Whole Grain Funfetti Pancakes

Inspired by my daughter’s love of sprinkles, I decided to make some fun, festive, but still healthy pancakes for my children’s weekend breakfast. So I tweaked my recipe for wholegrain pancakes and came up with these delicious, fluffy, buttermilk pancakes with a pop of funfetti color.

These pancakes are made with whole wheat flour, which gives them a slightly richer flavor than using all purpose flour. It also increases their fiber, vitamin, and mineral content, because all the goodness in the grain is retained, unlike all purpose flour where all the nutritious parts are stripped away.

For this recipe I used coconut oil instead of butter, which gave the pancakes a slight hint of coconut flavor – perfect for my coconut-obsessed family. And while I am not yet fully on board with the coconut oil craze (I don’t bathe in it, drink it, or use it for teeth pulling), I do like to include a little of it in my diet.

Current research suggests that, while coconut oil contains a high amount of saturated fat, our bodies might metabolize it differently to animal sources of saturated fat. In addition, the word on the (peer-reviewed scientific) street is that coconut oil does all kinds of wonderful things for our bodies. However, the research is still in the early stages, so I prefer to adopt my usual strategy of ‘everything in moderation’ – just in case.

Whole Grain Funfetti Pancakes
(Printable recipe)

• 1 cup milk
• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1 egg
• 2 tbsp melted coconut oil
• 1/4 cup rainbow sprinkles (not nonpareil)

Method

1. Combine the milk and vinegar in a bowl and let it sit for a few minutes to curdle (essentially, you are making buttermilk).

2. In a large bowl combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and soda, and salt.

3. In a separate bowl whisk together the egg, coconut oil, and milk/vinegar mixture.

4. Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients, add the sprinkles, and stir until just mixed (don’t over mix or you will get tough pancakes).

5. Heat a skillet over a medium heat, add a touch of vegetable oil, and pour about 1/4 cup batter per pancake onto the heated griddle. Once bubbles start to surface, flip the pancake and cook for another minute or so, until both sides are lightly brown.

6. Serve with banana, maple syrup, jam, cream cheese, or any other topping of your choice.

How to Freeze and Reheat

1. Find a baking sheet, cake tin, or other freezable plate or dish that will fit flat in your freezer.

2. Lay the pancakes in a single layer on that dish. If you need to make more than one layer, place a sheet of parchment paper between layers.

3. Place the dish in the freezer for a few hours, until the pancakes are well frozen.

4. Transfer the pancakes into a freezer bag or tupperware and put them back in the freezer until needed.

5. When you want to eat a pancake, take one out of the freezer and pop it in the toaster until it is warm through. Alternatively, you could defrost it in the microwave.