Low Calorie Pancakes – a Recipe for People on a Diet
Pancakes are an American favorite. Whether they are smothered in butter and syrup, dusted with powdered sugar, or topped with a mound of fruit and whipped cream, they are available in virtually any American restaurant that serves breakfast. They have also been prepared at home by loving mothers and grandmother’s for decades. Pancakes made at home have a distinct advantage over the ones made in a restaurant. Small tweaks to the standard ingredients can take what is typically a once in a while indulgence to a weekly or daily staple. The difference between using full fat ingredients, and whole wheat flour versus white flour, won’t be evident in the taste, but may show up as a smaller number on the bathroom scale.
Don’t let a long list of ingredients intimidate you. These low calorie diet pancakes are not only easy to make, but are easy on the wallet as well as the waistline.
Low calorie diet pancake recipe ingredients
- 3/4 cup of whole wheat flour
- 3/4 cup of all purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda
- 1 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon of salt
- 2 large eggs (or equal amount of egg substitute)
- 1/2 cup of fat free skim milk
- 1 cup of reduced fat buttermilk
- 1 tablespoon of honey
- 1/4 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract
Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 140 degrees F. This is for keeping all of the pancakes warm until the entire batch of batter has been used.
2. Preheat a large, nonstick skillet over medium low heat. Using a nonstick surface will allow the pancakes to be grilled without the aid of fat, such as butter or oil. If the batter sticking is a concern, use a light layer of fat free cooking spray.
3. Whisk the all purpose and whole wheat flours, baking powder, baking soda and salt together in a medium bowl. In a separate bowl, beat the vanilla, honey, eggs, buttermilk and skim milk until combined.
4. Carefully add the wet mixture into the bowl of dry ingredients, mixing until just combined. Be careful not to over mix the batter, as this will create tough pancakes. The batter should remain a little bit lumpy.
5. Using a 1/4 size measuring cup, carefully ladle the batter onto the hot grilling surface. Once the upper surface begins to bubble and the grill side is a nice golden brown, the pancake is ready to flip. Once both sides are golden brown, remove and place in a glass baking dish and keep in the 140 degree oven until all of the batter has been used.
Serving Options for Low Calorie Pancakes
Feel free to top these healthy, low calorie diet pancakes with any assortment of fresh fruit and reduced fat whipped cream. Maple syrup is a fantastic topper, but experiment a little with other types of syrup such as apricot or strawberry, which are naturally low in fat and calories.
