Whole Wheat Pancakes with a Nutty Topping

I love this pancake recipe, they are easy to make and to top of that they come out lite and fluffy. I have tried making different pancake recipes and I this is the only recipe that my son will eat 2 full pancakes for breakfast minus the nutty topping. My husband and I love to add extra topping on ours. (Nutty Topping not pictured)

Recipe adapted from Ellie Krieger, Show: Healthy Appetite with Ellie Krieger

For the Pancakes:

* 1 medium Golden Delicious apple, cored and diced (about 1 1/2 cups)
* 3/4 cup whole-wheat flour
* 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
* 2 teaspoons baking powder
* 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 2 large eggs
* 1 cup lowfat buttermilk
* 3/4 cup lowfat milk
* 2 teaspoons honey
* 1 teaspoon of vanilla

Ingredients
For the Topping:

* 1/4 cup sliced almonds
* 1/4 cup hulled (green) pumpkin seeds
* 1/4 cup sunflower seeds
* 1 tablespoon sesame seeds (preferably unhulled)
* 1/4 cup toasted wheat germ
* 1/4 cup real maple syrup, plus more for serving
* Pinch salt


Directions

Put the apple in a microwave-proof bowl, tightly cover with plastic wrap and microwave on high until softened, about 2 minutes. Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk the flours, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs, buttermilk, 1/2 cup of the milk and honey. Slowly whisk the egg mixture into the dry ingredients, stirring until just combined. If the batter seems too thick, add as much of the remaining 1/4 cup milk as necessary.

Spray a large non-stick griddle with cooking spray and heat over medium heat. Spoon about 1/4 cup batter per pancake into the pan and top each pancake with a heaping tablespoon of the cooked apple. Flip when the pancake tops are covered with bubbles and the edges look cooked, about 2 minutes. Cook until the pancakes are golden brown and cooked through, an additional 1 to 2 minutes. Serve immediately or transfer the cooked pancakes to an ovenproof dish and keep warm in a preheated 250 degree F oven while making the rest. To serve, arrange 3 pancakes per plate and sprinkle each serving with 1/4 cup of the topping. Serve with additional maple syrup.