Name: Healthy Pancakes
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 38 pancakes
Cuisine: Ukrainian
Ingredients: 4 eggs, large; 4 cups leftover yogurt whey or buttermilk; 1/3 cup avocado oil; 1/2 cup maple syrup; 1 tsp salt; 1 tsp baking soda; 4 tsp baking powder, aluminum free; 5 cups whole wheat flour; Cooking spray (I use Misto)

Healthy Pancake Recipe

Let me present you healthy pancakes with whole wheat flour and yogurt whey (or buttermilk). But don’t you worry if your Instant Pot is still in the box (the bigger question is why is it still there when there are so many healthy Instant Pot recipes). You can use store-bought buttermilk in place of whey.

How to Make Healthy Pancakes

I do promise you these will be the most tasty and moist healthy fluffy pancakes you have ever tried! They will become a staple in your house kids will be asking for on the weekend.

Simple Ingredients:

Life has come to a place where I’m left with cups and cups of leftover whey liquid from making Instant Pot yogurt, particularly Greek yogurt. I have discarded first few batches but then a true Ukrainian in me told me to stop.

I’m convinced that the best healthy pancake recipe calls for buttermilk or whey liquid, not milk. Sorry but there is just no replacement for the fluffy end result when acid meets baking soda. That’s just how Ukraine makes pancakes.

Other ingredients are eggs, oil, maple syrup and whole wheat flour.

Perfect Whole Wheat Pancakes Batter:

I use a hand held whisk for entire process.

In a large mixing bowl whisk the eggs first.
Add yogurt whey or buttermilk, oil, maple syrup, salt, baking soda and powder, and whisk really well.
Add whole wheat flour and whisk gently until combined and batter has no lumps.

Tip: Perfect batter consistency should be thin enough to spread but not like crepes. And not to thick so the spoon almost stands in it.

Adjust thick batter by adding a bit more milk at a time. And fix too thin batter with a bit of flour at a time.

When to Flip Pancakes?

It is super important to fry pancakes on a hot surface. Preheat (ceramic non-stick) griddle or skillet on medium heat and spray with cooking spray. Using 1/4 cup measuring cup, pour batter in rounds and cook for about 5 minutes or until bubbles appear on top. Flip and cook another minute or so.

Tip: After a few batches, skillet will become hotter and whole wheat pancakes will cook faster.

Our Healthy Pancakes Toppings:

Here is how we love to eat homemade pancakes influenced by my upbringing in Ukraine. It’s all healthy, don’t worry.:)

Maple syrup. It is full of vitamins and nutrients. You don’t have to buy it organic, it’s already kind of natural. Your kids will not notice the difference between maple syrup or unhealthy pancake syrup.
Yogurt. I either make my own pressure cooker yogurt (if you make Greek yogurt, leftover whey is used in this healthy pancake recipe) or buy plain whole milk yogurt. I shoot for local, organic or grass-fed, no added sugar. Yogurt adds creaminess and moisture to a pancake breakfast.
Frozen fruit. Frozen fruit is affordable way to eat fruit year round. Costco is amazing source of frozen organic berries and fruit.

Freeze and Thaw Pancakes?

You can cut recipe in half but why would you if you are already at it?! Cook healthy pancakes from scratch, cool and freeze in large Ziploc bags.

To serve, either thaw on a counter overnight or pop in a toaster from frozen. Genius? Right!

Freeze some healthy pancakes for kids, they love them!

More Healthy Pancake Recipes to Try:

Almond flour pancakes – low carb pancakes with only 5 ingredients.
Protein pancakes – 4 ingredient oatmeal pancakes.
Peanut butter protein pancakes with banana, oatmeal and plant based protein powder.
Cottage cheese protein pancakes with egg whites, banana, oats and plant based protein powder.

And not exactly pancakes but if you are into waffles, I highly recommend to check out these whole wheat waffles and almond flour waffles recipes.