We’ve become big pancake eaters in our house. My husband is sort of the breakfast master these days and Kenya loves getting into the action as his Daddy’s sous chef. Many mornings I come down to the kitchen at the crack of dawn only to find the two of them partaking in their own little IHOP, and I have to say they’re giving me a run for my money. Blueberry, banana, strawberry, even raspberry pancakes — my boys have been on a roll. So, I set out to beat them at their own game. Or at least come up with something equally yummy.

This recipe takes no time to put together and it’s a perfect opportunity to let your kids help you cook: whisking and dumping the dry and wet ingredients into a bowl is great fun for them. I liked the idea of using oatmeal in these pancakes as they add great texture and flavor. Not only is the end result delicious, they’re also healthy and packed with nutritious ingredients that are the perfect start to a kid’s busy day!

Take that boys!

Whole Wheat Oat Pancakes (Makes 25-30 Pancakes)

1 1/2 Cups Buttermilk
1 Egg
2 Tbsp Butter, melted
2 Tbsp Agave
3/4 Cup Quick Cooking Oatmeal
3/4 Cup Whole Wheat Flour
1 1/2 Tsp Baking Powder
3/4 Tsp Baking Soda
1/2 Tsp Salt

*Optional Toppings: Maple Syrup, Honey, Berries or Bananas.

1. Place the first 4 wet ingredients in a bowl and whisk to thoroughly combine.
2. In a separate bowl, combine all the dry ingredients and whisk to combine.
3. Add the dry mixture to the wet mixture and stir until just combined (it’s okay if there are a few lumps).
4. Heat a large pan or griddle on medium heat and grease with butter or oil.
5. Drop about 2 Tbsp of the pancake mixture onto the griddle and cook for 3 minutes on each side or until golden.
6. Serve with desired topping(s).

* Prior to serving you can keep them warm on a sheet tray in a 250 degree oven until all the pancakes are cooked.

We’ve almost raised $25,000 for Share Our Strength. Please help us meet that goal by going to QuakerOats.com and “Creating Your Day”! It takes less then a minute and it’s a ton of fun coming up with a name for your oatmeal creation.

As some of you may know, I’m a contributor to GoodBite.com. Starting several months ago, Good Bite teamed up with Quaker to raise money and spread awareness for good causes and they just launched a great new charitable challenge.

I encourage all of you to “CREATE YOUR DAY” by going to www.QuakerOats.com/createyourday and discovering an oatmeal creation that will best help you tackle the day that lies ahead for you. For every bowl of oatmeal you create on this site, GoodBite.com & Quaker will donate $1.00 to “Share Our Strength”, a charity dedicated to ending childhood hunger — up to $25,000! This goal is no small feat, but with your help we can do it. $25,000 will go a long way to helping Share Our Strength continue their important work.

I had the best time plugging in my favorite toppings to some of the Quaker products and coming up with hilarious names for my creations. You have to give it a try. It’s like making a virtual breakfast. I actually get so hungry doing it that I have to go straight to the kitchen afterwards to eat. At least it’s for a good cause!

I’m so excited about the “Awaken Your Senses” Challenge. Good Bite and Quaker have gotten together to donate $10,000 to the blogger who receives the most votes based on their favorite food memory.

I chose my favorite food charity, Stone Barns Center for Food & Agriculture. Please, please, please take 2 seconds to vote so they might win the grand prize and continue their amazing work teaching kids about the food that goes from farm to classroom to table. Thank you!!