Oatmeal Pancakes

One of my favorite ways to start Sunday mornings is with a batch of fluffy pancakes. And not just any regular pancakes, but these hearty Oatmeal Pancakes!

 

You can’t beat a stack of hot pancakes doused in real maple syrup and warm, melty butter. I have lots of pancake recipes on the site simply because I love them! And there are so many variations rather than just the traditional pancake, so I never get bored. But I also love oatmeal, like Cinnamon Roll Oatmeal.

Ingredients

These are the best pancakes because they’re made with simple ingredients that you might already have on hand. Let’s walk through the ingredient list together.

• Old fashioned oats – Don’t worry, you won’t have big chunks of oats in your pancakes. These will get blended in the food processor until they are nice and fine. I prefer to use rolled oats, which are softer and have more surface space than steel cut oats, therefore they blend smoother.
• All-purpose flour – In addition to the oats, we need something to help hold these healthy pancakes together. You can also use whole wheat flour or flour alternatives if you’re looking to add more whole grains.
• Baking powder – You know those perfectly spaced bubbles that pop onto the top of a ready-to-flip pancake? Those are thanks to the baking powder- it literally creates air.
• Kosher salt – We just need a bit of salt to help balance out all of the flavors.
• Milk – I prefer to use whole milk or low-fat milk if that’s all I have in the refrigerator. However, almond milk or coconut milk can be used here as well.
• Whole egg – I’ve seen some recipes call for only egg whites, or even a flax egg, but for this oatmeal pancake recipe we will be using whole eggs.
• Unsalted Butter – What’s a pancake without butter? To make the batter, we will need melted butter. You can also substitute coconut oil, margarine or alternatives to make these healthy oatmeal pancakes. Any which way, make sure it is unsalted or omit the additional Kosher salt.
• Maple syrup – Because I’m a syrup fanatic, I also like to add a little pure maple syrup to my batter. It gives a nice maple flavor, especially when using real maple syrup (not syrup flavored sugar water).
• Sugar – Just to add a little more sweetness to the batter, throw in some granulated sugar. It also caramelizes nicely to make a browned crust.
• Vanilla extract – I always like adding a splash of vanilla to my pancakes. It rounds out the flavors quite nicely. Other extracts are an option- almond is tasty!
• Ground cinnamon – And last but not least, a dash of cinnamon really sends these pancakes over the top! Nutmeg is also a fan favorite.

How to Make Oatmeal Pancakes

1. Dry ingredients. Add the oats, flour, baking powder, and salt to a blender or large food processor. Pulse a few times until combined and the oats start to form a powder, but leave some of the oats whole to provide texture. Scrape down the sides of the blender to make sure everything is incorporated.

2. Wet ingredients. Then add the remaining ingredients to the oatmeal mixture and blend until combined. This is optional, but if you allow the batter to rest for about 15 minutes, the baking powder will make the batter fluffier because it has more time to activate and make air pockets.
3. Prepare griddle. Preheat a griddle or electric skillet on medium heat (325°F) and grease with butter or nonstick spray.
4. Cook. Pour about 1/3 cup of the pancake batter onto the hot skillet. Let it cook until small bubbles have formed at the top. Those small bubbles are a sign that the bottom is hot enough to be cooked without having to check it. Flip and cook for another minute. Repeat until you’ve used up the remaining batter.
5. Keep warm. Store cooked pancakes on a wire rack in a just warm oven. Stacking them on a baking sheet or plate creates steam and this can make pancakes rubbery and lose that caramelized pancake texture on the outside.

Topping Ideas

Take them one step further by adding your favorite topping(s). These are some of our favorites, but feel free to be creative and come up with your own:

• Fresh fruit. Sliced ripe bananas can turn these into banana oat pancakes! We also like fresh berries like blueberries, raspberries and strawberries.
• Peanut butter. Slather on some peanut butter or almond butter for another few grams of protein.
• Chocolate chips. You could add a cup chocolate chips straight to the batter, or sprinkle a few right on top of the cooked pancakes. Peanut butter chips and caramel chips are other good options.
• Syrups. There is nothing better than true maple syrup, but sometimes I switch it up with blueberry syrup, Dutch honey (vanilla syrup), gingerbread syrup, pumpkin spice syrup, apple cider syrup or cranberry syrup.

Storage and Freezing

If you’ve got leftover oatmeal pancakes, no problem! They’re super easy to freeze. Line a baking sheet with wax paper, and pop them in the freezer for 4-6 hours. When the pancakes are fully frozen, transfer them to a freezer baggie.

When you’re ready to enjoy them again, they’re easy to reheat. You can do this in the toaster oven, toaster or the oven and just reheat until warm.

More pancake recipes:

• Nutella Pancakes
• Pumpkin Pancakes
• Sticky Banana Pancakes
• Carrot Cake Pancakes
• Gingerbread Pancakes