Breast Milk Pancakes

Confession time: I’ve been eating these pancakes for breakfast nearly every morning with Ryan since I’ve started making them.

As any breastfeeding mother can probably tell you, I went through a month or two where I was obsessed with pumping and freezing. I had a fear that I would stop producing, I would get sick, Ryan would stop wanting the boob, etc. etc. etc. that I just kept pumping as much as possible. Ryan never took to a bottle so the milk wasn’t (and isn’t) going anywhere, so once we solids I needed a way to start using it up.

I’ve tried a ton of different recipes, and this is one I created after messing around and mixing a few different once. If you want, you can use all white flour, but I like the idea of using a little oat flour and reducing the amount of white flour in his diet. I don’t suggest using ALL oat flour – it makes the pancakes really dry and gummy at the same time. They taste like they haven’t cooked long enough, even though they have.  Also, you can use white/brown/no sugar, but PLEASE don’t use fake weird maple syrup.

I make a double batch of these, which will give you about 75 2-inch pancakes. When they’re cool, layer the pancakes with sheets of wax paper in between and then transfer to big zip top freezer bags when frozen solid. When you want to serve them, either taken them out and leave on the counter for 30 or so minutes, or put in a warm oven for about 5 until defrosted. We serve them with a layer of peanut butter and jelly or peanut butter and maple syrup. For pre-pincer grip you can give them to baby whole or cut into sticks while post-pincer grip they’re perfect in little squares.

Breast Milk Pancakes
makes about 35 2-inch pancakes

1 cup flour of choice
1 cup oat flour (grind oats in food processor until flour-like in consistency)
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup breast milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg
3 tablespoons oil (I used canola for its light flavor and MSPI)
2-3 tablespoons sweetener of choice (maple syrup, white sugar, brown sugar, etc)
1 tsp, more or less to taste cinnamon**
Mix-ins of choice**

**optional.

Combine flour, baking powder and cinnamon is using in a large bowl and set aside. In another bowl, whisk together egg, milk, vanilla, sweetener, and oil. Gently stir the wet and dry ingredients, stirring as little as possible while getting rid of as many dry spots as possible. Small lumps are fine, don’t over stir. Heat up a pan (or two, if you want to make this quick!) over medium, and grease it. Spoon out batter on to the pan once to temperature and cook 2-3 minutes, or until the sides are set and bubbles are forming in the center of the pancakes, then flip. You may need to play with the temperature a bit  as you go. About one more minute on the other side until golden and transfer to a wax paper lined cookie sheet. If you wish, add in mix-ins after the batter is scooped but still wet. These could be frozen blueberries, banana slices, sliced strawberries, or chocolate chips for older kids (or moms!) Once the batter is gone, serve with toppings of choice or layer with wax paper and freeze, then transfer into labeled freezer bags for storage.