I love Sunday mornings. Sleep a little late, make a pot of good strong black tea, read the Sunday paper, and enjoy what we call in our family, “special breakfast.” This usually involves things that are a bit more fuss and a bit more calories than we can swing on a weekday. But that doesn’t mean that it has to be unhealthy. These hearty pancakes are the perfect balance — full of flavor, while also surprisingly nutritious.
They are also incredibly versatile. While these are great with a pat of butter and pure Vermont maple syrup, I’ve also enjoyed them with yogurt and homemade applesauce, or an elegant topping of pears sautéed with a bit of butter, brown sugar and brandy. They hold up well to chunks of banana or fresh berries. If you want to incorporate fruit into the pancakes themselves, sprinkle it on the pools of pancake batter as soon as you put it on the griddle. Once you flip the pancake, the juicy goodness will be sealed in. Finally, they freeze well for those weekday mornings when you or the kids need just a little bit more to get you started than that bowl of cereal…
Ingredients:
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/3 cup oats
1/3 cup yellow cornmeal
1/3 cup all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups buttermilk, 1% lowfat
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons butter, melted
2 tablespoons mild-flavored (light) molasses
Directions:
Mix dry ingredients in medium bowl to blend. Whisk buttermilk, eggs, 2 tablespoons melted butter and molasses together. Add dry ingredients; mix just until blended. Heat griddle or heavy large skillet over medium heat and spray with Pam or other cooking spray. Working in batches, drop 1/4 cup batter onto griddle for each pancake. Cook until brown, about 3 minutes per side. Serve with pure maple syrup (I prefer Grade B for a more pronounced “maple-y” flavor). Makes about 20 4″ pancakes.
Nutritional information, estimated per pancake :
Calories 75, Fat 2.0 g (Sat Fat: 1 g), Cholesterol 14.6 mg, Protein 2.8 g, Sodium 120.3 mg, Carbohydrate 12 g, Fiber 1.2 g, Sugar 2.3 g, Calcium: 71.9 mg
We’re getting into buckwheat because it’s high in magnesium. I want to try this recipe with a substitute of buckwheat for the cornmeal. How do you think it will work?
I have always loved the taste of buckwheat and it’s a natural in pancakes. I think it’s a good idea to sub it out for the cornmeal. Alternatively, you could replace part of the whole wheat flour with the buckwheat. I will say, from my experience, a little buckwheat goes a long way. Start conservatively and increase the proportion gradually. Nobody likes heavy pancakes, even if they are healthy! Let us know how it turns out!