I love waking up about half an hour early on Wednesdays to make pancakes for breakfast. They really take very little time to throw together, and they make a world of difference to my day. I can’t save my pancakes only for special weekend breakfasts. Sometimes (every Wednesday) I need that weekend indulgence before I throw on the chef’s coat and dive into the big kitchen.
Whole Wheat Banana Walnut Pancakes are surprisingly light, healthy, and keep me full well into the afternoon. Drizzled with homemade Vanilla-Brown Sugar Syrup and served with a side of fresh fruit, I can indulge in the comforts of a lazy Sunday morning, even on a daunting weekday.
Treat yourself to pancakes on a weekday. The sunshine and hearty breakfast are well worth the early alarm chime.
Whole Wheat Banana Walnut Pancakes with Vanilla-Brown Sugar Syrup
adapted from The Gourmet Cookbook
1 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/3 cup cornmeal
1 Tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs, separated
1/4 cup vegetable oil, plus additional for brushing the skillet
1 1/2 cup whole milk, plus additional if needed
1 ripe banana, diced or mashed
1/4 cup walnuts, chopped
Whisk together flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl Whisk together yolks, oil and 1 1/2 cups milk in another bowl and add to the flour mixture, whisking until smooth. Let batter stand for 5 minutes to allow flour to absorb liquid (batter will thicken).
If batter is too thick to fall easily from a spoon, stir in 1 to 2 tablespoons additional milk.
Fold in banana and walnuts.
Beat egg whites in a large bowl with an electric mixer at moderately high speed until they just hold stiff peaks. With a whisk, gently but thoroughly fold into batter.
Brush a griddle or 12-inch nonstick skillet with oil and heat over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking. Reduce heat to moderate. Working in batches of 4, spoon 2 tablespoons batter per pancake into a hot skillet, spreading it if necessary to form 3- 3 1/2 inch rounds. Cook pancakes until bubbles appear on surface, edges are set and undersides are golden, 45 seconds to 1 minute. Flip pancakes with a metal spatula and cook until undersides are golden and pancakes are cooked through. Lower heat if pancakes brown too quickly and insides aren’t set. Transfer pancakes to plate and serve with Vanilla- Brown Sugar Syrup. Brush griddle with more oil between batches.
Vanilla-Brown Sugar Syrup
1 1/2 cups packed dark brown sugar
1 1/2 cups water
3 Tablespoon unsalted butter
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Combine brown sugar, water, butter, and salt in a 2-quart heavy saucepan and bring to a oil, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Boil until syrupy and reduced to about 1 1/2 cups, about 12-15 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice and vanilla, then let cool to warm or room temperature.
Yelda
Hey!
They look delicious!
One question:
Do you think, I could replace the oil by just another 1/4cup milk or do you think, it would change the whole flavor of it?
I don’t like to use oil in pancakes, usually I make them without but then on the other side i’ve never made whole wheat ones.
Thanks! And
Thank you for inspiring me with your blog.
joythebaker
You can use another fat, but not more milk. It just wouldn’t be the same.
Rachel
I made these over the long weekend, but with blueberries instead of bananas and walnuts. Let’s just say my BF and I put away the entire batch, in one morning. These are going to become a tradition, I can tell!
Krista @ The Beet Reporter
I will take you up on that challenge. Thursday morning pancakes it is!
Jasmine@Purebebe
These were fantastic! We added a second banana and topped them with peanut butter, and they were the perfectly filling meal for an evening at home with my girls. Thank you!
Kate
Made these for dinner tonight, they were JUST what I needed. Thanks!
Mary Kay
I have made different varieties of whole wheat pancakes before, but they have always had a dense texture and have not been flavorful. These were outstanding! I think it is the beaten egg whites that do the trick. My daughters (11 & 13) loved them and had about 4 each. To the person wondering how many they make, it fed my daughters, husband and me and I still have about 6 left over. I didn’t make the syrup this time, but I will definitely give it a try with my next batch. Very yummy!
kaili
My daughter and husband scrafed these up! They were thick and cake-like.. without the thought of whole wheat. I added ground flaxseed, my daughter mashed the bananas, and my husband said ” these are honestly my favorite pancakes I have ever had!” Worth every penny!
gabrielle
I made these a couple weeks ago and they were scrumptious. We ate the cold pancakes for morning tea and they were still very good.
I didn’t use the cornmeal in mine though and just added more flour.
What could I use as a substitute for corn meal?
thanks :)
kabamaiga
I made them for breakfast today morning. They are amazing. I replaced the walnuts with almond and served with strawberry sauce, which my children just love.
Thanks for the recipe.
ama
Yummy! Just made them and they were a hit and possibly one of my favorite pancake recipes yet! Thanks for posting Joy!