Greek Yogurt Pancakes

So it's been a while since I shared a post here. Since I last shared, I moved from Houston, Texas back to Chicago, Illinois. I'm glad to be back, and enjoying the unseasonably warm weather. I'd like to think that I brought some of that with me from the deep south. Even though I haven't shared recipes here, I do post on Tumblr at Consult Joanne About Food (http://consultjoanneaboutfood.tumblr.com/) and on Instagram @ConsultJoanne (https://instagram.com/consultjoanne/).

A warm, mild October in Chicago

When I started this post it was warm, but it's been in drafts for at least a couple of months. Shame on me.

I always seem to find time for Pinterest, which is loaded with great recipes and more; and I came across a great recipe for Greek yogurt pancakes.

Greek Yogurt from Aldi

I love Greek yogurt, which is easier to digest than many dairy products, and it has the added benefit of containing probiotics, So I was inspired by this recipe from Creme de la Crumb.

CREME de la CRUMB

INGREDIENTS

• 1½ cups all purpose flour (or whole wheat flour)
• 2 teaspoons of baking powder
• 2 tablespoons sugar (optional, I like the extra touch of sweetness but they're healthier if you leave it out)
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons oil
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla (or ½ teaspoon almond extract)
• ¾ cup plain Greek yogurt (or vanilla Greek yogurt)
• ¾ cup milk (I used fat free half & half)
• topping suggestions: syrup, powdered sugar, honey, fruit, etc

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat a pan or griddle to 325 (medium heat). Whisk together flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt. In another bowl, mix oil, eggs, vanilla, and greek yogurt.
2. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and stir. Stir in milk until all ingredients are combined - don't over mix, there should still be a few lumps.
3. Grease griddle and pour ¼ - ⅓ cup batter onto the griddle. Allow to cook for about 2 minutes or until edges begin to look "dry" and bubbles form in the batter. Use a thin spatula to flip the pancake over and allow to cook for a mother minute. Transfer to a platter and continue with remaining batter.
4. Top pancakes with desired toppings such as syrup, powdered sugar, honey, and fruit.

Fluffy Greek Yogurt Pancakes from Eating Made Easy

I found another recipe that inspired me. Like many others, I like to study other recipes and come up with my own. Here's the recipe for Fluffy Greek Yogurt Pancakes from Eating Made Easy:
http://eating-made-easy.com/fluffy-greek-yogurt-pancakes/ 

Ingredients

• 1.5 cups white whole wheat flour (or whole wheat pastry flour)
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 2 Tbsp sugar
• ⅛ tsp salt
• 2 Tbsp melted butter (or oil)
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• ¾ cup plain Greek yogurt
• ¾ cup organic milk, kefir or buttermilk
• Organic butter for the griddle & for serving

Instructions

1. Whisk dry ingredients together in a small bowl. Set aside.
2. In a mixing bowl, gently whisk together the oil, eggs, vanilla, yogurt and milk.
3. At this point, begin to heat a griddle or cast-iron pan over medium-low heat.
4. Add the dry ingredients to the wet, ½ cup at a time, stirring gently with a spatula until just combined. (it might be a little lumpy, which is OK). Let batter sit 5 minutes.
5. Rub your griddle with butter, then use a ladle or small measuring cup to pour out the pancakes.
6. Cook cakes for 2-3 minutes or until tiny bubbles begin to form, then flip and cook another 1-2 minutes.
7. Serve immediately, or keep pancakes in a baking dish in a low oven (200 degrees).
8. Best served with butter, syrup, jam, fresh fruit, a dollop of Greek yogurt and/or whipped cream.

MY GREEK YOGURT PANCAKES RECIPE:

Joanne's Greek Yogurt Pancakes

I made half the amount of the original recipe I came across. My recipe yields about 6 fluffy pancakes, and that's usually enough for my needs. I love using pastry flour, as it is so light and airy. I get organic pastry flour in bulk from Whole Foods. When I first made these pancakes I used coconut palm sugar. Now I use Stevia. It's natural and plenty sweet.

Like many others, I mix the dry ingredients and the wet ingredients separately.

Aldi's Almond Milk
from Smith Family Resources

Dry Ingredients
3/4 cup organic pastry flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1-2 packets Stevia in the Raw (or 1 tablespoon coconut palm sugar)
Pinch of salt (I like to use sea salt from a grinder)
Dash of Cinnamon (to taste)

Wet Ingredients
1 egg (beaten)
3/8 cup Low Fat Vanilla Greek yogurt (6 tablespoons or 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons)
3/8 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
1 tablespoon oil (coconut oil or grapeseed oil is great).


After mixing the dry ingredients in one bowl, and the wet ingredients in another, I slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ones, a little at a time. Once everything has been combined, the batter should sit for at least 5 minutes. This is a good time to prepare vegetarian bacon or sausage. :) Also the griddle should be hot. I discovered these pancakes cook rather quickly as long as the griddle is ready. Use medium heat and watch the pancakes closely. Mine didn't really bubble like traditional pancakes, so the first one got browner than I preferred. But I quickly got the hang of it, and flipped the pancakes within a couple of minutes. The rest of the pancakes were perfect.

The 1st pancake cooked faster than I expected, and was almost burned, but it was still delicious.

Trying to modest, I ate 2 large pancakes, but of course I went back and ate another.

I went back for the last pancake. So good...

Greek yogurt pancakes are my new favorite thing. I am so pleased with the taste and texture; so fluffy and delicious. I'm glad to know I have a relatively healthy alternative I can make at home - when I'm not at The Original Pancake House.

If you have a pancake recipe, or try this one, I'd love to hear from you.

Thanks for stopping by.

ENJOY!!