Whole Wheat Sour Cream Berry Pancakes

I don't know if I've ever followed a single recipe to a "T." I actually enjoy reading through similar recipes to piece together components that I think may work well together, and I often make substitutions based on what I have on hand vs going to the store to pick up what I need. Sometimes this works splendidly. But truthfully it  can also lead to some, um, interesting meals. Lucky for me, today's experiment worked out deliciously well. 

I'm not often hungry first thing in the morning, but today my stomach was growling after reading through some of the week 2 Steemit #foodchallenge entries. So I walked into my kitchen, assessed my available ingredients, and set out to make a healthier spin on pancakes. There are many ways to do this and some have even popped up on Steemit already: 2-Ingredient Grain-Free Pancakes, Gluten-Free and Vegan Pancakes. Working with several recipes' recommendations on which ingredients and proportions to use, I decided to go with the following to create a higher fiber, higher protein, and lower sugar version of classic pancakes.

I had Trader Joe's light sour cream in my fridge, so I chose to use that to help give my pancakes a fluffier texture with a bit of tang. Alternatively, I could have used Greek yogurt. Using sour cream or Greek yogurt also increases protein and reduces the amount of flour needed to make pancakes.

Speaking of flour, I opted for half whole wheat and half all-purpose flour to balance texture (vs doing 100% whole-grain wheat) and to keep some of the fiber, protein, fat-soluble vitamins, B vitamins, and trace minerals that are originally found in whole grains. 

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Side Note: The bran and germ are removed from whole grains during the refining process, leaving only the endosperm and thus reducing the levels of 18 nutrients. While enriched flour adds back iron and four B vitamins (thiamin-B1, riboflavin-B2, niacin-B3, and folate), they're added back in higher amounts than is found in nature and the enriched flour is still considerably lower in 13 other nutrients. Check out The Whole Grain Council's chart comparing the nutrients in whole wheat, refined wheat, and enriched wheat flours to learn more.

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I also reduced the amount of sugar and fat typically used, changed the fat to coconut oil for a little flavoring and variety in fats consumed, and used fresh fruit to add flavor and texture to the pancakes, and to make a more fibrous and lower sugar alternative to syrup.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 C sifted whole wheat flour
• 1/2 C sifted all-purpose flour
• 3 tsp sugar (separate 1 tsp)
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 egg
• 1/2 C light sour cream
• 3/4 C milk (I used 2%)
• 3 tsp coconut oil, melted (separate 1 tsp)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract (1/2 tsp almond extract would be nice too)
• 1 cup berries (I used half blueberries and half raspberries)

Directions:

1. Mix the flours, 2 tsp sugar, baking powder and salt together in a medium bowl.
2. Lightly beat the egg in a large bowl and add in the sour cream, milk, 2 tsp melted coconut oil, and vanilla extract. Mix together.
3. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing lightly just to combine and remove any large clumps (don't over mix). Fold in half of the berries. Let it sit for 5-10 minutes.
4. Heat up your griddle to a low-medium heat. (Preferably non-stick to avoid added fat. I typically avoid non-stick -- and definitely ditch it if the coating is scratched! -- but with a griddle it makes things easier. And you want a low-medium heat because the coconut oil has a lower smoking point, plus a lower heat allows thicker pancakes to cook more evenly)
5. Once the griddle is ready (lightly sprinkled water "dances" vs sits on the griddle), use a pastry brush to dip into the remaining 1 tsp of melted coconut oil to lightly coat the griddle.
6. Add ~1/4 cup of batter to make 3-4" pancakes. Be patient and wait to flip until the top is showing little bubbles coming through the batter. Once cooked on both sides, transfer to a plate and repeat.
7. In the meantime, heat up the remaining berries, 1 tsp sugar, and a tablespoon or so of water in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook until the liquid thickens and the berries pop.
8. Top the pancakes with the berry sauce and enjoy!

Nutrition Facts: 

Recipe makes eight 3-4" pancakes + ~1 cup sauce. Nutrition Facts are calculated per serving of 2 pancakes + ~1/4 cup of berry sauce.

Note: Nutrition information was calculated using My Fitness Pal. Changing ingredients and amounts will alter the values. Additionally, I had about 1/2 tsp of the coconut oil left in my bowl after brushing the pan before cooking the pancakes, so I estimated a total of 2.5 tsp coconut oil used.

Recipe by Cehuneke, MS, RDN