Mothers Day Brunch Pancake Casserole (Print version)

A layered casserole with pancakes, fresh berries, and creamy custard for a warm brunch delight.

# 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 and Toppings

16 - 2 cups mixed fresh berries (strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries)
17 - 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
18 - 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
19 - Powdered sugar for dusting
20 - Maple syrup for serving

# How to Make:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with butter or cooking spray.
02 - In a medium bowl, gently toss fresh berries with 2 tablespoons sugar and lemon juice. Let sit at room temperature for flavor development.
03 - In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until evenly distributed.
04 - In a separate bowl, whisk eggs, milk, melted butter, and vanilla extract until fully incorporated.
05 - Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients, stirring gently until just combined. Do not overmix; small lumps are acceptable.
06 - Heat a non-stick skillet over medium heat and lightly grease. Pour batter to form 4-inch pancakes. Cook until bubbles appear on surface, flip, and cook until golden brown. Repeat with remaining batter to yield approximately 12 pancakes. Cool slightly.
07 - In a large bowl, whisk eggs, milk, heavy cream, sugar, vanilla extract, and lemon zest (if using) until smooth and homogeneous.
08 - Cut pancakes in half and arrange slightly overlapping in prepared baking dish. Scatter half the macerated berries over pancake layer. Pour custard evenly over top, gently pressing pancakes to submerge partially.
09 - Distribute remaining berries over custard surface. Cover baking dish tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes.
10 - Remove foil and bake for additional 10 minutes until custard is set and top is lightly browned. Internal custard should be firm but slightly jiggly.
11 - Allow casserole to rest 10 minutes before serving. Dust generously with powdered sugar and serve warm with maple syrup alongside.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It looks like you woke up three hours early when really you just layered things and let the oven do the work.
  • The pancakes stay tender because they soak up the custard instead of drying out on a plate.
  • You can make the pancakes the night before and assemble everything in fifteen minutes.
02 -
  • Don't overmix your pancake batter—I learned this the hard way when I tried to make it perfectly smooth and ended up with dense pancakes that wouldn't soak up the custard properly.
  • The custard needs to be poured gently over completely cooled pancakes, or they'll start breaking apart and your beautiful layers disappear.
  • This dish actually gets better if you assemble it the night before and refrigerate it, then bake the next morning—the flavors meld and the pancakes absorb even more custard.
03 -
  • Make your pancakes the night before and store them stacked with parchment between each one—this saves morning stress and actually improves texture since they firm up slightly.
  • Dust with powdered sugar right before serving instead of earlier, so it stays bright white instead of getting absorbed into the custard.
  • If your custard seems thick after baking, you nailed it; if it seems slightly loose, that's actually perfect because it will firm up as it cools.
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