How to Make Healthy Bran Pancakes
A More Nutritious Variation on the Classic Breakfast Treat
Aug 14, 2009
Mmmm, Pancakes. Warm, decadent, delicious. Very tasty, but not very healthy--at least how they're typically made. Have a craving but trying to lose some weight? These fiber-packed pancakes are a cinch to whip up on a weekend morning, low in calories, and are hearty enough to satisfy hunger for hours.
Bran Pancakes
- 1 ½ cups flour
- 4 tablespoons sugar
- 5 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 ½ t salt
- 2 cups skim milk
- 6 tablespoons oil
- 2 eggs
- 2 cups bran cereal
Directions:
- Measure the two cups of skim milk and pour into a medium sized bowl. Add the two cups of bran cereal (such as All Bran, Fiber One, or generic store brands of the high fiber cereal) to the milk and set aside. Recently, the cereal manufacturers have changed their formulas slightly so that the cereal stays much more crisp for a longer time in the milk. It is desirable for the bran pellets to become soft and start to disintegrate in the milk, so this step can be done well ahead of time, if desired. In any case, doing this first gives the cereal a chance to soften in the milk as the other parts of the batter are assembled.
- In a seperate large bowl, mix together the dry ingredients: flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
- Add the two eggs, beaten until a light yellow color. Add the oil and bran/milk mixture. Mix until all is combined. Do not over mix, as this will develop gluten and make the pancakes more tough.
- Heat griddle or skillet to 350 degrees. Butter lightly if desired.
- Ladle ¼ cup of the batter on the griddle per pancake.
- Wait until bubbles form and pop in each pancake. When the holes from the popped bubbles hold shape and aren't filled in immediately with flowing batter, use a spatula to flip the pancakes over. Cook for approximately one more minute.
Makes 20 pancakes. 105 calories, 4.8 grams of fat, 3.05 grams of fiber each. Two Weight Watchers Points TM per pancake.
To Make the Bran Pancakes Even Healthier
An even healthier version of these pancakes is easily made by replacing the sugar with Splenda, the oil with one cup of unsweetened applesauce, and the eggs with Egg Beaters (or other generic egg substitute). It is especially important not to over beat the batter in this version of the recipe, as the oil is no longer there to inhibit gluten production.
The taste and texture of the extra-healthy version are incredibly similar to the regular version of the recipe. A lot of calories and fat are cut, without sacrificing the delicious nutty flavor.
With the changes, makes 20 pancakes. 64 calories, .7 grams of fat, 3.21 grams of fiber each. One Weight Watchers Point TM per pancake.
These pancakes are delicious, healthy, and are even fabulous straight out of the fridge as leftovers. Want something just a bit more portable? Try healthy homemade bran muffins.
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