Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Healthier Pancakes

Big sister loves pancakes.   About two weeks ago, I made them three mornings in a row.  I usually make this recipe but I wanted to try something a little healthier by the third morning and the recipe below was the result.  No white flour or refined sugar and they weren't bad . . . a little dense because of the whole wheat flour and oats.  Play with the amount of milk (and you could easily use soy milk or almond milk) to get the consistency you like - I should have added a little more.  Also, after talking to my Aunt Kathy about thin vs cake-like pancakes, I think I'd reduce the baking powder (or leave it out) next time around.

Healthy(ier) Pancakes (makes about 8-10 pancakes)

1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup oats
1 T baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1 egg
1 T honey
3 T plain yogurt
~1 cup (or more) milk
1 banana, diced

Whisk together the flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon.   Then, add the egg, honey, yogurt and milk and stir until it's mixed.  Don't overmix - a few lumps are okay.  Fold in the banana.

Another way to do this is to put everything but the banana and oats in a blender and briefly blend until it's all mixed.  Then, stir in the oats and banana.

Cook them in a hot pan or skillet however you like to make pancakes.

3 comments:

  1. I ♥ hotcakes & ate a whole brunch last weekend!

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  2. Dan bought me Bakewise for Christmas last year and in it I learned that the correct ratio of baking powder to flour in any cake-type recipe is 1 tsp baking powder to 1 cup flour. Also--not sure where I learned this--the ratio for baking soda is 1/2 tsp per cup of acid (yogurt). So these probably had too much of both. And other thing (sheesh... I do too much reading and not enough cooking obviously!!!), I just read in Cooks Illustrated, that if you let whole wheat batter sit for awhile (20-30 minutes), something happens (change in the gluten structure? I can't seem to remember and am just working from memory) and the result is a lighter, softer structure.

    I still don't have a go-to pancake recipe (except for the gluten-free recipe I used during my 4-month GF stint--it's delcious!). I try new ones all the time, and invent new ones often, too. None have been just right. I want one that is moist, dense, nutty, chewy, and unmistakeably whole grain (have you had the 9-grain pancakes at IHOP??? Pure heaven). Maybe the problem is that I'm constantly trying to recreate those... probably not the smartest idea.

    And I absolutely LOVE sliced bananas cooked into my pancakes. Walnut pieces, too. Mmmmmmm. I'm inspired. I think we'll have pancakes tomorrow. =)

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  3. I'm all for anything with oats. Sound worth a try.

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