Whey Pancakes

Healthy whey pancakes using whole wheat or fresh milled flour and homemade whey.

What is Whey?

Whey is a yellowish clear liquid that results when milk is curdled and strained. Under the right conditions, the fat in the milk forms a curd, and the remaining liquid (whey) is drained off, making it biproduct of many dairy products including cheese and yogurt.

Find my recipe for Greek Yogurt in the Instant Pot HERE.

When I started making my own yogurt, I decided I should try to figure out what to do with all the whey I strained off. In the beginning, I just dumped it down the drain, but that seemed like such a waste. After all, our ancestors were excellent at not wasting anything, so they must have found a useful way to dispose of extra whey that resulted from their yogurt or cheesemaking.

What’s so good about whey?

I suppose the first question that should be asked, is whether or not there is anything beneficial in the whey that makes it worth saving. Whey, as it turn out, is full of protein, antioxidants, and peptides. I’m sure you’ve seen many whey protein supplements and powders on the shelf at your favorite store. Many studies have been done about the benefits of whey protein being incorporated into peoples diets.

When whey pancakes came to Knoll 22

I started playing around with a basic recipe for pancakes in one of my cookbooks. I wondered how I could make substitutions to include whey, and thereby make pancakes a healthier breakfast alternative.

You see, I’ve actually never been a big fan of pancakes.

As a kid I would only eat them spread with peanut butter.

Then, as a young adult I categorized them as empty carbs.

Finally, as an adult I quickly noted that a pancake’s ability to fill a stomach usually lasted about an hour.

Consequently, I rarely made pancakes for my family in our earlier years.

However, after some experimentation I have now come up with this recipe which includes fresh milled whole wheat flour, whey, and other protein packed ingredients that make me actually feel like I’m feeding my family something nutritious. That’s more than I can say for a boxed pancake mix for sure!

I hope these pancakes give you a little confidence to add whey as an ingredient in your breakfast rotation. (It’s also good in smoothies)

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Whey Pancakes

Ingredients:

• 1 large egg
• 3/4 c. whey
• 1/2 c. milk
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 3/4 c. fresh milled white wheat flour, unsifted (or whole wheat)
• 1 c. all purpose flour
• 1 Tbsp. honey
• 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. real salt
• 2 Tbsp. olive oil

Directions:

In a bowl, whisk together egg, whey, milk, and baking soda.

Next, add remaining ingredients and stir until incorporated. You may have to make adjustments to the amount of flour to get batter of your desired thickness.

Pour onto an electric griddle, preheated to 300 degrees F.

Flip with a spatula when pancakes begin to bubble.

Continue to cook until golden and center is set.

Serve with your favorite toppings. Butter, real maple syrup, and fresh fruit are great options!

Find my recipe for fresh whipped cream HERE.

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