Whole Wheat Oat Pancakes

Love, love this recipe for pancakes! Ingredients like whole wheat flour, oats and yogurt make this mom very happy!

These pancakes are light, fluffy and slightly sweet. I prefer to omit sticky sugary toppings on pancakes, waffles and such...but will add a touch of honey or maple syrup into the batter for my little eaters. Fruit purees or flavored yogurts, especially fruit on the bottom yogurts, are staples in this house and I try to add them to almost every breakfast dish as well.

Side note: These refrigerate and freeze well. When cold or frozen, I put them in the toaster and as soon as they pop up I'll wrap them completely in a paper towel to cool slightly. The moisture stays in and they don't taste dry.

Whole Wheat Oat Pancakes*
3/4c Whole Wheat Flour
1/2c Rolled Oats
1/2tsp Salt
1/2tsp Baking Powder
1/2tsp Baking Soda
6oz Fat-free Vanilla Yogurt (or Greek Yogurt)
1/2c Skim Milk
2 Large Eggs
2tbsp 100% Maple Syrup

1. In a medium bowl, combine the first five ingredients and whisk together.
2. In a second medium bowl, whisk the remaining wet ingredients together.
3. Add the wet ingredients into the dry and mix until just combined. Leave it lumpy.
4. Cook on preheated griddle or skillet at medium temperature for about two minutes on each side.
5. If you pour about a 1/4c of the batter onto the skillet for each pancake you will have approximately ten pancakes.

*Adapted from a Tasty Kitchen recipe for "Amazing Whole Wheat Greek Yogurt Pancakes" http://tastykitchen.com/recipes/breakfastbrunch/pancakeswaffles/amazing-whole-wheat-greek-yogurt-pancakes/.

Banana Flaxseed Muffins

Since my little ones just devoured these muffins again I thought I would quickly post them.

Very ripe bananas help bring out the lightly sweet flavor to the muffin and the flaxseeds are an added punch of nutritious omega-3 fats, fiber and vitamins.

Banana Flaxseed Muffins*

1.5c Whole Wheat Pastry Flour
1tsp Baking Powder
1/2 tsp Baking Soda
1/2 tsp Salt
1/3c Whole Flaxseeds (reduce to 1/4c, if preferred)
1/4c Honey
1 Large Egg
2/3c Milk
3tbsp Unsweetened Applesauce
2 Ripe Bananas, mashed

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Combine the first 5 ingredients in a bowl, whisk together.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk the honey, egg, milk, applesauce and mashed bananas.
4. Slowly combine the dry ingredients into the wet.
5. Pour batter into greased or lined muffin cups, about 2/3 of the way up and bake for 18 - 20 minutes.
6. Allow them to cool before removing from lined cups. They will stick.

Storage - These are best stored in the refrigerator or freezer.

*Adapted from the weelicious.com recipe for Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins http://weelicious.com/2011/05/25/banana-chocolate-chip-muffins/.