Fluffy, nutty Whole Grain Pancakes are one of our favorite breakfast recipes. Macerated strawberries cut through the rich pancakes and are the perfect sweet-and-tangy topping. I serve these before Saturday morning baseball games for a hearty, nutritious, stick-to-your-ribs meal that keeps everyone full and happy for hours.
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Fess up – are you a pancake house, or a waffle house?
The correct answer here is…BOTH! Duh.
One of the very first recipes I ever shared on OSK was for whole grain waffles, and it’s about time I shared the companion recipe for pancakes (or as Cassian used to call them “tancakes”). I’m so sorry it took me this long. Can you please forgive me? Thanks 😀
These guys are made with 100% whole grain flour, but don’t let that healthy talk fool you. They’re fluffy and rich, and when topped with macerated strawberries and real maple syrup, taste like pure heaven. This is how we do spring breakfast, and it’s totally tasty.
We’re fully into the swing of baseball season in this house, and these whole grain pancakes are everyone’s breakfast of choice before games. Whole grain flours are high in fiber and nutrient dense, and the resulting pancakes have a stick-to-your-ribs quality to keep you full, satisfied, and ready to rock. It’s one of the few breakfasts I can serve the kids without hearing “Moooooooom, I’m huuuuuuuuungry” less than 20 minutes later.
I make these with a whole wheat/spelt/oat flour blend that my local co-op market offers, but feel free to use straight whole wheat, or a mix of your own choosing. For a milder flavor try white whole wheat flour, which I buy from Prime Pantry but can also easily find at my local commercial grocery store.
White whole wheat is still 100% whole grain, but it’s ground from, literally, a white strain of wheat instead of a red strain. It’s milder in both flavor and color, and the perfect transitional choice if your family isn’t quite used to whole grain flour situations yet.
Fluffy, nutty, filling, nutritious pancakes. On to the recipe!
Recipe Notes: Perfect Whole Grain Pancakes Every Time
Whole grain pancakes are rich and nutty, and much less sweet than their white flour counterparts. Bright and tangy macerated strawberries are the perfect topping to both cut through and complement that richness.
To make the strawberries, I squeeze fresh lemon juice and the tiniest bit of salt over quartered berries and let them hang out while I make the pancakes. The salt draws out the juice, while the acid enhances the sweetness but adds tang.
Whole Grain Pancake Batter Rules!
(literal and figurative)
Whole grain flour needs more moisture and, in my opinion, more fat than refined white flour. Without those two elements, you get the dense, dry chalky whole wheat products that everyone loves to hate. To that end, you’ll add an extra egg yolk and double the amount of butter used in white flour pancake recipes. If you can, use pastured eggs and grass fed butter for an even more powerful nutritional punch.
Be careful not to over-mix the batter! Over-mixing will agitate the flour, which will activate the gluten, which will result in tougher pancakes. You want to just barely incorporate it. Lumps are good. You’ll also want to let the batter rest for about 5 minutes while the griddle heats up, which will help the flour hydrate and smooth out some of those lumps.
The right consistency is going to stream off the whisk, and will be just a touch thicker than cake batter. When you spoon the batter onto the hot griddle, it should spread out evenly on it’s own to about half an inch thickness.
Perfectly Cooked Whole Grain Pancakes
I like cast iron for pancakes because it holds a steady temperature. I find myself constantly readjusting the heat when I use non stick or aluminum pans because the batter cools down the pan. Use a large griddle to make multiple pancakes at a time, but be mindful that you’ll probably have “hot spots” over the flames and cooler spots surrounding them if you don’t have a long center burner for evenly distributed heat.
I found the best temperate is a touch below medium low. Higher heat, and the pancakes burn around the edges. Lower heat, and they take too long to cook and get chewy.
Grease the skillet with a tiny bit of oil. The oil should sizzle, but not smoke. If it smokes, your pan is too hot. Add a scoop of batter to the skillet and cook until bubbles form throughout the batter, outsides and center. It should take about one minute. Flip and cook for another thirty seconds, then remove from the skillet.
An ice cream scooper is the perfect measuring cup for a single pancake, plus it’s way less messy than a measuring cup or pouring from a spouted bowl.
Stack those babies up, top with strawberries, drizzle with maple syrup, and dive in!
Did you make these Whole Grain Pancakes? I’d love to know how they turned out! Leave a comment and a rating below.
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Recipe
Whole Grain Pancakes with Macerated Strawberries
Print Recipe Rate this Recipe Pin RecipeRecommended Equipment
- 4-cup measuring cup
- Cast Iron Skillet
- Spatula
- whisk
Ingredients
Whole Grain Pancakes
- 2 c whole grain or whole wheat flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp sea or kosher salt
- 4 tbsp butter, melted
- 2 eggs
- 1 egg yolk
- 2 tsp honey
- 1.5-2 c milk or nut milk
- 1 tsp avocado or olive oil
- real maple syrup, to taste
Macerated Strawberries
- 1 pint strawberries, hulled and quartered
- tiny pinch sea or kosher salt
- 1 lemon juiced, about 2 tbsp
Instructions
- Place the butter into a 4-cup measuring cup and microwave for 30 seconds until just barely melted. Set aside to cool.
- In a large bowl, add the flour, baking powder, and salt. Whisk to combine.
- Add the eggs, egg yolk, and honey to the butter. Whisk thoroughly until incorporated. Pour in 1 ½ cups of milk and whisk until combined.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, then whisk until just barely combined and the batter is slightly thicker than cake batter. If the batter is too thick, add additional milk, a tablespoon at a time, until it reaches the correct consistency.
- Set the batter aside to rest and hydrate for 5 minutes, then heat a cast iron skillet or griddle pan over medium low heat.
- While the batter is resting and the skillet is heating, prepare the strawberries. Place the hulled and quartered strawberries into a small bowl. Sprinkle with a tiny pinch of salt, then drizzle the lemon juice over the berries. Mix with a spoon, then set aside.
- Brush the skillet with a tiny amount of oil. The oil should sizzle and dance around the pan. If it smokes, the pan is too hot. Add one scoop of batter to the skillet and cook until bubbles throughout, about 1 minute. Flip then cook an additional 30 seconds. Remove the pancake from the skillet using a spatula, and repeat with the remaining batter.
- To serve, stack pancakes and then top with several tablespoons of strawberries. Drizzle with maple syrup and serve immediately. Cooked pancakes can be kept on a baking sheet in a warmed over (about 200*) until ready to serve. Leftovers keep in the fridge in a tightly sealed container for up to 3 days, or in the freezer for up to 2 months.
Nutrition Information
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