Featherlight Yogurt Pancakes

I'm not generally someone who craves a pancake in the morning. Oh, don't act all shocked. It's not that I don't like pancakes. It's just that many times I feel that pancakes are too heavy and have no substance besides bread.

However, last time I was home visiting my parents I discovered a pancake recipe that works for me. I could tell immediately that these pancakes were lighter than the average pancake. They were thick and airy, and the blueberries and bananas gave them more substance.

My mom got this recipe from a Breyers mailing advertising their yogurt. That's right, these pancakes have yogurt in them! I think it's the combination of the yogurt and a ton of baking soda/powder that makes them thick and fluffy.

One reason that I'm glad I discovered this recipe is that it makes me want to give pancakes another chance. I generally shy away from making pancakes because I expect them to be a certain way. This recipe reminded me that there are a ton of variations to experiment with, and many of them may be lighter and more complex than the average pancake.

One modification to this recipe that I'd like to explore next time is to add bananas and chocolate chips, instead of blueberries and bananas.

This is what it looks like:


And here is the recipe:

Featherlight Yogurt Pancakes
(makes about 9 4.5-inch pancakes)

1 cups flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 Tbsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup yogurt, about 4 ounces
1/2 to 2/3 cup milk, start with 1/2 cup and add more as necessary to thin batter
1 egg, slightly beaten
2 Tbsp. butter, melted
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 small package of fresh blueberries, about 1 cup
1 banana, cut into slices, then quarter each slice.

Stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, and salt.

In a separate bowl combine yogurt, milk (start with 1/2 cup), egg, and vanilla extract. Stir in melted butter.

Pour liquids into flour mixture, mixing just until dampened. Do not over mix or the pancakes will be tough. If there are still some lumps in the batter don't worry, they will disappear during cooking.

Add blueberries and bananas. Alternatively, if you want to make sure that the fruit is evenly spread between the pancakes, you can add the fruit to each pancake after pouring the batter onto the griddle (a tip from this post).

Heat a pan or griddle on medium heat. No butter is necessary as long as your pan is non-stick. Pour 1/4 cup batter for each pancake. You want a thick batter consistency so that it only spreads out a little when it hits the pan, but not so thick that it's difficult to pour out of the 1/4 cup measure. If the batter is too thick, add some more milk.

After a few minutes, when the top begins to bubble, flip to the other side. Let it cook on this side for a couple more minutes before removing.