. Let the casserole sit for 10 to 15 minutes before cutting. Serve warm with butter, pancake syrup or whipped cream.
Tips for a Fluffy, Golden Bake
- Spoon and level the flour. Packing the cup adds too much flour.
- Leave it lumpy. Stir just until no dry spots remain. Overmixing is the most common mistake.
- Chill the topping. A short stay in the freezer keeps the crumbs in clusters.
- Don’t cover every berry. Blueberries peeking through the topping are what you’re after.
- Check the center. It’s done when the top is golden, a toothpick comes out clean, the edges start pulling away and the center reads 165°F.
- Let it sit. 10 to 15 minutes makes cleaner squares.
Can You Make It the Night Before?
This recipe is a same-day bake, but the batter can be started the night before. Mix 2 cups of the flour with the sugar and salt, stir in the eggs, buttermilk, vanilla, lemon zest and melted butter until just barely combined, then cover and refrigerate overnight. In the morning, whisk the remaining 1/2 cup flour with the baking powder and baking soda, fold it into the batter, pour it into the dish and add the blueberries.
The crumb topping can also be made a day ahead and kept covered in the refrigerator until just before baking.
A separate overnight pancake casserole uses milk instead of buttermilk, and everything, berries included, goes into the dish the night before. That batter has different leavening, so don’t swap milk into this one.
Variations
- Frozen blueberries: use them straight from the freezer without thawing so they don’t bleed into the batter.
- More lemon: use up to 2 teaspoons of zest.
- No topping: skip the crumb topping for a plain buttermilk pancake bake.
- Nutty top: brush the baked casserole with melted butter, sprinkle with brown sugar and sliced almonds or chopped pecans, and broil 2 to 3 minutes.
- Baking mix: a baking mix stands in for the flour, sugar, salt and leaveners in a doubled, two-pan batch.
Storage & Reheating
Refrigerator: Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours in shallow covered containers. They keep 3 to 4 days.
Freezer: Freeze leftovers, wrapped airtight, for 3 to 4 months. Thaw in the refrigerator.
Reheating: Reheat covered until it reaches 165°F. Don’t use a slow cooker to reheat.
What to Serve With It
Top each square with butter, warm pancake syrup, maple syrup, powdered sugar or whipped cream. For a full brunch, set it next to a savory casserole like breakfast casserole with tater tots and sausage, bacon, egg and hash brown casserole or bacon, egg and cheese biscuit casserole.
More sweet breakfasts: overnight crème brûlée French toast, slow cooker Amish blueberry oatmeal and easy cinnamon roll coffee cake.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you make a blueberry breakfast bake?
Pour a buttermilk pancake batter into a 9×13 dish, scatter blueberries and a crumb topping over it and bake at 350°F for 38 to 45 minutes.
Can I make it the night before?
Yes. Mix the batter without the baking powder, baking soda and part of the flour, refrigerate it overnight, and fold those in before baking.
Can I use pancake mix?
This recipe is made from scratch. A baking mix works in a larger two-pan batch, but the amounts differ, so follow a recipe written for the mix.
Can I use frozen blueberries?
Yes. Don’t thaw them first, so they don’t bleed into the batter.
How do I know it’s done?
The top is golden brown, a toothpick in the center comes out clean and the center reaches 165°F.
What do you serve with it?
Butter, pancake syrup, maple syrup or whipped cream.
How long do leftovers keep?
3 to 4 days in the refrigerator. Reheat to 165°F.
Final Notes
Keep the batter lumpy, chill the topping and let the casserole sit before cutting. If you try it with frozen berries or the nutty top, tell me in the comments how it turned out.
Blueberry Pancake Casserole
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Ingredients
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour for the crumb topping; spooned and leveled
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar for the crumb topping
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon for the crumb topping
- 1/4 cup butter for the crumb topping; melted and slightly cooled
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour for the batter; spooned and leveled
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar for the batter
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 2 1/2 cups buttermilk room temperature
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest grated; optional
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter for the batter; melted and slightly cooled
- 16 ounces fresh blueberries divided: one quarter folded into the batter, the rest scattered on top
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 350°F. Generously spray a 9x13-inch baking dish with non-stick spray and set it aside.
- In a small bowl whisk together 1/2 cup flour, the brown sugar and the cinnamon. Add the 1/4 cup melted butter and mix again. The mixture should look like large grains of chunky wet sand.
- Place the crumb topping in the freezer for 15 minutes while you make the batter.
- In a large bowl stir together 2 1/2 cups flour, the granulated sugar, salt, baking powder and baking soda with a whisk or fork.
- In a separate bowl gently whisk together the eggs, buttermilk, lemon zest and vanilla.
- Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture, then add the 1/4 cup melted unsalted butter and combine again. Do not overmix; the batter can still be a little lumpy.
- Fold in one quarter of the blueberries and mix a few times until no dry spots remain. Pour the batter into the greased baking dish.
- Scatter the remaining blueberries over the batter.
- Re-stir the chilled crumb topping with a heavy-duty fork and sprinkle it over the casserole. It will not fully cover the blueberries, and that is what you want.
- Bake at 350°F for 38 to 45 minutes, until the top is golden brown, a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and the center reaches 165°F on a food thermometer.
- Let the casserole sit for 10 to 15 minutes before cutting. Serve warm with butter, pancake syrup or whipped cream.
Notes
Nutrition
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