Strawberry Pancakes

I've been making this recipe for over 15 years; I originally developed it way back when we lived in Saudi Arabia, and I had easy access to leben (similar to our American buttermilk) and tried to incorporate it into almost everything! These sweet little strawberry pancakes are packed with fresh berries, made with whole grains, and feature plenty of tangy buttermilk, which gives flavor and a tender texture.

I've adjusted the recipe in this post a bit over the last decade, tweaking it to work for gluten-free as well as non-gluten-free palates. I used to mix the strawberries straight into the batter, but now add them individually to pancakes to suit everyone's taste (I like a lot of strawberries, my oldest likes a tad less!).

The original recipe called for spelt flour, a wonderful whole grain flour milled from an ancient grain that's a bit sweeter and nuttier than whole wheat flour, and it still works beautifully in these pancakes. An easy gluten-free swap is my favorite oat flour, or you can use regular whole wheat flour. Pancakes are a great choice for whole grain flour, as they are already pretty rustic and forgiving.

Serve these strawberry pancakes with a little melted butter, a drizzle of salted caramel sauce or maple syrup, and more strawberries alongside.

Why Make Strawberry Pancakes?

Why not?! If you love adding extras to your oat flour pancakes or oatmeal pancakes, strawberries are a natural fit. They add a bit of natural sweetness to whatever you add them to (gluten free strawberry loaf cake, anyone?) and are high in vitamin C and other nutrients. And, they are just so delicious. I love these pancakes because they're:

• So summery. Strawberries just feel like pure summer to me. Sure, you can buy them all year round, but they are at their absolute best during peak summer season. If you grow your own strawberries, this recipe is such a nice way to showcase them.
• Naturally sweetened. Just maple syrup plus the slight sweetness of whole grain flour is all you need to sweeten these pancakes!
• Packed with whole grains. What can I say, I am a fan of whole grains. Not only do they deliver fiber and protein, I love how they add extra flavor and texture to recipes. So you can enjoy the taste AND the extra nutrition in every bite of these little hot cakes.

Ingredients Needed

Here's what you need to make strawberry pancakes. Make sure to scroll down to my recipe card at the bottom of this post for the full ingredient amounts and instructions!

• Butter - Unsalted butter is best, and I also like to make this recipe using melted coconut oil.
• Maple syrup - Swap sugar or honey if needed.
• Eggs - Large eggs are best.
• Buttermilk - Real buttermilk is so nice here if you can get it. If you don't have it, add 1 tablespoon of vinegar per cup of milk, let sit for 10 minutes, then use in the recipe. I'll pop in another buttermilk substitution option in the tips section.
• Flour - I prefer whole grain flour, always! Especially when I'm serving these to my girls. You can use spelt flour, which is how I originally developed this recipe, or whole wheat flour. For a gluten-free version, use oat flour or brown rice flour. You may of course use all-purpose flour if you prefer!
• Rising agents - A mix of baking powder and baking soda.
• Salt - Use fine sea salt or table salt.
• Ground cinnamon
• Strawberries - I really recommend using fresh strawberries in this recipe. Frozen strawberries will release too much water into the batter, causing the pancakes to get mushy and have a difficult time cooking all the way through. See my note on how to add the strawberries later in this post.

Variation Ideas/Etc

• Same idea, different fruit - Use the batter to make any-fruit-you-love pancakes. Blueberries are a classic choice, and I also loved chopped peaches in season. The possibilities are almost endless!
• Add chocolate - Need I say more? Mini chocolate chips + strawberries in the pancakes are *chef's kiss!

Tips & Recipe Notes

• Buttermilk substitute - The easiest way to substitute for buttermilk is the vinegar+milk trick (1 tablespoon vinegar added to 1 cup milk). However, if I can, I like to mix ½ cup plain or Greek yogurt with ½ cup of milk per cup of buttermilk. I find this mimics the flavor of buttermilk much better.
• For perfectly cooked pancakes: Cook the pancakes on a lower heat until the top begins to bubble, then flip them over and cook for a few more minutes until they're a deep golden brown.
• Heat the pan enough. Set the pan over medium heat, let it heat for a few minutes, then flick a few drops of water on the surface. If they sizzle and disperse, the pan is ready for the pancake batter. If the pan isn't hot enough, the pancakes will cook unevenly.
• Grease the pan well. Don't skimp on greasing the pan! This will help the pancakes to flip easily.
• To make dairy-free - Use coconut oil and substitute your favorite non-dairy milk + vinegar for the buttermilk.

How to Store and Reheat

• Fridge - Place pancakes in a sealable bag and refrigerate for up to 5 days.
• Freezer - Transfer the cooled pancakes to a freezer-safe bag - place a piece of parchment paper in between each one for easy removal - and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw in the fridge before eating.
• To Reheat - Place pancakes on a microwave-safe plate and microwave for 30 seconds per pancake.