February is National Pancake Month, and with yesterday being Fat Tuesday, here at the Whole Grains Council we decided it was the perfect time to suggest some delicious whole grain alternatives to the classic pancake recipe.

Pancakes have long been a staple of the American breakfast, but with all the butter, sugar, and refined flour, they’re not really the healthiest choice to start the day. This is precisely why pancakes are traditionally eaten on the day before the Christian season of Lent begins – rich ingredients like sugar and butter were usually restricted as part of ritual Lenten fasting.  (And yes, that’s why we call it Fat Tuesday!)

Fortunately, there are many fantastic ways to make pancakes using various whole grains that give the classic pancake a delicious makeover. So last night, I got into the (slightly healthier) Mardi Gras spirit, and tried out two recipes – one using cornmeal with some all-purpose flour, and one using oatmeal and whole grain pastry flour. In each recipe, I used olive oil in place of butter, and used a bit less sugar than called for. And I added some cinnamon to the Oatmeal ones – delish!

A simple way to adapt any pancake recipe is to replace some or all of the refined flour with whole wheat pastry flour – it’s ground to be lighter than regular whole wheat flour, so you’ll scarcely notice a difference! Consider replacing some or all of the butter with olive oil, and using applesauce or cinnamon to sweeten instead of sugar. Applesauce can also be used to replace eggs, and adding fruit like blueberries is another great way to make pancakes part of a healthy breakfast. Yum!  (Molli)

Cornmeal Pancakes (Adapted from The Food Librarian)

1 cup all-purpose flour
½ cup cornmeal
¼ cup sugar
1 ¼ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1 ½ cups low-fat buttermilk
¼ cup whole milk
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 large egg, lightly beaten

1. Whisk together flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda in a large bowl.
2. In a separate bowl or measuring cup, mix together buttermilk, milk, butter, and egg. Whisk wet ingredients into dry ingredients until just combined (mixture will be lumpy).
3. Spoon batter onto a greased griddle or pan over medium heat. After about 2 minutes, flip, and cook for an additional 2 minutes.

Oatmeal Pancakes (Adapted from The Way The Cookie Crumbles)

2 cups old-fashioned oats (I used quick oats and it worked just fine)
2 ½ cups buttermilk
½ cup whole grain flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon table salt
1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
4 tablespoons olive oil
Vegetable oil for the pan

1. Combine the oats and 2 cups of the buttermilk in a medium bowl.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Whisk the remaining ½ cup buttermilk, the eggs, and then the butter into the oat mixture. Fold the flour mixture into the batter.
3. Brush a large nonstick skillet or griddle with vegetable oil; heat over medium heat. Spoon scant ¼ cups of the batter onto the pan. Cook until the sides of the pancakes start to look dry and the bottom is golden brown, 2-3 minutes. Flip, then continue to cook until the second side is also golden brown, about 2 minutes.


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