Enchanted Berry Bramble Buttermilk Griddle Cakes
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While out foraging deep in the wood, you may come across a bramble of enchanted, bursting berries in hues of red, blue, and the deepest of purples. After gathering them up in your basket, one by one, you hurry home to whip up a batch of delicious buttermilk griddle cakes! These fluffy, soft pancakes are the perfect treat to fill your belly drizzled with golden maple syrup and a warm homemade berry compote. As you flip each cake on the hot griddle, you’ll feel just as if you are living in your cozy fantasy. After testing batch after batch, I can proudly say that this is the best buttermilk pancake recipe that I have created thus far!
Gathering ingredients to make buttermilk pancakes:
While you may not be able to find enchanted berries in the forest, you can certainly still make these thick, fluffy pancakes at home with ingredients from your local shops! My simple buttermilk pancake recipe has a few key ingredients to deliver absolutely delicious melt in your mouth pancakes and a sweet mixed berry compote right onto your plate.
Buttermilk. Why is buttermilk superior to regular milk when making pancakes? Buttermilk has a higher acidity level than regular milk, allowing it to give the pancakes extra lift! It also gives the pancakes an incredible flavor, a bit tangy, which pairs so nicely with sweet toppings like fresh fruit and maple syrup.
Butter. For pancakes, you want to work with fat that is in a liquid state. I believe that melted butter tastes the best (I always use salted butter!) but you can also use a neutral cooking oil like coconut oil or avocado oil.
Eggs. Eggs are crucial to an ideal pancake as they provide the batter with the structure and ability to hold bubbles as they cakes cook on the griddle. Of course, they also add their characteristic rich flavor and deep yellow color!
Baking Powder. I prefer to use baking powder in my pancake batter as it gives the perfect amount of lift for fat, fluffy pancakes.
Nutmeg. My secret ingredient? It’s most likely always going to be nutmeg! I love the subtle spiciness of freshly grated nutmeg, and it adds the perfect little unique touch of flavor to this recipe. The added nutmeg feels like a warm hug!
Vanilla. You can certainly omit this ingredient if you do not want your pancakes to be super sweet. I always love to add vanilla, and my family certainly enjoys it too!
Berries. To make the mixed berry compote, you will need an assortment of berries! I used fresh strawberries, blueberries, and blackberries. You also use frozen berries if they have been thawed and drained!
tips for making perfect buttermilk pancakes:
Have you had trouble with making homemade pancakes in the past? While pancakes are a fairly simple recipe to make yourself, creating a perfect stack of pancakes can take a little bit of practice master! These tips are sure to help you create this beautiful classic breakfast food.
Don’t over-mix the batter. It’s important to make sure that there are no large lumps of dry ingredients in your pancake batter, but over-mixing can also create problems while cooking. Over-mixing the batter can result in chewy, rubbery pancakes due to overdeveloped gluten. A best practice is to sift or whisk together all of your dry ingredients and make a well in the center for your wet ingredients. Then whisk everything until it just comes together.
Rest the batter. This is something that I only started doing in the last year or so, and it has improved my pancakes dramatically! Resting the batter, especially when using buttermilk, you are allowing more of the flour to be absorbed. This results in lighter, fluffier pancakes. You will get smooth, perfect pancakes every time after a 30 minute rest.
Don’t flip more than once. Pancakes cook quickly, and they only need to be flipped once. You will cook the first side for a longer amount of time, about 3 minutes, then flip and cook the opposite side for only 1 minute.
Watch the heat. Not burning your cakes can be hardest part of making homemade pancakes! Unfortunately, multi-tasking while cooking pancakes can be a bad idea, and I have often left cakes to sit on the griddle for far too long, only to flip and find a burnt black flapjack! While cooking, do little checks to see if your pancakes are browning too quickly, which means you will want to adjust the heat so that they cook evenly. I also prefer to cook my pancakes in a light layer of oil rather than butter, as I find butter often will begin to burn after a while even when the heat is low.
recipe substitutions:
If you don’t have all of the ingredients, you can still make these delicious fluffy buttermilk pancakes with some substitutions!
I don’t have buttermilk:
You can use regular milk to make these pancakes, but they may lack a bit in height. To help them rise, you may want to add a bit of acid to the milk. This is easily done by adding 1 tbsp (15 ml) of white vinegar or lemon juice + 1 cup (240 ml) milk. Whisk these together and let rest for about 5 to 10 minutes, waiting for the milk to curdle. You will most likely only need about 2/3 cup (160 ml) of this buttermilk substitute as it will be much thinner than actual buttermilk!
I want to add whole wheat flour:
I say go for it! Whole wheat flour absorbs liquid differently than all-purpose flour. If you would like to add in whole wheat flour, I would suggest only substituting about half of the amount of all-purpose. When you add your dry ingredients, watch to see if the batter becomes too thick. If yes, you will need to adjust with more liquid. The resting period will really help you to see where your batter is at, as the liquid absorbs more of the flour during this time.
how to make buttermilk pancakes:
Step One: Begin by whisking together all of the dry ingredients. If you want to prevent large lumps from forming, you can sift the ingredients together! Then, make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the egg, melted butter, vanilla, and butter. Whisk all of the ingredients together being careful not to over-mix the batter. Let the batter rest for 30 minutes.
Step Two: While the batter rests, it’s a perfect time to make the Mixed Berry Compote. This is similar to make jam, but you don’t have to cook the compote as long. You are making a drizzly fruit sauce! Combine the fruit in a small saucepan with sugar and lemon juice. Bring the sauce to a boil, then lower the heat to a simmer and cook for about 8 to 10 minutes.
Step Three: When you are ready to cook the pancakes, you’ll want to warm a skillet over medium heat to around 375° F (191° C). Lightly grease the skillet with oil or butter and cook the cakes for about 3 minutes on one side, flipping when bubbles form that pop and leave behind holes on the surface of the pancake. Flip the pancake and continue to cook for another minute.
final thoughts:
I hope that this recipe of old-fashioned buttermilk pancakes leaves you feeling just as magical as finding enchanted berries in the forest! I would absolutely love to be able to forage for berries where I live, but I’ll find the magic in picking them from my garden or a local berry farm instead. This classic buttermilk pancake recipe is the perfect start to a lovely cottagecore morning! When you begin your day by doing the things that you love, you are bound to have a fantastical day!
xoxo Kayla
watch me make buttermilk pancakes:
Enchanted Berry Bramble Buttermilk Griddle Cakes
Ingredients
- 1 cup (125 g) all-purpose flour
- 2 tbsp (26 g) granulated sugar
- 2 tsp (8 g) baking powder
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- Pinch of nutmeg
- 1 large egg
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) melted salted butter
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup (240 ml) buttermilk
- 1 cup (140 g) fresh strawberries, quartered
- 1/2 cup (70 g) fresh blackberries
- 1/2 cup (70 g) fresh blueberries
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- Juice from 1 large lemon
- Zest from 1 large lemon
- Whipped butter
- Maple syrup
- Fresh berries, about 1 cup (150 g)
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the egg, melted butter, vanilla, and buttermilk. Stir all of the ingredients together with a wire whisk until a smooth, thick batter comes together, about 4 minutes. Cover the bowl with a clean tea towel and let the batter rest for about 30 minutes.
- While the batter is resting, make the Mixed Berry Compote. In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, add the strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Stir constantly, bringing the mixture to a boil. Lower the heat to a simmer, cooking the compote until the berries have broken down and the sauce has thickened slightly, about 8 to 10 minutes.
- Remove the saucepan from the heat and let the compote cool slightly at room temperature, as this will allow it to thicken even more.
- While the compote is cooling, cook the griddle cakes. Place a large skillet over medium heat and grease it well with cooking spray or butter. Perfect pancakes are cooked at about 375° F (191° C). Scoop about 1/4 cup (60 ml) of batter onto the hot griddle and cook for about 3 minutes, or until the edges have set and there are bubbles that pop and leave behind holes on the surface of the pancake. Flip the pancakes and cook another 1 to 2 minutes.
- Continue to cook the rest of the batter this way, keeping the finished pancakes on a plate covered with a clean tea towel to keep them warm.
- Serve the finished pancakes with the warm Mixed Berry Compote, butter, maple syrup, and extra fresh berries for a beautiful presentation.
Nutrition Facts
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Baked in charming mini loaf pans, these cakes are tender and aromatic, with a texture reminiscent of banana bread.