Multigrain Pancake Mix (Munching with Maddie)

Multigrain Pancake Mix (Munching with Maddie)

I’m sure no one needs to tell you that parenting is tough. No matter how prepared I thought that I was, I’m not sure that I realized how much of a challenge it would be at times.

For me, the biggest challenge comes at mealtime.  I expected the sleepless nights and the tantrums.  I was ready for the messy diapers and chasing the speedy toddler all over the house. But, I had no idea that feeding Miss Maddie would be such a challenge for me.

Of course, she’s not doing anything wrong… She’s a baby (I’m holding on to her being a “baby” as long as I can, though I suppose she’s becoming more of a toddler.).  Babies look at bright purple beet and blueberry puree and think, “Wow, that looks like it would be great for splatter-painting the wall.” Of course, I thought that maybe if I just reasoned with her, she would pick up the spoon and nicely put the food in her mouth. Certainly that’s not too much to ask, right?

When I started out on this whole feeding adventure, I was set on Baby Led Weaning.  I had heard so many success stories and was convinced it would be no problem.  Maddie would be snacking on quinoa, kale, and gorgonzola in no time!

I will skip over the details, but that’s not exactly how things worked out, especially early on.  She wasn’t really interested in eating much food, and there were many nights where I resorted to just feeding her baby food puree directly from those convenient little pouches that I bought at Target.  She finally became interested in actually picking up food when I gave her some cereal puffs (around 10 months or so), and we’ve been gradually working on finding new foods for her to eat ever since.

We have now gotten to the point where she eats most of what we eat, within reason.  But, we have our days.  Just last night, she threw all of her dinner on the floor. A few months ago, I would have been pulling my hair out, but I am learning to take it all in stride.  Sure, last night she wanted nothing to do with the fresh mozzarella that I carefully cut into little cubes for her.  But, I’m sure she’ll happily nibble on it again soon.

You may be wondering if this is going anywhere… And, it is.

Feeding Maddie has really changed the way I cook… And, there have been times where it has really been a challenge for me to come up with foods that I felt good about feeding her.  So, I’ve decided to start sharing some of my baby-friendly recipes in a new series called Munching with Maddie.  There are a few that are specifically geared toward kids, but many of them are great for the whole family.  My hope is that they may offer some help to another mother who is losing her mind trying to figure out what in the world to feed to her sweet child who wants nothing more than to redecorate the dining room with dinner.

Of course, these recipes are just suggestions… I firmly believe that every child is different, and what works for every child is also different.  Please keep in mind any allergies or sensitivities that your child may have and introduce new foods gradually!

I’ll get things started with this recipe for a multigrain pancake mix.  Maddie loves pancakes… It’s one of the few foods that she eats reliably. So, there have been weeks where I’ve made pancakes for breakfast 4 or 5 days in a row. While I enjoy eating pancakes on a regular basis, I’m not as much of a fan of measuring out all of the ingredients every morning.  That’s where this pancake mix comes in handy!

I’ve posted a similar recipe for Multigrain Pancake Mix before, but I’ve tweaked the recipe a bit since I started making it for Maddie. I’ve subbed coconut palm sugar for the brown sugar, since it is higher in nutrients and a more natural sweetener.  I’ve also used a bit more oats (her favorite) and started using plain yogurt when I mix up the pancakes for some added protein and calcium. Plus, I have found that yogurt helps to make the pancakes extra fluffy.

Kid-Friendly Multigrain Pancake Mix
Makes enough for 4 batches of pancakes

  • 2 cups white whole wheat flour
  • 2 cups oats, ground in the food processor
  • 1 cup pumpernickel (whole rye) flour
  • 1/2 cup ground flaxseed
  • 1/2 cup wheat germ
  • 1/2 cup coconut palm sugar
  • 1/4 cup baking powder
  • 2 teaspoons sea salt

Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl and whisk until well combined.  Store in an airtight container for a few weeks.

Multigrain Pancakes
Makes about 8 pancakes

  • 1/2 cup whole milk
  • 1/2 cup plain yogurt
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)
  • 1 1/2 cups multigrain pancake mix
  • Butter or oil for cooking

In a mixing bowl, whisk together milk, yogurt, olive oil, egg, and vanilla.  Add the pancake mix and gently stir with a spatula until the dry ingredients are incorporated. Don’t over mix. It’s OK if the batter is a bit lumpy.

Let the batter rest while you preheat a griddle or fry pan to medium heat.  Add a little bit of butter or oil to the pan and pour or scoop the batter into the pan.  Cook for a few minutes on each side, flipping when the pancakes puff up a bit with air bubbles appearing in the batter.

 

10 comments

  1. There is absolutely no rhyme or reason to what I can get Miss Libby to eat. One day she’ll be happy to eat some lasagna. The very next day she might not even look at it. When all else fails I pull out the cheerios and one of those fruit pouches.

  2. I love this idea of a homemade multigrain mix!!! Looks delicious!

  3. I love this pancake mix, Jen. It may be Maddie friendly, but it’s also *extremely* James’s-new-life-diet friendly, and that’s going to make him very happy. Thanks for sharing it. I think I’m going to love this new series!

    1. That’s the funny thing about the kid-friendly recipes… I’m finding that cooking for Maddie is forcing us to eat a lot better in general, which is great! Let me know how the pancakes turn out. :)

  4. It’s fascinating to read all of this since I love the little ones so much but haven’t had one of my own. It never occurred to me that mealtime would be so challenging. I look forward to more from this series! And the pancakes sound wonderful.

  5. Kathleen says:

    W did baby led weaning with our son and he really started eating only at 9.5 months. He does eat a lot of different things but at 19 months there are still dinners where he just dumps everything on the floor. I’m finding it difficult not to react because he does understand we don’t want him doing that, he’s old enough to know if he doesn’t want something he just has to put it aside. I’m sure he will love the pancakes and my boyfriend too (me too!!!).

  6. Oh goodness, these look like the perfect pancakes! I can’t wait to get a bite :)

  7. The pancakes sound really good and I love the idea about doing a series called Munching With Maddie! Brilliant, and I’m sure very helpful to other new moms! Kudos to you Jen!

  8. Paula says:

    Great idea for a series and I’m sure your readers with babies will be waiting eagerly for each installation. All my babies are grown but as you said, many of the recipes are geared for the entire family. Such as these pancakes. They look wonderful!
    Mattie looks adorable and very healthy. It would appear that Yellow Dog is loving the look of these pancakes as well.
    Best wishes with the Munching with Maddie series.

  9. Jamie says:

    Great mix, found via Pinterest! I swapped brown rice flour for pumpernickel, millet for wheat germ, and brown sugar for coconut sugar (because that’s what I had in the pantry). Thanks!!

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