Photo by Judith Hausman
Any flaked cereal will work in this cereal pancakes recipe.
Today is National Cereal Day, which commemorates the anniversary of the invention of corn flakes by William and John Kellogg in the late 19th century. Since research continues to show how important breakfast is for overall nutrition and cognition and the prevention of obesity, the theories these original health-food nuts had on the advantages of eating whole grains, fiber and lighter, more convenient breakfasts still hold up today.
Frankly, I rarely eat packaged cold cereal. Generally, oatmeal or the homemade porridge I’ve written about here are the cereals we eat at home. However, I love pancakes during all seasons, so I decided to complicate breakfast a little bit in honor of National Cereal Day. Pancakes celebrate the new maple syrup season here in the Northeast, too. A short stack of healthy pancakes is a perfect way to try out a new batch of syrup.
I think any flaked cereal will work in this recipe; if the flakes seem too crisp for your taste, soak them in the wet ingredients for five minutes before combining the wet and dry*. I would avoid the hard, puffed or circle cereals, as well as the waffle-type square style. I think these would become mushy too quickly. But hey, if you have a boxful of one of these in the pantry to use up, the recipe may be worth trying anyway.
Serve the pancakes with syrup and berries (local if possible) or sliced banana or (homemade) applesauce and vanilla yogurt. You can also add berries, sliced apples, craisins, raisins, chopped walnuts or almonds to the batter.
Recipe: Cereal Pancakes
Serving size: 12
INGREDIENTS
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup whole-wheat flour
- 1/4 cup “quick” oatmeal (optional)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup bran flakes, wheat flakes, cornflakes, mixed-grain health flakes, etc. cereal, crushed
- 1 cup milk
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon oil
PREPARATION
In a medium bowl, combine dry ingredients. In a small bowl, stir together liquid ingredients. *Add to dry ingredients, mixing until combined. Add a bit more milk if the batter is too stiff but don’t over-mix. Allow to rest while preheating a griddle.
Oil a griddle or spray with non-stick cooking spray and preheat over medium-high. Spoon out about 1/4 cup batter for each pancake. Cook until edges appear dry and surface is bubbled. Turn and cook until golden.
