Matcha gives these pancakes a verdant hue and a nutritional boost

These gorgeous green pancakes get their hue, a boost of health benefits and lovely tea flavor from matcha, a fine powder made from ground green tea leaves. When you whisk matcha into a beverage or batter, you are incorporating the whole tea leaf, as opposed to when you steep tea leaves in water and then discard them. That's why with matcha you get intense flavor, brilliant color and a concentration of catechins, the health-protective active compounds found in tea.

Used in Japan for centuries, matcha has become popular enough that a matcha latte is a menu standard at upscale coffee shops, and it's also used in all sorts of baked goods, including muffins to macarons.

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These pancakes bring the power of matcha into healthier breakfast realm. Just a tablespoon of the powder whisked into a simple batter made with whole-grain and almond flours make a stunning and delicious short stack. The pancakes themselves are unsweetened, but a generous spike of vanilla gives them a sweet essence, and they’re meant to be served with maple syrup for each person to drizzle to their liking.

Topped with a contrasting crown of fresh strawberries and a crunch of toasted almonds, it's a classic weekend breakfast with a healthful, modern twist.

Get the recipe: Matcha Almond Pancakes