I’ve been trying really hard lately to ditch the cereal for my kids breakfast.  Actually I haven’t even bought a box in over a month! This is one recipe we rely on to get a good healthy breakfast in us.  Well everyone but me.  I usually stick with a green smoothie but the kids and sometimes my husband are the ones eating these.  I’ve been reading Nourishing Traditions which is an excellent book that among many things, talks about the importance of soaking grains to make them easier to digest and increase the absorption of nutrients.  I could get a lot more technical but I won’t!

The main thing with these is that you just have to think ahead, the night before when I’m cleaning up the kitchen I try and think about what the kids can have for breakfast the next morning, if it requires soaking then I start it during this time.

The last time I made them I thought I would make it interesting and utilize a jumbo muffin tin that was hiding in my cupboard.  It was the perfect size.  I just put a little pat of butter in each muffin spot and put it in the oven to melt while I whipped up the rest of the batter.  Then poured the batter evenly into the 6 spots.  It was just the right amount, and being that there are 6 eggs in the recipe I know that each mini german pancake has 1 egg which is nice to know that my kids are getting that, even if it is covered in maple syrup.

Another thing I like about this recipe is that is utilizes kefir which I always have on hand.  I don’t know though how well the beneficial probiotic organisms hold up in the oven but that could be a post for another day.

Whatever doesn’t get eaten I just save for the next morning, so usually this recipe lasts for 2 mornings if it’s just the kids eating them.  If you’re not thinking ahead you can still make these by mixing all ingredients up the morning of and it will still be a step up from cereal!

Soaked Baby German Pancakes

1 c. kefir, or milk/yogurt combination (I would do anywhere from 1/4 -1/2 c. plain yogurt and the rest milk)

1 c. whole wheat flour (sprouted)

6 eggs

4-6 T butter (I use closer to 6)

1/4 t. salt

1/4 t. vanilla powder (or 1 t. vanilla extract)

1. The night before soak 1 cup whole wheat flour in 1 cup of kefir or a combination of milk and yogurt, cover and let sit at room temperature.

2. The next morning or 12-24 hours later preheat oven to 400 degrees, and melt butter in glass baking dish or muffin tins.

3. Add the eggs, salt and vanilla to flour/kefir mixture.  Pour into prepared baking dish/muffin tin.

4. Bake for about 15 minutes.  Just keep an eye on it, when it starts to brown you’re doing good.

5. Top with maple syrup and enjoy!