Blueberry lemon lactation pancakes are jam packed with super good goodness, bright lemon flavor with a pop of sweet, fresh blueberries all nestled into tender pancakes.
Disclaimer: you do not have to be breastfeeding to enjoy these pancakes.
Phew. Glad we got that out of the way. Blueberry lemon pancakes are like little clouds of breakfast heaven. Breakfast heaven that be can frozen and popped in the toaster or toaster oven for super quick, delicious morning eats.
Now blueberry lemon lactation pancakes...well those are the same delicious bites of breakfast bliss but with some superfood extras to help out the new mamas. Totally optional and 100% delicious.
Lactation Eats
When Shea was born I'd make lactation cookies and definitely not tell people - such as my husband - it was perfectly fine for him to eat them too....because why share your cookies if you don't have to? Is that wrong of me?
While this girl loves a sweet treat cookie as much as the next (especially these lactation cookies from The Gingered Whisk) with a toddler to feed in the morning as well as myself I wanted less treats and more eats easily available. Hellooooo Blueberry Lemon Lactation Pancakes.
If you're a new mama or maybe you know a new mama that's breastfeeding, and you want to make her some deliciousness it's really easy to add lactation boosting goodness to just about anything. (Please keep in mind I am not a nutritionist or dietitian, this is what I have learned in my own time as a breastfeeding mama and in talking with my doctor.)
- Ground Flaxseed - substitute for eggs in baking or to make Foodal's awesome Vegan Belgian Waffles. Ground flaxseed is great for digestion, easy to find, and generally flavorless. You can add this to baked food like banana bread, over cereal and put in smoothies.
- Fenugreek - this one is a bit harder of a sell since it has a fairly strong licorice flavor. It's used in the Traditional Medicine Mother's Milk Tea if you want to give it a shot before buying a whole bag of ground fenugreek to add to your lactation creations.
- Brewer's Yeast - great to use in pastas like casserole or lasagna and baked goods like muffins, even overnight oats.
We can enjoy that these are just natural ingredients. You don't have to be a breastfeeding mama to eat lactation pancakes, but if you don't want to share you can totally keep that fact to yourself.
Blueberry Lemon Lactation Pancakes
Juicy, giant bluebs and sweet Meyer lemon in a fluffy, light pancake batter - that's a train we can all board right?
Personal preferences for making these pancakes include using up all my fresh picked (then frozen) blueberries, but you can use any blueberry that pleases you - fresh or frozen. Add the blueberries into the batter or on top of the pancake before you flip.
Meyer lemons have been my current obsession (we're putting this Meyer lemon pesto on everything.) They're sweeter than regular lemons and have such a perfect balance of natural acidity, citrus and sweet. If you can't find Meyer lemons, you can definitely substitute regular lemons, just see the note in the recipe about adjustments.
When you're whisking up a batch of these breakfast delights, start with two bowls so you can combine wet in one and dry in the other. While I truly love to live the 'one bowl life' by combining the lemon juice and milk first and letting it sit, you're essentially making cheaters buttermilk. Which is the best because then you don't have a mostly full container of buttermilk staring you in the face for 3 weeks until it goes bad and you throw it out without feeling guilty.
The batter should be lumpy. A thin batter equals dense pancakes and it also means more whisking, so do yourself a favor and do less work.
Then, how you enjoy your Blueberry Lemon Lactation Pancakes is totally up to you. Enjoy them on the spot with syrup. I like mine with a big dollop of yogurt when I'm not feeling syrup-y. Or make them ahead, stack them with pieces of parchment paper in between and freeze in a plastic storage bag for later!
Did you make this recipe? Be sure to tag me on instagram (@hungerthirstplay)! Share your favorite lactation recipes with me in the comments!
Blueberry Lemon Lactation Pancakes
Ingredients
- 2 cup whole milk (480ml)
- 4 tablespoons fresh squeezed Meyer lemon juice (about 2 lemons) (60ml )
- 2 ¼ cup all purpose flour (270g )
- ¼ cup ground flaxseed (28g )
- 2 tablespoons brewers yeast
- 2 teaspoons fenugreek (optional)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 2 large eggs (lightly beaten)
- zest of 2 Meyer lemons
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter (57g, melted (plus more for griddle))
- 2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
Instructions
- Zest + Juice: zest the Meyer lemons and set aside. In a medium bowl, combine the milk and Meyer lemon juice and let sit.
- Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, combine all the dry ingredients - flour, flaxseed, brewers yeast, fenugreek (if using), baking soda, salt, and sugar. Whisk together.
- Wet Ingredients: Add the reserved lemon zest and lightly beaten eggs to the milk and lemon juice mixture. Whisk in melted (but not hot) unsalted butter.
- Combine wet and dry: Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl of dry ingredients. Whisk until just combined, the batter should still be lumpy. Let sit for 3 to 5 minutes before making the pancakes. If using frozen blueberries, you can add them to the batter now or top each pancake before flipping.
- Heat + flip: Heat an electric griddle to 375°F or a cast iron or non-stick pan and brush with butter. Pour about ⅓ to ½ cup of batter onto the cook surface for a 6-inch pancake. Cook about 2 ½ minutes, or until you see bubbles start to form and the edges are cooked. Flip and cook another 60 to 90 seconds.
- To freeze: Stack the pancakes no more than 6 in a stack, with a small piece of parchment or wax paper between each. Carefully place into a plastic storage bag and press out as much air as possible without squishing the pancakes. Freeze for up to 3 weeks. To reheat, just pop into the toaster or toaster oven.
Notes
- Regular lemons can be substituted for Meyer lemons but be sure to measure the lemon juice since the size may differ. Regular lemons are a bit more tart, so only use the zest of 1 lemon.
- For more whole grains, try substituting half the all purpose flour with whole wheat flour.
Nicole says
I make these freezer pancakes for all my expecting friends and it’s one of their favorite meals. I loved eating these after my daughter was born. I was actually wondering if you tried making these as waffles instead of pancakes. Would I need to add a little more flour to thicken the batter for that? Thank you for sharing your recipe ♥️
Lauren says
These would be SO good as waffles! I'd definitely do just as you thought and add a little extra flour.
Stephanie says
I made these, and the taste was good. I have a question though, how much milk is used? The recipe is misleading. Is it 2 cups or 240ml (which is 1 cup). I used two cups and had to add more flour which likely diluted the taste.
Lauren says
Hi Stephanie - I'm sorry about that and thank you for bringing that to my attention so I can fix it! It's been a while since these were posted so I made them the other day. The 2 cups of milk made the correct consistency for me. Were there any ingredients missing from your batch by chance? The brewers yeast and ground flaxseed do thicken up a bit after mixing. Thanks for making this recipe and sorry for the confusion!
Nicoletta Sugarlovespices says
You are right! These are great for everybody! I am obsessed with Meyer lemons as well, I can just imagine how well they go with bleubs!!
Vanessa Vickery says
Blueberry pancakes are my favourite! I love making them for my Sunday breakfast!! Will have to try these ones out!
Ashley @ Big Flavors from a Tiny Kitchen says
I've never reheated frozen pancakes in the toaster before, but now I'm really curious to try it out! These look delicious - I'll have to send the recipe over to my SIL, who is pregnant with daughter #2 right now!
Chelsey says
These pancakes look delicious! Man, I wish I had this recipe when I was nursing my twins, it would have come in handy!!
Jagruti Dhanecha says
This pancake looks fabulous and so tempting, blueberry and pancake go hand in hand. Perfect breakfast for any day.
Lorie says
Not in need of the lactation part of these, but this stack is still gonna be all mine! Blueberry lemon is may favorite combo!
Kim @ Berly's Kitchen says
I'm not having any more kids, but I'd totally eat these pancakes! They look amazing. Anything with blueberry and lemon catches my attention. Then there's the whole pancakes thing! Lol!
Jenni LeBaron says
I may not have kids, but I do know a good stack of pancakes when I see them and these look spectacular!
Kiki Johnson says
Haha, I was a bit confused by the title, but now that I have read through the list of ingredients, I totally want to try these!
Kelly Anthony says
These are pancakes with a purpose and they look amazing!! What a great idea 🙂
Sherri @ Watch Learn Eat says
I love the combination of lemon and blueberry in these pancakes! Lots of healthy ingredients in here too. And your photos are stunning! 🙂