You'll love how quickly these bright green St. Patrick's day pancakes- whole grain come together and make for a fun and festive breakfast. These whole-grain pancakes have a nutty flavor that goes perfectly with a big scoop of fluffy homemade whipped cream.
These vibrant green pancakes will be a beautiful addition to your breakfast charcuterie board! Imagine fluffy green pancakes surrounded by a rainbow fruit platter, delicious fruit syrup, and homemade whipped cream- yum! Admittedly, I am not the kind of mom who makes all kinds of seasonal foods for their kids. I am comfortable enough in the kitchen that whipping something up isn't stressful, but I just haven't ever been that way. But this recipe is just too simple to pass up, and it's so much fun for everyone!
These pancakes are my traditional whole grain recipe, with green dye added. Simple, right? You can even prep ahead of time to make your morning extra easy. You just have to mix all your dry ingredients together and store them. When you're ready to make the pancakes, just add the wet ingredients, and you're good to go! It's a great way to ensure you have something easy on hand for a delicious breakfast.
For more easy breakfast inspiration, Try my Carrot Cake pancakes! Or my creamy Instant Pot Yogurt. If you have extra time in the morning, how about Cream Cheese Stuffed French Toast? Power up your day with my Overnight Oats with Protein Powder. Remember, preparing for your day will save you so much time. You can always make extra batches of pancakes to freeze and even freeze oatmeal for a quick and easy meal.
Why You'll Love It
Festive- These beautiful green buttermilk pancakes are the perfect addition to your St. Patrick's day breakfast! They're fluffy and taste amazing, topped with anything from pure maple syrup, my copycat IHOP butter pecan syrup, or even fresh fruit and whipped cream. No matter your choice of toppings, these colorful pancakes are sure to please the crowd.
Whole wheat- These whole wheat pancakes are an excellent way to work in whole wheat into a classic breakfast food and make them even better.
Make ahead-friendly- These green pancakes reheat well if you need to make them ahead of time. Pancakes freeze and reheat well, so if you're looking to save a little time on the day of, you can whip these up the night before and simply warm them in the morning!
Ingredients
Whole wheat pastry flour- I love to use whole wheat pastry flour for this. It comes from soft winter wheat and is great for cookies, cakes, muffins, and pancakes like these. It is NOT good for yeast bread. I have found a farm I order my wheat in Washington. I always do my research to find and support local farmers when I can.
My Nutrimill grain mill is my right-hand man when it comes to grain grinding. If you are considering buying a grain mill, check them out. I have been using them for a REALLY long time and love it!
Baking powder- Baking powder will give your pancakes rise. Without it they will remain mostly flat and be dense, so be sure not to skip this ingredient. If you don't often bake, be sure that your baking powder is still fresh. Ideally, opened baking powder should be replaced every 6 months.
Baking soda- Baking soda and baking powder work together to make these delicious pancakes light and fluffy. These two leavening agents work together to get a big rise that is more effective than one leavener can do on its own.
Salt- Salt is essential in these pancakes because it brightens all the flavors. While it doesn't add a specific flavor itself, baked goods without salt often feel like they're "missing something" without it.
Buttermilk powder- Buttermilk helps give the pancakes extra height and also makes them tasty. I love powdered buttermilk because you can keep it on hand without the concern of it spoiling as you would with liquid buttermilk. This is a great option for those who enjoy the flavor but don't frequently use it. You can find Saco powdered buttermilk in almost any grocery baking aisle.
Water- I use water as our liquid for this recipe. If you have liquid buttermilk, omit the powdered buttermilk and water and use in its place.
Eggs- Eggs add lift to your pancakes as well as structure. The fat from the yolk also contributes moisture to the pancakes, which keeps them soft and delicious.
Oil or Butter- For this recipe, you'll need oil or melted butter. I used olive oil, but whichever you have on hand will work. This will ensure your pancakes are moist and don't stick to the pan.
Green Food Coloring- To make your pancakes a pretty green color, you can use gel or powdered food coloring. I prefer these over liquid food coloring because it doesn't add liquid ingredients, and usually, you need much less to get that bright color. I used Wilton brand gel in leaf green as it is such a beautiful color.
How to make St Patrick's Day pancakes
Prepare all your ingredients for mixing and preheat your griddle to 350-375 degrees, or medium-low to medium heat for a skillet. You'll want to have a pastry brush and melted butter handy to brush the griddle before each batch. It gives flavor and adds a nice golden crust.
I did not add sweetener to this recipe because I think the toppings are sweet enough. If you like a little sweetness in your pancakes, feel free to add 1-2 tablespoons of granulated sugar into the batter with the dry ingredients.
Mix the dry ingredients
In a large bowl, whisk together the whole wheat flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
Add the wet ingredients
Whisk together the water, oil, and eggs until well combined. Add in the food coloring until it reaches your desired color. It will be very bright but will tone down a bit once added to the dry ingredients.
Combine wet and dry ingredients
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and whisk to combine. Do not mix until it is lump free because that will overmix the batter. You should still see small chunks in the batter.
Cook the pancakes
Once the griddle is hot, use the pastry brush to brush it with butter. Use a portion scoop for consistently sized pancakes. Generally, around ¼ cup is standard.
Here they are when they are first on the griddle.
Here they are when they are ready to flip. You can see they have risen a bit and are bubbly on top. Plus, they have a beautiful golden brown color from the butter. This is making me hungry just looking at these again!
Here's our beautiful stack! I'm feeling lucky!
How to make homemade whipped cream
I highly recommend making a batch of homemade whipped cream to top these pancakes! It's so delicious and just takes a few minutes.
All you need is 3 simple ingredients- heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar, and a touch of vanilla!
When making whipped cream, the liquid doubles in size when whipped. 1 cup of heavy cream should make about 2 cups of whipped cream.
In a large bowl, whisk the heavy cream, about 1 tablespoon of powdered sugar, and a little vanilla until soft peaks form. Be careful not to overwhip because it can turn into butter pretty quickly! It usually takes 2-3 minutes; just be sure to use cold heavy cream for the best results.
How to reheat pancakes without getting soggy or dry?
One of the best ways to reheat pancakes is in the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the pancakes on a baking sheet in a single layer and cover with foil. Bake for 3-5 minutes until warmed to your liking. They come out moist, fluffy, and fresh tasting!
Tips for making Whole Wheat pancakes
- Preheat the skillet- Preheat the skillet for at least 5 minutes. I like to get this started while I'm whipping up the pancake batter. A well-preheated skillet or griddle will ensure the first pancakes come out just as delicious as the final batch. If your first pancakes seem to come out pale or not quite right, be sure to preheat your skillet well, you might be surprised at the difference it makes.
- Find the right temperature- Sometimes pancakes don't turn out because the heat is too low or too high. You want just the right amount of heat to help them fluff up but not so much that the outside will cook before the center is done. 350-375 or medium heat is ideal. You may need to experiment to find the best temperature/pan for your pancakes.
- Scoop consistently- For the best results, always use the same size scoop. ¼ cup is a standard size per pancake. You can also use 2 tablespoons for minis if you'd like. Whatever you choose, just try to keep it the same size each time. Pancakes of different sizes can have varying cooking times and can accidentally under or overcook.
- Use a good frying pan- Sometimes, despite our best efforts, the pancakes might stick. Be sure to use your best skillet and a good coating of nonstick spray to avoid this. Older skillets or griddles whose coating has worn off or become scratched are more likely to cause issues.
Another fun St. Patrick's Day recipe is my St. Patrick's Day puppy chow. It is perfect for snacking!
St Patrick's Day Whole Grain Pancakes
Ingredients
- 2 cups whole wheat pastry flour You can also use a regular wheat, but I prefer the pastry flour for the softer texture. If you prefer a thicker pancake, add in extra ¼ cup- ⅓ cup flour here.
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup powdered buttermilk If you prefer to use fresh buttermilk, just omit this.
- 2 cups water If you are using the powdered buttermilk, substitute it here in place of the water
- 2 eggs
- 3 tablespoons oil or melted butter I prefer olive oil
- ½-1 teaspoon green food coloring gel I prefer the gel or powder to the liquid coloring. you don't want to add any extra liquid to mix.
Instructions
- Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, powdered buttermilk, and salt in a small bowl. Set aside.
- In another combine water, oil, and eggs. Mix well to combine. Add in food coloring. It will be pretty bright, but that is what you are looking for. Once you combine the wet and dry, the color neutralizes a little bit.
- Now, combine wet and dry. Whisk to combine, but don't over-mix. I show a photo of this on the post, you show still have little chunks in the batter.
- Heat your griddle to 350-375 degrees. Once it is good and hot, brush it with butter. Immediately scoop on the batter. I used a portion scoop, for consistency of size.
- Allow them to cook on the first side until it starts to bubble on top, especially around the edges. You will see photos of this on the post.
- Flip and cook for several minutes or until the other side is browned as well.
- I served mine with sweetened whip cream and topped with rainbow sprinkles.
Did you make this recipe? Let me know!