It’s kind of a shame that pancakes are such a pain to make for breakfast.

All that mixing of ingredients, heating a skillet, pouring, flipping and…repeat. I totally get why they’re now premade and available in the frozen food section. I even (well, kind of) get the aerosol can batter thing.

Sadly, although the former is very convenient, nothing, absolutely nothing comes close to making them from scratch, even if it’s just once in a while.

I’ve made a lot of pancakes, both in my career and at home. And I’ve used and tried a lot of recipes, everything from the red-and-white checkered Betty Crocker Cookbook to recipes from other chefs and trusted professional sources.

Usually, what I’ve found is that the basic ones are bland and tough, and the fancy ones are, well, TOO fancy.

When it comes to pancakes and breakfast, I like to stay somewhere in the Goldilocks zone, somewhere right in the middle. Not bland, not too crazy, not tough, not soufflé-like, interestingly addictive but not overly weird.

I’ll call it Mainstream Gourmet.

Below are some of my favorite gourmet pancake recipes. The Blueberry Whole Wheat Pancake recipe is a healthier version of that same everyday recipe I use. For that version, I use 1 cup all-purpose and 1 cup whole wheat flour, regular buttermilk and melted butter for the ingredients below. Occasionally, I’ll also add a teaspoon of pure vanilla if I remember. It’s not essential.

Of course, this same base recipe can be used for blueberry pancakes, or you can sprinkle nearly anything you like on the batter after you pour it and before you flip it.

Blueberry Whole Wheat Pancakes: Serves 4

2 Cups Whole Wheat Flour
¼ Cups Unrefined Sugar
2 ½ tsp. Baking Powder
½ tsp. Baking Soda
½ tsp. Salt
2 Cups Low-Fat Buttermilk
2 Large Eggs
½ Cup Low-Fat Margarine, melted
2 Pkgs. (6 oz. each) Blueberries, plus more for garnish if desired

1. Mix flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a bowl until well combined. Set aside.
2. In a separate bowl, whisk together buttermilk with eggs. Using a wooden spoon, stir egg mixture into flour mixture just until combined. Add melted margarine and blueberries, and stir gently.
3. Preheat oven to 200°F.
4. Heat a nonstick griddle or skillet over medium heat. Let a few drops of cold water fall on the surface. If water bounces, sputters and instantly evaporates, griddle is ready. Pour 1/4 cup batter onto the skillet. Cook 2 minutes or until bubbles that appear on the surface begin to break and the bottom is golden. Flip pancake and cook 1 minute longer or until lightly golden.
5. Place pancakes on a heatproof platter and keep warm in oven. Repeat with remaining batter. Garnish with additional blueberries if desired.

Aside from my Blueberry Whole Wheat Pancake recipe, I’ve published some of my other favorite pancake recipes on Nino’s website. They’re each unique and doable. I hope you give them a try.

• Pink Lady Apple Skillet Pancakes

• Peanut Butter and Chocolate Chip Pancakes

• Pumpkin Pancakes