Healthier Pancake Recipes

Pancakes are a fabulous cold-weather breakfast. Warm and comforting, they are filling and tasty, while being very versatile. Switch out your old standby with an updated pancake recipe that is high on health while remaining as yummy as ever. Mix in fresh pureed fruit ingredients, like pumpkin, unsweetened applesauce, or banana, for a delightful flavor and added nutrients. Add walnuts or pecans for extra crunch, or blueberries or cranberries for a surprising touch of sweetness. However you choose to make your healthier pancakes, they are sure to become a family favorite.

Basic Pancake Recipe

¾ cup white flour

¾ cup whole wheat or oat flour

1 tbsp. baking powder

1 tbsp. sugar

½ tsp. salt

½ cup milk (if you choose not to use a fruit variations, increase milk to 1 ½ cups)

2 large eggs

1 ½ tbsp. canola oil

Variations

Choose one of the following:

1 cup pumpkin + ½ tsp. cinnamon + dash of cloves + dash of ginger

1 cup applesauce + ½ tsp. cinnamon

1 cup mashed banana

and, if desired, choose one of the following add-ins:

¼ cup chopped walnuts (adds 19 calories and 1.9 grams of fat per serving)

¼ cup chopped pecans (19 calories and 1.9 grams of fat per serving)

½ cup blueberries

½ cup dried cranberries

Sift together dry ingredients (if using nuts, stir into sifted dry ingredients before adding wet). Beat eggs, then pour into milk and oil, mixing well. Pour liquid into dry ingredients all at once, stirring just until moist (stirring too long will result in a tough pancake). Pour by ¼ cupfuls onto a preheated, greased griddle. If using a fruit add-in, sprinkle fruit lightly over the top of each pancake. When edges are dry and bubbly, flip and cook other side just until lightly browned. Serve hot with maple syrup, light whipped cream, or fresh fruit.

Pumpkin pancakes nutritional information per pancake: 122 calories, 3.6 grams fat (.7 grams saturated), 43 mg. cholesterol, 138 mg. sodium, 1.2 grams fiber, 2.8 grams sugar, 3.9 grams protein, 78% vitamin A, 9% calcium, 2% vitamin C, 8% iron.

Apple pancakes nutritional information per pancake: 124 calories, 3.5 grams of fat (.6 saturated), 43 mg. cholesterol, 138 mg. sodium, .8 grams fiber, 4.5 grams sugar, 3.6 grams protein, 9% calcium, 7% iron.

Banana pancakes nutritional information per pancake: 127 calories, 3.6 grams of fat (.7 saturated), 43 mg. cholesterol, 137 mg. sodium, .9 grams fiber, 3.9 grams sugar, 3.8 grams protein, 9% calcium 7% iron.

(all nutrition information gleaned from calorie-count.about.com.