In the Kitchen, Minnesota, Wisconsin

Fluffy Blueberry Pancakes

by Ingrid
Split Rock Lighthouse North Shore Lake Superior Minnesota

What do blueberries and video making have in common? Well, dear friends, please read on.

The month of September was a little overwhelming for me, but mostly in a good way. The month started off great with a small family reunion in northern Wisconsin which included a visit from our daughter along with Al’s other sister and her husband. For those new here, Al and I spent a fantastic summer camped at his youngest sister’s lakefront property near Hayward, Wisconsin. Special memories were created this past summer along with that week-long visit from additional family members.

The month ended with us moving our two storage units in southern Colorado (after purging) to Phoenix, Arizona. To say that move was exhausting and stressful might be an understatement. I’ll save that tale for another post. Let’s talk about the fun stuff first, and that includes that visit from our daughter.

foggy morning at Enger Park in Duluth Minnesota
Enger Park, Duluth MN

A mother/daughter photo-op getaway!

Not one to pass up a chance for a mother/daughter getaway, shortly after her arrival in Wisconsin, I quickly arranged a 48-hour trip for just my daughter, Ashton, and myself. The other family members didn’t mind since they themselves were enthralled in catching up with one another.

Our first stop was to Lake Superior’s north shore near Duluth, Minnesota. My daughter had never been to this part of the country before and I was eager to share a little slice from my past with her.

She fell in love with the landscape as I knew she would. Gosh, what’s not to love? The spectacular scenery includes seven state parks, several waterfalls, small shoreline towns with restaurants and unique shops, and Lake Superior lighthouses.

Since my daughter shares my interest in photography, this trip was geared with photo-ops in mind. And let me tell you, this part of the U.S. will not disappoint a shutterbug.

After exploring the shoreline from Duluth to the Split Rock Lighthouse, we returned to Duluth where I had snagged us a room at The Inn on Lake Superior. Canal Park is considered the entertainment district of Duluth and we really enjoyed strolling the area and taking more photographs.

Two Harbors
Duluth Harbor
Duluth Harbor
Mocha Moose Cafe along the scenic drive west of Two Harbors. Perfect stop!
A shutterbug’s delight

(To enlarge a photo in a gallery, simply click on any image)

The following day, we drove to Lake Superior’s south shore in northern Wisconsin; a place I only discovered this past summer. I have fallen in love with this part of Wisconsin and found myself returning to Bayfield multiple times during our summer northern Wisconsin stay. If you enjoy kayaking then the little town of Cornucopia and Meyers Beach are not to be missed. The ‘sea caves’ along Lake Superiors coastline provide visitors with an extraordinary kayaking experience.

Lake Superior beach in Cornucopia, Wisconsin
Beach in Cornucopia, WI

Let’s go blueberry picking!

Not only is the Bayfield Peninsula known as the Gateway to the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, but it’s also known for the abundance of fruit farms dotting the landscape. Since Ashton had never visited a ‘pick your own‘ type of farm before, I knew I had to share this experience with her. Unfortunately, our timing wasn’t the greatest in early September. The blueberries were at the tail-end of their season and the apples weren’t quite ready for picking.

However, there were still some bushes with blueberries here and there for her to pick and eat right off the bush so she could enjoy the overall experience, and the farm still had prepicked blueberries for us to purchase. Therefore, we did not return home empty-handed.

An apple orchard in northern Wisconsin Blue Vista Farm
Apple Orchard

How to make the best blueberry pancakesMy sister-in-law and I had visited the Blue Vista Farm a few weeks earlier (mid-August) when the bushes were loaded with berries and picked nearly 5 pounds of blueberries.

Once those berries were washed and divided, I went into baking mode and stocked my sister-in-law’s freezer with treats centered around blueberries. I don’t think any of the family members complained about eating blueberry pancakes, blueberry coffee cake, blueberry scones or muffins. Nope, not at all!

Everyone loves my pancakes and they’re always a hit. So much so, that my adult children still frequently request them. Therefore, blueberry pancakes became a regular part of the weekly menu for our guest’s during their Northwoods visit.

Just in case you’re interested here’s the recipe, and do me a favor, throw that box mix away. I promise you won’t need it after you try these šŸ¤—

Fluffy Blueberry Pancakes that are super easy to make!

Easy Fluffy Blueberry Pancakes

  • Difficulty: easy
  • Print

Dry Ingredients
blueberry pancakes topped with banana slices1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3 Tablespoons granulated sugar
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

Wet Ingredients
2 large eggs
1 1/4 cups milk (or 1 cup water plus 1 Tablespoon brewed coffee)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 Tablespoons melted butter (unsalted)

1 cup fresh blueberries

Directions
Melt the butter and set aside. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients. In a 2 cup measuring cup, whisk together the wet ingredients and add the melted butter. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix until all ingredients are fully combined. Fold in blueberries.

Heat a greased griddle or frying pan with either butter or non-stick cooking spray. Ladle batter onto the grill. Flip once the edges are browned. Once fully cooked through, serve pancakes topped with butter, maple syrup, or bananas.

Recipe by Ingrid @LiveLaughRV.com

Recipe Variation

I do change up the recipe from time to time depending on what fruit is in season or add some chopped walnuts to the batter and top them off with banana slicesĀ  It’s not uncommon for us not to have real milk in our RV fridge and I’ll use almond milk instead. Lately, we haven’t even had almond milk in the RV. So, what to do? These days, instead of milk, I use 1 cup of water with 1 Tablespoon of brewed coffee added and they turn out quite tasty. Seriously, give it a try. My daughter thinks they taste better with the water/coffee mixture than they do made with milk.

Oh, and there’s more blueberry recipes to be had. Are you interested?

Till next time …. Ingrid

(Thank you for using my affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases and really appreciate your support ā¤)

OXO Good Grips Non-Stick 12″ Open Frypan
Pyrex Glass Mixing Bowl Set (3-Piece)
Lucky Brand Women’s Floral Printed Peasant Top

Wholesale Warranty

88 thoughts on “Fluffy Blueberry Pancakes”

  3. Ingrid, you did a great job with your video. You seem so comfortable in front of the camera. šŸ™‚ And your photography is beautiful, as always. The Twin Harbors lighthouse in the fog is especially stunning.

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    1. Awe, thank you Laurel. I really appreciate your comment. When my daughter and I arrived to Duluth covered in a thick layer of fog, we were giddy with delight. We knew it would make for a morning of fun photography.

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  4. Great job on the video, Ingrid. It was as good as any Iā€™ve seen on Food Network. How you managed to talk while lighting the stove and spooning the batter into the pan is a mystery to me. If I had done that I would have caught myself on fire and plopped the batter on the floor. Looking forward to more videos in the future.

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    1. Thank you so much Linda. That was my first attempt at this video stuff. I’m still not sure what direction I’m going with it, but as long as I find it fun, I’ll probably play around with more content. BTW … went to Trader Joe’s after you guys left Phx – 21 spice and apple blossoms šŸ‘šŸ˜‹

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Great! The 21 Spices has so much flavor itā€™s perfect as a replacement for salt. And who doesnā€™t love waking up to the smell of apple blossoms baking in the oven? Enjoy!

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        1. Yep, those apple blossoms were very tasty. Guess I’ll be making another visit to TJ’s soon! My waistline does not thank you for introducing these to me šŸ˜…

          Liked by 1 person

  8. Youā€™ve been having a busy fall, Ingrid. Iā€™m glad you managed to catch up with family, especially your daughter. You guys always do so many fun things together. I love your photo collage of that trip. Wisconsin offers a lot of beauty! Iā€™m not familiar with the area and would like to check it out one summer (despite the bugs).

    Good for you for trying out videos. Iā€™m one of the few people who prefer to look at photos and feel like I donā€™t have time to watch YouTube or other videos, unfortunately. But, your recipe looks delicious. We make our pancakes from scratch as well (I donā€™t even know how the ones from boxes taste like) and use water instead of milk. I love them – simple and delicious. Mark tried his recipe with almond milk once (heā€™s allergic to cow milk), but – like your daughter – I liked the water-version better.

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    1. Yes, we’ve had a very busy and productive couple of months. I think things will start settling down now that we’re all set up for our winter stay. Like you, I think I will always be partial to still photography, but I believe there’s a time and place for video. And now that I have unlimited internet at my site, I’m gorging šŸ¤£.
      Perhaps on one of your trips to or from the east coast, you should pass through the UP and northern WI. You’d love it … in the summer and coated with bug spray šŸ˜‰

      Liked by 1 person

  9. Oh, that path does look inviting as does the blueberry pancakes. I am a big fan of blueberries. At the moment I have to do with frozen ones. You would certainly never run out of destinations to visit in America. New Zealand, on the other hand, is a different story, having said that places change, and so have our choice of activities.

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    1. America is vast with such a diverse landscape that it would be difficult to get bored as a traveler. Now that blueberry season is behind us, I too am left with the frozen variety. But I have next season in northern Wisconsin to look forward to.
      My daughter had an opportunity to be a nanny in NZ for a dear friend of hers (they met while studying at Macquarie University in Sydney). Fortunately, for my sake she declined, but she loves NZ and did seriously consider the move.

      Liked by 1 person

  10. Ingrid, I have to agree with several other commenters who said that you’re a natural in front of the camera. It’s true! In the beginning, you seemed a little more hesitant but, as the video went on, it became obvious that you were feeling more at ease. Your speech became less practiced and more natural, and I think we were seeing more of the real you when you were making those delicious looking pancakes. (See, you got better ALREADY!) Honestly, if you have fun with your videos, I think your enthusiasm will continue to shine through and delight your audience, just as with your still photography. Nicely done!

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    1. Oh Mary, what a kind comment, thank you. It is a little nerve wracking putting yourself out there on video especially since I’m one of those people who can’t talk on stage. So it’s surprising me that I’ve actually had fun making a few videos. I’ll post a video of my daughter and me at Disney in a couple of weeks, I was nervous in that one, but I think all the people around us made me feel awkward. I’m sure that’ll get easier.šŸ¤ž

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  11. Nicely done on the video and the pancake recipe looks terrific, Ingrid! Gorgeous pics and I LOVE the lighthouse ones. We don’t see lighthouses like that around here or on our coast much.
    We are looking forward to our upcoming Arizona road trip right after Christmas. This year we plan to linger longer in Phoenix but I’m not yet sure of the exact dates, although we are interested in arriving at Pioneer RV park Dec 27 or 28 and staying there until at least until Jan 2. From there we will likely go straight to Vegas again for a few days.

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    1. Thanks Terri! We’ll be sure and block some time to get together during your AZ trip, and if you’re lucky, I may even make these pancakes for you. Let’s hope the weather this year is better than last year. Brrr, that was cold.
      I loved all the lighthouses around Lake Superior. Visiting all the lighthouses would make for a fun travel itinerary. Although, Al may beg to differ šŸ˜†

      Liked by 1 person

  12. Your photos are stunning, Ingrid. I especially like the one with a brick (I think) walkway on a misty day. As I scroll further, all of your photos are beautiful. I have fond memories of picking blueberries as a child. It sounds like everyone benefited from your blueberry haul. Interesting how you added the coffee to the recipe. Likely, a secret ingredient. A fun video. I admire your courage, Ingrid trying out something new. Good for you!

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    1. Thank you Erica. My daughter and I were thrilled with the foggy morning – made for interesting photography.
      When we would vacation in western Ontario, we always enjoyed the wild blueberries, but always kept an eye out for black bear considering we were picking from ‘their’ bushes. As long as the videos remain fun, I’ll probably continue making a them. Any particular content you would be interested in seeing?

      Liked by 1 person

  13. Yay…you did a video! I havenā€™t done my second yet but I do plan to do one soon. Realize, ā€œsoonā€ is a relative word. šŸ¤Ŗ Such a pretty place. I made pancakes for dinner yesterday but not yummy blueberry banana ones. Iā€™ll have to stop by the next time you make them! šŸ˜‰

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    1. Oh, I totally understand the meaning of “soon” LOL. Definitely a relative term. I’d love to see your video. I have a few more in the pipeline and then I’m struggling with content. Half my readers do not RV so I don’t think I want to focus solely on RVing. What kind of content would be of interest to you and where can I find your video?

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  15. Congrats on your video! I know how much work those are. I used to travel to Duluth every few weeks for work. Great town, so much to see and do up there. Say hi to Al for us!

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    1. Al says ‘hi’ back. Every time I visited Duluth and drove by the Cub Foods, I thought of you. Don’t you feel special? šŸ˜‚ We absolutely loved our summer in the Midwest, but totally understand why you chose South Dakota as home. We may swing by your place for a couple of days next summer on our way back to WI. What’s that you say? You’ll be out of town??? šŸ¤£

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    1. We too enjoyed our visit to that part of the Midwest. So much so, that we plan on returning next summer. My list of places I want to visit is long. The pancakes are indeed yummy and there’s nothing better than adding freshly picked blueberries.

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  17. You are a natural! And video adds a such a human touch to the blog. And especially when you are in front of the camera… I applaud you. Itā€™s not easy. šŸ‘šŸ»šŸ‘šŸ»

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  18. So you did it! Yay! Well done!

    Itā€™s hard isnā€™t it? Actually itā€™s not hard but the hard part is the ā€œcringeā€ we all do when we see it. I have done it on IG stories… I hate hearing my voice and I tend to look off camera a lot. I did one in Italy using a selfie stick and I was so aware of people looking at me. Maybe after doing it over and over it can get easier…? ? Many Bloggers I follow (DIY, HOME DECOR etc.) use IG stories to market their blogs and some have added You Tube. So keep on doing it… practice makes perfect! And who knows… you may get a Gimble!

    Your trip with your daughter sounded wonderful! Looking forward to the video! And glad you took me up on making Blueberry Pancakes! Yum!

    How about a get together this week?

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    1. Oh, trust me, I’ve been on the B&H website drooling over new gear. Baby steps! I’ve only done one IG story and should really do more.
      The trip with Ashton was awesome and the post and video for that trip is almost done.
      Would love to get together. Let’s talk soon šŸ˜Š

      Liked by 1 person

  19. Watch out! The Food Network will be picking you up. šŸ™‚ Congratulations on a fine video. What supreme weather you had. It’s nice to see you and hear your voice!

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    1. Haha! We had a fantastic summer and lucked out with some really nice weather. Oh sure, we had some severe storms roll through, but overall it was great. We’ll see if I keep up with this video stuff … I need to stop cringing first šŸ˜†

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  21. Congratulations on our first video! You do look natural, not self-conscious at all. I might just copy your pancake recipe because blueberry is my all-time fave fruit!
    I have done movie making for our family reunion but rarely in front of the camera, I am too self-conscious about it šŸ™‚ Keep it up and would like to see more of your vlogging!

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    1. Awe, thank you ML. I know you and I are definitely more comfortable behind the camera than in front of the camera.
      I remember you making us your scones that were absolutely delish. Maybe you can email me your recipe and I’ll make a video. I still have some WI blueberries in the freezer that I’ve been saving for something special.

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  23. Sounds like a great mother/daughter trip. I love blueberries and although I don’t eat pancakes I may try your recipe when we are home to share with the grankids. I can’t offer any input on your youtube video because I don’t watch them but I bet you did a great job … have fun with this new venture šŸ™‚

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    1. You should try the pancakes. The grankids will love them and you might too. Homemade is the best as you’ve recently experienced while visiting …. some ‘removed’ cousin šŸ˜†

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  24. Hi, Ingrid – I loved the video. I would honestly have never guessed that this was your first. You are a natural in front of the camera. And thank you for sharing your pancake recipe. I look forward to trying it (I am very curious about the addition of brewed coffee). šŸ˜€

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    1. After my daughter watched the video, she exclaimed, “no wonder your pancakes always taste better than mine”. She always made them with milk but prefers the water/coffee mixture in lieu of milk.
      And thank you for your kind words. I need all the encouragement I can get šŸ˜Š

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  26. For some reason, I cannot get your video to play on my phone. Probably user error, but Iā€™ll try again next time Iā€™m in front of my regular computer. Either way, Iā€™m sure it was nerve wracking, but Iā€™m also sure itā€™ll be great! And it can only get easier with experience. I never really looked into the video thing just because I know itā€™s a ton of work (and Iā€™m inherently lazy šŸ˜‚), but they are fun to watch and weā€™ve learned a ton about RV stuff from watching them. So, good luck! Iā€™ll be rooting for you!

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    1. Thank you Laura. I too had issues with the video loading and got that error notice but then was able to get it to play later. Not sure what the problem could be. All this video stuff is rather new, and if I continue to cringe, I’m not sure it’ll last šŸ¤£. But like you, I enjoy watching everyone else!

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  27. Good afternoon, Ingrid,
    First, we loved Bayfield and were fortunate to get seats on the Apostle Island boats. I highly recommend the area to your readers
    Second, you are as much a natural in front of the camera as you are behind one. I hope you will continue to treat us to some more videos. I was very impressed with the quality of the camera work, the picture was as clear as it gets.
    At any rate, glad youā€™re home. Say ā€œhiā€ to Al. Joe

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    1. You are very kind Joe. Thank you! Next week you get to see Al on camera. Toward the end of August we finally managed to take an Apostle Island cruise and loved it. I’m currently working on that post and video.

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        1. I still can’t believe you won that travel trailer. Luck was on your side that day. Embrace the accent. I have finally accepted my Chicago accent as just being who I am. Not to say I don’t still cringe šŸ˜

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  28. Beautiful photos as always. I bet you and your daughter had a great time. Love that church in the video and who doesn’t love blueberry pancakes, they are yummy. Thanks for the recipe. Have a great Sunday.

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    2. Thank you! We loved our visit to northern Wisconsin and those blueberries were the best. I still have some in the freezer! Thank goodness you corrected “church” to barn or I may have been forced to watch this video again. And trust me, after all the editing/learning curve, I do not need to see it again šŸ¤£

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    1. Isn’t it funny how we feel like long time friends via blogging yet have never met in person and have no idea what are voices sound like? It’s a little intimidating putting myself out there on video. At least with blogging, we can kind of hide behind a veil of sorts. And the pancakes are indeed yummy!

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  30. Ingrid, Nice job on your first youtube video! your transitions and music were smooth and seamless. Are you using gimbal with your camera? I love Blueberry pancakes and now I know how to make them. Keep the videos coming!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thank you Tim. Your comment means a lot to me. The iPhone was handheld except when I was in the kitchen and on the boat (intro), then I used my tripod. No gimbal! I decided before I start spending money on gear, I need to determine how I feel about this video stuff. Next week, you get to meet Al on the video, although I still do most of the talking šŸ˜
      Since you have wild blueberries in your backyard (lucky you), you’ll definitely need to give these pancakes a try and let me know what you think.

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    1. Oh, I can so relate to that “looking old” comment. I’m editing the video I took when my daughter and I went to Disneyland a couple of weeks ago and I cringe repeatedly. Hmm, I seem to be doing that a lot lately šŸ˜† The jury is still out on how frequently I’ll add video.

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  32. Ingrid, it was so nice to read about your mother-daughter trip and to see you in the video. Nice! I’ve never been to northern Wisconsin, and you make it sound so appealing. I may have to plan a road trip up there in the next couple of years! šŸ™‚

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    1. I was really hoping to do a trip around Lake Superior, but when I started diving into the planning, I realized how big Lake Superior truly is. So we focused on Minnesota’s north shore (which I have visited quite a few times) and then Wisconsin’s south shore which was new to me. The shoreline in the U.P. is also stunningly beautiful. We missed it this past summer but plan to return next summer. I think you’d really enjoy the scenery anywhere along Lake Superior. New territory for you to explore!

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      1. I’m not sure I’ve ever been to either Minnesota or Wisconsin, except possibly to drive through. I hope to make a road trip out to those states one day. I imagine going around Lake Superior would make for a very long trip! Definitely new territory to explore; how will I ever fit it all in? šŸ™‚

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          1. That’s for sure, Ingrid. Next year, I hope to be heading mostly south: Ecuador in summer, and West Texas and New Mexico in fall. Also, Chattanooga (south of me) and Chicago, which will be my only northerly destination. šŸ™‚

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