Healthier Pancakes

love pancakes! I used to have pancake eating contests with my brother as a kid. I'm not beating family members in pancake gorging fests these days (Thankfully!). In fact, I'm looking for an alternative to the usual white-floured, butter and maple flavored syrup-topped pancake.

See, as you may know, I've got a bad sugar addiction, and I'm working on weaning myself off the stuff - for good! I'm also of the opinion that food can taste just as good, and even better, without sugar - including pancakes! So, I'm on a mission to find a healthier pancake recipe that will produce delicious pancakes without encouraging my sugar addiction. I recently tried these two:

Protein Pancakes

You may see these on the menu for bodybuilders, sometimes with added protein powder. These pancakes are made with oats and lots of eggs. Feel free to use only egg whites, whole eggs, an egg substitute, or reduce the amount of eggs and add a little bit of milk to thin out the batter. And, as you may have already deduced, these pancakes are going to have a noticeable egg taste. It's not unpleasant, but do keep in mind these pancakes are definitely not of the Aunt Jamima variety!

• 1/2 Cup Old Fashioned Oats (not instant)
• 4 egg whites*
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• Dash of cinnamon (optional)

Combine oats, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon (if using). Beat eggs lightly in separate bowl. Add eggs to oats. Mix together. Add 1/4 C of pancake mixture to hot griddle or pan sprayed with nonstick cooking oil. Cook about 3 minutes on medium heat.** Then flip and cook the other side.

*(OR) egg substitute to equal 4 egg whites (OR) 2 whole eggs (OR) 2 egg whites and a splash of milk (OR) any combination of these. Feel free to experiment

**Cooking time really depends on how high the heat is (Don't make it too high!) and how "done" you want your pancakes to be. Your best bet is to watch the pancake closely as it cooks. Lift a small portion with a pancake turner to see if it's a light brown color. If so, it's ready to be flipped!

Whole Wheat Pancakes

Higher in fiber and nutrients, these pancakes will stick-to-your-ribs but not to your hips (watch your portions, though)! You can actually use any whole grain flour, from oat, to spelt, to brown rice... whatever you like best.

I found these pancakes surprisingly tasty! The flax meal and touch of oil add a nutty, buttery flavor. I just put a little bit of a heart-healthy butter spread on top, and my pancake longings were fully satisfied!

1 egg (or 2 egg whites) lightly beaten

1/8 Cup canola oil

1 ¼ Cup low-fat buttermilk*

1 Cup whole wheat flour

1 Tbs flax meal (you can use flax seeds if more convenient)

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

Dash cinnamon (optional)

Combine flour, flax meal, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon (if using). In a separate bowl, mix eggs with oil and buttermilk. Turn on stove/griddle to medium heat. Now add wet ingredients to dry and mix until combined.

Using a measuring cup, pour 1/4 cup batter onto the pan and cook over medium to medium-high heat.** Brown lightly on both sides, turning once. The pancake will set, poof up a little, and start showing tiny bubbles when it's ready to be flipped. After some practice, you'll "just know" when it's ready. :)

*If you don't have buttermilk, here's a good substitute: add 1 Tbs vinegar to a liquid measuring cup. Add milk so that the final measurement comes out to 1 ¼ cup. OR, if you don't have vinegar, no worries; just use milk.

**Flick some water on the griddle or pan (whichever you are using). If the water "dances" on the pan, it's ready. If the water droplets jump off the pan and sizzle loudly, the heat is up too high!

Toppings

(Always optional, but always fun):

Heart-healthy butter spread

Natural Peanut Butter

Cashew Butter

Fruit! (Strawberries are excellent!)

Natural applesauce and walnuts

Yogurt

Plain yogurt mixed with no-sugar granola and mashed, ripe bananas

Ricotta cheese, almond slices, and chopped, dried apricots

Pumpkin puree mixed with pumpkin pie spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves)

100% maple syrup (If you're not sensitive to sugar)

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