Brown Butter Blueberry Sourdough Pancakes stacked on plate with whipped cream and berries

Brown Butter Blueberry Sourdough Pancakes

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About This Recipe

Pancakes are so comforting to me! They were hands-down my favorite breakfast as a kid, and even now, they’re one of the things I look forward to most on a slow weekend morning. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve found myself gravitating toward simple seasonal ingredients, and blueberry pancakes are at the top of that list. Especially during the summer when blueberries are at their peak. Sweet, juicy berries tucked into a stack of fluffy pancakes just feel like the perfect way to start the weekend and celebrate summer.

These Brown Butter Sourdough Blueberry Pancakes take that childhood favorite and give it a fun, lil’ grown-up twist. The brown butter adds a rich, nutty depth of flavor, while the sourdough brings a subtle tang that balances the sweetness of the blueberries beautifully. They’re soft, fluffy, and packed with jammy blueberry flavor in every bite. This is exactly the kind of breakfast my 8-year-old self would have been thrilled to wake up to… Enjoy!

Key Ingredients

Blueberries – The star of these pancakes– adding juicy bursts of sweetness in every bite! During the summer months, fresh blueberries are especially flavorful and make these pancakes feel magical. Their natural sweetness pairs so beautifully with the nutty brown butter and tangy sourdough.

Brown Butter – Adds a rich, nutty depth of flavor to the pancakes that takes them far beyond a regular stack. As the butter cooks, the milk solids caramelize, creating warm, toasty notes that complement the blueberries and buttermilk perfectly.

Sourdough Discard – Gives these pancakes a subtle tang and incredible depth of flavor. It also helps create a soft, tender texture and is a great way to use up sourdough discard if you have it on hand.

Lemon Zest – Brightens these pancakes with fresh citrus notes that enhance the blueberries and balance the richness of the brown butter. It brings a light, vibrant lift to every bite.

Sugar – Adds just the right touch of sweetness while helping the pancakes develop a golden, caramelized edge as they cook. When rubbed with lemon zest, it becomes even more fragrant and flavorful.

Baking Soda & Baking Powder – Work together in Brown Butter Sourdough Blueberry Pancakes to create light, fluffy pancakes with the perfect lift. The baking soda reacts with the sourdough’s natural acidity, while baking powder ensures a soft, airy texture.

All-Purpose Flour & Salt – Provides the structure for Brown Butter Sourdough Blueberry Pancakes, while salt enhances all the flavors and balances the sweetness. Together, they create a sturdy yet tender base that holds the blueberries beautifully.

Buttermilk – Adds a subtle tang and helps create an incredibly tender, fluffy texture. Its natural acidity reacts with the baking soda to give the pancakes lift, resulting in light, airy stacks with a soft crumb.

Vanilla Extract – Adds warmth and depth to Brown Butter Sourdough Blueberry Pancakes, tying together the brown butter, blueberries, and lemon. It adds a familiar, cozy flavor that makes each bite feel comforting and complete.

FAQ’s

Sourdough discard is simply unfed sourdough starter that is removed during the regular feeding process. Most home starters are 100% hydration, meaning they are made with equal parts flour and water by weight, and that’s exactly what you’ll typically use in recipes like these pancakes. Even though it’s called “discard,” there’s nothing wrong with it. It is just the portion you don’t feed when refreshing your starter- and you can now use for these pancakes!

It’s best to cook the batter right after mixing for the fluffiest pancakes. If needed, you can refrigerate it for a few hours, but the pancakes may lose a little rise as the baking soda activates early.

Yes, frozen blueberries work well. Add them straight from frozen—don’t thaw them first—to prevent the batter from turning purple and watery.

This usually happens if the batter is overmixed or if the leavening agents are old. Mix just until combined and make sure your baking soda and baking powder are fresh.

You can, but you’ll lose a lot of the signature nutty flavor. Regular melted butter will still work, but brown butter really elevates the pancakes.

A short rest (10–15 minutes) can help hydrate the flour and improve texture, but don’t let it sit too long or the leavening will lose its power.

That’s totally fine! If you don’t, I recommend increasing the flour to 1 ½ cups (180 g) and the buttermilk to 1 ¼ cups (300 ml), then continuing with the recipe as written.

Helpful Tips

Brown the butter until deeply golden: Don’t rush this step—the milk solids should turn a rich amber color and smell nutty. That’s where the flavor comes from.

Don’t overmix the batter: Lumps are okay. Overmixing develops gluten and leads to tough, dense pancakes instead of soft and fluffy ones.

Fold blueberries in gently: If using fresh berries, fold them in at the very end to avoid crushing and streaking the batter.

Use medium-low heat for cooking: Too high heat will brown the outside before the inside cooks through. Slow and steady gives you golden, even pancakes.

Let the pan heat properly: A properly preheated pan ensures even cooking and helps create that golden, slightly crisp edge.

Don’t press the pancakes down: It’s tempting, but pressing releases air and makes them less fluffy.

Keep cooked pancakes warm: Place finished pancakes on a baking sheet in a low oven (around 200°F / 95°C) so they stay warm while you finish the batch.

Serve immediately for best texture: These pancakes are at their fluffiest and most tender right off the pan, especially with warm butter and maple syrup.

More Recipes!

Here are some more recipes you might enjoy!

Blueberry Muffin Loaf with Streusel Topping

Small Batch Cinnamon Rolls

Cinnamon Roll Banana Bread

Classic Maple Glazed Donuts

Strawberry Swirl Banana Bread

If you try this recipe, I would love your feedback! Please leave a star rating, a comment below or on the reel in Instagram! Also please share what you made and tag @eatatmaudes !! Thank you so much for stopping by and making yumminess with me!

Brown Butter Blueberry Sourdough Pancakes stacked on plate with whipped cream and berries

Brown Butter Blueberry Sourdough Pancakes

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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes

Servings

8-10 pancakes

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Equipment

Ingredients 

Brown Butter Blueberry Sourdough Pancakes

  • 1/2 cup (120 g) sourdough discard (100% hydration)
  • 1 + 1/4 cups (150 g) all-purpose flour
  • 3 tbsp (38 g) granulated sugar
  • 1 tsp (2 g) lemon zest
  • 3 tsp (8 g) baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp (1 g) baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp (3 g) salt
  • 1/2 cup (115 g) unsalted butter, for browning
  • 1 1/2 tsp (6 g) pure vanilla extract
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 cup (240 ml) buttermilk, room temp
  • 1 cup (150 g) fresh blueberries
  • 1 tbsp (14 g) butter, for cooking

Instructions 

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  • To begin, combine the lemon zest and sugar in a small bowl. Using your fingertips, rub the zest into the sugar until it becomes fragrant and slightly damp. **This helps release the natural oils from the zest, infusing the sugar with bright lemon flavor and giving the pancakes an extra boost of citrus. Set the bowl to the side to rest.
  • For the brown butter, add 1/2 cup of butter to a small saucepan and cook over low/medium heat. Cook until butter foams and starts to emit a warm, nutty fragrance (this could take several minutes). Once butter is browned, immediately remove from the heat and pour into a large heatproof bowl. Let the butter cool.
  • In a medium bowl, using a whisk or fork, gently mix flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt until well combined.
  • Once butter has cooled, add the sourdough, eggs, vanilla, lemon sugar and buttermilk. Using a whisk, gently mix until everything is incorporated. Add dry ingredients and mix gently. Switch to a rubber spatula and add about 3/4 cup blueberries and fold gently (reserve about 1/4 cup of blueberries for cooking)
    • As you mix, you want those dry ingredients to disappear but you need to be gentle, we don't want to over mix. Cover the mixture with plastic wrap, and let it rest for about 5 minutes. This rest time allows the sourdough and buttermilk to react with the leavening and hydrate the flour fully.
  • In a large skillet, over low/medium heat, place 1 tsp of butter and let that melt. Use a 1/4 cup measuring cup to scoop the batter and spoon it into the pan. **Note: Batter will be thick, thats okay! You can use a spoon or a knife to help smooth the batter into a circle in the skillet.
  • Once the pancake begins to cook, add a couple of blueberries. Let the edges set and bubbles form on top of the pancakes. Using a spatula, flip the pancake and cook the other side. About 1-2 minutes on each side. Pancakes should look golden and edges should be set.
    • After each pancake, add a small cube of butter to the pan, to keep the pancakes from sticking.
  • Stack and enjoy with syrup, more butter and blueberries!
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