Whole Wheat Pancakes ($10 Family Dinner Idea)

We LOVE having breakfast for dinner! These whole wheat chocolate chip pancakes are easy and healthy and they taste amazing. Add some chicken breakfast sausage and scrambled eggs and you’ll have an easy family meal for under $10!

This post is part of our $10 Dinner Ideas series, brought to you by Brigette on our team! Each week, she will be sharing easy, delicious, and affordable family-friendly dinner ideas that cost less than $10 to make, use everyday ingredients, and are super quick meals.

My whole family gobbles these pancakes up! The original recipe for whole wheat chocolate chip pancakes is from this blog, but — believe it or not — some of my family doesn’t like chocolate chips in their pancakes (silly, right?!?), so I always make half without chocolate chips.

Another thing I love about this recipe is that I can easily sub out the butter and milk with oil and an alternative milk for my dairy-sensitive child, and you’d never know the difference.

I served these with Never Any! Chicken Breakfast Sausage that I got at Aldi and some basic scrambled eggs to balance out the meal. (By the way, if you haven’t tried these breakfast sausages, I highly recommend them. They are yummy and they have SUCH a clean ingredient list!)

Cooked whole wheat pancakes, including plain pancakes and chocolate chip pancakes. A plate holds breakfast sausage links and fluffy scrambled eggs.

Whole Wheat Pancakes Dinner Menu:

Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Pancakes (recipe doubled)

Chicken Sausage

Scrambled Eggs

Ingredients laid out on a table for a whole wheat pancake recipe.

Ingredients for Whole Wheat Pancakes, Sausage, and Scrambled Eggs:

3 cups whole wheat flour (Lidl – $2.99 for 5-lbs) — $0.48

1 cup white flour (Harris Teeter – $1.97 for 5-lbs) — $0.10

4 Tablespoons sugar (Aldi – $2.86 for 4-lbs) — $0.08

4 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

4 cups milk (Aldi – $2.96 for 1 gallon) — $0.74

4 eggs plus 1 dozen eggs (Aldi – $1.96 for 1 dozen) — $2.61

1/2 cup oil (or butter) (Aldi – $2.89 for 96 Tablespoons) — $0.24

1/3 cup chocolate chips (Aldi – $3.85 for 12oz) — $0.64

1 package Never Any! Chicken Breakfast Sausage (Aldi) — $2.59

1 Tablespoon butter (Aldi – $3.40 for 1-lb) — $0.11

salt and pepper to taste

butter and syrup for serving

Total for entire dinner (Serves 6): $7.59

Stacks of whole wheat pancakes on a plate with scrambled eggs and breakfast sausage in the background.

How to Make Whole Wheat Flour Pancakes with Sausage and Eggs:

1. Follow the recipe here (or below) for Whole Wheat Chocolate Chips Pancakes. I doubled the recipe but only added chocolate chips to half of the batter. (Note: If you’re only adding chocolate chips to half the batter, I find it easiest to do this when you’re halfway done cooking the pancakes. That way you don’t have to dirty another dish!)

Dry ingredients for whole wheat flour pancakes mixed in a red bowl, showing whole wheat flour and white dry ingredients before being combined.

Two bowls prepared for making whole wheat pancakes, with dry ingredients mixed in a red bowl and wet ingredients combined in a clear bowl.

Whole wheat pancake batter fully mixed in a red bowl, showing a thick and slightly textured consistency.

Whole wheat pancakes cooking on a metal griddle, showing thick pancakes browned on one side and evenly spaced across the pan.

2. Cook the breakfast sausage according to package directions — Grill, pan fry, or broil the links for 7-9 minutes.

3. While the pancakes are frying and the sausage is cooking, melt 1 Tablespoon of butter in a skillet. In a separate bowl, whisk the 12 eggs with a few Tablespoons of water or milk, plus some salt and pepper to taste. Pour into the buttered skillet and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally until eggs are set.

Eggs scrambling in a pan with a spatula.

4. Top the pancakes with butter and syrup and serve with eggs and sausage. Enjoy!

Whole Wheat Chocolate Pancakes with Chicken Sausage and Scrambled Eggs ($10 Family Dinner)

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We LOVE having breakfast for dinner! These whole wheat chocolate chip pancakes are easy and healthy and they taste amazing. Add some chicken sausage and scrambled eggs and you'll have an easy family dinner for under $10!

Course Breakfast, dinner, Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword breakfast, brunch, butter, chicken, easy breakfast, easy dinner, family favorite, freezer friendly, freezer meal, homemade, weeknight dinner

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 15

Servings

Calories 879kcal

Author Brigette

Cost $7.59

Ingredients

3 cups whole wheat flour Lidl – $2.99 for 5-lbs — $0.481 cup white flour Harris Teeter – $1.97 for 5-lbs — $0.104 Tablespoons sugar Aldi – $2.86 for 4-lbs — $0.084 teaspoons baking powder1 teaspoon baking soda4 cups milk Aldi – $2.96 for 1 gallon — $0.744 eggs plus 1 dozen eggs Aldi – $1.96 for 1 dozen — $2.611/2 cup oil or butter (Aldi – $2.89 for 96 Tablespoons) — $0.241/3 cup chocolate chips Aldi – $3.85 for 12oz — $0.641 package Never Any! Chicken Breakfast Sausage Aldi — $2.591 Tablespoon butter Aldi – $3.40 for 1-lb — $0.11salt and pepper to tastebutter and syrup for serving

Instructions

To Make the Pancakes:

In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and baking soda.

In a smaller bowl, combine the eggs, milk, and melted butter.

Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and add egg mixture. (If you want all your pancakes to have chocolate chips, also add 2/3 cup of them here.)

Stir until just moistened.

Cook on a greased pancake griddle.

If you want only half of your pancakes to have chocolate chips, add 1/3 cup of them to the remaining batter once you are halfway done cooking the pancakes.

To Make the Chicken Breakfast Sausage

Grill, pan fry, or broil the sausage links for 7-9 minutes. (Alternatively, you can microwave them for 30 seconds on high.)

To Make the Scrambled Eggs:

While the pancakes are frying and the sausage links are cooking, melt 1 Tablespoon of butter in a skillet.

In a separate bowl, whisk the 12 eggs with a few Tablespoons of water or milk, plus some salt and pepper to taste.

Pour into the skillet and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally until eggs are set.

Notes

The original recipe for whole wheat chocolate chip pancakes is from this blog, but — believe it or not — some of my family doesn’t like chocolate chips in their pancakes (silly, right?!?), so I always make half without chocolate chips.

Another thing I love about this recipe is that I can easily sub out the butter and milk with oil and an alternative milk for my dairy-sensitive child, and you’d never know the difference.

To freeze any leftovers, lay cooked and cooled pancakes on a baking sheet and stick in the freezer for 30 minutes to an hour (until frozen). Once frozen, remove them from the pan and place them in airtight freezer bags or containers.

Nutrition

FAQs about Whole Wheat Pancakes

Are whole wheat pancakes healthy?

Yes! Whole wheat flour provides extra protein and fiber, compared to using all-purpose flour, making whole wheat pancakes part of a balanced diet.

How many calories are in whole wheat pancakes?

This recipe makes enough pancakes for 6 hearty servings that come in at about 600 calories each (without chocolate chips or toppings).

How do you make whole wheat pancakes fluffy?

Mix the ingredients just until combined so air bubbles remain. Also, extra leavening from both baking powder and baking soda makes these pancakes more fluffy.

Can you make whole wheat pancakes without eggs?

Yes! Replace each egg with 1/4 cup applesauce or make “flax eggs” — combine 1 Tbsp flaxseed meal and 3 Tbsp water and let sit 10 minutes before adding.

Can you freeze whole wheat pancakes?

Yes — simply lay cooked and cooled pancakes on a baking sheet and freeze for 30-60 minutes. Once frozen, place pancakes in airtight freezer bags or containers.