One of the best parts of our summer road trips to the United States is getting stuff you can't get in Canada like chocolate graham crackers, REAL cream soda, and for many years, IHOP Harvest Grain and Nut pancakes! These light and fluffy pancakes are a copycat version of IHOP's famous Harvest Grain and Nut pancakes are also Weight Watchers friendly. And although they are lighter, all my testers agree they taste even better than the original!
And although we've had an IHOP in south Calgary for well over 5 years now, it's taken me exactly that much time to finally make it there. But in my defense, getting up in the morning and driving to the far south, from the far north Calgary, is a serious road trip that I don't have time for; I might as well just cross the border! So in many ways, I created this WW friendly copycat Harvest Nut & Grain pancake recipe (6 Weight Watchers points ) out of pure desperation. And since IHOP recently discontinued this pancake, I'm really glad I made a copycat before it was too late!
🍒Reader Review
"Hi Terri, I was looking for a copycat recipe for those harvest grain pancakes from IHOP. Daughter and I had them once when we had out-of-town company and took them there. We eat vegetarian and very little dairy, so I used soy milk. The pancakes turned out fantastic! We're in California, up in Big Bear Lake. Our apple trees are loaded with apples and almost ready to pick. I'll be making lots of your topping to keep in the freezer. I'll be sharing some with the neighbors too, along with your pancake recipe. Thanks so much!" ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
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There are a lot of IHOP pancake recipes out there, but these Harvest Grain and Nut pancakes are my fave, so I wanted to see if I could lighten them a little more. 2 points may not seem like much, but believe me it is when you're following the Weight Watchers program, especially when you only get 23 in total per day!
🥘 Ingredient Notes
- Quick oats. Quick oats are smaller than old fashioned and create a softer texture.
- Unsweetened apple sauce. Applesauce is a great way to replace some of the fat in recipes. Make sure you use unsweetened!
- 1% Milk and White Vinegar. Using 1% milk with white vinegar is a low-fat way to mimic buttermilk
- Egg Whites. You can buy a carton of liquid egg whites or simply use eggs and save the yolks for this Low-Fat Hollandaise Sauce!
*See recipe card for a full list of ingredients and quantities
📖 Variations & Substitutions
- Brown Sugar: You can use dark brown sugar or a light brown sugar
- Quick oats: Do NOT substitute instant oats for quick oats. You can use old-fashioned oats but you will need to grind them a little longer.
🔪How to make Harvest Grain and Nut Pancakes:
Mix milk and vinegar together (to make low-fat buttermilk) and set aside.
Grind the oats in a blender or food processor until fine. In a large bowl, combine ground oats, whole wheat flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt (shown).
Beat the egg whites in a separate medium bowl until stiff peaks form.
In another bowl combine buttermilk, applesauce, and sugar with an electric mixer until smooth. Mix wet ingredients into dry until just combined.
Finely chop walnuts and almonds and stir into the mixture (shown). Fold in whipped egg whites.
Lightly oil a skillet or griddle, and preheat it to medium heat. Ladle ½ cup of the batter onto the hot skillet. I used an 8-inch frying pan (so they stay perfectly round), but you could do a bunch on a griddle as well.
Cook the pancakes for 2 to 4 minutes per side, or until brown. Flip when the surface just starts to bubble.
Remove when the pancake is golden brown on each side.
Expert Recipe Tips
- Get Uniform pancakes. If you want all your pancakes to be uniform and the same size, cook them individually in an 8-inch frying pan. You can get them close to the same size by cooking them on a griddle or in a larger frying pan and measuring the exact same amount of batter (I used ⅓ cup for these).
- Use a Thin Spatula for Flipping. A thin, flexible spatula makes flipping pancakes easier, especially delicate ones like these.
- Don’t Overmix the Batter: When combining wet and dry ingredients, mix until just combined. Overmixing can make the pancakes dense and chewy.
- Achieve Perfect Stiff Peaks. Beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form, ensuring they hold their shape when you lift the beaters. This step creates light and fluffy pancakes, so don't skip it!
- Measure the Batter Consistently. Use a measuring cup to pour the batter (e.g., ⅓ or ½ cup per pancake) to keep them uniform in size. This ensures even cooking and makes them look more professional.
- Flip at the Right Time. Wait until bubbles form on the surface of the pancake and the edges look set before flipping. This prevents the batter from spilling and ensures an evenly cooked pancake.
🍎What to Serve with Harvest Nut and Grain Pancakes
When I used to hit the International House of Pancakes (IHOP) in the U.S., they had this really great Cinnamon Apple topping they'd serve with these pancakes. But sadly, they don't have it anymore either.
I'm not sure if it's still in the United States, but it was a little too WW points heavy for me anyway, so I reduced the points in my Weight Watchers version of this IHOP Copycat Apple Cinnamon Topping! I created this topping to go together with these pancakes and the combination is nothing short of divine...
I love this topping because you not only save your distressed apples, but you can use it on anything from pancakes to ice cream to frozen yogurt! We can't get enough of it around here.
Harvest Nut and Grain Pancakes also pair perfectly with my Old Fashioned Fruit Salad, Air Fryer Turkey Sausage, and Red Pepper Egg White Bites, with a Mimosa Mocktail!
👪 Servings
This Harvest Grain Pancakes recipe makes 10 pancakes and 1 pancake is a serving. However, you can also cut this recipe in half or double or triple it by adjusting the serving size on the recipe card. Just click on the serving size and select the number of servings you’d like and the quantities will adjust accordingly.
🔢WW Points
Although the IHOP original Harvest Grain Pancakes are pretty healthy and light as far as IHOP's pancakes go (they were only 8 WW points, per pancake, according to my WW app), I wanted to make mine a little more Weight Watchers friendly, so I've lightened them up to 6 WW points.
And when I tested them on the family, they loved my version (even better than the original)! These IHOP Harvest Grain Pancakes are 6 WW points per serving (1 pancake)!
🌡️Storage
These harvest grain 'n nut pancakes can be stored, in an airtight container, in the fridge, for 3 days. If you make the apple topping to go with these IHOP pancakes, keep the apple topping in a separate sealed airtight container in the fridge (it also lasts 3 days).
Freeze pancakes flat, in an airtight container or Ziplock freezer bag, for up to 3 months.
I take my recipe testing seriously and I made this Copycat IHOP pancake recipe at least 3 times before I got it right. And you just know it's right and great Weight Watchers food when your kids not only ask for more, but say they like it better than the original!
❔Recipe FAQ's
It's best to prepare the batter fresh to keep the leavening agents (baking soda and baking powder) active. If you must prepare it ahead, store it in the fridge for up to 12 hours, but the pancakes may not be as fluffy.
The oats absorb liquid as the batter sits. If this happens, add a little milk (1-2 teaspoons at a time) until the batter returns to its original consistency.
Yes! Use a smaller amount of batter (about 1-2 tablespoons per pancake) and adjust the cooking time accordingly. These make great kid-friendly portions!
As we prepare to cross the border again this summer, I can comfortably end the rationing of my chocolate graham crackers, dream about REAL Cream Soda, and don't have to worry about stopping at IHOP for my Harvest Nut and Grain Pancake fix. Although I just might anyway; just for old time's sake.
📋More Pancake Recipes
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🥞 Harvest Grain and Nut Pancakes (IHOP copycat)
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cup quick oats
- 1 ½ cups whole wheat flour
- 2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1 ¾ cups 1 % milk
- 1 ½ teaspoon white vinegar
- 4 tbsp brown sugar
- 2 egg whites
- 3 tablespoon finely chopped walnuts
- 3 tablespoon finely chopped blanched almonds
Garnish (optional)
- Weight Watchers IHOP copycat Apple Cinnamon topping (see link in post and in instructions)
- additional cinnamon sprinkles
- light whipped cream * I use the spray can of light real whipped cream
- a few nuts
Instructions
- Mix milk and vinegar together and set aside.1 ¾ cups 1 % milk, 1 ½ teaspoon white vinegar
- Grind the oats in a blender or food processor until fine. In a large bowl, combine ground oats, whole wheat flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.1 ½ cup quick oats, 1 ½ cups whole wheat flour, 2 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon baking powder, ¼ teaspoon salt
- Beat the egg whites in a separate medium bowl until stiff peaks form.2 egg whites
- In another bowl, combine milk mixed with vinegar, applesauce and sugar with an electric mixer until smooth. Mix wet ingredients into dry ingredients until just combined.¼ cup unsweetened applesauce, 4 tablespoon brown sugar
- Finely chop walnuts and almonds and stir into mixture. Fold in whipped egg whites3 tablespoon finely chopped walnuts, 3 tablespoon finely chopped blanched almonds
- Lightly oil a skillet or griddle, and preheat it to medium heat. Ladle ½ cup of the batter onto the hot skillet. I used an 8 inch frying pan, but you could do a bunch on a griddle as well.
- Cook the pancakes for 2 to 4 minutes per side, or until brown. Flip when surface just starts to bubble. *
- * I use a very thin spatula - I find it easier to flip the pancakes with one like this.
- *If mixture starts to thicken too much add a little milk (1-2 tsps until consistency is back to how it was originally)
Garnish
- Garnish with Apple Cinnamon topping (https://foodmeanderings.com/apple-cinnamon-topping-weight-watchers/) and light whipped cream, additional cinnamon and nuts, if desired.Weight Watchers IHOP copycat Apple Cinnamon topping (see link in post and in instructions), additional cinnamon sprinkles, light whipped cream, a few nuts
Notes
-
- Uniform pancakes. If you want all your pancakes to be uniform and the same size, cook them individually in an 8-inch frying pan. You can get them close to the same size by cooking them on a griddle or in a larger frying pan and measuring the exact same amount of batter (I used ⅓ cup for these).
-
- Use a Thin Spatula for Flipping. A thin, flexible spatula makes flipping pancakes easier, especially delicate ones like these.
-
- Don’t Overmix the Batter: When combining wet and dry ingredients, mix until just combined. Overmixing can make the pancakes dense and chewy.
-
- Achieve Perfect Stiff Peaks. Beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form, ensuring they hold their shape when you lift the beaters. This step creates light and fluffy pancakes, so don't skip it!
-
- Measure the Batter Consistently. Use a measuring cup to pour the batter (e.g., ⅓ or ½ cup per pancake) to keep them uniform in size. This ensures even cooking and makes them look more professional.
-
- Flip at the Right Time. Wait until bubbles form on the surface of the pancake and the edges look set before flipping. This prevents the batter from spilling and ensures an evenly cooked pancake.
Leanita B.
So glad to find this. Can’t believe IHOP discontinued offering these on the menu. Big mistake!!!
Thank you for an alternative.
Terri Gilson
Hi Leanita,
I know - I don't know why they discontinued them! Well, I hope you enjoy these. I'd really appreciate it if you to come back and leave a comment and rating if you LOVE them!
Hope you do 🙂
Terri
Lynee
These sound fantastic!! I have been searching for a recipe ever since we found out that IHOP removed the Harvest Grain n' Nut from the menu. 🙁
Terri Gilson
Hi Lynee,
I'm glad you found the recipe! Hope you enjoy it. I actually like it better than the original 🙂 Be sure to try it with the apple topping too.
And if you LOVE it, please come back and leave a 5 star review and a comment- I'd really appreciate it!
Thanks,
Terri
Carolynn
Hi Terri, I was looking for a copycat recipe for those harvest grain pancakes from IHOP. Daughter and I had them once when we had out of town company and took them there. We eat vegetarian and very little dairy, so I used soy milk. The pancakes turned out fantastic! We're in California, up in Big Bear Lake. Our apple trees are loaded with apples and almost ready to pick. I'll be making lots of your topping to keep in the freezer. I'll be sharing some with the neighbors too, along with your pancake recipe. Thanks so much! Carolynn
Terri Gilson
Hi Carolynn: I'm so glad you loved them and were able to make them dairy-free! I hope you enjoy all your apples!
Ana Khan
I have an IHOP copycat recipe that I've tried, but there's something a bit bitter about that one and I'd really love to try yours! Could I do 1 egg instead of 2 egg whites just to simplify? I assume you've done 2 egg white this way to make them fluffier, is that correct? Wondering if you tried with just 1 egg and how that turned out. Also, could I use buttermilk instead of the milk and vinegar you have listed here?
Terri Gilson
Hi Ana: You could definitely use buttermilk, as the milk and vinegar is simply a low-fat replacement. And using 1 egg would probably work out just fine. Yes, I use the whites to make it fluffier and cut back on calories (and WW points). I hope you enjoy it and I'd love to hear how it turned out!
Thanks,
Terri