Mothers Day Brunch Pancake Casserole (Printer-friendly)

A comforting baked dish featuring pancakes, fresh berries, and luscious custard for cozy brunch occasions.

# What You'll Need:

→ Pancakes

01 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
03 - 2 teaspoons baking powder
04 - ½ teaspoon baking soda
05 - ½ 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 - ½ cup heavy cream
13 - ⅓ 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

# Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with butter or cooking spray and set aside.
02 - In a medium bowl, gently toss the mixed berries with 2 tablespoons granulated sugar and 1 tablespoon lemon juice. Set aside to release their juices.
03 - In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until evenly distributed.
04 - In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs, whole milk, melted butter, and vanilla extract until smooth.
05 - Pour wet ingredients into the dry mixture, stirring gently until just combined. Do not overmix; some lumps should remain for fluffy pancakes.
06 - Heat a non-stick skillet over medium heat and lightly grease. Pour batter to form small pancakes approximately 4 inches across. Cook until bubbles form on the surface, flip, and cook until golden brown. Repeat with remaining batter to yield approximately 12 pancakes. Transfer to a plate to cool slightly.
07 - In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, whole milk, heavy cream, granulated sugar, vanilla extract, and lemon zest if using until smooth and fully combined.
08 - Cut cooled pancakes in half and arrange slightly overlapping in the prepared baking dish. Scatter half the macerated berries evenly over the pancakes. Pour custard mixture over the top, gently pressing the pancakes to submerge them partially in the custard.
09 - Distribute remaining berries over the custard layer. Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil.
10 - Bake covered for 30 minutes until the custard is partially set.
11 - Remove foil and bake an additional 10 minutes until the custard is fully set and the top is lightly browned.
12 - Remove from oven and let rest for 10 minutes. Dust generously with powdered sugar and serve warm with maple syrup.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • You can prep it the night before and just pop it in the oven—no standing at the stove while guests wait.
  • It feeds a crowd without feeling like you've been cooking for hours.
  • The custardy center is pure comfort, and people always ask for the recipe thinking it's way harder than it actually is.
02 -
  • Don't skip cooling the pancakes even a little—hot pancakes will start cooking the custard unevenly and you'll end up with scrambled eggs instead of creamy filling.
  • If your berries are super juicy, don't toss them with sugar until the last minute, or the bottom of your casserole will turn into berry soup instead of staying custardy.
03 -
  • If you want the custard extra creamy, use half-and-half instead of regular milk—it won't taste heavy, just luxurious.
  • The lemon zest in the custard is optional only in theory; it's actually the ingredient that prevents the whole thing from tasting generic, so use it unless you have a real reason not to.
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