When you crave pancakes but also want a breakfast that’s full of protein and will keep you satiated for hours—these yogurt pancakes are what you need! Full of protein, healthy fats and fiber, these fluffy yogurt pancakes are absolutely delicious and will keep you full for hours.
To up the ante on protein even more, top a stack of these pancakes with some additional yogurt or melty peanut butter. We also love to serve these with out candied bacon (yes!) and a crustless quiche.
Ingredients Needed
Whole Wheat Flour: we prefer white whole-wheat flour here, but you can also use regular whole-wheat flour. If you do, the pancakes will have a darker color and deeper, toastier flavor. You can find white whole-wheat flour (on Amazon) and in the baking aisle.
Leaveners: Both baking soda and baking powder are important for creating the lift needed to make these pancakes like and fluffy. Make sure your baking powder and baking soda are fresh and not past their best-by date!
Whole milk: We always prefer to cook and bake with whole milk. It’s more flavorful and adds healthy fat!
Whole milk yogurt: Use regular whole milk yogurt—either sweetened or unsweetened. The yogurt helps activate the baking soda, giving the pancakes a nice, fluffy rise.
Eggs: Check the label on your egg carton and make sure you’re using large eggs. If you use medium, you won’t be adding enough moisture. And if you use jumbo, you’ll add too much.
Olive oil: Use any olive oil you have on hand. We prefer extra-virgin olive oil because of its fruity/spicy flavor. You can also use melted butter.
Sweetener: A splash of maple syrup sweetens these pancakes just enough. On their own, these pancakes are no sweet, which is why we recommend serving with more maple syrup, jam or honey. You can also use honey or sugar in the batter.
How to Make Fluffy Yogurt Pancakes
Step 1: Whisk together the dry ingredients.
Step 2: Whisk together the wet ingredients. It’s important to whisk the wet ingredients together before adding them to the flour mixture (instead of just adding all of the ingredients to one bowl). Mixing the wet ingredients together first ensures the ingredients will be evenly mixed into the batter.
Step 3: Whisk wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Make sure the ingredients are thoroughly combined (the batter will be fairly thick, that’s OK). The beautiful thing about whole-wheat flour is that it doesn’t develop gluten as readily as all-purpose, so over-mixing is less of a concern here.
Step 4: Preheat an oiled nonstick skillet. A large 12-inch skillet is ideal, but if you have a griddle that’s even better! Wipe the oil out of the skillet, leaving a thin film on the nonstick surface before cooking.
Step 5: Scoop pancake batter by 3-tablespoon measurement (I use a #24 scoop) into the skillet. Cook until the first side is golden brown and bubbles form on the surface, flip and continue to cook until golden brown on the second side.
Step 6: Keep the pancakes warm by placing them on a wire rack set inside a baking sheet. Place baking sheet in a 200-degree oven.
Test Kitchen Tips for Making Pancakes
- For the most even cooking, preheat your skillet for a few minutes before adding your batter. This will ensure there are no cold spots in the pan.
- Add oil to the pan and swirl to coat, then use a paper towel to soak up excess oil while leaving a thin layer of oil on the surface.
- Make a single tester pancake before cooking multiple cakes at a time to ensure the batter is the right thickness, your pan is heated correctly and to nail down an ideal cooking time per side.
Topping Options
We love to top these pancakes with a mixture of fresh berries, softened butter and pure maple syrup. But here are a few other ideas:
Nut butter: Warm up some peanut butter or almond butter and drizzle it over your pancakes. You could also warm up maple syrup with some nut butter for a creamy, nutty, maple syrup.
Chocolate: Sprinkle chocolate chips over warm pancakes so they melt slightly before digging in. You could also make a mocha maple syrup (a recipe Lauren developed for Cuisine at Home Magazine).
Whipped cream: Instead of butter, top a stack of pancakes with a dollop of sweetened whipped cream.
Citrus zest: for some added brightness, top the pancakes with freshly grated orange, lime or lemon zest then finish with either fresh blueberries or orange segments.
FAQ
This recipe was tested and developed using regular whole milk yogurt, so that is what we recommend. You can use sweetened whole milk yogurt if you like. If you’d prefer to use Greek yogurt you can, though you should thin it out a bit with a tablespoon or two of milk before measuring and using.
There are a few things that can make your pancakes fluffier.
First, make sure your baking powder and baking soda is fresh. If they are fresh and your pancakes keep coming out dense, consider increasing the amount of baking powder.
Second, avoid over-mixing your batter—pancake batter does not need to be perfectly smooth.
Third, scoop the batter into the pan, spread it ever so slightly and let it cook, without moving (!) until the bottom side is golden brown and bubbles form, pop and do not refill on the surface.
Finally, do not, whatever you do (!) press the pancakes down with your spatula. Pressing pancakes down with a spatula does nothing but deflate the pancakes.
You are likely using too large of eggs. It’s important to use the size of egg called for in the recipe. If the recipe doesn’t offer a size, use large eggs (not jumbo).
Pancake batter should be thick but drippy. If it’s too dry, stir in additional milk by tablespoon until loosened but still thick enough to somewhat hold shape in the pan.
For most pancake recipes you will need some form of milk. If you do not have milk on hand, you can water down cream with a bit of water. You can also use any nut milk.
Baking powder is responsible for making pancakes light and fluffy. If you don’t have baking powder on hand, you can substitute with a combination of baking soda, cream of tartar and cornstarch. For every 1 teaspoon of baking powder use ½ teaspoon cream of tartar, ¼ teaspoon baking soda, and ¼ teaspoon cornstarch.
Storage and Reheating
If you have leftovers, we recommend freezing them.
To freeze pancakes: let them cool completely then arrange on a parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze. Once frozen transfer pancakes to a reusable resealable zipper-lock bag and store in the freezer.
To reheat pancakes: pop the frozen pancakes in the toaster to thaw and heat through for a quick anytime breakfast!
Variations
Use this whole wheat pancake recipe as a jumping off point then make them your own!
Add spice: add a teaspoon of cinnamon or ½ teaspoon of nutmeg to the dry ingredients. If you like allspice, cloves or cardamom, start with a ¼ teaspoon.
Use brown sugar: swap the maple syrup out for light brown sugar.
Swap fats: instead of olive oil use melted butter for a more decadent pancake.
Add mix-ins: try chocolate chips, fresh blueberries, cinnamon chips, etc. We even like to add cooked whole grains sometimes like cooked rice, quinoa, millet or even toasted oats.
More Pancake Recipes
- Looking to try a completely different style pancake? Try our Buckwheat Buttermilk Pancakes—they are tender and delicious! We also have a recipe for Buckwheat Blini which pair perfectly with Salmon Platter.
- Our Cornmeal Pancakes (also called Jimmy Cakes) are the perfect brunch recipe for summer. Enjoy them with softened salted butter and a homemade blueberry compote.
- If you’ve had enough Banana Oatmeal, use your oats to make our Toasted Oat Pancakes.
Fluffy Whole-Wheat Yogurt Pancakes
Description
Ingredients
Pancakes
- 2 cups (230g) white whole-wheat flour or regular whole-wheat flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 ¼ cups AE Dairy whole milk
- 1 cup (242g) whole milk yogurt
- 2 large eggs
- ¼ cup olive oil + 2 teaspoons for cooking
- 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup, honey or sugar
Toppings
- Butter
- Additional yogurt
- Pure maple syrup
- Jam
- Berries and/or fruit
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 200ºF (93ºC). Set a wire rack inside a rimmed baking sheet; place in oven.
- Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in medium bowl.
- Whisk milk, yogurt, eggs, ¼ cup oil, and maple syrup together in second medium bowl.
- Add buttermilk mixture to flour mixture and whisk until smooth.
- Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Carefully wipe out oil using a paper towel but leave a thin film on bottom and sides of pan.
- Spoon batter by 3 tablespoons or scant ¼-cup (or #24 scoop) into pan in 2 places. Barely spread each portion into 3 to 3½-inch round. Cook until edges are set, first side is golden brown, and bubbles on surface are just beginning to break, about 2 minutes. Using a thin, wide spatula, flip pancakes and continue to cook until second side is golden brown, 1–2 minutes more.
- Serve pancakes immediately or transfer to wire rack in oven to keep warm. Repeat with remaining batter, using remaining 1 teaspoon oil as necessary.
Notes
Nutrition
This recipe was sponsored by AE Dairy. As always, all thoughts, opinions and content is my own.
