Black Cherry Cornmeal Pancakes (Hoecakes)
Black Cherry Cornmeal Pancakes, or cornmeal "hoecakes" topped with fresh black cherry sauce. Also called johnny cakes, these hotcakes are a southern food breakfast and brunch classic!
Ingredients
CORNMEAL PANCAKE INGREDIENTS
- 1 cup cornmeal
- 1 cup flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 ¼ cups milk or plant-based milk or water
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil or 1 pat butter
BLACK CHERRY SAUCE INGREDIENTS
- 4 cups black cherries pitted and cut in half
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup or honey, agave or brown sugar
Instructions
- Make black cherry sauce: In a medium pan, heat pitted cherries and brown sugar over medium-low heat until the cherries soften and release their liquids and the sugar is dissolves, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let sit until cornmeal pancakes are done.
- Make cornmeal pancake mix: Mix together cornmeal flour, all-purpose flour, baking soda, and salt in a large mixing bowl until well combined. Next, add eggs and about half of the milk to the dry ingredient mixture and whisk well. Add the remaining milk slowly until the batter is thoroughly mixed, but still thick.
- Cook cornmeal pancakes: Heat a pancake griddle over medium-high heat until water sizzles when dripped on the pan. Add your oil or butter to the pan, making sure to coat the pan evenly. Next, add about 1/2 cup of the hoecake batter to the pan and let cook until the top of the batter begins to dry and bubble, about 3 minutes. Flip and cook the other side about one minute more and set aside until all pancakes are cooked.
- Serve pancakes with cherry sauce: When ready to serve, add desired cornmeal pancakes to a plate and drizzle with black cherry sauce.
Notes
- For thicker pancakes: For a thicker pancake, make batter and let sit a few minutes before pouring on griddle. Or alternatively, pour milk in slowly until batter is mixed well but still thick. A thicker batter means a thicker pancake.
- Tools needed: glass mixing bowls, whisk, pancake pan, small sauce pan
- Prep ahead: Make cherry sauce up to three days ahead of time and store in the refrigerator until ready to serve. You can heat the cherry sauce in a sauce pan for 1 minute before serving.
- Leftovers and storage: Pancakes can be stored in a airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days, or in a freezer-friendly bag in the freezer for up to one month. Store cherry sauce in a glass jar in the refrigerator for up to one week.
- Nutrition notes: Nutrition information is estimation using all cherry sauce in the recipe, though you will likely use much less (so the nutrition information may be less than is listed here, depending on how much sauce you use).
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving (1 pancake with sauce)Calories: 310kcalCarbohydrates: 50gProtein: 8gFat: 9gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0.4gCholesterol: 45mgSodium: 534mgPotassium: 319mgFiber: 4gSugar: 19gVitamin A: 1115IUVitamin C: 8mgCalcium: 115mgIron: 2mg
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