Blueberry Buttermilk Pancakes

We recently got another Jersey Milking Cow here at Family Friendly Farms (read about it all on our Storytime Blog!). While we don't have milk just yet - we're waiting for Little Daisy to calve - there were a few meals in the past that we absolutely LOVED making all the time with fresh milk from our previous dairy cow, LadyAt the time we also had blueberry bushes so we were getting fresh milk, fresh berries, and fresh eggs to make these deliciously hearty pancakes! With a house full of growing kids and young adults (both then AND now), these were a great option to keep everyone not only fed but full too!

What is buttermilk, though? In order to make butter, you need to separate the cream from the milk and basically "beat" the cream until butter curds begin to form (believe it or not you can accomplish this in the food processor - it saves SO much time!). Whatever liquid is left over after separating out the butter curds is called "buttermilk." This liquid can be a little sour or downright odd tasting if you try and drink a glass of it so this recipe was our solution so that everything got used up!

Don't worry if you don't have access to fresh buttermilk (or homegrown blueberries and eggs), this recipe is still delicious and healthy with ingredients from the store.

We hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do!

Blueberry Oatmeal Buttermilk Pancakes

INGREDIENTS
• 1.5 cups old-fashioned oatmeal (not instant)
• 2 cups buttermilk (hopefully straight from the farm!)
• 3 eggs (you can tell farm fresh eggs by how yellow the yolk is)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or 0.5 teaspoon almond extract
• 1 cup white flour (1.5 cups almond flour for gluten-free)
• 1 teaspoon each of baking power, baking soda, salt, & cinnamon
• 2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
• Milk or water to add until desired consistency (it can get thick)
• Butter or coconut oil for grilling
**sometimes we like to add chia seeds or protein powder for an extra punch — feel free to play with the recipe!

DIRECTIONS
1. Soak the oatmeal in the buttermilk overnight.
2. In the morning, combine all the wet ingredients and then one at a time add the dry ingredients, stirring fully between each item.
3. Carefully fold in the blueberries
4. Coat your griddle or pan with butter or coconut oil and pour your batter in at the sizes you want! The more oil the crispier the edges will be 😋
5. Serve with maple syrup, local honey, fresh jam, or more fruit!
**for meal prep place a square of parchment paper in between each pancake and stick in the freezer; when you’re ready just pop them in the toaster!