Oatmeal Pancakes

Oatmeal pancakes are the perfect combination of fluffy and hearty. These pancakes are delicious topped with syrup or your favorite fruit sauce for a filling weekend breakfast.

Winter is the season for cozy weekend breakfasts. No one really wants to go out in the cold and snow (at least, that’s true here in Ohio!), so we like to stay in and make a big breakfast on Saturday or Sunday mornings.

Bisquick pancakes are a family favorite, but sometimes I like to change it up. Sometimes I make banana pancakes, sometimes it’s pumpkin pancakes, and sometimes it’s these oatmeal pancakes.

FLUFFY AND DELICIOUS OATMEAL PANCAKES

If you’re looking for a pancake recipe that is fluffy and full of flavor but a bit heartier than something like sheet pan pancakes, this is the recipe for you.

Maybe it’s because I love oatmeal raisin cookies and the nutty flavor that oats add to so many recipes, but I adore oatmeal pancakes. But if you aren’t careful, the oats can kind of weigh the pancakes down and they become stodgy and heavy.

Not really what I’m going for when I want a cozy pancake breakfast.

So I worked hard to make sure that this recipe turns out nice and fluffy, even with the addition of oats and some whole wheat flour. Both of these ingredients make these oatmeal pancakes a bit more filling and add tons of nutty flavor.

And if you’re worried they won’t pass the kid test, my right-hand-woman Stephie fed them to her toddler and she happily gobbled them down. That’s a win for everybody!

HOW TO MAKE MY OATMEAL PANCAKES

The batter for these oatmeal pancakes is based on my buttermilk pancakes, with a couple of tweaked steps to help us get that fluffy texture we are looking for. 

Ingredients you’ll need

The ingredient list for this recipe is pretty straightforward. You’ll need:

• 1 cup rolled oats
• 1 ½ cups buttermilk
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled, plus additional butter for your pan or griddle

If you’re making these on a whim and don’t have any buttermilk on hand, don’t worry. You can use my buttermilk substitute instead – all you’ll need is some milk and lemon juice or vinegar.

I like to use a mixture of all-purpose flour and whole-wheat flour in these pancakes. I think the whole-wheat flour adds an extra nutty flavor to the pancakes. But if you don’t have any whole-wheat flour, feel free to substitute it for an equal amount of all-purpose flour instead.

Making these pancakes

Before we make the pancake batter, we’re going to break down the oats a bit and let them soak in our buttermilk. This will soften them some and keep them from being too chewy in the final pancakes.

Pop the oats in your food processor and pulse until they are coarsely ground. Add them to a large bowl with the buttermilk; whisk to combine and let this mixture rest for 10 minutes.

After the 10 minutes has passed, add the eggs, sugar, and vanilla and whisk until well combined. Add the flours, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt; whisk until just combined.

It’s ok if there are still a few lumps in your batter. Don’t be tempted to over-mix! 

Let the batter rest for another 5-10 minutes while you preheat a large nonstick skillet or griddle over medium heat.

Once your cooking surface is hot and the batter has rested, add the melted butter to the batter and whisk until just combined.

Rub some butter over the hot cooking surface, then use a paper towel to evenly distribute it across the pan and remove any excess. 

Use a ¼-cup measuring cup to spoon the oatmeal pancake batter onto the hot skillet or griddle. How many pancakes you can fit will depend on the size of your pan, but make sure not to overcrowd the cooking surface.

Let the pancakes cook over medium heat until bubbles start to form and burst on the top side of the pancakes. Flip, then cook for another 1-2 minutes until they are golden on both sides.

Remove the oatmeal pancakes to a wire rack and repeat with the rest of the pancake batter.

SERVING SUGGESTIONS

Of course, the classic way to serve these oatmeal pancakes is warm with butter and syrup (maybe alongside a batch of strawberry pineapple smoothies), but that doesn’t mean that those are your only topping options!

I love pairing these pancakes with a bit of fruit. My favorite topping for them is my apple compote. It is a totally cozy combo that will kick off your weekend just the right way.

I also love using my berry sauces, too, such as:

• Strawberry sauce
• Raspberry sauce
• Blueberry sauce

If you’re making them around the holidays, you could even top them with some homemade cranberry sauce! 

FAQS

Can I use quick-cooking oats instead of rolled oats in these oatmeal pancakes?

Absolutely. Since quick oats are more processed than rolled oats, you can skip pulsing them in the food processor. 

I find that I do prefer the texture of the rolled oats in these pancakes, but the flavor is the same so you’ll still end up with totally delicious pancakes!

How do you know when to flip pancakes?

I think the most intimidating part of making pancakes for a beginner cook is knowing when to flip them.

The good news is that pancakes will tell you when they’re ready to be flipped!

Add the batter to the hot pan. Let the pancakes cook until the top (uncooked side) starts to form bubbles. Once these little bubbles start to burst, it’s time to flip. 

From there, you will only need to cook the second side for 1-2 minutes to finish cooking the pancakes through.

What’s the best way to keep pancakes warm while I finish cooking all of them?

Since you can typically only cook a few pancakes at a time, you will want to keep your oatmeal pancakes warm while you finish cooking the rest of the batter.

I like to place a wire rack in my oven set on the “warm” setting. As you finish cooking the pancakes, slide them onto the wire rack in the oven. 

The oven will keep them warm and placing them on a wire rack will keep the bottoms of the pancakes from getting soggy while they rest.

Can I make a batch of these oatmeal pancakes and freeze them for later?

Absolutely! Pancakes – these oatmeal pancakes included – are a great thing to make ahead and reheat later.

If you plan to eat the oatmeal pancakes within 4 days, you can place the fully cooled pancakes in a zip-top bag and store them in the refrigerator. Warm them in the toaster or toaster oven as needed.

If you want to store them for longer than a few days, turn to the freezer. Freeze the cooled pancakes on a parchment-lined baking sheet until frozen solid, then place them in a zip-top freezer bag. Freeze for up to two months.

My friend Megan has a whole post on how to freeze pancakes with tons of info that I love using when making big batches of pancakes.

When it’s time to eat the frozen pancakes, use the “frozen” setting on your toaster or toaster oven to both thaw and warm them through.

Can I make these oatmeal pancakes dairy free or vegan?

Yes! For dairy-free oatmeal pancakes, replace the buttermilk by making my buttermilk substitute with your preferred non-dairy milk. Make sure to also replace the butter with your favorite vegan butter.

If you need to make vegan oatmeal pancakes, make the swaps above and swap out the eggs for flax eggs.

I don’t have any buttermilk! What can I use instead?

I don’t always keep buttermilk on hand, so sometimes I don’t have any when I want to make a recipe like these oatmeal pancakes or buttermilk drop biscuits.

There are a few different ways you can make buttermilk at home using everything from sour cream and yogurt to cream of tartar and milk. Check and see what you have in your fridge and use the option that works best for you!

I don’t have whole wheat flour, can I use only all-purpose flour instead? 

Absolutely. The whole wheat flour adds a delicious nuttiness to the pancakes, but they will be just as delicious with 2 total cups of all-purpose flour instead.

I do not recommend substituting the all-purpose flour for whole wheat, though. The all-purpose flour in the recipe helps keep the oatmeal pancakes light and fluffy. If you use only whole-wheat flour, they will be too heavy and you will lose the fluffy texture.

Can I add mix-ins to these oatmeal pancakes?

I think this recipe is delicious on its own, but you can also add any number of delicious mix-ins.

A handful of fresh blueberries would be delicious, as would chocolate chips. You could also add some chopped and toasted nuts, such as pecans or walnuts. I would add maybe a cup total of mix-ins.