*Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post with Chobani, however all opinions, experiences and enjoyment of their yogurt products are completely my own!

I have made no secret of the fact that for me, pancakes are one of the most challenging foods to cook. I don't know why or how, but I manage to ruin pancakes just about every time I attempt to cook them for my family. Either my batter is too thin and I burn them or I don't add enough liquid and they end up thick and dry. Gross. My mom says, "It's the mix. Just use Bisquick." Whether I've used store-bought mixes or made batters from scratch, the problem clearly is NOT the mix, it's the cook. Over the past few months, I've been working on conquering my culinary Achilles heel because I'm determined get this signature breakfast food right.

Recently, I've had fun experimenting with a few of Chobani's new Greek yogurt products for young kids and toddlers. Their Chobani Tots Greek Yogurt is packed with nutrition and comes in convenient, resealable squeeze pouches that are easy for tots to handle and convenient for parents to grab-and-go. I love that Chobani has combined the flavors of whole, pureed fruits and vegetables in these pouches, and they taste fantastic! When I was thinking of various ways to incorporate this yogurt into something that young kids (and families) would enjoy eating, pancakes were one of the first foods that popped into my mind...giving me the perfect opportunity to work on my flapjack cooking skills! (Enter knife sound effects!)

As a mom and a dietitian, I think Chobani's Tots Greek Yogurt is a great way for children to eat something they enjoy while getting in a good amount of protein, bone-building calcium, 25% less sugar than the leading kid's yogurt, and live and active cultures that include probiotics that support digestive health. All of this goodness in addition to 12 mg of essential Omega-3 DHA, which research has proven to be critical for eye health and brain development. So many great benefits from eating this yogurt either by itself or in a fun recipe like this one!

My Banana Yogurt Pancakes are made with simple and wholesome ingredients that come together beautifully in this perfect-for-toddler recipe. My pancakes are easy for tots to handle and eat on their own and they're great for parents and caregivers to make ahead of time and refrigerate or freeze to serve as a quick meal or snack later. For this recipe, I used two Banana Pumpkin Tots pouches and, I'll tell you, the aroma that filled my kitchen as I was cooking them was ah-mazing! Between the pumpkin in the yogurt and cinnamon, brown sugar and vanilla in the batter, there was no doubt that the fall season had arrived in my home.

Even though my once-toddlers have grown to be wonderful elementary and middle school aged kids (where has the time gone?!), my kiddos ate this entire batch of pancakes in record time! So, what does this prove? 1. I can finally make pancakes. 2. Never stop practicing in the kitchen. 3. I have discovered the perfect pancake recipe. Hooray!

Enjoy!

Banana Yogurt Pancakes

Recipe by: Christy Wilson
Serving : 1 pancake
Recipe makes: 15, four-inch pancakes
Total Time: about 30 minutes (10 minutes hands-on, 20 min cooking time)

Ingredients

1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 large eggs
1 cup milk
1 frozen banana, thawed (or very ripe banana, smashed)
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 pouches (2/3 cup) Chobani Tots Greek Yogurt Banana and Pumpkin variety
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

In a large bowl add flours, salt, baking powder and cinnamon. Mix dry ingredients together to evenly distribute ingredients.
In a medium bowl mix eggs, milk, and frozen banana together. Break up any large pieces of frozen or fresh ripe banana--unless you like your pancakes chunky. Whisk brown sugar, yogurt and vanilla into the bowl.
Gradually pour wet ingredients into the dry and stir. Let the batter rest while you heat up your pan or griddle and the mixture will thicken slightly.
Heat a heavy frying pan over medium heat, or set an electric griddle to 375°F. Lightly grease frying pan or griddle with oil or butter.
Add 1/4 cup of batter onto your lightly greased pan. Bake on one side until bubbles begin to form and break, about 2 minutes; then turn the pancakes and cook the other side until brown, about 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. Serve immediately.

Whole food ingredients for delicious and healthy pancakes!

Enjoy!
~CWN