Multigrain Pancakes Worth Eating

Published November 1, 2006.

Bland, dense, and gummy, most multigrain pancakes are more about appeasing your diet than pleasing your palate. We wanted flavorful, fluffy, and healthful flapjacks.

The Problem

Most multigrain pancakes are bland and gummy, dense and chewy, or just unpalatably wholesome.

The Goal

We wanted complex-flavored, light, and fluffy multigrain pancakes.

The Solution

After testing lots of grains, we found that muesli had all the ingredients and flavor we wanted in one convenient package—raw whole oats, wheat germ, rye, barley, toasted nuts, and dried fruit. But pancakes made with whole muesli were too chewy and gummy. We converted the muesli into a flour (in the food processor) and then set out to find the perfect combination of muesli "flour," all-purpose flour, whole-wheat flour, and leavening to achieve the proper lightness. Our finishing touches were to tweak the flavor by adding a little butter, vanilla, and brown sugar and replace the buttermilk with a less acidic-tasting blend of milk and lemon juice.

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