Healthy Pancakes

Whisk flour, buttermilk powder, dried egg whites, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. Stir in flaxseed meal, dry milk and bran. (Makes 6 cups dry mix.)

Combine milk, oil and vanilla in a glass measuring cup.

Place 2 cups pancake mix in a large bowl. (Refrigerate the remaining pancake mix in an airtight container for up to 1 month or freeze for up to 3 months.) Make a well in the center of the pancake mix. Whisk in the milk mixture until just blended; do not overmix. (The batter will seem quite thin, but will thicken up as it stands.) Let stand for 5 minutes.

Coat a nonstick skillet or griddle with cooking spray and place over medium heat. Whisk the batter. Using 1/4 cup batter for each pancake, cook pancakes until the edges are dry and bubbles begin to form, about 2 minutes. Turn over and cook until golden brown, about 2 minutes longer. Adjust heat as necessary for even browning. Variations Chocolate-Chocolate Chip Pancakes: Fold 1/2 cup cocoa powder and 3 ounces chocolate chips into the batter. Blueberry: Fold 1 cup frozen blueberries into the batter. Banana-Nut: Fold 1 cup thinly sliced bananas and 4 tablespoons finely chopped toasted pecans into the batter.

Notes: Buttermilk powder, such as Saco Buttermilk Blend, is a useful substitute for fresh buttermilk. Look in the baking section or with the powdered milk in most markets.

Dried egg whites are convenient in recipes calling for egg whites because there is no waste. Look for brands like Just Whites in the baking or natural-foods section of most supermarkets or online at bakerscatalogue.com.

You can find flaxseed meal in the natural-foods section of large supermarkets. You can also start with whole flaxseeds: Grind 2/3 cup whole flaxseeds to yield 1 cup.