A classic pancake recipe with a twist – use it with whole grain, white, or sprouted flour – whatever works for you! Optional overnight soaking step. No sugar, and it comes with a dairy-free option!

Close-up of pancakes

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As a rule, I don’t cook much on the weekends. It’s my kinda-time-off – or as close as a parent ever gets to it. However, for the last couple weeks, we made a big deal about family breakfast. Big as in, I take out the nice glasses. We light a candle. We eat together.

But the food doesn’t have to be fancy. We made pancakes and bacon. One week it was French toast. Nothing crazy. Nothing expensive.

It wasn’t the food that made that time special. It was the fact we set it aside. We paused, we stirred some batter together, baked some stuff, set the table together. Then we sat and looked each other in the eye.

Even if money is tight, weekend breakfasts can still be special. All it takes is the willingness to pause.

That being said, how many of us actually have a good pancake recipe that doesn’t come from a box?

weekend breakfast table with pancakes, bacon, and oranges.

These are the kind of pancakes I want for you guys.

Nothing crazy. Nothing expensive. Just good, clean food. Some of you are seasoned real-food chefs who know all about soaking grains, natural sweeteners, and making your own yogurt. You probably have your very own egg-lady who supplies you with eggs from her free-ranging, grass-and-bug-eating chickens.

Some of you are contemplating making these or using good ol’ Bisquick. A lot of us land somewhere in the middle.

My son made the sheet pan version of these in this video!

So this recipe is for all of us. If you like soaking grains, soak ’em. If you use white flour, use that instead. Each variation yields slightly different results, but the point of this recipe is this: enjoy some pancakes. Look your people in the eye.

You don’t need a mix, you don’t need sugar, and you don’t need any weird expensive ingredients. Although if you want to sprinkle some chia seeds into the batter, go for it. I’ve done it before.

pancakes and scrambled eggs.

This recipe mostly comes from Nourishing Traditions.

If you like real food and want to learn more about it, this is the textbook (affiliate link) that changed everything for me. I don’t subscribe to everything in this volume, but it’s excellent food for thought.

Nourishing Traditions cookbook
pancakes close-up

The Only Pancake Recipe You Need

Yield: 20
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 8 minutes
Total Time: 18 minutes

A classic pancake recipe with a twist – use it with whole grain, white, or sprouted flour – whatever works for you! Optional overnight soaking step. No sugar, and it comes with a dairy-free option!

Ingredients

  • 2 cups flour, (whole grain, white, and spelt all work here)
  • 2 cups plain yogurt
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 tbsp maple syrup or honey (optional)
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 2 tbsp melted butter, coconut oil, or other oil

Instructions

Optional Soaking Step (for whole grain flour):

  1. The night before making pancakes, combine flour and yogurt in a glass bowl. Cover and let it sit overnight on the counter.

The Next Morning:

  1. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and whisk together. 
  2. Heat a griddle or frying pan over medium heat. Grease the pan if necessary (for example, if you're using anything that isn't nonstick - stainless steel or cast iron) to prevent pancakes from sticking.
  3. Scoop batter with a 1/4 measuring cup and pour onto the hot griddle. Leave about 1-inch in between each pancake.
  4. When the top of the pancake is dry and full of holes, flip it over with a spatula. Cook for 3-4 minutes on the other side, until it looks cooked through when you sneak a peek underneath with the spatula.
  5. Serve hot with butter and maple syrup.

Leftover Hack:

  1. Freeze leftover pancakes between sheets of parchment paper, foil, or plastic wrap. When ready to reheat, forego the microwave and pop them in the toaster!

Notes

On busy mornings, we skip the pancake part of this and just make Breakfast Cake: 

Preheat oven to 350 F. Pour batter into a greased baking dish and bake 20-30 minutes, until a knife inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Serve with butter and maple syrup.

We also like Sheet Pan Pancakes.

Dairy-Free:

Combine dairy-free milk or water with 2 tablespoons of lemon juice or vinegar.

Recommended Products

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Nutrition Information
Yield 10 Serving Size 2 pancakes
Amount Per Serving Calories 196Total Fat 7gSaturated Fat 3gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 3gCholesterol 46mgSodium 307mgCarbohydrates 27gFiber 1gSugar 7gProtein 6g

Did you make this recipe?

If you try this recipe, let me know! Leave a comment, rate it, and tag your photo @cheapskatecook on Instagram.

Breakfast cake

More Weekend Breakfast Recipes:

Strawberry Breakfast Cake

This strawberry cake is sweet enough for dessert, but I eat it for breakfast – because with whole grains and honey, it’s like eating oatmeal. Basically.

 

5-Minute Egg & Cheese Muffins

These muffins are the essence of an easy, homemade, breakfast. Faster than an omelet, but just as cheesy and delicious. Perfect frugal way to feed a crowd some protein.

 

Simple Baked Oatmeal

For an easy, nutritious, make-ahead breakfast that is allergy-friendly and quick to make, look no more. Gluten-free with egg-free and dairy-free options.

 

Clean, 4-Ingredient Sausage

Sausage makes everything taste better – and this easy recipe turns inexpensive ground meat into savory sausage with 4 ingredients you probably already have.

 

Mookies – Muffins, the Easy, Frugal Way

How to Make Muffins the Easy Way = Mookies. Inexpensive, made with whole grains, and NO CLEANING THE MUFFIN TIN. Dairy-free, egg-free, and vegan versions.

A classic pancake recipe with a twist - use it with whole grain, white, or sprouted flour - whatever works for you! Optional overnight soaking step. No sugar, and a dairy-free option! From CheapskateCook.com
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