Healthy Sweets: Whole-Wheat Cinnamon Pancakes

Craving for something sweet doesn’t always have to mean the moment we swallow the last bite of it we’re to start worrying about the extra calories or thinking about what to cut from our next meal to make sure it “doesn’t show.” Sweets can also be healthy and, what’s most important for the vast majority of women, not laden with calories. The whole-wheat cinnamon pancakes, with a topping of our choice, fit in this category.

Ingredients (8 servings / 24 pancakes):

- 2 cups whole-wheat flour - 2 tablespoons sugar - 1 teaspoon baking powder - 1 teaspoon baking soda - 1 to 2 teaspoons cinnamon - 1/2 teaspoon salt - 1 cup low-fat yogurt - 1 cup nonfat milk (more can be added to thin the batter) - 4 tablespoons canola oil (and some more for the pan) - 2 large eggs.

Preparation:

Take a small bowl and mix the dry ingredients together, and then set aside. In another bowl, a larger one preferably, whisk the milk, yogurt, oil and the eggs, and then add the dry ingredients, mixing evenly until they are moistened. If the batter is too thick, add more milk to it until you make it exactly as you want it.

Take a skillet or a griddle and brush it with canola oil, and use about three tablespoons for each pancake. Cook for approximately two minutes, until you notice that the surface of the pancake begins to form bubbles, and some of them have even popped. Flip it and then cook for another two minutes. Wait until they’re only warm and then serve with a topping of your choice.

Speaking of which, pancakes can be served with almost anything you’ve got lying around the house, or in the cupboard, to be more precise. From marmalade to pineapple slices, you can put almost anything on them. However, keeping with the healthy, low-calorie thing, these whole-wheat pancakes go great with Greek yoghurt, nuts, slicked fruit and some maple syrup. Don’t overdo it with the syrup because it’s basically liquid sugar and it would be quite a shame if you ruined such a healthy snack (it’s got carbs, fiber, calcium, healthy fats and protein) with too much sugar.