Whole Wheat Pancake Mix

It started with a rainy Saturday when I was working the early shift and Sean had Liam by himself for the morning. I came home at one and there was flour on the counter and Liam in the high chair with a smear of syrup on his face and Sean at the stove finishing a second batch of pancakes, and Sean said "I made pancakes" with the sheepish confidence of a man who has discovered something obvious too late.

He'd made them from scratch—not from a box, from the recipe on the back of the flour bag with some adjustment that he described as "a little more vanilla and some extra butter in the pan." He'd fed Liam pieces of very soft pancake, tiny pieces, and Liam had eaten them and wanted more, which Sean had provided, and then made another batch for when I got home. I ate three standing at the counter in my coat.

They were the best pancakes I'd eaten in recent memory. I said so. Sean said "I know." Not bragging—stating a fact with the matter-of-factness he brings to things he's done correctly. I asked him to make them again next Saturday. He made them again next Saturday.

This is how things become traditions. Not by announcement or intention but by one morning going right and then it going right again and then it being the thing that Saturday mornings are. We're two Saturdays in. It's early to call it a tradition. But Liam reaches for the pieces Sean hands him with both hands, and Sean watches him eat with a focus that is its own kind of statement, and I think we're going to be making Saturday pancakes for a long time.

Sean’s version started with the back of a flour bag and a little extra vanilla, and that’s close enough to this whole wheat pancake mix that I think he’d recognize it immediately. If you’re looking to build your own version of what happened in our kitchen — the flour on the counter, the syrup on the baby’s face, the second batch already on the stove — this is the recipe to start with. It’s simple enough to make on autopilot on a Saturday morning, and sturdy enough to become the thing Saturday mornings are.

Prep Time: 10 min | Cook Time: 20 min | Total Time: 30 min | Servings: 8

Ingredients

2 cups whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons sugar
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 3/4 cups buttermilk
2 tablespoons butter, melted, plus extra for the pan
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

Mix dry ingredients. In a large bowl, whisk together the whole wheat flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar until evenly combined.
Mix wet ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, buttermilk, melted butter, and vanilla extract.
Combine. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir gently until just combined — a few lumps are fine. Do not overmix or the pancakes will turn out tough.
Rest the batter. Let the batter sit for 5 minutes while you heat the pan. This helps the whole wheat flour hydrate and gives you a fluffier result.
Heat the pan. Heat a skillet or griddle over medium heat. Add a small pat of butter and swirl to coat the surface.
Cook the pancakes. Pour about 1/4 cup of batter per pancake onto the skillet. Cook until bubbles form on the surface and the edges look set, about 2 to 3 minutes. Flip and cook another 1 to 2 minutes until golden brown.
Repeat. Continue with remaining batter, adding more butter to the pan between batches as needed. Keep finished pancakes warm in a low oven (200°F) while you finish the rest.
Serve. Serve warm with maple syrup, fresh fruit, or a dusting of powdered sugar.

Nutrition (per serving)

Whole Wheat Pancake Mix — The Saturday Morning That Became a Tradition