Healthy Pancakes

Preparation

1. Whisk flour, buttermilk powder, dried egg whites, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. Stir in flaxseed meal, dry milk and bran. (Makes 6 cups dry mix.)
2. Combine milk, oil and vanilla in a glass measuring cup.
3. Place 2 cups pancake mix in a large bowl. (Refrigerate the remaining pancake mix in an airtight container for up to 1 month or freeze for up to 3 months.) Make a well in the center of the pancake mix. Whisk in the 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.
4. 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 2 minutes. Turn over and cook until golden brown, about 2 minutes longer. Adjust heat as necessary for even browning. Variations Chocolate-Chocolate Chip Pancakes: Fold 1/2 cup cocoa powder and 3 ounces chocolate chips into the batter. Blueberry: Fold 1 cup frozen blueberries into the batter. Banana-Nut: Fold 1 cup thinly sliced bananas and 4 tablespoons finely chopped toasted pecans into the batter.

Tips & Notes

• Notes: 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 markets.
• Dried egg whites are convenient in recipes calling for egg whites because there is no waste. Look for brands like Just Whites in the baking or natural-foods section of most supermarkets or online at bakerscatalogue.com.
• You can find flaxseed meal in the natural-foods section of large supermarkets. You can also start with whole flaxseeds: Grind 2/3 cup whole flaxseeds to yield 1 cup.

Nutrition