Blue Cornmeal Pancakes

Featured Ingredient: Blue Cornmeal

As I have previously discussed, I’m a big fan of cooking pancakes in the muffin tin. You don’t have to worry about that whole flipping thing or trying to keep some hot while you cook up another batch so that everyone can chow down together. Plus, mini muffin sized pancakes are a fun way to break out of the breakfast meal doldrums.

For this version, I’ve employed blue cornmeal. The inspiration for its use came from a recent article for Vegetarian Times magazine that I wrote about this heirloom variety of corn. It turns out that the pigment which makes blue cornmeal, well, blue is the same type of anthocyanin antioxidant found in blueberries that has food researchers scurrying to unravel all of its health-boosting properties. Plus, blue corn is not yet genetically modified unlike its yellow brethren.

To make these pancakes, I used the excellent medium grind blue cornmeal from Bob’s Red Mill to give them some nice texture. 

Of course, my girlfriend would say that no pancake recipe is complete without a generous topping of blueberries and dark maple syrup.

Blue Cornmeal Pancakes

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour

1/2 cup blue cornmeal

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 large egg

1 cup skim milk

2 tablespoons coconut palm sugar or other granulated sugar of choice

2 tablespoons oil of choice or melted butter

Blueberries

Pure Maple Syrup

Preheat oven to 350°F. In a large bowl, stir together wheat flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. In a separate bowl, lightly beat egg and stir in milk, sugar and oil. Add wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until everything is moist. Divide mixture among 20 mini sized greased or paper lined muffin cups and bake for 15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a pancake comes out clean. Let cool for a few minutes before unmolding. 

Like these? Try these:

Mesquite Pancakes

Matcha Pancakes