Comments on: Hey, do these look like whole grain pancakes to you? Surprise…

By: Michele

Michele — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 10:26:05 +0000

I just found this recipe and since I’m cooking only for myself, I made up a small batch. They are very good but I only use whole wheat flour already so I didn’t need to be “converted”. I used KA Irish wholemeal and white whole wheat. I only cooked 1/2 cup of mix at a time and tried the flax seed meal to replace the egg. It worked but I liked them better with the egg in the mix. Rather than buying the expensive egg beaters to get 1/2 of an egg, I froze 1/2 dozen eggs in ice cube trays and use one cube per batch. I also froze the buttermilk in 1/2 cup batches and that worked great too. The only problem I had was the temp of the griddle cooking these, it took a few tries to get it right. They are thicker than regular pancakes and I found that the 350 temp burned the bottom before they were cooked inside. I preheated to 350 and then turned the temp down to 250-300 and they came out perfect. I will be making a large batch of this mix to keep in the freezer. They are a perfect reward after an early morning run.

By: Donna

Donna — Sat, 04 Apr 2009 21:33:29 +0000

I make the breakfast for my church’s spring cleaning day, and I usually do buttermilk pancakes, which are always popular. I decided to try this whole grain recipe and give everyone a healthier alternative. Couldn’t resist making a test pancake before everyone arrived, and it was so good, I quickly mixed up more of the batter because I knew they’d go over well. In the end, I made about equal amounts of the two kinds, but I had more of the regular ones than the whole grain ones left (though not many of either!) These are marvelous, and so easy! That little dab of orange juice does indeed counteract any bitterness from the whole wheat. I think the oatmeal contributes greatly to the flavor, texture, and moistness of the pancakes. I’m looking forward to trying some variations. Toasted pecans would be good…blueberries, of course–or maybe a topping of strawberries and yogurt. Strawberry jam is especially tasty with homemade whole wheat bread, so strawberries ought to be great with these.

By: CocoaJ

CocoaJ — Sat, 14 Feb 2009 17:35:04 +0000

Can’t wait to try this. I need more whole grains in diet, and this will be perfect marriage to how I eat pancakes, too. Only make 4-6 pancakes max at a time, and at that, only occasionally. Don’t much enjoy thawed out frozen pancakes. Love the idea of having the dry mix at the ready (am lazy gurl). I will need to freeze the mix, and am surprised it keeps for so long because of the baking powder. The baking powder stays effective? (Naturally, I am assuming very fresh BP is used at the outset.)

One thing I like to do with pancakes (savory, not sweet) is add bits of interest. I don’t yet know how sweet these are, and a little sugar does indeed *lift* the taste of pancakes even when not making these sweet. But … if necessary … what’s your opinion as to omitted (or at least halving) the sugar in the dry mix. Then … IF more sugar needed, add it to mix before making pancakes. Where I’m going with this is exploring the possibility of being able to use them as savories — that is, because one batch of pancakes would be too much, I could make the batch, halve it, add a little sugar to make the breakfast pancakes. Then to second half of batch, add my green onions or bits of veggies or whatever to make snackable savories to pull out of fridge. I know I can just try it, but get discouraged by waste. You may know upfront whether this recipe really needs X-amount of sugar with the whole wheat flour, and thus might or might lend itself to savory possibilities.

Sure, go ahead and omit the sugar entirely, if you like; though halving it would probably allow the pancakes to easily go either way, sweet or savory. PJH

By: Ying

Ying — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 03:57:15 +0000

Thanks for this great recipe! I have two questions though: 1). Is the large egg optional? If not, what I can substitute it for? 2). Is there a maximum rest time for the batter? To be specific: can I prepare the batter the night before and let it rest in the fridge overnight (so I can cook the pancakes first thing in the morning ?
You need the egg to make the pancakes light and fluffy but you can try replacing it with either 1 tablespoon of applesauce or 2 tablespoons of cornstarch. Be aware, the pancakes will not be as fluffy and will be much thinner. An overnight rest in the fridge is fine. Molly, King Arthur Baker

By: Elizabeth

Elizabeth — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 22:25:30 +0000

I’m late to this conversation, but I have a question: one of my favorite things in the world is a buckwheat pancake; but I can’t find buckwheat flour (unless the King has hidden it somewhere). What can I do to get closer to that distinctive flavor?

Sorry, Elizabeth, buckwheat has its own distinctive flavor. I’d do an online search, see where you can buy it… you can often find it in natural foods stores, too. - PHG

By: Jennifer

Jennifer — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 14:20:55 +0000

These are amazing! Question: Once you mixture the batter, how long do you think it would keep in the refrigerator? Or should I just make all the pancakes and reheat later? I’m a single person and this is a lot of pancakes! Could I use an egg substitute and make half a batch (so I can use half an egg)?

Hi Jennifer,
Go ahead and make a whole batch, then when they are cooled, put the leftovers in a zip top bag and freeze them. You can pull out one or two and heat them in the toaster or toaster oven and Bingo! Instant hot pancake breakfast with no fuss. You can keep the batter in the fridge overnight and bake pancakes the next day if it fits your schedule better.

Happy Baking!
MaryJane @ The Baker’s Hotline

By: Kelly

Kelly — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 19:25:07 +0000

These are the best whole grain pancakes ever. Well done on such a great recipe!

By: Betty A.

Betty A. — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 17:30:59 +0000

I’ve been making these for several years too. After preparing the mix I package it in one cup amounts in plastic sandwich bags and store it in the refrigerator. This makes assemby quick and simple. Also I find that buttermilk keeps well past the “use by” date, so I usually have some on hand.

Thanks for the tip, Betty. Speaking of buttermilk, I used some on Friday whose expiration date was May 19, and it was still fine. Kind of feels creepy to use something that much out of date, but it looked and tasted just fine. PJH

By: Kathryn Henry

Kathryn Henry — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 13:40:31 +0000

I have been wanting to try this recipe for a long time and would like to know if you can add the powdered eggs from KAF to the mix? There are some times I like to make smaller batches of pancakes as 8 pancakes can be too many for a meal.Sure, the powdered eggs would be fine! Tara - Baker’s Hotline

By: Lee

Lee — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 22:04:12 +0000

About the question of oats in grain mill vs. food processor (from erin) I have a suggestion: Use the coarsest setting on your mill to mill the oat groats and you will get a sort of “stone ground” textured oat that might work in this recipe. Putting the oatmeal in your blender for a short whirl would also work. Just don’t put oatmeal flakes in your mill!!
My favorite pancake recipe from the KA whole grain cookbook has to be the spelt one at the beginning. I use spelt in everything I can get away with. It just tastes better to me. I really like spelt tortillas!