Heart Healthy Pancake Mix

Boxed pancake mixes are not known for being healthy, so I set out to change all that! Full of delicious, wholesome ingredients, this Heart Healthy Pancake Mix deserves a spot in your pantry. It’s simple to make, and uses only 4 basic ingredients you surely have in your cupboard. Pancakes are a breeze to make from it, too!

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Ingredients

Whole Wheat Flour

I start with a whole grain so these pancakes are packed full of fiber! You can use whole wheat white flour (it’s like albino wheat) or whole wheat pastry flour if you like, as well. Whole wheat pastry flour is more delicate, and generally yields softer baked goods that more closely resemble white flour. It’s a bit harder to find though, so rest assured regular whole wheat flour will work great!

I have not tried this recipe with a gluten free flour, so I can’t speak to how that might turn out.

Baking Powder and Baking Soda

These help make our pancakes fluffy! It’s easy to confuse the two. Baking powder is a leavening agent that is able to make products rise all on its own, without any other ingredients. It sometimes contains aluminum, so look for aluminum-free products if that’s a concern for you.

Baking soda is also a leavening agent, but it requires an acid to activate it. It contains sodium, so if you have high blood pressure, be mindful of its use.

Salt

Just a little bit of salt to help balance the flavors!

How to Make Heart Healthy Pancake Mix (and Pancakes!)

The pancake mix is honestly so easy! Get a big, airtight container, and mix all the ingredients in it! Store it in your cupboard until you need it. That’s even easier than going all the way to the store for a new box of mix!

Making these heart healthy pancakes is about as easy, too! Use one cup of your pancake mix, and mix the ground flax or chia seeds into it in a large bowl. Now add all the rest of the ingredients, and stir until just combined. Don’t overmix!

If you want to make these buttermilk pancakes, stir one tablespoon of lemon juice into the almond milk and let for a few minutes before adding it to the rest of the ingredients.

Let the batter rest while you preheat your griddle. If your griddle isn’t nonstick, spray it with a bit of cooking spray.

Scoop about 1/4 cup for each pancake. Cook until you see little bubbles forming on the top, and the edges begin to brown. Flip the pancakes, and cook another few minutes, until cooked through.

Heart Healthy Pancake Toppings

If we’re going to the effort to make heart healthy pancakes, we ought to make sure we don’t undo it with unhealthy toppings! Butter and syrup may be traditional, but they’re anything but heart healthy. High in saturated fat and sugar – even the most “natural” of brands! Here are some great heart healthy pancake toppings:

• Berries smashed until they are juicy and “syrupy”
• Grilled stone fruits, like peaches, nectarines, and apricots (sprinkle with ginger or cinnamon for something different)
• Applesauce – plain or blended with other fruits
• Blueberry thyme chia jam
• Peanut butter and (100% fruit) jelly
• Peanut butter sweet potato spread
• Fruit cocktail (canned in 100% juice) with a cinnamon sprinkle

If you try this Heart Healthy Pancake Mix, let me know in the comments! You might also like to try these Green Banana Mint Pancakes, or Chai Latte Waffles!

Learn more about heart healthy diets here!