Start your day off right with these extra fluffy yogurt pancakes. They are made with olive oil and Greek yogurt, easy to whip up and are incredibly moist and delicious.
There is something about a stack of fluffy pancakes that brings smiles to everyone’s faces. When my kids were little and I was incredibly sleep deprived, I usually used some popular boxed pancake mix to whip up a fancy breakfast.
But eventually, I started making pancakes from scratch. Although most people equate fluffy pancakes with buttermilk, I prefer to use yogurt. As a result, these extra fluffy yogurt pancakes were born.
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Recipe highlights
- Economical: Both buttermilk and yogurt have very similar properties. Both are acidic, tangy and made from milk. But buttermilk goes rancid quickly in the fridge, and I always have yogurt on hand. Plus, yogurt lasts a long time!
- Simple: You can use any plain yogurt. I prefer Greek yogurt as it has more probiotics and is better for you.
- Texture: The acid in yogurt helps with the leavening and creates a light and fluffy pancake. In fact, I never use buttermilk in my baking, but use yogurt instead.
- Flavor: These fluffy pancakes are perfect on their, dusted with powdered sugar (as my kids like it) or drizzled with maple syrup. You can make them plain or mix in additions to the batter like chocolate chips or blueberries.
In fact, I stopped baking with buttermilk completely. If you have a recipe using buttermilk, I have an easy substitution so you can swap it out with Greek yogurt.
For every 1 cup of buttermilk, substitute with ¾ cup Greek yogurt and ¼ cup milk.
These yogurt pancakes are thick and fluffy. They are super moist and a real crowd pleaser. My kids love eating them with fresh fruit and a dusting of powdered sugar. Me? I love them with a pat of melting butter and dreamy maple syrup.
You can add fruit to the batter, like pomegranate or blueberries. You can also add in chocolate chips. Feel free to customize these pancakes anyway you like.
Ingredients you need
- Plain Greek yogurt: If your yogurt is watery, pass it through some cheese cloth to drain out the extra liquid. You can use fruit flavor yogurt, just remember that this flavor will be in your pancakes. You can also use homemade yogurt.
- Extra virgin olive oil: If you’ve read my blog before, then you learned your lesson on how to bake with olive oil. Your baked goods are only as good as the ingredients you put into it. Choose a mild tasting olive oil for this pancake recipe, not a peppery one. You’ll be surprised how delicious these olive oil pancakes are!
- Milk: I use whole milk, but you can use low fat milk. Avoid using fat free milk. The fat adds moisture and flavor.
- Eggs: You can use large or extra large eggs. I have tried both and they work great in this recipe.
- Pantry staples: All purpose flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
Step-by-step directions
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- Start the batter. Whisk together eggs, yogurt, milk and olive oil until combined.
- Add dry ingredients. Combine dry ingredients in a small bowl, then add to the wet ingredients. Mix until batter is formed. Do not over mix. It will be on thick side which is alright.
- Make the pancakes. Turn on electric griddle or heat your large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Pour approximately ⅓ cup of batter onto griddle and spread it to form a flat circle. Cook until small bubbles form on pancakes, about 2 minutes.
- Flip the pancakes. Cook for another minute or two or until the top edges of the pancake starts to cook. Flip pancakes over and cook until done, about 3 more minutes.
- Finish the batter. Place cooked pancake on a plate and cover with foil. Continue cooking the rest of the pancakes until the batter if finished. Serve with your favorite toppings.
Recipe tips and FAQs
I am a traditionalist when it comes to eating pancakes. I top my stack with butter and plenty of maple syrup. I also love adding fresh berries. My kids don’t like syrup and they use powdered sugar or whipped cream to sweeten their pancakes.
Here are some more ideas on what to serve with your yogurt pancakes:
- Maple syrup
- Powdered sugar
- Whipped cream
- Nutella
- Peanut Butter
- Fruit jam
- Butter
- Berries
- Peaches
- Bananas
- Oranges
- Pomegranate (learn how to seed a pomegranate here)
- Figs
- Chocolate chips
- Cocoa powder
- Bacon
- Sausage
- Eggs
If you are new to baking with olive oil and yogurt, I hope I have convinced you to try it. I have made yogurt scones and I even add yogurt to my lemon bluerry muffins. And my yogurt plum cake is my go-to recipe when I need to a quick dessert for last minute entertaining.
Storing/Freezing Instructions
TO STORE: Store any leftover pancakes in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days.
TO FREEZE: You can also freeze pancakes. Transfer to a resealable bag or freezer safe container and freeze for up to 4 months.
The pomegranate is made in segments, like oranges, and within each segment is filled with ruby red pomegranate seeds, or arils. Each red aril is filled with delicious pomegranate juice with a white edible seed in the center. The entire aril, including the seed, is edible. The pomegranate seed is full of fiber and the juice is rich in antioxidants and vitamins.
Yes, you can bake with yogurt. The acid in both buttermilk and yogurt helps the leavening and create a light and fluffy dessert. It also adds moisture and makes a tender cake, muffin, scone or pancake.
I love baking with yogurt so much that I stopped using buttermilk completely. If you have a recipe using buttermilk, you can easily swap it out with Greek yogurt. For every 1 cup of buttermilk, substitute with ¾ cup Greek yogurt and ¼ cup milk. This works for all kinds of baked goods likes, cakes, muffins, scones and pancakes.
Extra Fluffy Yogurt Pancakes
Ingredients
- 2 cup all purpose flour
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs
- 1 ½ cup plain Greek yogurt
- ¾ cup milk
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- In a medium sized bowl whisk together eggs, yogurt, milk and olive oil.
- Add dry ingredients into bowl containing wet ingredients and mix until lumpy batter is formed. Do not over mix.
- Turn on electric griddle or heat your large non-stick skillet over medium heat.
- Pour approximately ⅓ cup of batter onto griddle and spread it to form a flat circle.
- Cook until small bubbles form on pancakes, about 2 minutes.
- Cook for another minute or two or until the top edges of the pancake starts to cook. Flip pancakes over and cook until done, about 3 more minutes.
- Place cooked pancake on a plate and cover with foil. Continue cooking the rest of the pancakes until the batter if finished.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer
Nutritional information is an estimate provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the actual nutritional information with the products and brands you are using with your preferred nutritional calculator.
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Written by Laura Bashar
Hi, I’m Laura, a certified professional cook and cookbook author living in San Diego. I have been sharing my family’s favorite recipes inspired from all over the world since 2008. Let’s cook up something fun!
I’ve used yogurt in pancakes! It’s good. Been forever since I’ve used it, though — now you have me craving it. Just put yogurt on my shopping list. 🙂 I never buy actual buttermilk these days — I always keep a tub of instant buttermilk in the refrigerator (a powder that you combine with water; Saco is the brand we buy, but I’m sure there are others). But I think I like the idea of yogurt better.
Love pomegranates. I am enjoying them in my salads but can eat them just on their own. Delicious.
What a great pancake recipe! I could eat pomegranate all day long, but have never thought of using them in and on top of pancakes. Love it!
Set me a place at the table this morning!
Love pomegranate and it’s finally around at the markets again 😀 Sooo I’m likely inhaling all the seeds I can get my hands on! Never thought of topping pancakes with these little red goodies – have to keep that in my mind! Thanks for the inspiration!
Sabrina, I baked pomegranate rails inside the pancakes, too, so these babies are smothered in pomegranate. Like I said, my family adores pomegranates!
I’d love this stack for breakfast in the morning. Yum!
No one does pomegranate anything better than you! You’re the champ. Great pictures, super recipe. Just an all around good post! Thanks.
hee! hee! Thanks, John! Yeah, we just can’t eat enough pomegranates!
I love pomegranates, these pancakes look wonderful!
“Weird zombie shows”?? What’s going on in your house 😉 And the kids are behaving ?! Your post really made me smile – and the pancakes look amazing.