Sweet corn is one of those versatile grains which can be the star of any type of a dish starting with the soup and ending with a dessert. How about we start with breakfast first with blueberry sweet corn pancakes?
I always loved the traditional pancakes with fresh blueberries, which in our family we traditionally make almost every weekend. But now, having tried these, I think this is my new favorite. Also, everyone else loves them. So it’s a win-win!
about the corn …
The creaminess of the sweet corn makes these pancakes so light, melt in your mouth. Pure pleasure.
The key here is that the corn should be just ripe and not overripe. When you poke the corn grain with your finger, lots of “corn milk” should come out, the grains should be appropriately formed, and the yellow color should be on the pastel side. This way the corn mixes well with the batter and is not grainy at all, except for the few whole grains I usually leave on purpose.
If the corn is too old, it will not be as creamy, and there might be more of a “grainy” taste in the pancakes.
about the blueberries …
Blueberries in this recipe should be fresh. If you only have frozen ones, let them thaw on the kitchen counter until they reach room temperature. Having blueberries at room temperature will enable the pancakes to cook more evenly in the middle. If you add frozen blueberries, the part of the dough with blueberries will reach cooking temperature much later resulting in more cooking time and a bit dryer pancakes.
Once the blueberries are ready at room temperature, don’t add them to the mixture as you would with the fresh ones. This is because they are not so compact anymore (due to the freezing process), and they will release plenty of color into your dough, which will turn the pancakes more purple then creamy yellow. If you don’t mind this little color effect then no problem, just don’t overmix the batter.
secrets to an airy and fluffy pancake …
To achieve light and airy pancakes, the structure of the batter is essential. Also, note that the batter for blueberry sweet corn pancakes is heavier than for the classical pancake batter due to the addition of sweet corn. So, we need to make sure to air the batter. Here are some tips on how to achieve this.
First, always separate the egg yolk and the whites and whip the whites which are to be added at the end of the batter mixing process. This gives a considerable boost to the lightness of the pancake. Just make sure not to overmix the batter when adding the whites to the rest of the batter, as it will lose the airy structure we want.
Second, the batter should not be too thick, but a bit on a looser side and not runny. The best test is when you pour the batter in the pan. It should level and set but not overflow around the edges as the heat of the pan kicks in.
Third, the batter should rest for a short time, like 10 minutes, before cooking.
These pancakes will be a bit on the darker side when cooked due to blueberries. While cooking, you will notice little bubbles of blueberry juice popping out, so when you flip the pancakes to cook on the other side, these juices will burn slightly. Don’t worry, it doesn’t make the pancakes bitter or anything like that, just slightly darker in color. It is beneficial to scrape the pan with a wooden spatula after each round of cooking to remove the blueberry residues.
Serve the pancakes warm, with some extra blueberries (there can never be too many blueberries on the plate 😉 ), and drizzle some good maple syrup.
Enjoy!
Blueberry sweet corn pancakes
Equipment & Tools
- non-stick skillet
- scale
INGREDIENTS
Wet ingredients
- 180 g sweet corn (approx. 2 medium ears)
- 1 egg (separate, yolk and whites)
- 22 g sugar
- 369 g buttermilk
- ½ tsp vanilla extract (Nielsen-Massey)
- 35 g unsalted butter (melted and cooled)
- 100 g blueberries (fresh or frozen)
Dry ingredients
- 160 g all purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- pinch of salt
For serving
- maple syrup
- blueberries
INSTRUCTIONS
The batter
- Separate the egg and place the yolk in one bowl and the whites in another.
- Cut the corn and add all but 2 tbsp to the food processor. Blitz the corn in the food processor until almost creamy consistency. There should be some structure left. Add the processed corn and the leftover corn to the egg yolk bowl.
- To the same bowl, add sugar, vanilla extract, buttermilk, and melted butter. Mix until all ingredients are evenly incorporated. Set aside.
- In a separate bowl add flour, baking soda baking powder, and salt. Mix until all ingredients are evenly incorporated. Set aside.
- Whip the egg whites until firm, and no translucent and watery parts are visible anymore.
- Add dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix well until all ingredients are evenly incorporated.
- Add blueberries to the batter and mix them in.
- Add whipped egg whites by folding the batter over itself slowly until there are no large clumps of egg whites.
Cooking the pancakes
- Heat the pan on medium heat. Make sure the pan is non stick i.e. coated properly so that the batter is easily lifted from the pan.
- Scoop 1/4 cup of batter with some blueberries and pour into the pan.
- Cook approximately for 1.5 minutes on one side and for another 1/2 minute on the other or until they are done in the middle and no batter is left uncooked. Test the timing of the first pancake and adjust the stove accordingly so that the pancakes cook evenly.
Serving
- Serve while still warm. Place the pancakes on the plate. Add some more blueberries and a drizzle of maple syrup.
NOTES
- You can process all of the corn if you don’t want to have corn grain in the pancakes.
- You can omit the process of whipping the egg whites if you are in a hurry, but the final pancake structure will lose some of the airiness as a result.
- If you only have frozen blueberries, let them thaw until they reach room temperature. Omit step 7 and instead sprinkle them, by hand, on top of the poured batter in the cooking pan. This way the pancakes will still have nice yellow purple contrast when cooked.
Pulse the corn until almost creamed 
Add egg yolks and sugar 
Add the fresh blueberries 
Fold in the whipped egg whites
