Pancake Mix from Scratch: A Healthier Choice

Since most premade pancake mixes are higher in sodium (>140 mg per serving), made with enriched bleach flour and lower in fiber, why not make your own. It's not as tedious as you think. All you need are healthy ingredients, measuring cups/spoons, large bowl and cooking equipment.


Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour (0mg sodium)
1 cup buttermilk powder (see Note 1 at bottom)
5 tbsp dried egg white or 1/3 cup liquid egg whites
1/4 cup sugar (optional)
1 1/2 tbsp baking powder
2 tsp baking soda1 tsp salt
1 cup flaxseed meal (see Note 2 at bottom) & (0 mg sodium)
1/2 cup almond flour (0 mg sodium)
1 cup nonfat dry milk
1/2 cup wheat bran or oat bran (0 mg sodium)
1 tbsp cinnamon, nutmeg, ground clove and ginger (add any spice of your choice)

*Note 1: Buttermilk powder, such as Saco Buttermilk Blend, is a useful substitute for fresh buttermilk. Look in the baking section or with the powdered milk in most supermarkets.

*Note 2: You can find flaxseed meal at some natural food markets, Krogers, Meijers or mail-order it (http://www.bobsredmill.com/). It is highly perishable, so store it in the refrigerator or freezer.

Preparation:

• 
  
  Whisk dry ingredients together and refrigerate or freeze in an airtight container. When you are ready to make pancakes, do the following:

• 
  
  Combine 1 1/2 cup of milk (skim, 1% or soy), 1/4 cup canola oil (optional), and 1 tsp vanilla extract. Place 2 cups of the pancake mix in a large bowl and make a well in the center. Whisk in milk mixture until just blended; do not overmix. (The batter will seem quite thin, but will thicken up as it stands.) Let stand for 5 minutes.

• 
  
  Coat a nonstick skillet or griddle with cooking spray and place over medium heat. Whisk the batter. Using 1/4 cup batter for each pancake, cook pancakes until the edges are dry and bubbles begin to form, about two minutes. Turn over and cook until golden brown, about 2 minutes longer. Adjust heat as necessary for even browning.

Recipe makes 12 pancakes

Variations:

Blueberry: Fold 1 cup of fresh or frozen blueberries into the batter

Banana-nut: Fold 1 cup thinly sliced bananas and 4 tbsp finely chopped toasted pecans into the batter

Chocolate-Chocolate Chip: Fold 1/2 cup cocoa powder and 3 ounces chocolate chips into the batter

This recipe was taken from the "Eating Well Magazine." http://www.eatingwell.com/