Come one, come all, and bring your forks! Meet my upgraded healthy and easy Oatmeal Pancakes!
These tender pancakes are made with homemade oat flour processed in a blender (that’s right, oatmeal pancakes with no flour!).
- They are 100% whole grain and naturally gluten free.
- They also have the best oat-y flavor and a more pleasant texture, thanks to the clever addition of a few extra whole oats at the end.
This recipe is an upgraded version of my Banana Oatmeal Pancakes (an absolute favorite among readers).
It’s ideal for times when you crave a classic, homey pancake with oatmeal but don’t have ripe banana on hand.
They’re tender and fluffy, meaning even the staunchest of pancake purists will approve.
5 Star Review
“I rarely leave comments on recipes but these are THE BEST pancakes my family has ever had.”
— Ashley —
If you’ve been dissatisfied with other online oat pancakes, it’s likely for one of these reasons:
- The pancakes were dense. This is caused by leaving all of the oats whole and not letting the batter rest.
- The pancakes lacked texture. If the batter is too smoothly blended, your oat pancakes will be fluffy, but you’ll lose the surprise bits of oatmeal. Personally, I love little flecks of oats in my pancakes (and in these Healthy Oatmeal Muffins).
- The pancakes relied on regular wheat flour. This is a problem if your whole reason for using oats is that you need need gluten free oatmeal pancakes. Many oatmeal pancake recipes (and Oatmeal Banana Bread recipes) add oats to a flour base, so you lose the GF aspect.
Thankfully, your search for the BEST oatmeal pancakes (which also happen to be gluten-free) is now complete!
The Trick to Fluffy Oatmeal Pancakes
Ordinarily, the secret to Fluffy Pancakes is not to overmix the batter.
This tip is great for regular pancakes, but when you are using the blender to make the recipe as with these oat pancakes, lots of mixing is built into the process.
I discovered the critical trick: add 1 cup of oats after the initial blending and let them sit in the oatmeal pancake batter for 10 minutes.
This allows the oats to soften into a superior, fluffy texture. You can read more details about this in the directions below.
How to Make the BEST Oatmeal Pancakes
Forget about oatmeal pancakes with pancake mix.
This easy and healthy oat pancakes recipe is a breeze!
Made entirely in a blender, you can sit back and relax as you enjoy these tender oat flapjacks on Sunday mornings because clean-up will be a snap.
The Ingredients
- Oats. Packed with fiber and cozy flavor, oats make a scrumptious base for our fluffy pancakes. (Oats are also part of the base for these Healthy Blueberry Muffins.)
- Milk. The liquid component of our batter. I used nonfat milk, but you can use any milk you have on hand (including almond milk if you’re trying for dairy-free).
- Eggs. To help bind the pancakes and create a fluffy texture.
- Greek Yogurt. A simple addition that helps keep the pancakes moist and adds tang (as if you were making oatmeal pancakes with buttermilk) but adds an extra boost of protein.
- Maple Syrup + Vanilla + Cinnamon. The trifecta of warmth, comfort, sweetness, and pure pancake bliss!
- Mix-ins. I love chopped toasted nuts, chocolate chips, or fresh berries in my pancakes (and in Stuffed French Toast). If you prefer, you can keep it classic and omit them.
Oatmeal Pancake Toppings
Of course, what you put atop these oatmeal pancakes (or even these Blender Whole Wheat Waffles with whole wheat flour) also plays a considerable role in their overall healthiness.
My favorite toppings for healthy oatmeal pancakes are:
- Nut butters like peanut butter.
- Low-sugar jams.
- Fresh fruit like sliced bananas, strawberries, or blueberries.
- A light drizzle of maple syrup.
The Directions
- Add most of the oats and all remaining ingredients (except for the mix-ins) to the blender.
- Blend until smooth.
TIP!
For fluffy oatmeal pancakes, don’t over-blend the batter. Blend just long enough for the batter to be smooth without any large oat bits. Overmixing the batter can lead to dense and tough oatmeal pancakes.
- Stir in the remaining oats and any mix-ins. Allow the batter to rest.
- Pour 1/4 cup batter into hot skillet. Cook oatmeal pancakes until golden and dry at the edges and bubbles form on top.
- Flip the pancakes, and cook until golden on the other side. Repeat with the remaining batter. Add toppings, and ENJOY!
Storage Tips
- To Store. Refrigerate leftover oatmeal pancakes in an airtight storage container for up to 4 days.
- To Reheat. Gently reheat oatmeal pancakes in the microwave until hot. You can also reheat oatmeal pancakes on a baking sheet in the oven at 350 degrees F until warm. A toaster oven is a quick and easy option too.
- To Freeze. Once your pancakes have fully cooled, lay them in a single layer on a parchment-or wax paper-lined baking sheet. Freeze the oatmeal pancakes until solid. Then, transfer the frozen oatmeal pancakes to an airtight storage container or ziptop bag for up to 2 months in the freezer. Remove and reheat pancakes directly from frozen as desired.
Meal Prep Tip
If you are looking for a make-ahead oatmeal pancake batter recipe, you can try prepping the batter and storing it overnight in the refrigerator.
Alternatively, you may grind up the oats in advance in a food processor (to make oat flour), then prepare the batter by hand (rather than in a blender) when you’re ready to cook.
Oatmeal Pancake Variations
- Vegan Oatmeal Pancakes, Option 1. If you want to make vegan oatmeal pancakes, these Vegan Pancakes are a tried-and-true recipe. To make an oat pancake version, swap out some of the wheat flour in that recipe for the blended oat flour described in this recipe.
- Vegan Oatmeal Pancakes, Option 2. Or, to make these oat pancakes vegan, you could experiment by using non-dairy yogurt and flax eggs (but please note that I have not tested this myself yet).
- Healthy Pumpkin Pancakes. Also made in a blender, these are a hearty source of fiber, protein, and calcium. Use this recipe as a base, swapping some of the buckwheat flour for oats to make pumpkin oatmeal pancakes.
And my favorite oatmeal pancakes of all: The Well Plated Cookbook features a recipe called Every Day Apple-Cinnamon Pancakes (to die for!). For your next brunch, grab a copy and indulge in cozy oatmeal pancakes with cinnamon apples.
What to Serve with Oatmeal Pancakes
Recommended Tools to Make this Recipe
- High-Powered Blender. For ultra-smooth pancake batter. This blender would also work well for this recipe.
- Nonstick Skillet. No more stuck-on pancakes with these high-quality pans.
- Spatula. Flip your healthy oat pancakes with ease.
The Best Blender
This 12-amp Ninja blender has 5 programmable settings to make consistent smoothies, frozen desserts, soups, and purée recipes.
It must be said: You will FLIP for these upgraded healthy oatmeal pancakes!
Frequently Asked Questions
Generally, oatmeal pancakes are healthier than regular pancakes (assuming “regular” pancakes refers to pancakes made with white flour, copious butter and oil, and artificial sugars). If you’ve thought restaurant pancakes taste better, it’s because they rely on fats, sodium, and sugars. Since these easy oat pancakes are made with whole grains, are naturally sweetened, and use Greek yogurt, they keep breakfast on the yummy side of healthy. They’re great for kids and adults alike.
This easy oatmeal pancake recipe is designed for stovetop, not baking, so I cannot, unfortunately, recommend baking these in the oven. You are, of course, welcome to experiment, however. If you’re looking for a baked pancake recipe, try this yummy Oven Pancake recipe.
If you want to make oatmeal pancakes without a blender, swap the rolled oats for an equal amount of oat flour and mix the batter by hand using a bowl and whisk. Just make sure to not pack the flour too tightly when you measure. Be aware that the texture of the pancakes might be a little gummier when made this way, but the flavor should still be delicious!
Oatmeal Pancakes
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons canola oil or melted, cooled unsalted butter or melted, cooled coconut oil
- 3/4 cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt
- 1/2 cup nonfat milk
- 2 cups old-fashioned oats divided (or quick oats; do not use steel cut or instant)
- 2 large eggs
- 3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract pure
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 cup mix-ins of choice: toasted chopped nuts , chocolate chips, blueberries, or diced fresh or dried fruit (optional)
- For serving: pure maple syrup , butter, or any of your favorite pancake toppings
Instructions
- If you’d like to keep the pancakes warm between batches, place a rack in the center of your oven and preheat the oven to 200 degrees F.
- Place the oil, Greek yogurt, milk, 1 1/4 cups oats, eggs, maple syrup, vanilla, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt in a blender.
- Blend until the batter is smooth, stopping to scrape down the sides of the blender as needed. Continue blending until you don’t see any remaining bits of oats.
- Stop the blender, stirring the remaining 3/4 cup oats and any desired mix-ins. Do not blend again. Let the batter sit for 10 minutes while you heat the skillet/griddle and prep any toppings.
- Heat a large nonstick skillet or griddle over medium-low heat. Lightly butter or oil the pan if needed (some nonstick pans do not need this).
- Once the skillet is hot, drop the batter by 1/4 cupful into the pan. Let cook gently for 3 to 4 minutes on the first side, until the pancakes look dry at the edges and small bubbles form on top.
- Gently flip, then cook on the other side for 1 to 2 minutes. They should look golden on both sides. If desired, transfer the pancakes to a baking sheet and keep them warm in the oven between batches. Repeat with the remaining batter.
- Serve hot with desired toppings.
Video
Notes
- TO STORE: Refrigerate leftover pancakes in an airtight storage container for up to 4 days.
- TO REHEAT: Gently rewarm pancakes in the microwave until hot. You can also reheat them on a baking sheet in the oven at 350 degrees F until warm.
- TO FREEZE: Once your pancakes have fully cooled, lay them in a single layer on a baking sheet. Freeze the pancakes until solid. Then, transfer the frozen pancakes to an airtight storage container or ziptop bag for up to 2 months. Remove and reheat pancakes from frozen as desired.
Nutrition
Join today and start saving your favorite recipes
Create an account to easily save your favorite recipes and access FREE meal plans.
Sign Me UpRelated Recipes
If you’re craving oatmeal, be sure to check out all of my other oatmeal recipes. I know you’ll find something you’ll love!
This was a great addition to the cook’s breakfast repertoire! No kidding, good protein, taste, etc. And it is gluten free and can be made lower in sodium easily! It’s good stuff.
Hi Mark! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Made this for the family, it was well loved.
I am not a big fan of pancakes myself, but this one I like.
Thanks
Hi Mike! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
My husband loved them! Will definitely make again. I used agave syrup and almond milk instead of maple syrup and milk.
Hi Michele! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review and feedback on using agave syrup!
Hi.
I don’t have yogurt. What can I use instead?
Also I wanted to incorporate whole wheat flour into the recipe somehow since this is what I usually use to make pancakes. Can I just add some oats to whole wheat flour mixture?
Thanks!
Hi Kate! Check out my “OATMEAL PANCAKE VARIATIONS” in the blog post for more ideas on how to use whole wheat flour and oats together! I think you should definitely get the Greek yogurt for these but sour cream might work? I haven’t tried it myself so not sure what your results would be. If you decide to experiment, I’d love to know how it turns out!
My family LOVED these. We have tried oat, almond flour, wheat, and many other different recipes. This is the favorite. I have 3 kids who have been picky eaters, and they all agreed they love this one!
Hi Shaina! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Absolutely perfect! I’ve been looking for a recipe to mimic what my mom made for us growing up. This is it! These pancakes are the perfect combination of slightly tangy, perfect texture, and light and fluffy. I don’t know how it all works together, so beautifully, but it does.
Hi Heather! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Very easy to make, I did not add the maple syrup to the batter to make it sugar free and it was delicious! Also, used olive oil instead of the other fats suggested. The pancakes cook silky and absolutely beautiful and delicious, so satisfying. From now on this will be one of my favorite breakfast dishes.
Hi Lynette! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
My husband and I love pancakes, but we’ve been looking for healthier, wheat-free alternatives. I’ve been baking more with oat flour, and stumbled across your recipe for oatmeal pancakes. THIS RECIPE IS DIVINE!! The Greek yogurt adds protein, while the vanilla and cinnamon add extra flavor. I especially like that you 3/4 c. of the oats are stirred in after blending the batter, adding texture. In short, these pancakes are now in our weekend breakfast rotation. Thank you!
Hi Rebecca! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
I’m a lover of pancakes but I’ve bn on a diet but after finding this recipe I can now enjoy pancakes alittle more guilt free. Thank you. They turned out delicious….. I added fresh raspberries to mine and made them even better.
Hi Shari! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Delicious! I was hungry and this was just the thing I needed ❤️:)!
Hi SC! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Delicious and healthy, easy to substitute many ingredients and the recipe is very well written. It was a little messy because oats get sticky when blended and they don’t look as pretty as a light golden all flour pancake but this is not a treat, it’s real life breakfast! Trying to eat oatmeal daily and I don’t want to get it in bowl form everyday! I added flax seeds to my second batch to increase fibre, will also try chia seeds next time.
Hi Doaa! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Tried it today, turned out amazing. Yummy and healthy! Regularly going to be on my sunday brunch menu.
Hi Sapna! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
I made sure not to overmix and I followed the recipe closely… but these did not turn out well at all. They were dense and claggy. They were also saltier than needed. My toddler wouldn’t even take a bite and I couldn’t really blame him.
I’m sorry to hear you had trouble with the recipe, A. I know it can be so disappointing to try a new recipe and it does not turn out for you. It has worked well for myself (and others) and I wished it would have been a hit for you too.
Deliciosa!!! Muchas gracias por compartir.
Hi Tere! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!