When you wake up to smells of bacon and a hot buttered pan filling your house, you know it’s the weekend. To be honest, we don’t usually make pancakes or waffles for breakfast. It’s usually the everyday bowl of cereal and a once-a-week eggs and toast. But never something so rich and filling as a big stack of pancakes. Maybe it’s the cold weather snap that’s really pushed breakfast to its limits to indulge in something a little more warm and comforting. Whatever the reason, these bacon and cinnamon pancakes came to be.

Growing up in the South, Bisquick was the main source for making biscuits and pancakes along with the pretend maple syrup that makes you wonder why we would ever eat anything other than the real thing. The pancakes tasted fine in our young eyes, but as you get older, you get wiser and begin making better food choices. Like making your own pancakes from scratch and using the real deal maple syrup. Pure maple syrup is somewhat stretching the budget I admit, but it’s so darn good.

Pancakes are made from ingredients that you would most likely have in your pantry already…such as flour, baking powder, and sugar to name a few. It really is that easy. I did use whole wheat pastry flour because it’s what I had on hand, but obviously all-purpose flour would work perfectly too. The pancake batter will be lighter in color than the whole wheat kind seen here.

The cast iron skillet I have gets extremely hot so I had to cook the pancakes over medium-low heat adding small amounts of butter in between each batter addition to keep them from sticking. If you’re using a regular pan, cooking them on medium heat is a safe bet.

A giant stack of whole wheat pancakes filled with bacon and cinnamon. Then topped with toasted walnuts and fresh bananas.

There is nothing like warm ok hot maple syrup drizzled over your pancakes. Ooops. Forgot to pour my coffee. Perhaps a tall glass of milk instead.

Bacon and Cinnamon Pancakes with Walnuts
adapted from Allrecipes and Giada at Home

makes 6 (4-inch diameter) pancakes

Ingredients
5 bacon slices
3/4 cup lowfat milk
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 large egg
2 tablespoons butter, melted (plus more for the pan)
1/2 cup toasted walnuts, chopped (see note below)
1 banana, sliced
pure maple syrup, warmed for drizzling

Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degree F.

Arrange the bacon strips on a lined baking sheet. Cook in the oven for about 15 minutes until bacon is crispy. Transfer the bacon to a plate lined with a paper towel to drain and cool. Once the bacon has cooled, chop the bacon. Set aside.

In a large bowl, add the milk and lemon juice. Whisk to combine. Set aside for 10 minutes until the milk turns sour and curdles.

In a medium bowl, add the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Whisk to combine. Set aside.

Once the milk has turned sour, whisk in the egg and melted butter. Add the flour mixture and slowly whisk together until combined (careful not to overmix). Gently stir in the bacon.

Warm a large cast iron skillet or pan over medium heat and lightly butter the pan. (You may have to reduce the heat to medium-low if your cast iron skillet gets too hot like mine). Pour 1/4 cup of the batter onto the skillet and cook for 1 to 2 minutes until bubbles form and the edges begin to set around the pancake. Using a spatula, flip the pancake and cook the other side for 1 to 2 minutes until golden. Cook the remaining batter 1/4 cup at a time and add more butter if needed.

Transfer the pancakes to plates. Top with walnuts and banana slices. Pour warm maple syrup over the pancakes and serve.

Note: To toast walnuts, spread them on a baking sheet and toast in a 350 degree oven for 6 to 8 minutes. Cool completely.