Greek Yogurt Pancakes

Eggs are the popular kid, and oatmeal will always be my soulmate, but in my humble opinion, pancakes are the true queen of breakfast food. They’re usually reserved for vacation, holidays, or Sunday mornings – when no one’s rushed, when there’s time to sit and linger over coffee, and when the only tension is over who gets the last piece of bacon.  These are mornings when there might even be time for a leisurely post-breakfast snooze, which I sometimes feel like I need after a big plate of pancakes.

I wanted to come up with a recipe that was a little bit lighter and brighter than a traditional stack- one that would be perfect for holidays and slow Sunday mornings but virtuous enough for regular mornings, too.  These Greek Yogurt Pancakes are now the one pancake recipe I use, with tweaks according to my mood and the season.

I should clarify that these are not “diet” pancakes, because this is not that kind of blog. That said, these pancakes are considerably lighter and more nutritious than their cousins over at IHOP. The Greek yogurt makes the pancakes incredibly moist and gives them a little protein boost (so you can convince yourself pancakes are an acceptable post-workout food). I also swap some of the all-purpose flour for almond flour, which not only makes the pancakes a lighter in texture but also gives them a delicious nutty flavor. Finally, I flavor the batter with vanilla and cinnamon. Your kitchen will smell heavenly and the aroma will waft gently into the rooms of any late risers.

Now, I love pancakes with fruit, and I’ve always thought the more the merrier when it comes to pancake fillings. But adding too much fresh fruit makes the batter wet, and in turn, makes it incredibly difficult to cook the pancakes all the way through while still achieving that perfect golden brown exterior. The solution: serve the fruit on top of the pancakes instead of mixing it into the batter. Not only does this little change make the cooking easier, but it also makes for a very pretty stack of pancakes. In the summer, I like to use blueberries and peaches, but a simple mix of berries is my go-to year round.

And finally, a note on frying pans. I tested this recipe in a cast-iron pan, a stainless steel sauté pan, and a non-stick skillet. While all three work, I found that the non-stick skillet produced the best, most perfectly golden pancakes.