Fluffy and light whole wheat blueberry pancakes are a delicious way to start your day. Positively packed with wholesome ingredients like whole wheat flour, Greek yogurt, and juicy blueberries, a stack of these is an excellent motivator for getting up in the morning. 😉
I originally published this recipe in 2015 and have since added new photos, a video tutorial, and a few more success tips.
Pancakes. One of the quintessential breakfast foods, with endless flavors, toppings, and variations like whole wheat oatmeal pancakes, whole wheat banana pancakes, birthday cake pancakes, pumpkin pancakes, strawberry buttermilk pancakes, and my go-to buttermilk pancakes.
It’s so much fun to play around with flavors, and today’s whole wheat blueberry pancakes rank the highest on my list. This recipe has been a favorite ever since I first published it many years ago. I even published the plain whole wheat pancakes, too! They’re fluffy and light, yet filling and chock-full of juicy blueberries. And they just happen to also be packed with wholesome, nourishing ingredients.
One reader, Kristen, commented: “Easily the best pancakes I’ve made or had, hands down. Cannot WAIT to make them again! I used regular yogurt, since that’s what I had, and they turned out great. ★★★★★“
Another reader, Niki, commented: “Made these the other night for dinner (who doesn’t love breakfast for dinner?), and they were a hit! I’ve never used yogurt in a pancake recipe before, and I was not disappointed! I also love that the batch was big enough for me to have some leftovers to freeze! ★★★★★“
You’ll Love These Whole Wheat Blueberry Pancakes, Too
- Made with healthful whole wheat flour, but still light and fluffy
- Greek yogurt and milk add protein
- No refined sugar—we’re using maple syrup, yum!
- Quick and easy to make
- Like the plain whole wheat pancakes, but loaded with sweet blueberries (fresh or frozen)
Making the swap from all-purpose flour to whole wheat flour sounds pretty easy, doesn’t it? Just a simple, 1-to-1 replacement. Well, it’s not always that simple. More often than not, your whole wheat baked goods will taste overly heavy, dense, or tough. Not at all the fluffy, rich, soft recipe you were expecting. I wouldn’t use it to make cinnamon rolls, for example.
But in the right recipe with the right supporting ingredients, whole wheat flour can be absolutely delicious. Take my whole wheat pizza dough, for example. It took me 2 weeks of tweaking ingredients to get that perfectly soft and flavorful whole wheat pizza recipe just right. But back to breakfast!
Because whole wheat flour is capable of making pancakes taste like dry hockey pucks, let’s avoid that nonsense by loading the batter with just enough moisture.
Grab These Ingredients:
- Whole Wheat Flour: I usually use King Arthur Baking whole wheat flour, but any brand is fine. You can also use white whole wheat flour.
- Baking Powder + Baking Soda: These are what give the pancakes some lift and make them puff up in the pan. Because whole wheat flour tends to weigh things down, we need to add just enough leavener to aerate the cooking batter without leaving any chemical aftertaste.
- Salt + Cinnamon: For flavor.
- Yogurt: I typically use plain Greek yogurt, but you can use any kind: dairy or nondairy; full-fat, low-fat, or nonfat; plain, vanilla, or honey flavored. You could even use sour cream.
- Milk: Again, these pancakes are great with any type of milk, dairy or nondairy.
- Maple Syrup: Not just for topping! We’re sweetening the batter with it. Make sure you use the pure stuff, not the one labeled “pancake syrup.”
- Eggs: To bind the ingredients together (and for extra protein).
- Vanilla Extract: A kiss of vanilla is the perfect flavor enhancer for these pancakes.
- Coconut Oil: The recipe calls for melted coconut oil, but you could substitute vegetable oil or melted butter if you prefer.
- Blueberries: Obviously! Fresh or frozen both taste great in these pancakes.
Whisk together the dry ingredients in 1 bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients in another, then pour wet into dry and whisk together before you gently fold in the blueberries with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon. Especially if you are using frozen blueberries, you want to use a light hand to incorporate them, because they tend to bleed their juices and, therefore, some color. (But purple pancakes are fun too.)
The results? Fluff city. (The actual technical term.)
Favorite Toppings for Whole Wheat Blueberry Pancakes
A drizzle of maple syrup tastes wonderful on these, of course! As does whipped cream and honey butter. You could also try topping them with some melted peanut butter or homemade almond butter, strawberry topping, raspberry sauce, or lemon curd.
If serving these pancakes for a big brunch, they nestle nicely alongside platters of fresh fruit, eggs, bacon or sausage, mini quiche, frittata, breakfast egg muffins, or ham and potato casserole. Enjoy!
Whole Wheat Blueberry Pancakes
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 4 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 12-14 pancakes
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Cooking
- Cuisine: American
Description
These are 100% whole wheat pancakes that are positively packed with juicy blueberries, protein-rich Greek yogurt, and whole grain goodness. They’re light and fluffy, taste wonderful with maple syrup and/or other pancake toppings, and best of all, the batter comes together in a snap!
Ingredients
- 2 cups (260g) whole wheat flour or white whole wheat flour (spooned & leveled)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 cup (248g) plain Greek yogurt, at room temperature*
- 1 and 1/4 cups (300ml) milk, at room temperature*
- 1/4 cup (60ml) pure maple syrup, at room temperature*
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 3 Tablespoons (42g) coconut oil, melted (or vegetable oil, or melted butter)
- 1 and 3/4 cups (245g) frozen or fresh blueberries*
- for cooking: nonstick cooking spray or butter
Instructions
- In a large bowl preferably with a pour spout, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon together. Set aside.
- In another large bowl, whisk the yogurt, milk, maple syrup, eggs, and vanilla together until combined. Whisk in the oil. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and gently whisk to combine. Make sure there are no patches of dry flour at the bottom of the bowl. The batter is thick and a few lumps are fine. Gently fold in the blueberries. If you are using frozen blueberries, you want to use a light hand when folding because they will bleed some juices and, therefore, some color.
- Let the batter sit for 5 minutes as you heat the stove in the next step. This gives the batter a chance to thicken.
- Meanwhile, heat a griddle or large skillet over medium heat. Coat generously with butter or nonstick cooking spray. Once it’s hot, drop/pour a heaping 1/4 cup of batter on the griddle. Cook until the edges look set and you notice holes in the pancake’s surface around the border, about 2 minutes. Flip and cook the other side until cooked through, about 1–2 more minutes. Coat griddle/skillet with butter or nonstick spray again, if needed, for each batch of pancakes.
- Keep pancakes warm in a preheated 200°F (93°C) oven until all pancakes are cooked. Serve pancakes immediately with toppings of choice.
- Cover and store leftover pancakes in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Notes
- Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: Pancakes freeze well up to 3 months. Reheat frozen pancakes in the microwave. Or you can reheat frozen pancakes in a 350°F (177°C) oven. Place pancakes on a lined baking sheet and cover with aluminum foil. Bake for 6–8 minutes or until defrosted and warm.
- Can I make the batter the night before? No, I don’t recommend it. Baking powder is activated once wet. You can, however, mix the dry ingredients and wet ingredients together and keep them separate and covered in the refrigerator until the morning. (But do not add the melted coconut oil until ready to cook, because that will solidify in the refrigerator.)
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Mixing Bowls (preferably with a pour spout) | Whisk | Electric Griddle, Griddle Pan, or Shallow Skillet/Pan
- Yogurt: You can use regular or Greek yogurt; plain, vanilla, blueberry, and honey-flavored yogurts work well. Nonfat, low fat, full fat—it’s your choice. I usually use 0% (nonfat) plain Greek yogurt. You could also use sour cream.
- Milk: You can use any type of milk, dairy or nondairy, and any fat percentage.
- Sweetener: Honey, coconut sugar, or brown sugar may be substituted for maple syrup in the batter with no other changes.
- Blueberries: If using frozen blueberries, no need to thaw. If you want even more blueberry goodness, increase blueberries up to 2 cups (280g).
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 pancakes
- Calories: 266
- Sugar: 11.5 g
- Sodium: 323.3 mg
- Fat: 8.7 g
- Carbohydrates: 40.5 g
- Fiber: 4.8 g
- Protein: 9.4 g
Reader Comments and Reviews
I was wondering if whole wheat pastry flour could be subbed for regular whole wheat flour?
This recipe sounds delicious! I plan to make it this weekend.
Hi SMS, we haven’t tested whole wheat pastry flour in these pancakes but let us know if you do!
I am trying to reduce my sugar intake and increase my fiber! These were fantastic pancakes. I used sour cream and extra blueberries and my daughter and I loved them!!!
This is a large recipe so I used the extra batter to make pancakes and was going to freeze them; but we ate them the next day! Keep these types of recipes coming!!
These have very good flavor and texture, but they were very thin! I made using the gram measurements in recipe. I’ll try again with a bit more flour.
WOW!! These amazing pancakes are super fluffy and not dry at all for a whole wheat pancake! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe!
These are the first whole wheat pancakes I’ve made that haven’t tasted like cardboard! Sooo delicious and my kids inhaled them this morning. Thank you!!
Eggs, Milk, yogourt and maple syrup are not indicate room temperature . Are they cold out the fridge then?
It’s certainly helpful if these ingredients are at room temperature; the batter comes together much easier.
I’ve used this recipe a few times now and substituted for dairy free because my son is allergic. I use regular flour instead of whole wheat and have swapped out the fruit for other things, too. (Cocoa powder, strawberries, apples, etc.) It’s amazing each time and he can have pancakes again that the whole family will eat.
Great recipe! Didn’t have any syrup so I substituted with apple sauce. It worked out well.
These are without a doubt not only the most delicious WW pancakes I’ve ever made but the most delicious pancakes period. I’ve tried other WW recipes before and they always turn out dry. Only subs I made was using oat/almond milk and unsweetened cashew milk yogurt with vanilla bean (it’s what I had on hand) I had to stop myself from putting another batch in the pan and chowing down. Will freeze the leftover batter. Hope they’re as good the second time. Recipe saved. Thank you!
Easily the best pancakes I’ve made or had, hands down. Cannot WAIT to make them again! I used regular yogurt, since that’s what I had, and they turned out great.
Loved these pancakes. If I were to,substitute with white flour what would the measurements be?
Hi Gina, you can use the same amount of all purpose flour. Glad they were a hit!
I loved these pancakes, and it was my first time using whole wheat flour. If I wanted to make them in a sheet pan rather than regular pancakes, what would you recommend for pan size and temperature/time? Will definitely make again!
Delicious! My teenage boys polished off a full batch of these! I love that it’s made with healthy ingredients, and nobody has to know.
We absolutely love these pancakes! In fact, my husband requested them for his birthday breakfast this morning. I love pancakes but tend yo avoid them in an effort to eat healthy as they always leave me feeling uncomfortably full and sit heavy in my stomach. These are fluffy, flavorful and leave you satisfied without feeling bloated. So glad we found another one of your delicious recipes. Thank you!
This recipe is just like my buckwheat recipe. I’ve found that subbing 1/4 of the flour with oat flour (I blend rolled oats) gives it more lift. Also, try subbing part WHITE buckwheat, if you want fluffier pancakes.
My husband, who loves blueberries, really enjoyed these. Used light tasting olive oil since I didn’t have any coconut oil and wanted to avoid butter to keep these as healthy as possible.
Fantastic! These were so delicious and easy. I never want to use another pancake recipe again.
Have you ever added ground flax or chia seeds?
Hi Chante, we haven’t, but let us know if you give either a try.
Hi! How many calories are in these?
Hi Teeny, We don’t usually include nutrition information as it can vary between different brands of the same ingredients. Plus, many recipes have ingredient substitutions or optional ingredients listed. However, there are many handy online calculators where you can plug in and customize your exact ingredients/brands. Readers have found this one especially helpful: https://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-calculator.asp
Hello Sally,
These look delicious! I’m planning on making these for my three kids tomorrow morning. Sadly, I’m out of butter. Also I don’t have any oil in my house, just olive oil. What is considered “vegetable oil” in the recipe?
Thank you so much!
Maryia
Hi Maryia, Olive oil has a stronger flavor than vegetable or canola oil but in a pinch you can use it here.
These had great texture and flavor. Very hearty!
OMG, I loved this recipe so much! Thank you, Sally! I loved the taste and the blueberries added so much flavor! I already made this recipe 2 times.
can you substitute the whole wheat flour for buckwheat flour? or do half and half?
Hi Sally, thank you for the healthy recipe!! Any chance you could give the baking soda and baking powder measurements in grams as well? In Europe I can’t get ahold of a proper teaspoon and tablespoon measure.
Hi Camille, 1 teaspoon of baking powder is 4 grams, so you’d need 8 grams for this recipe. 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda is 3 grams. I hope this helps!
They are an absolute bomb! Best pancake recipe ever! For real! Although we got about twice the amount of pancakes that we were expecting!
Could we halve the recipe?
The whole family Loved these I subbed with coconut yogurt and yogurt for my son who doesn’t handle dairy well, and they were beyond delicious!
Hey Sally!
Yesterday we made these pancakes and everyone said they were delicious! We wanted to ask if this could be a base healthy pancake recipe and then alternate the fruit from blueberries to whatever is in season? Like replace the blueberries with the same weight of banana or raspberry?
Thanks again for the recipe! We looove this blog
Olatz
You can definitely use different add-ins including berries/chopped fruit/banana. If you want to add mashed banana, I recommend my whole wheat banana pancakes.
made these for my mom on mother’s day! she loved them – I used oat milk and agave, ran out of baking powder so I put in a little more baking soda – still turned out great!
Hubby loved them
They turned out wonderfully! I used plain yogurt and whole milk. All your recpies rock, thank you Sally!
Made exactly as written. These pancakes are perfect and delicious in every way!