Skip to Content

Wild Rice Pancakes Recipe With Blueberries and Maple Syrup (Isle Royale National Park)

By: Author Bram Reusen

Posted on Last updated:

Wild rice pancakes recipe with blueberries and maple syrup inspired by: Isle Royale National Park, Michigan (alternatively: Voyageurs National Park or Cuyahoga Valley National Park)

Also known as Chippewa, the Ojibwe people of the Lake Superior region were one of only a few Native American Tribes that actively harvested wild rice.

In addition to the crops they cultivated themselves, including corn, pumpkins and potatoes, they gathered large quantities of wild rice. They also collected a variety of berries in their woodland homes, such as strawberries, blackberries and blueberries.

The Ojibwe are known to have visited what is now Isle Royale National Park from time to time to gather foods, especially berries and nuts like hazelnuts. (See this Isle Royale National Park-inspired Algonquin hazelnut soup recipe.)

Along the shores of Lake Superior, as well as on Isle Royale itself, they tapped maple trees in spring to collect sap and make maple syrup.

In fact, both wild rice and maple syrup were important staples in their diet. The rice they gathered was processed and often made into a rice flour, which was used to make bread and thicken soups.

Although very few traditional Ojibwe recipes have been passed on and survived, it’s not a stretch to assume they might have made a type of wild rice pancake, too.

With a few handfuls of fresh blueberries and a generous drizzle of maple syrup, this makes for a delicious breakfast recipe inspired by the culinary traditions of the Native Americans of the Isle Royale National Park region.

Wild rice pancakes with blueberries and maple syrup drizzle recipe

Wild Rice Pancakes With Blueberries and Maple Syrup

  • Prep time: 10 minutes
  • Cook time: 20 minutes
  • Total time: 30 minutes
  • Servings: 4 (two wild rice pancakes each)
  • Calories per serving (2 pancakes): 383

This wild rice pancakes recipe uses traditional ingredients used by the Ojibwe, from wild rice flour to berries and maple syrup.

It does, however, also include a couple of ingredients that most likely wouldn’t have been available to the Ojibwe, yet are native to North America, such as vanilla and cacao.

The combination is a modern Native American cuisine-inspired recipe for wild rice pancakes that’s both hearty and sweet, delicious and surprising.

So, if you’re looking for new breakfast recipes associated with the national parks, I highly recommend trying out these wild rice pancakes with blueberries and maple syrup.

It’s one of my personal favorite national park pancake recipes—ever!

This Isle Royale National Park-inspired recipe for wild rice pancakes with blueberries and maple syrup contains affiliate links. You can read more about our Terms of Use / Disclosure here.

Necessary Kitchen Tools

Wild rice pancakes with blueberries and a drizzle of maple syrup
Yield: 4 servings

Isle Royale Blueberry and Wild Rice Pancakes Recipe

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes

Inspired by the Ojibwe culture of the greater Isle Royale National Park region, this amazing pancakes recipe features native North American ingredients like wild rice, blueberries and maple syrup, as well as vanilla and cacao. The result: deliciousness!

Ingredients

  • 1 cup wild rice
  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup cacao powder
  • 2 tablespoons baking powder
  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup (almond) milk
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup fresh blueberries

Instructions

  1. Grind wild rice (in batches if needed) in a coffee grinder until you get a fine flour.
  2. To a large mixing bowl, add ground wild rice, all-purpose flour, cacao powder, baking powder, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt. Combine well with a silicone spatula.
  3. In a medium mixing bowl, combine milk, eggs, olive oil and vanilla extract. Mix thoroughly with a fork.
  4. Pour milk-and-egg mixture into the flour mixture and mix well with the silicone spatula until you get a smooth, somewhat runny batter. Stir in the blueberries.
  5. Heat a drizzle of olive oil in non-stick pan over medium heat. Use a 1/4 measuring cup to pour wild rice pancake batter into the pan in batches. (About 1/4 cup per pancake).
  6. Cook pancakes on one side until bubbles start appearing all over, about 3-4 minutes. Flip with a slotted spatula and cook other side until cooked through, 1-2 more minutes.
  7. Repeat steps 5 and 6 with the rest of the batter.
  8. Put wild rice pancakes on a plate, top with extra blueberries and drizzle with maple syrup.
  9. Enjoy!

Nutrition Information

Yield

4

Serving Size

2 pancakes
Amount Per Serving Calories 383Total Fat 10.9gSaturated Fat 4gCholesterol 94mgSodium 373mgCarbohydrates 67.7gFiber 10.4gSugar 8.4gProtein 17.7g

A general nutrition calculator was used to determine the nutritional information of this recipe, which is meant solely as an indication of the dish's nutritional values. This particular nutritional information is for the blueberry wild rice pancakes only and does not include any toppings. Depending on specific ingredients, quantities used and/or serving size, the ultimate dish you end up making may have different nutritional aspects. Please consider the information provided here only as guidance and not as an absolute fact.

© Bram
Cuisine: Breakfast / Category: Breakfast Recipes
Wild rice pancakes recipe with maple syrup and blueberries

Disclaimer: This Isle Royale National Park-inspired recipe for blueberry wild rice pancakes is adapted from this original recipe by Wabanaki Maple.

If You Decide to Make This Isle Royale National Park-Inspired Blueberry and Wild Rice Pancakes Recipe at Home, Feel Free to Tell Everyone About It Below! Happy Cooking!

More Breakfast Recipes Inspired by National Parks

Skip to Recipe