Enjoy the flavor of pancakes in these blueberry muffins

Preparing pancakes can take a lot of work, but with our Blueberry Pancake Muffins, you can enjoy the flavors of pancakes and syrup on busy days or lazy days.

Here’s the trick: We make our easy pancakes by simply putting the batter and the syrup in a muffin pan and baking them.

To provide nutrient-rich whole grains, we’ve used whole wheat flour in addition to all-purpose flour in this recipe.

Whole grains include the bran, germ and endosperm. The bran is the outer skin of the grain and contains important nutrients such as antioxidants, B vitamins and fiber. The germ has the potential to sprout a new plant, and it’s full of many B vitamins, some protein, and minerals like magnesium, zinc, copper and potassium. The endosperm makes up the bulk of the grain and contains carbohydrates.

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When a grain is refined, the bran and germ are stripped away, removing the minerals, important nutrients and about 25 percent of the protein. The germ is removed because its fat content gives it a short shelf-life. Only the carbohydrate-dense endosperm remains in the grain. Then the refined grain is enriched by processors who add certain nutrients to the product. They include some B vitamins, iron and folate.

Research shows that people who have diets high in whole grains are less likely to experience a stroke, type 2 diabetes, heart disease and colorectal cancer. Also, they’re more likely to have a healthy weight. For these reasons, the U.S. Dietary Guidelines recommend that whole grains account for half of the grains we eat every day.

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Our blueberry pancake muffins can be served immediately or prepared in advance and refrigerated in an air-tight container for a few days or frozen.

To reheat them, simply microwave or place them in a toaster oven. With our basic recipe, you can be creative. Skip the blueberries and instead make the muffins with strawberries, raspberries and even diced peaches. This healthy treat will make lazy days more relaxing and busy days happier ones.

Bethany Thayer is a registered dietitian nutritionist with Henry Ford Health. For more recipes and health information, visit henryford.com/blog. For questions about today’s recipe, email HenryFordLiveWell@hfhs.org.

Whole-grain Blueberry Pancake Muffins

Makes: 12 muffins/ Prep time:  10 minutes / Total time: 45 minutes

Vegetable oil cooking spray

½ cup whole wheat flour

½ cup all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

2/3 cup fat-free milk

2 large eggs

¼ cup real maple syrup

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 tablespoons canola oil

1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Spray a 12-cup muffin tin with vegetable oil cooking spray.

In a medium bowl, mix flour, baking powder and salt together. In a separate bowl, whisk together milk, eggs, syrup, vanilla and oil. Add the milk mixture to the dry ingredients and stir with a whisk until small lumps remain (do not over-mix). Fold in blueberries.

Fill each muffin tin with about ¼ cup of batter per muffin. Bake until lightly golden, about 15 minutes. Cool for a few minutes, then run a knife around the edges of the muffins to release.

From Henry Ford LiveWell.

98 calories (31% from fat), 3 grams fat (0.5 gram sat. fat), 15 grams carbohydrates, 3 grams protein, 67 mg sodium, 36 mg cholesterol, 120 mg calcium, 1 gram fiber. Food exchanges: 1 starch, 1 fat.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Easy blueberry pancake muffins can be made in advance, frozen: Recipe