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Blue Cornmeal Pancakes are an easy homemade breakfast recipe with a wonderful gritty texture that is a refreshing change from a standard buttermilk pancake.
Why this recipe works:
Have you ever had blue corn pancakes? If not, you are in for a real treat.
The pancakes are light and fluffy, but have this amazing flavor and texture that is unlike any other pancake you’ve ever had.
There is something magical about them that make you crave them for days, weeks, even months after you eat them.
Here’s how to make them:
- The first step is to combine the cornmeal with a teaspoon of salt and a tablespoon of sugar. This mixture gets mixed together and then covered with a cup of boiling water. Add a cover to trap the steam and give it a few minutes to soften the corn meal.
- Next you’ll combine all of the wet ingredients and then mix those with the softened cornmeal.
- Finally, you’ll combine the flour and baking powder and then stir those dry ingredients into the cornmeal mixture.
- You’ll cook these pancakes the same way you cook most other pancakes on a greased griddle over low heat.
Cooking tips for perfect results:
- I love cooking with blue cornmeal because of the amazing color, but you can use standard medium grind yellow cornmeal instead and it will taste pretty much the same.
- As with any pancake recipe, you don’t want to over mix the batter. Stir just until it is combined and a few small lumps are totally fine.
- Low and slow is the best way to cook a pancake. A medium low heat will allow the center to get fully cooked.
- Only flip your pancakes once! That’s how you can keep them light and fluffy.
Other great pancake recipes:
- Banana Pancakes – with mashed banana mixed into the batter
- Heart Beet Pancakes – roasted beet, buttermilk, and a bit of cocoa powder make these surprisingly delicious as well as light and fluffy
- Gingerbread Pancakes – super fun at Christmas time
- Whole Wheat Buttermilk Pancakes – a nice change from all-purpose flour
- Sweet Potato Pancakes – full of great flavor
- Pumpkin Buttermilk Pancakes – love making these in the fall
- Banana Mac Pancakes with Coconut Syrup – Hawaiian inspired!
- S’mores Pancakes – as naughty as they sound
- Lemon Blueberry Buttermilk Pancakes – my kids favorite with lemon zest and fresh blueberries
- Buckwheat Pancakes – Delicious gluten free pancake recipe with a wonderful gritty texture.
Did you make these Blue Cornmeal Pancakes? Please leave me a comment below to let me know what you think!
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Equipment
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup blue cornmeal
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 cup boiling water
- 1 large egg beaten
- 1/2 cup milk
- 2 tablespoons butter melted
- 3/4 cup all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, mix together the blue cornmeal, salt, and sugar. Stir in the boiling water until all of the ingredients are wet. Cover, and let stand for a few minutes.
- In a measuring cup, combine the milk, egg, and melted butter. Stir the milk mixture into the cornmeal mixture.
- Combine the flour and the baking powder. Stir into the cornmeal mixture until just incorporated.
- Heat a large skillet over medium low heat and grease it with a dab of butter.
- Spoon batter onto hot skillet, and when the entire surface of the pancakes are covered with bubbles, flip them over. and cook the other side until golden. Serve immediately with pure maple syrup.
Notes
Cooking tips for perfect results:
- I love cooking with blue cornmeal because of the amazing color, but you can use standard medium grind yellow cornmeal instead and it will taste pretty much the same.
- As with any pancake recipe, you don’t want to over mix the batter. Stir just until it is combined and a few small lumps are totally fine.
- Low and slow is the best way to cook a pancake. A medium low heat will allow the center to get fully cooked.
- Only flip your pancakes once! That’s how you can keep them light and fluffy.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This recipe was originally published in February 2015 and has been updated with more information and cooking tips. Don’t worry – the recipe hasn’t been changed!
Used organic corn flour because that’s the way the ancestors developed the use of corn (nixtamatle, or lime enzymes) which makes it more nutritious
Don’t get me wrong I love cornbread but I always have a little something alarm go off.
Substituting the flour with chocolate protein powder and peanut butter powder. There’s organic stevia in the protein powder so I didn’t add sugar.
The diabetic spouse just checked his blood sugar and it’s only 140, which is very good for after a meal for a diabetic.
They were fabulous.
Thank you for the recipe.
God bless you,
Mona
I’ve been making these with your recipe since 2021. I love them! I first had them while traveling on Navajo Nation in Arizona. I was so happy to find your recipe so I could make them at home.
I don’t feel sick after eating them like I did when I ate buttermilk pancakes. They offer the whole grain nutrition of blue cornmeal, and keep me satisfied for hours.
Thank you so much!
I love them too. Thanks for the great comment!
Just made these this morning. They were light and delicious. I made the recipe for 4 servings. It was a bit thick so I added a little more milk. I also added sliced bananas. My husband loved them. I did too. 🙂
I live in New Mexico and these pancakes are delicious. Better than the restaurants. We added blueberries and pine nuts…and a touch of vanilla. Wonderful!
Made these with gluten free 1to1 flour and added a few pine nuts on the top when cooking. Very tasty.
Excellent! I added piñon nuts while in the griddle.
Tried them today. Excellent!
Tried these for Christmas breakfast. I added pinon nuts. Delicious. Will definitely try them again.
Add roasted pinon to the pancakes, the way we have them in northern New Mexico. YUMMILICIOUSNESS
I’ve been meaning to try this recipe, and finally got around to it! I added blueberries to half of the pancakes (once they were on the griddle), and made the other half plain.
SO good!! Next up will be playing around a bit to make blue corn crepes!