Apple Cinnamon Oat Pancakes

When Scot is on-call there is really no need for me to cook an actual dinner.  And since I cook, on average, 5-6 times a week, I take a break when I can.  I love to cook for my family, don't get me wrong, but when the family's not whole, it's just more enjoyable to cook up something fun and delicious, and yet, still healthy.  Also, I like to serve a dish that takes no encouragement to scarf down.

Our go-to "daddy's on-call" meal is breakfast.  Pancakes and eggs with a spinach/berry smoothie is usually the crowd pleaser.  Sometimes we do muffins in place of pancakes, but, more likely than not, the request is pancakes.  The last time we had one of these nights, I was feeling extra ambitious on a "no cook" night, and decided to make an Apple Cinnamon Oat version of out favorite breakfast fare.  The key here, for me, is using the food processor.  I would not have gotten the result I was looking for, or spent so little time on the apples without using my most used and trusted kitchen appliance.

We topped these suckers with unsweetened applesauce.  They were good all by themselves, but they were amazing with the addition of the apple sauce.  And if I make them for breakfast, for real, then I can only imagine how syrup would taste with them.  YUM!  And as tempting as it was to drizzle some on there, I had to remember that this was dinner time, and we only had a little bit of time before bed.  And I wanted sleeping boys, not wired ones.

Apple Cinnamon Oat Pancakes
Makes 8  1/3 cup pancakes

Active time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total time: 25 minutes

• 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
• 3/4 rolled oats - ground up until almost flour-like
• 1/4 c rolled oats 
• 2 T brown sugar
• 2 T flaxseed meal (or an egg if you want.)
• 1 1/2 t cinnamon
• 1 t baking powder
• 1/2 t baking soda
• 1/4 t salt
• 3/4 c almond milk + 1/4 c water (or regular.  or soy.)
• 1/4 c unsweetened applesauce
• 1 t vanilla
• 1 large apple, peeled, cored, cut into chunks (optional)

-- In a medium sized bowl, combine all dry ingredients.
-- In a smaller bowl,  combine all wet ingredients.
-- Stir wet into dry until incorporated
-- Pop apple chunks into food processor and pulse until apples are fine chunks
-- Stir apples into batter and turn on griddle or pan to medium heat
-- Spray pan with a little PAM and pour 1/3 cup of batter and spread it out a little.  Flip when you see little bubbles.  Let cook that side another 2-3 minutes.
-- Top with applesauce, syrup, or whatever you wish.