This recipe is inspired by I.H.O.P.’s harvest grain and nut pancakes. I worked at IHOP for many years while attending school, and tried most of the dished there (a few times over). For me the original harvest grain and nut pancakes recipe is a little on the dry side, but Victor used to love them! Used to, because now I make pancakes for him and don’t recall him ever ordering them out.
I don’t know what the original pancake recipe is (I’m sure it’s a trade secret) but, I’ve been testing my own over the years from taste and memory. My recipe is inspired by the original but a much different dish. I took the wellness aspects of the original dish in terms of whole wheat flour and nuts and added my own flare to make it more soft on the inside and still crispy on the outside. This is how our family enjoys this weekend treat.
Pancakes, like most foods can be a healthy treat when done right. These healthy pancakes have the wellness benefits of:
Protein – from the milk, eggs and every other ingredient in this dish.
Complex Carbs (Fiber) – from the whole wheat flour, oats, flax seed, walnuts and apples
Good Fats (Essential Fatty acids) – good fats are provided by flax seed and walnuts
Micronutrients (Vitamins and minerals) – good quality flour, flax seed, walnuts, apple
Fit Tip—Go easy on the maple syrup. I see so many people share delicious and healthy recipes made with fiber-rich, complex carbs, whole ingredients and then load them up with syrup and butter. Addition of this simple carbs (maple syrup) adds extra calories and most importantly spikes your insulin levels. Insulin spike leads to the body quickly rushing sugar out of your blood and storing it. This leads to hunger soon after you stop eating, rather then slow absorption and sustainable energy of otherwise wholesome food.
We too love to enjoy our pancakes drizzled with this delicious Canadian delicacy but maple syrup is empty calories that carries no nutritional value. It’s often a good idea to use a squeeze bottle or a spoon to measure out the amount of syrup before you start pouring it over the pancakes. To make the sweetness last, dress the pancakes with fresh berries, chopped apples and bananas and drizzle the syrup on top of that—little will go a long way.
As for butter on top, this recipe creates soft and moist pancakes so you don’t need to add any.
Harvest Grain, Nut and Oat Pancakes Recipe
Makes 8 large pancakes
1 pancake ~ 200 calories, 8g fat, 27g carbs, 8g protein, 5g Fiber
1 cup WW flour
1/4 cup Flax seed ground
2 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 tsp Baking Soda
1/2 tsp Salt
1 oz Almonds (chopped)
1 oz Walnuts (chopped)
1.5 cups Milk 2%
1 Egg
3/4 cup Oats
2 tbsp Sugar
1 medium Apple
1 small banana (or, 1/2 large banana)
Option – blueberries (frozen or fresh)
In a large bowl: combine WW flour, ground flax seed, baking powder (sifted), baking soda (sifted), and salt. Finely chop almonds and walnuts and mix into the dry ingredients. For a more blended mixture, nuts can also be added to the blender to be ground. We prefer the crunchy texture that chopped nuts provide.
To a blender add: milk, egg, oats, sugar, chopped apple and banana. Blend until fully mixed. Add the liquid to the dry ingredients.
Mix and let batter sit for 7-10 minutes. If mixture starts to get too thick, mix in 1 tbsp of water at a time to get to a pourable consistency.
Pour 1/3 cup of batter onto a hot griddle, (option) add berries on top at this time. Wait 2-3 minutes, until bubbles start to form around the edge of pancake. Flip over and cook for another 2-3 minutes.
Extras can be stored in the fridge. Re-heat in toaster.
SERVING SUGGESTION
Instead of syrup, try vanilla yogurt and small diced fruits like apple or pear. Limit syrup or honey to a drizzle on top if desired.
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