Pancake Tacos: Shhh… they’re healthy!

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Back before Sweet D came into our lives, Hubby and I used to sleep in on weekend mornings.  On Sundays we would roll out of bed whenever and make pancakes.  Not every Sunday – but on any Sunday where we both got up around the same time and we had all of the ingredients in the pantry.  Some Sundays.  Those Sundays were great… ah, the good ol’ days.

Now things are different.  We wake up to the sound of Sweet D chattering in her crib.  Once we’re up, it is go-go-go.  No more leisurely Sunday mornings – now we’re on duty.  You know what I mean.

Pancakes have been a rarity but they are making a comeback!  Sweet D can now have some too!  Oh, pancakes… I missed you.

I thought I would make my pancake recipe even more fun for those of you with kiddos older than Sweet D.  Here’s a secret to keep from your kids… this recipe is completely healthy.  Shhhh…!

Oatmeal Pancakes for Pancake Tacos

This pancake recipe is great… you’ll totally ditch the boxed mix after trying this.  And you don’t have to make tacos if you don’t want to.  Yes, my hubby and I ate pancake tacos last weekend.  No kids.  Just two grown-ups chowing on some pancake tacos.  Don’t judge.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour*
• 1 cup rolled oats* (I tossed the oats into the food processor so they were easier to handle for Sweet D – they are perfectly fine whole for older kids and adults)
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 eggs
• 1.5-2 cups of milk (I use skim)
• 2 tbsp melted and cooled butter (optional — I opt yes) and some for cooking
• Splash of vanilla (as my husband says, vanilla makes everything taste great) – pure vanilla extract has alcohol in it.  Try to avoid with little ones.
• 1 tsp cinnamon (more or less depending on your taste)
• Optional — mashed banana (this is my favorite — squish it up with a fork), blueberries, or other fruit

Directions:

Heat a griddle or large skillet over medium heat.

Mix together the dry ingredients in a large bowl.  In a separate bowl, beat the eggs into 1.5 cups of milk.  Then stir in the cooled melted butter if you’re using it.

(Our pediatrician recommended that Sweet D not have egg whites until she’s a year old.  I took some of the dry ingredients out before adding the egg.  I just mixed hers with water until it was the right consistency.)

Gently stir the wet mixture into the dry mixture, just adding enough to moisten the flour.  You might not need all of the wet mixture.  You don’t want the batter to be thick and gloppy, but you don’t want it to be thin either.  If it is too thick, add more milk.  Oh, and getting it totally free of lumps is unlikely so don’t worry about trying.

Add a little butter to your skillet or put a very thin layer of neutral flavored oil like canola.  When it is hot, use a ladle to add the batter to the pan.  Don’t get crazy making giant pancakes!  They aren’t so easy to flip when they’re so big.  After about 2-4 minutes, they should be ready to flip.  They are ready when there are bubbles in the center of the pancake and they look dull, not shiny. (See the photo above.)  The second side will cook more quickly than the first.

For the tacos… add what your family likes!  Or make it even more fun with a toppings bar!

I smeared our pancakes with peanut butter, a little drizzle of syrup (just a LITTLE! They’ll use way less than they would on regular pancakes), and topped with strawberries.

Delicious!  Your kids will have so much fun they will never know the pancakes are whole grain with no added sugar.  Nom nom nom… enjoy!

*For those with food allergies, you really just need 2 cups of some kind of flour – quinoa or chickpea flour is fine.