Oatmeal Pancakes

So it's the beginning of 2016, and we have jumped on the "Let's get healthy" bandwagon.  My hubs and I are doing a health challenge where you can't have any sugar (except for 1 cheat day a week), and we have to eat a certain amount of fruits and veggies everyday among other things.  These pancakes were such a delicious way to start the morning and get our fruit in. Plus the kids all like them too.  Another bonus is that they are super filling.  You don't feel like you are starving in an hour or even two hours.  I LOVE these pancakes!

Oatmeal Pancakes

Ingredients:

1 cup rolled oats

1 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 cup wheat germ

1 tsp. soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1 Tbs. honey

2 eggs 

2 1/4 cup lowfat buttermilk

1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce

Directions:

Mix dry ingredients together in a large mixing bowl. Mix wet ingredients together in a medium mixing bowl.  Then add wet ingredients to dry ingredients.  Stir until barely mixed.  (The more you mix, the less fluffy the pancakes will be.)  Cook on a griddle or frying pan that has been sprayed with cooking spray.  

Makes 12 pancakes (using 1/3 cup batter per pancake)

Nutritional Information:

Serving Size: 1 Pancake; Calories: 112; Fat: 2.4 g; Fiber: 2.5 g; Protein: 6 g; Carbs: 16.5 g

Recipe Source:  Slightly Adapted from my Mom's Family Cookbook 

Coconut Syrup

The one, the only, coconut syrup!  This baby deserves it's own post because it is so delicious!  My kids are to the point of refusing pancakes unless this syrup is on them.  It is everybody's favorite syrup in this household.  I even catch my kids trying to drink it straight from the bottle.  It is fantastic stuff and you can whip it up in no time.

Coconut Syrup
Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup buttermilk
1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon coconut extract

Directions:
Place butter, buttermilk, and sugar in a medium sized saucepan.  Cook over medium heat and stir until butter melts and sugar dissolves.  Bring to a boil and boil for one minute.  Remove from heat and stir in the soda and extract.  It will bubble up.  Let it rest for a few minutes before serving.

Recipe Source: The Sister's Cafe

S'more Pancakes with Marshmallow Syrup

Who says you can't have S'mores for breakfast?  This is a perfect way to remember the good ol' campfire s'mores you made on vacation and reminisce about the perfect melty chocolate with the gooey, sugary, toasted marshmallows all between two perfectly sweet graham crackers.  And the best thing....it's what's for breakfast.  We absolutely love pancakes around our house.  I created this recipe last year, and we have been in love with them ever since.  I'm not even a huge S'more fan, but these pancakes bring out the best in the S'more.  So with much love, I give you our S'more pancakes with marshmallow syrup.

S'more Pancakes
Ingredients:
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1 cup flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 cup oil
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups milk
2/3 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate morsels
Handful of mini-marshmallows

Directions:
In a large bowl, mix together the graham cracker crumbs, flour, sugar, salt, baking soda, and baking powder.  In a medium sized bowl, mix together the oil, eggs and milk.  Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients.  Mix just until moistened.  Add the chocolate chips and some marshmallows and gently stir in.  Heat a griddle or frying pan over medium heat.  Spray with non-stick cooking spray.  Pour about 1/4 cup pancake batter per pancake.  Cook pancakes over medium heat until they start to bubble on top and the other side is lightly browned.  Then flip with a spatula until the other side is browned.  Remove to a oven safe platter and cover with foil to keep them warm until ready to serve.  Makes 12 - 4 inch pancakes.  Top your pancakes with syrup and additional chocolate chips and marshmallows if desired.

Marshmallow Syrup
Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. baking soda
1 cup mini marshmallows

Directions:
In a medium saucepan, combine butter, buttermilk, and sugar.  Bring to a boil, stirring regularly.  Remove from heat and whisk in vanilla and baking soda.  It will foam up a bit.  Immediately add the marshmallows and stir until mixed into syrup.  It's now ready to serve over your yummy S'more Pancakes.

Recipe Source:  Kimmy's Creation

Linked to:  Sweets for a Saturday, These Chicks Cooked

Birthday Cake Pancakes

If y'all don't know, I love pancakes!  When I saw these pancakes start floating around the blog world, I knew we had to have some.  So we created a recipe, and we love it!  I made these for our family reunion along with 3 other types of pancakes, and these were the first pancakes devoured!  Our favorite way to eat these is with Buttermilk Syrup and topped with sprinkles.  So delicious!  It really is like having a dessert for breakfast.

Birthday Cake Pancakes

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups Original Bisquick mix
1 1/2 cups white cake mix
1 cup milk
2 eggs
Rainbow Sprinkles

Directions:
In a large bowl, mix together all ingredients until moistened.  Fold in the rainbow sprinkles.  Add as many or as little as you'd like.  Heat a griddle or frying pan over medium heat. Spray with nonstick cooking spray. Pour about 1/4 cup of batter per pancake on the griddle. Cook until you can see the pancake bubbling and the other side is browned. Flip with a spatula and cook until the other side is browned. Serve with syrup or glaze and sprinkles. 

Recipe Source:  Kimmy's Creation

Strawberry Shortcake Pancakes

Pancakes....SIGH.....Pancakes.  It's no secret that I love them.  I love the soft, perfect texture.  I love the versatility of the pancake.  You can create so many different flavors to top it with or mix in with it.  Heck, I even just love eating the batter plain.  Maybe love isn't a strong enough word...but I am utterly and completely infatuated with pancakes.  So is it any surprise that pancakes are my kids favorite breakfast ever?  I am always creating new types of pancakes.  In fact, I have a whole list of them I need to blog about.  (It's on that long "To Do" list that never gets done.)  Here's to me getting around to posting my beloved pancakes.  These Strawberry Shortcake Pancakes are amazing!  I can eat them plain without toppings they are so good.  It's a perfect summer meal especially made with fresh picked strawberries.  Delish!

Strawberry Shortcake Pancakes

Ingredients:
1 cup flour
1/2 cup white cake mix
2 Tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 egg
1/2 cup crushed strawberries
1/2 cup + 2 Tablespoons milk
2 oz. softened cream cheese

Directions:
1.  In a medium bowl, mix together flour, cake mix, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  Then, mix in the egg, crushed strawberries and milk. 

2.  In a small bowl, stir the softened cream cheese until it is smooth and creamy.  (You don't want any lumps in it.)  Mix the cream cheese into the batter.  (I don't like my pancakes super dense so if the batter seems too thick just add a bit of milk.)

3.  Heat a griddle or frying pan over medium high heat.  Spray with nonstick cooking spray.  Pour about 1/4 cup of batter per pancake on the griddle.  Cook until you can see the pancake bubbling and the other side is browned.  Flip with a spatula and cook until the other side is browned. 

4.  Keep warm and serve with fresh strawberries and whipped cream, strawberry syrup, strawberry puree with powdered sugar, or anything else that floats your boat.  Enjoy!

Makes about 8 pancakes.

Recipe Source:  Kimmy's Creation

Linked to:  Sweets for a Saturday

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Pancakes

Growing up, I used to watch Disney's "Mickey and the Beanstalk" cartoon with my brother.  There's a song in the movie where Donald, Goofy, and Mickey sing, "Pancakes piled up 'til they reach the sky. I'm going to eat and eat and eat and eat and eat until I die."  Oh how we used to bellow that song at the top of our lungs.  But ya know, that is pretty much my motto with pancakes.  The more there are, the merrier I am.  I love pancakes.  I love whole wheats, buttermilks, flavored.  Any way you hand them to me, I'll  eat 'em.  They are one of my all time favorite foods evah!  I love to surprise my family with all sorts of new pancakes.  These new pancakes were DELISH!  I kept eating them all throughout the day.  These pair fabulously with maple syrup or just eat them plain.  Either way, they are a delicious way to start the day.

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Pancakes

Ingredients:
1 cup flour
1 cup oats
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking powder
2 Tbsp. sugar
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 1/4 cup buttermilk
1 egg
3/4 tsp. vanilla
2 Tbsp. oil
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:
In a large bowl, mix together all of the dry ingredients.  Then add the wet ingredients and mix until the batter is moistened.  Heat a griddle or frying pan over medium heat.  Spray pan with nonstick cooking spray.  Spoon batter (1/4 cup per pancake) onto the hot griddle.  When the pancake starts bubbling on one side and is lightly browned, flip to the other side.  Brown on other side.  Serve warm with butter and maple syrup.

Linked to:  Sweets for a Saturday, Friday Favorites, Foodie Friday, Potluck Sunday, Sweet Treats Thursday, Sweet Indulgences Sunday, Made it on Monday

Our Favorite Buttermilk Pancakes

I grew up feasting upon these pancakes and now make these for my family all the time.  We absolutely love them.  They also turn out so delicious and moist.  You can top them with anything from fruit to chocolate.  They are our absolute favorite buttermilk pancakes ever!

Buttermilk Pancakes

Ingredients:

2 eggs - separate whites and yolks

3 cups buttermilk

1/4 cup oil

3 cups flour

1/2 cup sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons soda

1 teaspoon salt

Directions:

In a medium size bowl, mix egg yolks, buttermilk, and oil.  In a large bowl, mix together flour, sugar, soda, and salt.  Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix just until moistened.  Beat egg whites until stiff and fold into other ingredients. 

Heat a skillet over medium high heat.  Pour batter (1/4 cup per pancake) onto the greased skillet.  When pancake is bubbling and browned, flip to the other side with a spatula.  Brown other side of the pancake and serve.

Linked to:  Tuesday Night Supper Club, Full Plate Thursday