Masa Harina Pancakes with Blueberry Sauce

Recipe by Molly Marzalek-Kelly
11 Reviews 4.4 out of 5 stars

Adapted from our ever-popular Simply Perfect Pancakes recipe, masa harina in the batter lends these pancakes subtle corn flavor. The accompanying blueberry sauce, a lovely alternative to maple syrup, also includes a touch of masa harina for body. Both the pancakes and sauce can be on the table in just about an hour, ideal for any time you need a quick meal.

Prep
20 mins
Total
1 hr
Yield
12 medium (4”) pancakes and 1 1/3 cups (350g) blueberry sauce
Masa Harina Pancakes with Blueberry Sauce - select to zoom
Masa Harina Pancakes with Blueberry Sauce - select to zoom
Blueberry Sauce - select to zoom

Instructions

Prevent your screen from going dark as you follow along.

  1. To make the sauce: Weigh your masa harina; or measure it by gently spooning into a cup, then sweeping off any excess. In a small bowl, stir together the masa harina and water.

  2. In a medium saucepan, combine the masa mixture with the remaining sauce ingredients. Bring to a boil over medium heat.

  3. Simmer the sauce for 2 to 3 minutes, until thickened. Remove from the heat and set aside until ready to serve.

  4. To make the pancakes: Weigh your flours; or measure by gently spooning into a cup, then sweeping off any excess. In a large bowl, whisk together the masa harina, flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder.

  5. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, and melted butter or oil.

  6. Gently mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, stirring until fairly smooth; some small lumps are OK.

  7. Let the batter rest, uncovered, for 10 minutes; it will thicken.

  8. Heat a heavy frying pan over medium heat or set an electric griddle to 325°F. Lightly grease the pan or griddle; it's ready when a drop of water skitters across the surface, evaporating immediately.

  9. Drop 1/4 cupfuls of batter onto the heated surface; a muffin scoop works well here. Use a spoon or offset spatula to gently spread the batter out a little bit.

  10. Cook the pancakes until their tops are bubbly and the edges are set, about 2 minutes. Flip them over and cook the other side until brown, another 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. Turn over only once.

  11. Serve hot pancakes immediately, topped with blueberry sauce.

  12. Store any leftover pancakes, well wrapped, in the refrigerator for several days; freeze for longer storage.

Tips from our Bakers

  • Masa harina (translation: dough flour) is flour made from corn that’s been soaked in a solution of slaked lime (nixtamalized) to loosen its hull and soften it, which improves its texture and helps release its nutrients. The soaked corn is ground into a paste (masa), dried, and then ground again, this time into a fine flour. Due to the corn’s special treatment, neither cornmeal nor corn flour are good substitutes for masa harina.

Baker’s Resources