I’m loathe to even write the words, “with back-to-school season upon us”, but indeed, it’s true. Another summer’s end approaches. I’ll be glad to get my house back, yes, but will miss my kids, and eventually, I may even miss some of the mess that swirls around them. This year is a biggie for us. Two of my three are heading to far off places: The oldest back to college in Boston and my middle to a few adventures for a pre-college gap year.
This all brings me to the subject of back-to-school and these kefir pancakes. Before you start rolling your eyes at the idea of managing pancakes at the crack of dawn on a Monday, consider three things:
- They’re made entirely in the blender. Dump in your ingredients, give it a whiz, and you’re done.
- They freeze like a dream, which means you can make them on the weekend, stow them in the freezer (or fridge), and reheat in a toaster. (leftover pancakes can be swapped for lunch box sandwich bread smeared with nut butter and jam).
- The batter holds up for a few days, so you can blend it one morning to enjoy again and again.
- Chia seeds, hemp seeds, sliced almonds, pepitas, and chopped pecans from the bulk bin section for texture.
- A variety of fruit from the fresh produce and freezer section for color and a natural sweetness.
The kefir in the recipe lends protein, but is also a rich source of probiotics, those good-for-you bacteria to build a healthy gut. Truth be told, the heat of the pan diminishes the power of the probiotics. But, hopefully you’ll have enough leftover to enjoy in other ways. Blend it into a smoothie with fruit and honey, pour it over cereal or granola, or whisk it into a tangy dressing in lieu of buttermilk.
Whole-Grain Blender Kefir Pancakes
This recipe proves once and for all that pancakes can be a snap to make and nutritious to eat. The secret ingredient here is kefir, which is reminiscent of a thin yogurt that is rich in gut-healthy probiotics. The kefir, along with all of the other ingredients, get tossed into a blender and whizzed up in no time. Then, make your short stack extra dazzling by simmering 2 cups frozen wild blueberries with a big glug of maple syrup until warm to pour over the top.
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups plain kefir
- 2 eggs
- 3 tablespoons melted butter
- 1 ½ cups Sprouts whole-wheat flour
- ¾ cup Sprouts rolled oats
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- Non-stick cooking spray, oil, or butter for greasing the skillet
- Optional toppings: hemp seeds, chia seeds, chopped walnuts, chopped pecans, berries or favorite diced fruit, butter, fruit preserves, maple syrup
Instructions
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Put the kefir, eggs, butter, flour, rolled oats, sugar, vanilla, baking soda, and salt into a blender. Run on high just until smooth and blended, stopping to scrape down the sides and blending again as needed. The batter is thick. If you prefer thinner pancakes, add more kefir, a tablespoon at a time, until it reaches your desired consistency.
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Heat a large cast-iron or non-stick skillet over medium heat. Lightly coat the pan with non-stick spray, butter, or oil.
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Pour ¼ cup pancake batter into the pan, making as many as will fit with a bit of room around each. When tiny bubbles begin to appear in the batter and the bottom is nicely brown, flip the pancakes and continue to cook until firm to the touch with no wet batter inside. Repeat with remaining batter, greasing the skillet before each new batch.
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Transfer to a plate. Serve warm with favorite pancake toppings.
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Store any leftover pancakes in a container or freezer bag and in the fridge for a few days or in the freezer for a month or more.
