Cast Iron

Lemony Cream Cheese Pancakes with Blueberries

by:
November 21, 2009
4.4
14 Ratings
Lemony Cream Cheese Pancakes with Blueberries
Photo by James Ransom
  • Prep time 10 minutes
  • Cook time 20 minutes
  • Serves 6
Author Notes

A world without lemons would be a very sad one. The world would be sad without blueberries, too, but this recipe is good with our without. Rather than a griddle cake you need to stack high then load up with butter and syrup, I wanted one that was both light and custardy, rich and reserved -- immediate gratification. This recipe uses cream cheese and egg whites to pull that off, I think. Honey or jam would be just as good as maple syrup. Or you could eat them plain. —EmilyNunn

Test Kitchen Notes

For those who crave the purity of a plain pancake but occasionally find themselves wanting more, ENunn's recipe might be the perfect compromise. Lemon's perfume (from both the juice and zest) permeates these light, fluffy buttermilk pancakes, but the real magic lies in the addition of one key ingredient: chunks of cream cheese are blended into the batter until they are reduced to about pea-size, later resulting in salty, creamy pockets scattered throughout the cooked pancakes. The trio of lemon, cream cheese and tangy sweet blueberries is subtle yet seductive -- a combination that can only be improved upon with a generous slathering of excellent quality maple syrup. - A&M —The Editors

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • 1 1/2 cups flour
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 pinch salt
  • 2 large eggs, separated
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 6 ounces cream cheese, cut up
  • 3 teaspoons melted butter
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons lemon zest (approximately the zest from one large lemon)
  • 1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
Directions
  1. In a medium bowl, mix together flour, sugar baking powder, baking soda, salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together egg yolks, buttermilk. Add cream cheese and mix until cream cheese has separated into uniformly small lumps, about the size of large cottage cheese curds. Stir in melted butter, vanilla, lemon juice and lemon zest.
  2. Add dry ingredients to wet, then stir to combine. Whisk two egg whites until stiff but not dry; fold gently into batter.
  3. Heat a griddle or cast iron pan over medium high heat, until a drop of water sizzles. Lower heat to medium; butter or oil pan. Drop batter into pan by 1/3 cupfuls. Once the batter has spread, drop in the berries. You might want to drizzle some batter to cover them. These need to be cooked a bit longer than you might expect; they won't bubble as quickly or as much as plain pancakes. Turn down the heat if necessary, to keep them from overbrowning, and let them puff up to their full extent after you turn them, which will take 2-3 minutes. Serve with honey or maple syrup or jam.
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68 Reviews

LaurenP
LaurenP August 26, 2023
This is a new favorite pancake! Really loved how the lemon comes through. I only have small to medium lemons and I think next time I’ll use two lemons.
 
NXL
NXL May 23, 2022
Definitely worth the effort. Light, fluffy, flavorful.
 
Ann M.
Ann M. January 22, 2021
Richer than my regular pancake recipe. I tried with different syrups and was best with pure maple syrup. Overall better than regular pancakes but a few more steps, requiring more time and creates more dishes to wash so I will not make again#
 
Ann M.
Ann M. January 22, 2021
Richer than my regular pancake recipe. I tried with different syrups and was best with pure maple syrup. Overall better than regular pancakes but a few more steps, requiring more time and creates more dishes to wash so I will not make again.
 
Ann M.
Ann M. January 22, 2021
Richer than my regular pancake recipe. I tried with different syrups and was best with pure maple syrup. Overall better than regular pancakes but a few more steps requiring more time and creates more dishes to wash so I will not make again.
 
charles
charles April 18, 2020
Decently good. These are not the pancakes that will make you go weak in the knees, but they are a solid pancake. The batter is light on sugar, so not a real sweet pancake, but I think this is good, as it focuses on the fruit flavors.

We used fresh blackberries, instead of frozen blueberries, and forgot to whip the egg whites. Thankfully, I don't think that we needed to whip the egg whites, as the pancakes were plenty fluffy. This is a recipe that I will probably make again, but that I'm not drooling over making it again.
 
keira
keira May 11, 2023
Do you happen to have a recipe that does make you go weak on the knees? :)
 
charles
charles April 18, 2020
Decently good. These are not the pancakes that will make you go weak in the knees, but they are a solid pancake. The batter is light on sugar, so not a real sweet pancake, but I think this is good, as it focuses on the fruit flavors.

We used fresh blackberries, instead of frozen blueberries, and forgot to whip the egg whites. Thankfully, I don't think that we needed to whip the egg whites, as the pancakes were plenty fluffy. This is a recipe that I will probably make again, but that I'm not drooling over making it again.
 
Eloisa M.
Eloisa M. April 7, 2019
Loved it but I added more sugar I think my lemons where a bit sour wish I can add my picture of how my pancakes turned out
 
Tad
Tad August 9, 2018
Thank you for the recipe. The pancakes came out nice and juicy with a nice lemon-cheese cake aroma in the background. The only additional thing I had to do, I added a splash of water to the batter, because it was too dry.
 
Melanie J.
Melanie J. August 29, 2016
I made these about a month ago and while they were good they did not blow me away. The lemon is great as well as the blueberries but I guess I was expecting the cream cheese to have more of a presence (especially considering the extra calories it adds). I think next time I'm looking for a variation on just a good 'ol fashioned blueberry/buttermilk combo I may dabble with sour cream.
 
Taylor S.
Taylor S. June 7, 2016
Sooo incredible! The lemon flavor really comes through with so much zest and is a perfect complement to the less-sweet batter. Also I love the little pockets of cream cheese dotted throughout my pancakes :) I was able to whip these up in less than an hour and they turned out perfectly. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
 
Nancy D.
Nancy D. April 5, 2015
Had these today for Easter breakfast. My hunny made them, so they took him forever to make. But they were the best pancakes ever!
 
King D.
King D. March 14, 2015
sounds good and it is good, my mom made it and it was delicious!!!
 
Phyllis
Phyllis February 2, 2015
We had a favorite before, but this recipe surpassed it by a longshot. The only step skipped were the blueberries because I forgot to thaw, but no big deal.
 
Ruth A.
Ruth A. November 5, 2014
I totally agree! A life without lemons would be very sad indeed. I can however do without the blueberries.
 
Babette
Babette October 7, 2014
So delicious! A perfect sweet and somewhat sour gourmet spin on pancakes. I love to treat my self to these on a Saturday morning, but be warned: using frozen blueberries may cause the pancakes to be more liquidy as they melt.
 
Brenda
Brenda September 1, 2014
So yummy! Made with my daughter on last day of summer vacation. Love the flavors and texture. Also, I made the pancakes in my cast iron pan which I have never done before and I think it makes them even better.
 
Ann G.
Ann G. August 15, 2014
Good Morning. I made these for breakfast. Probably one of the best I have ever made. Thank you you so much for the recipe. Delicious.
 
DAVILCHICK
DAVILCHICK June 16, 2014
My step daughter's birthday fell on Father's Day so I broke out the griddle and made this. OMG it was like a blueberry cheesecake in pancake form. The genius of this recipe is the lemon and I'm convinced that I should add whipped egg whites into every dish I ever make from now on because it makes everything so light and airy and fluffy. Definitely wowed the crowd.
 
magpie128
magpie128 February 20, 2014
Can I prepare the pancake batter and keep them overnight? Will they still be fluffy? Or would the baking powder reaction be diminished? Thx!