Greek Yogurt Pancakes & Honey Baklava Syrup

Pancakes had always been my last choice for breakfast.  With the crispness of waffles and cinnamon-ness of french toast, plain old pancakes came in a distant third.  However, this has all changed since discovering Greek yogurt pancakes.  Gone are the days of dense, heavy pancakes and the post-breakfast gut bomb.   This recipe makes the fluffiest, lightest, tenderest pancakes I've ever had.  And thanks to the  Greek yogurt, they're packed with a powerhouse of protein and calcium.  Now you can have your (pan) cakes and eat them too!


The pancake recipe is super straightforward.  Just mix together egg, yogurt and flour and voila, pancakes.  I always go with fat free plain yogurt because I can add whatever fresh or frozen fruit we have on hand.  If you prefer vanilla or fruit flavored yogurt, that will work perfectly too.  Best of all, a serving is only 195 calories with 13 grams of protein and 10% of your daily calcium requirement.  Holy  healthy breakfast, Batman!  Even if you're watching your figure, you can add on a side of bacon and eggs with no extra guilt.

This recipe is wonderful when topped with the traditional butter and syrup.  However, this is a wonderful basic, healthy batter that is very easy to play around with.  Add in your favorite pancake mix-ins to customize this breakfast to your foodie preference.  Fruit, nuts, chocolate chips, shredded zucchini or bacon bits...whatever floats your breakfast boat is a go here, sailor.  In this post I've included images of two favorites, Mango Pecan with Honey Baklava Syrup and Lemon Poppy Seed with Lemon Curd & fresh blackberries.  

But we're not just stopping with pancakes today.  We're also going to top them with my new favorite syrup.  Having never been a fan of maple, I would usually add agave nectar or jam to my pancakes.  However, after making baklava a few weeks ago, I found myself with oodles of the honey syrup leftover.  Rather than throw away a perfectly good half honey bear, we saved it (being the frugal foodies we are) for potential future use.  And let me tell you, despite your personal opinions of maple, you will love this sweet, viscous topping.  Even the Canadian hubs loves this stuff on top of a fruity pancake, and he's as maple-loving as they come. 

Greek Yogurt Pancakes (about 6 pancakes / breakfast for 2)

• 6 oz fat free Greek yogurt (plain or your favorite flavor)
• 2 egg whites
• 1/3 c + 2 tbs whole wheat flour
• tsp baking soda
• dash of cinnamon (optional)

Place a large grill pan on medium heat.  Combine yogurt and egg whites in a small bowl and whisk together well.  If you are using plain yogurt, whisk in a little sweetener at this point if desired.  Add flour, baking soda and cinnamon and stir to combine.  Gently stir in diced fruit.  

Spray the pan with non-stick.  Using a 1/4 measuring cup, scoop the batter onto the pan.  Let cook for 4-5 minutes, then flip and cook for another 4-5 minutes until pancakes have set.

Our Favorite Varieties

• Chocolate Chip Coconut - 1/3 c chocolate chips & 3 tbs coconut flakes
• Strawberry Rhubarb - 1/4 c diced strawberries  1/4 c Honey Roasted Rhubarb
• Mango Pecan - 1/3 c mango & 3 tbs roughly chopped pecans
• Lemon Poppy Seed - 1 tbs lemon juice, 1 tsp lemon zest and 1 tsp poppy seeds (great with lemon curd!)
• Cinnamon Roll - cinnamon swirl and reduced fat cream cheese frosting

Honey Baklava Syrup

• 1/4 c butter
• 2 c honey
• 1/4 c water
• 1/4 c sugar
• 3 tsp vanilla

Place the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat.  When the butter has melted, add the remaining ingredients.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and let simmer for a few minutes.  Store in an air tight container (e.g. left over salsa jar) in the refrigerator. The syrup will keep for a few months.  We're in week 5 and still going strong....