Fluffy Greek Yogurt Blueberry Pancakes with Strawberry Maple Syrup

For the pancakes:
In a large bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, and baking soda; set aside.

In a separate medium bowl, beat Greek yogurt, eggs, honey, vanilla, and almond milk until smooth and well combined.

Add wet ingredients into the flour mixture and mix together. The batter will be very thick; consistency will vary based on which yogurt you used. Note: If you find that it is way too thick (almost paste like), you can add in a teaspoon or two of milk until it is smooth, but still thick. Next, gently fold in berries with a wooden spoon.

Lightly coat a large nonstick skillet or griddle with butter or cooking spray and place over medium heat. Drop batter by 1/4 cup onto skillet. You may need to use a spoon to spread out the batter just a tiny bit, as pancake batter will be thick and you’ll want them to cook thoroughly. Cook as many as will fit into your skillet, but don’t crowd the pan.

It’s very important to cook until bubbles appear on top and the edges are well cooked. This is thick batter so you want to ensure even cooking. At that point flip cakes and cook until golden brown on underside, 2 minutes. Remove the cooked pancakes to a plate. Wipe skillet clean and repeat with more melted butter or cooking spray and remaining batter.

For the syrup:
Place maple syrup, strawberries, and vanilla in a saucepan over medium heat. Wait until mixture begins to simmer and boil, then stir every few minutes. Once mixture begins to break down and strawberries cook down, about 5 minutes, remove from heat and serve immediately.

Notes:
You can lighten pancakes even more by doing the following:
– Substitute 2 egg whites for 1 egg.
– Replace honey with a packet or two of truvia to cut sugar.
– Use whole wheat pastry flour or whole wheat white flour for whole grains and extra fiber.