Birch Benders Pancakes Four Ways
It’s the first Friday of 2019 and we’re celebrating with four new recipes! Here on Lemon & Mocha not only is this January all about healthy recipes, but every Friday is going to feature a healthy breakfast dish. My go-to breakfast is usually a Greek yogurt and some fruit, but it’s not the most filling breakfast and it definitely gets boring after a while. One of my favorite discoveries in 2018 was Birch Benders Protein Pancake Mix. This post is not sponsored; I just wanted to share a product I’ve been loving for a while now.
The mix is packed with 16 grams of protein per serving and every time I have this meal I stay full all the way until lunchtime. The pancakes are fluffy and the best part is you only need to add water to make them! After making them a few times and getting my little routine down, I can get my three pancakes on the table at the same time Matt is just sitting down with his coffee. I typically have them plain and top them with 88 Acres Dark Chocolate Sunflower Seed Butter and fresh berries, but I have been experimenting with the base mix so today I’m sharing my four favorite variations.
First up is pumpkin spice pancakes topped with spiced apples and vanilla yogurt. The apples gently cook down in a small skillet with some ground cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice and are done by the time the pancakes are ready.
Next up, we have lemon pancakes! I love lemon so it wasn’t long before I added some lemon zest and juice to this mix to bring out my favorite flavor, which also happens to be delicious with fresh berries.
Blueberry pancakes topped with warmed berries are one of my favorite variations. The berries get slightly cooked down with a little maple syrup and ground cinnamon. I put blueberries in my pancakes, but you could use any berry you prefer.
Last, but definitely not least, we have peanut butter chocolate pancakes. Look how fluffy these got! Don’t forget the drizzle of peanut butter and mini chocolate chips on these because it definitely makes them. Which one do you think you’ll try first?
I’ve found the best price for this pancake mix to be Amazon or Target, but you can also find them on the Birch Benders website, Whole Foods, Wegmans and probably lots of other grocery stores. If you don’t have the Birch Benders Protein Pancake Mix, you could always use the variations below as inspiration to experiment with your favorite pancake mix.
Extra Tips:
- Do not over-mix the batter. Over-mixing any pancake or waffle batter makes them lose their fluffiness.
- Do not put too much water in the batter. For each of the recipes below, the batter should be thick and scoop-able, not liquid and runny. If it’s too runny, add a little more mix and use less water next time.
- I use a 1/4 cup measuring cup to scoop out 1/2 cup of the pancake mix; it fits more easily into the bag of mix and then I have it ready to use for the water I need to add. I stir the batter with my regular sized Wilton batter spoon then use that same spoon to scoop it into the pan to cook them. Side note: I love the Wilton batter spoons for pancakes, cupcakes and muffins!
- I use a tablespoon of ground flaxseed meal in my pancakes because they add some omega-3s and fiber. If you want to skip the flaxseed meal, just add slightly less water.
- 1 apple, cored and small diced
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice, divided
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ cup Birch Benders Protein Pancake Mix
- ⅓ cup pumpkin puree
- ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons water
- 1 tablespoon golden flaxseed meal
- ¼ cup nonfat vanilla yogurt
- Spray a small skillet with coconut oil spray (or other oil spray of choice) and heat over medium-low heat. Once hot, add the diced apples. Sprinkle ½ teaspoon of the pumpkin pie spice and the ground cinnamon over top. Let cook until soft, about 6 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat when done.
- While the apples are cooking, prepare the pancakes. In a bowl, lightly mix together the remaining ½ teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice, the pancake mix, pumpkin puree, water and flaxseed meal. Make sure to add one tablespoon of the water last to make sure it needs it. The dough should not be runny, but instead thick.
- Spray a medium skillet with coconut oil spray and heat over medium-high heat (I put the dial on my gas stove between medium-high and medium). Scoop the batter into the pan to make 3 pancakes, trying to not let them touch. Cook for 3-4 minutes, then flip and cook for 2-3 minutes. Remove from the heat. Top with the vanilla yogurt and the apples.
- ½ cup Birch Benders Protein Pancake Mix
- ¼ cup water
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon golden flaxseed meal
- Zest from ½ a lemon, plus more for topping
- Berries, for topping
- In a bowl, lightly mix together the pancake mix, water, lemon juice, flaxseed meal and lemon zest. The dough should not be runny, but instead thick.
- Spray a medium skillet with coconut oil spray and heat over medium-high heat (I put the dial on my gas stove between medium-high and medium). Scoop the batter into the pan to make 3 pancakes, trying to not let them touch. Cook for 3-4 minutes, then flip and cook for 2-3 minutes. Remove from the heat. Top with the berries and more lemon zest, if desired.
- ¾ cup fresh berries
- ½ teaspoon pure maple syrup
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ cup Birch Benders Protein Pancake Mix
- ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons water
- 1 tablespoon golden flaxseed meal
- 3 tablespoons blueberries
- ¼ cup nonfat vanilla yogurt
- Heat the fresh berries, maple syrup and cinnamon in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Let cook until berries start to lightly burst, about 6 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat when done.
- While the berries are cooking, prepare the pancakes. In a bowl, lightly mix together the pancake mix, water and flaxseed meal. Make sure to add one tablespoon of the water last to make sure it needs it. The dough should not be runny, but instead thick.
- Spray a medium skillet with coconut oil spray and heat over medium-high heat (I put the dial on my gas stove between medium-high and medium). Scoop the batter into the pan to make 3 pancakes, trying to not let them touch. Place a tablespoon of blueberries on top of each pancake. Cook for 3-4 minutes, then flip and cook for 2-3 minutes. Remove from the heat. Top with the vanilla yogurt and the cooked berries.
- ½ cup Birch Benders Protein Pancake Mix
- ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons water
- 1 tablespoon golden flaxseed meal
- 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
- 1 tablespoon peanut butter, plus more for topping
- Mini chocolate chips, for topping
- In a bowl, lightly mix together the pancake mix, water, flaxseed meal, cocoa powder and peanut butter. The dough should not be runny, but instead thick.
- Spray a medium skillet with coconut oil spray and heat over medium-high heat (I put the dial on my gas stove between medium-high and medium). Scoop the batter into the pan to make 3 pancakes, trying to not let them touch. Cook for 3-4 minutes, then flip and cook for 2-3 minutes. Remove from the heat. Top with the mini chocolate chips and a drizzle of peanut butter.
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Tracey Wells
01.04.19 @ 9:53 am
I am definitely trying! I never eat pancakes because I fill up and then am hungry like 2 hrs later. Thanks for the tip on flaxseed, too.
Lauren
01.04.19 @ 11:30 am
So true! I couldn’t believe it when I first had these pancakes – so good! The flaxseed meal also adds a little protein, too
Julie
02.17.21 @ 7:51 pm
I make these with cocoa powder added. Also some instant coffee powder, splash of oil and 2 c water (using whole pkg). Spread in sheet cake pan. Bake at 375° about 15 minutes.
It’s my sub for morning donuts!
Lauren
12.18.21 @ 8:44 pm
Thank you for the tip on baking them! I will have to try it – perfect for busy mornings!