Whole Wheat Cranberry Pancakes

What do you make for breakfast the day after Thanksgiving? Personally, all I want to eat for as long as possible is leftovers from actual Thanksgiving. An entire plate of turkey and cranberries and stuffing at seven in the morning is my ideal breakfast. My Grandma would say pie. Chris’s answer is pie or country ham with biscuits. But in the event that you don’t want dinner for breakfast, or you have actual other humans you are required to feed beyond your own crazy desires (guests, children, etc.), you can make cranberry pistachio pancakes and even freeze them for later.

There are many pancake recipes out there that are very sweet and very dense. When it comes to pancake preferences, I am not looking for a ‘cake’ that is a handful of sprinkles away from funfetti. I’m looking for fluffy and savory. And because yes, we are a dietitian house, whole wheat is preferable if it’s delicious. These are 100% whole wheat.

This recipe for pancakes is what Chris makes me for birthdays, Valentine’s day and “I’m having a bad week” day. He is the lord of the pancakes. For Thanksgiving we decided to add whole cranberries to the batter. They add such a nice brightness throughout and are a great addition to super sweet white chocolate and salty roasted pistachios. The natural tartness adds balance. Cranberries also add a gorgeous color and as we’ve discussed, they’re the perfect addition for your holiday table in more ways than one.

Remember to snap a picture of your Friendsgiving cranberry creations and post it on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or Pinterest using the hashtag #FriendsgivingCranberryContest and upload it the Cranberry Friendsgiving website for a chance to win one of eight $500 prizes! 

Learn more about Cranberry Friendsgiving and see contest rules here

Whole Wheat Cranberry Pancakes

makes 8 medium pancakes

Pancakes:

• 3/4 cup skim milk
• 2 tablespoons white vinegar
• 1 cup minus 1 T, whole wheat flour
• 2 tablespoons white sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger or fresh ginger
• zest of 1/2 lemon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg
• 2 Tablespoons butter, melted
• 3/4 c whole cranberries (8-10 per pancake)

Toppings:

• maple syrup to taste
• 1/4 c white chocolate wafers, melted
• 1/8 c pistachios, chopped
• 3 loose Tablespoons lemon zest

Pancake Directions:  Combine milk with vinegar in a medium bowl and set aside for a few minutes. Whisk dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Whisk egg and melted butter into the milk mixture. Pour the wet and dry mixes together and whisk until lumps are gone. DO NOT over mix. Heat a cast iron skillet over medium heat and add a little butter. Pour 1/4 c of batter to form pancakes. When bubbles appear and the edges of the pancake start to darken drop the whole cranberries into the pancake. Flip immediately.

Toppings:  Melt white chocolate wafers in the microwave in 20 second intervals, whisking in between until thoroughly melted. Drizzle with fork or knife on top of pancake stack, or for more precision, place into a piping bag. Add lemon zest and chopped pistachios to the top of the stack. Add maple syrup if desired.

Disclosure: A huge heaping thankful serving of goodness to the Cranberry Marketing Committee for working with me this year to develop the Entertaining guide and this post.