Littles Recipe

Combine dry ingredients

In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, and fine sea salt until evenly combined.

Mix wet ingredients

In a separate bowl, whisk the milk, the large egg, melted butter, and vanilla extract until smooth and homogenous.

Make the batter: Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and gently fold with a spatula or whisk until just combined. Do not overmix; a few small lumps are fine. The batter should be thick but spoonable—if too thick, add 1–2 tablespoons milk; if too thin, add 1–2 tablespoons flour.

Prepare cream cheese filling

In a small bowl, beat the softened cream cheese with the powdered sugar and lemon zest until smooth and spreadable. Taste and add a pinch more powdered sugar if you prefer sweeter filling.

Prepare berries

Rinse and pat dry the blueberries. If using larger berries, roughly chop to bite-size pieces.

Heat the skillet: Place a large nonstick skillet or griddle over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon oil or butter and swirl to coat. Reduce heat slightly if the pan gets too hot.

Spoon batter: Using a tablespoon or small cookie scoop, drop 1–2 tablespoons of batter per 'Little' into the skillet, spacing them about 1 inch apart. If you want filled Littles, spoon a small dollop (about 1/2 teaspoon) of the cream cheese mixture onto the center of every other batter drop, then cover with another 1/2 tablespoon batter so the filling is enclosed.

Cook first side: Cook until small bubbles form on the surface and edges look set, about 1½–2 minutes depending on size and heat. If using unfilled Littles, flip when bubbles appear; if filled, be gentle when flipping so filling stays enclosed.

Flip and finish: Flip each Little with a small spatula and cook the second side until golden brown, another 1–1½ minutes. Transfer finished Littles to a wire rack while you cook the remaining batter, adding more oil or butter to the pan as needed.

Warm the berries: In the last minute of cooking, add the blueberries to a small skillet with 1 teaspoon butter or a splash of water and warm just until they begin to soften and release juices, about 1 minute. Remove from heat.

Serve: Arrange Littles on a plate, top with the warmed blueberries, drizzle with maple syrup or honey, and dust lightly with confectioners' sugar. Serve immediately while warm.