Healthy, Protein-Rich, Customizable Pancakes! {Wednesday Wins}

Seriously... the title says it all.  These pancakes are a major win!

 

Now, I'm not a crazy pancake fanatic.  For a long time growing up, I didn't even eat pancakes.  They're so dense that I always felt like I was going to throw up after I ate them.  Too much information?!  Sorry, moving on...

But now, I eat them; I just have to been "in the mood" for pancakes.  Sometimes they still sound awful, but other times, they sound pretty good.  So, the other day, they sounded good, mainly because I ran across this amazing recipe for healthier pancakes!  Key: they have a secret, protein-rich ingredient!

So, that morning, I whipped up some plain pancakes for breakfast, and surprisingly, they tasted just like regular pancakes!  I kept telling Thomas as he sat down to eat while I was flipping the last two... "If they taste funny, you don't have to eat them.  I promise, it won't hurt my feelings.  Are you sure they don't taste weird?"  He kept assuring me that they were very normal tasting pancakes, but I just couldn't fully believe it until I tried one.  Wow!  No weirdness at all!

So, a few days later, I changed it up and made blueberry pancakes.  And believe it or not... those were delicious too!  So, I know you're dying to know what this mystery, secret ingredient is... so I'll tell you.

Yogurt!  And not just plain yogurt either, you can use any flavor you want based on the flavor of pancakes you want to make!  Huh!  I just love Publix fat free yogurt (so high in protein, and no fat!).  So the first time, for plain pancakes, I used vanilla yogurt (my favorite flavor).  And then with the blueberry pancakes, I used blueberry yogurt (which is why the pancakes look a little blue) and mixed in some fresh blueberries!  Yum!

The original recipe called for greek yogurt.  But I do NOT like greek yogurt, so I just tried it with my regular stuff.  Since they turned out great, I think you could use whatever kind you like!  And the flavor and mix-in options are ENDLESS!

Yogurt Pancakes
Adapted from: Family Fresh Meals
Makes 5 medium-sized pancakes

Ingredients:

• 6 ounces yogurt (Greek, regular, fat free, any flavor you like... the possibilities are endless)
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• A mix-in, optional (any fruit would be great, or chocolate chips for a less-healthy option)

Directions:

1. Stir together the yogurt, honey, and egg in a medium bowl.
2. Add in baking soda and flour; stir until combined.
3. Fold in fruit (or sprinkle onto pancakes once they're on the griddle).
4. Heat a skillet or griddle to medium heat.  Drop pancakes into the skillet using a 1/4 cup measuring cup.  The batter is very thick, so you'll need to spread it out with a spoon a little.
5. Cook on each side for 2-4 minutes depending on your stove heat.  If they are underdone, the middle will still have a yogurt-ey texture, so make sure the heat isn't too high that the outsides are done but the insides are still raw.
6. Add a little butter and syrup or more healthy options if you like and enjoy! 

Delicious!!!  I hope you like them!