Looking for a light, fluffy pancake recipe that offers a nutritional boost? This delicious stack is packed with whole grains and fiber-but no one will ever suspect they’re healthy!
A few weeks ago, my younger son, Christian, and I were the only ones home for dinner. I asked him if, for a special treat, he would like pancakes for dinner. His eyes lit up and he smiled broadly. The question was clearly rhetorical!
He put in an immediate request to have these pancakes during our summer vacation in the mountains where blueberries abound every summer. When I recently made these with chocolate chips instead of blueberries, I garnished the pancakes with about five extra chips. To Christian’s delight, he found that the chips became melty and gooey, and he could spread them over his pancakes like icing.
The upside of a few chips was that he decided he didn’t actually need the syrup! I have also found that I can dot a few chocolate chips over the pancakes once poured into the skillet rather than mixing them into the batter. Strategically spreading them out allows a few chips to go a long way and keep these otherwise healthy, wholegrain pancakes mostly healthy.
My husband likes his pancakes plain, so this approach keeps everyone happy. The same may be done with blueberries.
How do you like your pancakes? With blueberries, chocolate chips or plain?
However you choose to enjoy them, these pancakes might even convert the staunchest white flour pancake fan. If you try them, I’d love to hear if your family enjoys these as much as mine does. I hope they do!
100% Whole Wheat Pancakes
Yields 10-12 (3 to 4-inch) pancakes.
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups whole wheat flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 large egg
- 3 tablespoons packed brown sugar
- 1 1/4 -1/2 cups canned light coconut milk (may substitute milk of your choice; see notes)
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- Optional: 1/2 cup blueberries or chocolate chips
- Coconut or vegetable oil for the skillet
- Pure maple syrup or topping of choice, for serving
Instructions
- Sift the flour and baking powder over a bowl, and then set aside.
- Beat the egg in a mixing bowl. Mix in the brown sugar, and then add 1 1/4 cups milk, the vanilla, and salt.
- Stir in the sifted flour mixture until just moistened. If the batter seems too thick at this point, slowly add the remaining amount of milk until the batter is thick but pourable. If you like a thicker pancake, keep the batter on the thicker side. Gently fold in the blueberries or chocolate chips, if using. (Conversely, you may evenly distribute them over the batter while cooking.)
- Preheat a heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat. (I love a cast iron skillet for this.) Add a couple teaspoons of oil, just enough to coat the bottom of the pan. Pour approximately 1/4 cup of the batter into the pan for each pancake. Cook until beginning to bubble, about 1 1/2 minutes. Flip, and continue cooking until golden brown, adjusting your heat as necessary (I often have to reduce the heat to medium-low after the first few pancakes) and adding an extra teaspoon or so of oil with each batch.
- Serve with maple syrup or toppings of choice. Any leftovers may be refrigerated or frozen. I like to reheat in the toaster oven until just warm. If you would like to keep the pancakes warm until serving, place them in a 200-degree oven while cooking the rest.
Notes
- Brown sugar adds a hint of sweetness and moisture to this recipe. However, if you choose to substitute honey or maple syrup, I recommend reducing the amount of milk added initially. Start with 1 cup and add a tablespoon at at time until a thick but pourable consistency is achieved.
Nutrition Information: Makes 10 pancakes. Calories per pancake 100, Total fat 1 gm, Saturated fat 0 gm, Cholesterol 20 mg, Sodium 215 mg, Total Carbohydrates 22 gm, Fiber 2.5 gm, Protein 4 gm.
Nutrition Tips:
•Packed with whole grains and fiber, the use of blueberries will add healthy antioxidants to the mix. When using, you may add a little more than ½ cup blueberries the recipe calls for.
•Those who are closely watching salt intake can use ¼ teaspoon kosher salt in this recipe, which brings the sodium per pancake down to 165 mg.
•The recipe was originally created with skim milk, which is how the nutritional stats are calculated, although 1%, 2% or a plant-based milk of choice will work.
Leave a Reply