Best-Ever Oatmeal Pancakes (Really!)

Hold onto your hats, this is the BEST oatmeal pancakes recipe! They’re easy to whip up with 100% oats, and taste like vanilla cake.

Looking for a breakfast recipe that’s healthy and outrageously delicious? Meet these incredible Oatmeal Pancakes! They’re fluffy, they’re made with 100% oats, and they’re easy to whip up in a blender. Even better: they taste like vanilla cake! Yes, these are the best oatmeal pancakes we’ve had! Many oatmeal pancakes can be very dense or fall apart easily. These work like a charm, and they’re full of fiber and protein. Breakfast just got better.

Ingredients in the best oatmeal pancakes recipe (100% oats!)

Why make oatmeal pancakes with flour when you can make them with all rolled oats? The blender is your best friend here: simply throw all ingredients into the blender and give it a whiz! It breaks down the oats into the texture of flour and makes a completely smooth batter. This trick is something we perfected in our banana bread muffins, and we’ve refined it here with some inspiration from these apple pancakes. Here’s what you’ll need:

Old Fashioned rolled oats: Don’t be tempted to substitute steel cut (here’s why).
Greek yogurt: This is key to getting just the right fluffy texture in an oatmeal pancake recipe. It also helps to hold the pancakes together: and adds protein to boot!
Eggs: Eggs also work as a binder. (You can make pancakes without eggs too, but not here.)
Milk of choice: Use whatever is on hand in your fridge: you can also use almond or oat milk.
Salted butter: Butter is key to the flavor, but you can also sub melted coconut oil.
Brown sugar: A touch of sugar sweetens just enough; use maple syrup if you like
Vanilla extract: You’ll use a lot, but these pancakes deliver big on vanilla cake flavor!
Baking powder & kosher salt

Tip for cooking: use low heat!

Here’s a tip for cooking any pancake recipe, whether it’s oatmeal pancakes or not. Use low to medium low heat. It takes longer than you expect, but it makes for a perfectly cooked pancake. Here’s why:

Low and slow is key! Many home cooks have the heat turned too high when they cook pancakes. It makes them come out burned on the outside and raw on the inside. Low and slow is the way to go!
Flip them when bubbles form on the surface and start to pop. It’s hard to wait for this signal, but trust us! This trick works every time and makes the perfectly cooked pancake.

Oatmeal pancakes variations: mix-ins and more!

We like this oatmeal pancakes recipe straight up: it tastes like vanilla birthday cake and it’s so, so tasty! But you can add other mix-ins if you’d like. Here are a few ideas:

Blueberry oatmeal pancakes: Use 1 cup fresh or frozen. Don’t add blueberries to the batter! Add them after you pour the circles of batter onto the griddle.
Raspberry oatmeal pancakes: Sounds tasty! Do the same as above.
Chocolate chip oatmeal pancakes: We’re not chocolate for breakfast people, but we know some people are. Add 1/3 cup chocolate chips.

What else would you add to your oatmeal pancakes? Let us know in the comments below!

Toppings for this oatmeal pancakes recipe

Here’s the other fun part: topping your oatmeal pancakes! Once you smell that fragrant vanilla smell, you’re going to want to eat these immediately. Here are a few ideas we have:

Maple syrup & pecans: Keep it simple!
Sprinkles & sweetened Greek yogurt: Only because it tastes like cake! Mix 1 cup Greek yogurt, 2 tablespoons maple syrup, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract to use as a “frosting” style topping. Then add sprinkles!
PB&J: Try with peanut butter and this strawberry jam.
Nut butter: Add a slather of any type of nut butter: almond butter, cashew butter or pecan butter.
Raspberry sauce: Try with raspberry sauce or raspberry syrup.
Blueberry sauce: Top with blueberry sauce or blueberry compote.
Strawberry sauce: Add glistening strawberry sauce.

Vegan variations

We haven’t tried a vegan spin on these oatmeal pancakes. Here are a few options in case you’re looking for a vegan breakfast:

Try these Go-To Vegan Pancakes: a traditional pancake made with flour…and mighty tasty.
Use this recipe and substitute vegan yogurt for the yogurt, oat milk for the milk, and flax eggs for the eggs. Try at your own risk!
Or, head to Gluten Free Banana Pancakes and make them with flax eggs.

Oatmeal nutrition info

These oatmeal pancakes are made with 100% oats, which makes them a healthy and naturally gluten free pancake. All things considered, they’re a healthy breakfast idea that’s in contrast to the typical refined flour and sugar flapjack. Why eat oats in the morning? Here are some of the nutritional benefits of oats (source):

Oats are high in plant based protein. 1 cup of raw oats have 11 grams protein. That’s about 20% of your daily need!
Oats are high in fiber. 1 cup of raw oats have 8 grams of fiber, which is about 30% of the daily value.
Oats are very filling: they may reduce appetite and help you eat less calories.

This oatmeal pancake recipe is…

Vegetarian and gluten-free. For vegan, go to Vegan Pancakes instead.