More often than not, the best recipe ideas come to me when I am laying in bed, waiting to fall asleep. The longer it takes, the more developed the recipes become. Sometimes the excitement over my new idea, usually a breakfast item because of its proximity to waking up, becomes so great that falling asleep becomes a challenge. Of course this leaves me too tired the next day to get much done, let alone have the motivation to cook something new for breakfast. Not even coffee has the power to overcome my sleepy state.
But of course, I am not writing to tell you about my sleeping habits, but rather, Cinnamon Spiced Oatmeal Pancakes. They were the product of one such sleep-deprived night and a couple of days of thinking while sitting in class.
Every now and again I enjoy a good stack of pancakes….as long as I don’t have to wear anything besides sweat pants the rest of the day! Usually the caloric crater they put in my day is enough to keep me away for a couple of months at a time. But when that craving strikes for days upon days, it’s hard to set aside. I figured it couldn’t be too hard to take healthier grains, like rolled oats and whole wheat flour, and make a pancake that tastes just as good, if not better, than the original. Mission accomplished!
Don’t let this picture fool you, they really are to die for. It was about half way through them that I finally remembered to take a photo to share with you all, which is why my fork decided to make a starring role in this picture.
1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
1 1/2 cups water
2 eggs
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. brown sugar
1/2 cup whole-wheat flour (all-purpose will also work)
2 tsp. baking powder
*Mix together the oats and water. Microwave on HIGH for 1 1/2 – 2 minutes, until oats start to boil over. Remove from microwave and transfer to large mixing bowl.
*Meanwhile, heat large skillet or electric skillet to medium heat. While skillet is heating, add remaining ingredients to cooked oats and stir well.
*Grease skillet with butter or non-stick cooking spray. Drop oat mixture by half cups onto greased skillet (mixture will be thick, you may want to spread it slightly with a spatula). Cook 3-4 minutes. Gently loosen pancakes and flip. Cook 3-4 minutes on opposite side. Transfer to a serving platter and cook remaining batter. Yields 6-8 depending on how big you make them.
Since we didn’t have syrup, I topped mine with a few teaspoons of blackberry preserves and a sprinkle of brown sugar. Any jam, syrup, or fruit chutney would be delicious!
Madison