These simple, whole wheat heart pancakes are the perfect breakfast for Valentine’s Day or any day! 

Eating whole grain foods can reduce your risk of heart disease by up to 30%.

When eaten as part of a heart-healthy diet, whole grains can help to:

  • reduce cholesterol (total and low-density lipoprotein)
  • reduce blood pressure
  • reduce weight
  • lower the risk of developing type 2 diabetes by up to 32%.

Whole grains may be most useful for people who need to lower their cholesterol or control their blood sugar levels.

On average, three servings of whole grains per day can help your heart to stay healthy and eating more than that is likely to be even better for your heart.

These whole wheat heart pancakes are light, fluffy, and easy to whip up!

For Valentine’s Day, top the pancakes with heart shaped strawberries, a little heart shaped butter, and pure maple syrup. A breakfast filled with loooooove!

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1/2 cup plain or vanilla Greek yogurt
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
  • 1 tablespoon melted butter
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Optional toppings-strawberries, butter, and maple syrup

Instructions

  1. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and brown sugar.
  2. In a medium bowl, combine milk, yogurt, eggs, maple syrup, melted butter, and vanilla extract. Whisk until combined.
  3. Pour wet ingredients over dry ingredients and stir until combined.
  4. Heat a griddle or pan to medium low heat. Coat with cooking spray. Spray the inside of a heart shaped cookie cutter with cooking spray. Place the cookie cutter on the griddle or pan and fill with about ¼ cup of pancake batter. Cook until surface of pancakes have some bubbles and a few have burst, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove cookie cutter and flip carefully with a spatula. Cook until browned on the underside, 1 to 2 minutes more. Continue making pancakes until the batter is gone.
  5. Serve pancakes warm with strawberries, butter, and maple syrup, if desired.
  6. Note-If you don’t have a heart shaped cookie cutter, you can pour or pipe the pancake batter into heart shapes. It’s ok if they aren’t perfect. These pancakes freeze well. Let them cool completely and then wrap in plastic wrap and put in a freezer bag. When ready to eat, remove from freezer and reheat in microwave or the toaster.

Total Time:     25 min
Servings:       6

Recipe from Two Peas & Their Pod