Mothers Day Brunch Pancakes (Printable)

Fluffy pancakes layered with berries and creamy custard, baked warm and topped with powdered sugar and syrup.

# What You Need:

→ Pancakes

01 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
03 - 2 teaspoons baking powder
04 - 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
05 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
06 - 2 large eggs
07 - 2 cups whole milk
08 - 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
09 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

→ Custard

10 - 4 large eggs
11 - 1 cup whole milk
12 - 1/2 cup heavy cream
13 - 1/3 cup granulated sugar
14 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
15 - Zest of 1 lemon, optional

→ Berries

16 - 2 cups mixed fresh berries (strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries)
17 - 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
18 - 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

→ Topping

19 - Powdered sugar for dusting
20 - Maple syrup for serving

# How-To:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with butter or cooking spray.
02 - In a medium bowl, gently toss mixed berries with 2 tablespoons sugar and 1 tablespoon lemon juice. Let sit at room temperature for 15 minutes to release juices.
03 - In a large mixing bowl, whisk together 2 cups flour, 2 tablespoons sugar, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, and 1/2 teaspoon salt until evenly distributed.
04 - In a separate bowl, whisk 2 eggs, 2 cups milk, 4 tablespoons melted butter, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract until fully combined.
05 - Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Do not overmix; some lumps are acceptable.
06 - Heat a non-stick skillet over medium heat and lightly grease. Pour batter to form pancakes approximately 4 inches in diameter. Cook until bubbles form on surface, flip, and cook until golden brown. Repeat with remaining batter to yield approximately 12 pancakes. Transfer to a plate and cool slightly.
07 - In a large bowl, whisk 4 eggs, 1 cup milk, 1/2 cup heavy cream, 1/3 cup sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, and lemon zest if using, until smooth and fully incorporated.
08 - Cut cooled pancakes in half and arrange in prepared baking dish, slightly overlapping. Distribute half of macerated berries evenly over pancakes. Pour custard mixture evenly across layers, gently pressing pancakes to partially submerge.
09 - Scatter remaining berries over the custard layer. Cover baking dish with aluminum foil.
10 - Bake covered at 350°F for 30 minutes until custard begins to set.
11 - Remove foil and bake an additional 10 minutes, or until custard is fully set and top is lightly browned.
12 - Let casserole rest for 10 minutes before dusting generously with powdered sugar. Serve warm with maple syrup on the side.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • You can prep everything ahead and bake it fresh in the morning, which means you're actually present when people show up.
  • It tastes indulgent enough for celebrating someone special, but comes together with ingredients already in your kitchen.
  • The contrast of fluffy pancake pieces soaking in creamy custard with bursts of fresh berries hits every craving at once.
02 -
  • Don't overmix the pancake batter or you'll activate the gluten and end up with tough, dense pancakes that won't soak up the custard nicely—a few lumps in the batter are completely okay.
  • Make sure your custard mixture is smooth before pouring it over the pancakes, because any lumps of cooked egg will remain lumps and feel grainy when you bite into them.
  • If you're making this the night before, cover it tightly and refrigerate unbaked—just add five extra minutes to your baking time since it starts cold.
03 -
  • Cook your pancakes until they're just barely golden, not deeply browned, because they'll continue cooking when the custard bakes around them.
  • If your berries are very large, halve the strawberries so every forkful gets berries distributed evenly instead of finding one huge strawberry piece at the bottom.
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