How to Make Perfect Whole Grain Pancakes

Published:  10/22/2018

Bubbles make fluffy pancakes

Rise and shine with our delectable Fluffy Whole Grain Pancakes! Discover a healthier twist on a breakfast classic, where wholesome ingredients come together to create a stack of golden, tender pancakes that are as nutritious as they are delicious.

Packed with fiber and protein, these pancakes are the perfect canvas for your favorite toppings. Join us in the kitchen and savor the joy of a hearty, guilt-free morning treat!

There is nothing like fluffy and tender pancakes. Indulge in the comforting delight of pancakes with these tips to make them perfect!  

Part of my education as a registered dietitian is food science. I use that knowledge here tell you how to make the best possible pancake with a pancake mix or use your favorite homemade pancake recipe.

For nutritious pancakes, use Kodiak Cakes Flapjack and Waffle Mix. These are whole grain and higher in protein than most mixes. 

Whole grain pancakes are a nutritious breakfast provide plenty of complex carbohydrates to give you energy for hours. 

Have you ever wondered about the differences between simple and complex carbohydrates? I wrote an article here that will explain the difference between simple and complex carbs!

Do you like spiced pumpkin pancakes? I have a delicious fool-proof Spiced Pumpkin Pancake recipe from Bon Appetit with Maple Pumpkin Sauce here. 

Fluffy Pancake Tips

Using a fork, mix the water into the dry mix but be careful not to overmix. Don't be tempted to overmix. If you overmix you will have tough and chewy pancakes instead of the light and fluffy ones you were dreaming about.

Your whole goal in pancake making is "save the bubbles." Those bubbles that develop after the liquid is mixed into the dry batter is what helps make them fluffy.

Next, let the batter rest 5 to 10 minutes. This will result in pancakes that are more tender because bubbles develop! Use this time to clean up, set the table, put your oven-safe plates in the oven to warm at 150 degrees, and prep the other parts of your breakfast.

The temperature of your griddle is another key element to success. I suggest using an electric griddle set at 375 degrees so that you can control the temperature. Let it heat up a couple minutes. Then grease the the griddle lightly. (Do not grease the pan and let it heat or the oil can turn bitter). Turn the temp down to 360 to 370 once you start to cook the pancakes.

Test the temperature of the griddle by making a tiny pancake and adjust the temperature accordingly. Not hot enough means slow cooking which makes tough pancakes and too hot and the pancakes burn.

Use a 1/4 cup measuring cup to ladle the batter onto the hot griddle. Using a 1/4 cup measuring cup to make perfect sized pancakes. Again, don't disturb the bubbles in the batter. Easy does it.

Sprinkle 4 to 5 frozen blueberries (or more fresh if using) on top of each raw pancake. No need to thaw the berries before cooking. The contact of the frozen blueberries on the heated griddle will thaw the blueberries. If you put the either frozen or fresh blueberries directly into the raw batter and then mix, you will have overmixed and deflated pancakes.

In the photo below, I have used fresh berries and you can put more berries in each pancake than if you are using frozen berries. Frozen berries exude more moisture and they result is wet pancakes if too many are used.

Cook for 2 to 3 minutes on medium-high. Do not touch them. Do not press a spatula on top of them. Preserve the bubbles! You'll know when to flip them when the edges are dry and bubbles have formed and popped around the edges.

You can use a spatula to check if they are nicely browned on the bottom. If the pancakes are too floppy to flip, they aren't cooked enough. If they are getting brown before they're ready to flip, turn down the heat. The pancakes below are not quite ready to flip but have started to develop bubbles around the edges, next the edges will look drier. 
 

Perfect edges, dry and bubbles have formed.

Don't be tempted to flip the pancakes too soon. Wait until the edges are dry and bubbles have formed in the middle. 

And only flip once or you will deflate the bubbles. Don't press down on the pancakes while they're cooking or that will result in a flat pancakes. Continue to cook until done.

Place pancakes on the warmed plate. Top with fresh blueberries or some thawed frozen blueberries. To enhance the flavor of your blueberry pancakes use blueberry syrup. For another favorite pancake recipe Pumpkin Pancakes with Pumpkin Maple Sauce.

Poached eggs are a nice accompaniment to pancakes. I have and love this poached egg maker. And for other breakfast ideas go to my post here.

Recommended Spatula and Griddle

Perfectly browned pancake

The right spatula makes a big difference! The best spatulas for flipping pancakes are nimble, yet strong. They should have thin or sharply tapered edge to easily slide under the pancake. Here is one that I like!

A good quality non-stick griddle is essential. The one you see in the photos ended up being impossible to wash and the non-stick wasn't non-stick! I replaced it with this one and love it. 

We love our pancakes so much that we make them often on our boat. This is the wonderful small griddle I have and love. 

Making Pancakes on the Boat

Making pancakes on the boat with Liddle Griddle

Look at those perfect pancakes! Thanks to the right mix, the correct technique and a perfect griddle we have healthy pancakes onboard our boat. 

To make it super easy to prep the pancakes on the boat, I pre-measure the Kodiak Cake Mix into a small ziplock bag.

And I bring just the amount of maple syrup we will need for our trip. 1/4 cup syrup is enough for 3 to 4 pancakes. So for the 2 of us to have pancakes 3 mornings I take a 12 oz bottle like this one. 

We like to have a couple fried eggs along with our pancakes. I have purchased many different camping egg holders and most were too small and destroyed my eggs. These portable egg carries are just right!