Blender Oatmeal Pancakes
This oatmeal pancake recipe is EASY to make in the blender! These healthy pancakes are perfect for busy mornings. Whole grain and gluten-free!
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on August 30, 2024
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How about some pancakes? Like, right now? These are the easiest pancakes I’ve ever made because they come together in the blender! Now you can enjoy pancakes on a weekday morning.
Plus, these pancakes are made with healthy whole grains—oats—and other wholesome ingredients. They’ll actually keep you full until lunchtime. While they are not decadent buttermilk pancakes, they’re entirely delicious in their own right.
More reasons to love this recipe: These pancakes are the perfect use for a lone over-ripe banana, and they’re enjoyed by kids and adults alike. Freeze any leftovers for a super simple breakfast or snack at any time of day. Let’s make some pancakes already!
Oatmeal Pancake Ingredients
Old-fashioned oats or quick-cooking oats
Either one will do! We’ll throw the oats into a blender with the remaining ingredients, essentially turning them into oat flour along the way.
Water
Yep, plain old water. It lets the natural oat flavor shine through. You could use your milk of choice instead, if you’d like. Regular dairy milk works fine. I’ve realized over the years that non-dairy milks can contribute unnecessary preservatives or thickeners, which can negatively impact flavor—especially when heated.
Ripe banana (preferably spotty brown)
The riper, the better. My batches made with very ripe bananas turned out best—the pancakes were light and fluffy with more of a classic buttermilk pancake texture and a nice banana flavor. You can use a medium-ripe banana if that’s what you have, but the pancakes will likely turn out a bit more dense and chewy (still plenty enjoyable, in my opinion).
Eggs
Eggs bind these gluten-free ingredients together and offer some loft as well. These pancakes cannot be made without eggs, so they are not suitable for those with egg allergies.
Maple syrup
Real maple syrup offers a touch of sweetness. In addition, the natural sugars help produce a tender texture and browned exteriors.
Melted butter
A little bit of butter makes the pancakes more tender and delectable, with more air pockets. If you’re avoiding dairy, replace the butter with melted coconut oil.
Baking powder
Baking powder produces bubbles in the batter and provides extra lift when the batter hits the hot pan. It’s key to producing fluffy pancakes.
Vanilla extract, cinnamon & salt
These all contribute extra flavor. If you don’t like cinnamon, omit it. Salt simply enhances the other flavors so you can taste the nutty oats and banana.
Want Waffles Instead?
Don’t try to make this recipe in your waffle iron—make my Banana Oat Waffles for great results!
Watch How to Make Blender Pancakes
Pancake Notes & Tips
Prepare the batter just before cooking. These pancakes are super easy to whip up and the batter will thicken up over time, so don’t blend too soon. These pancakes reheat well if you’d like to make them in advance.
Be sure to properly preheat your cooking surface. It’s ready when a few drops of water sizzle immediately upon impact. Don’t start too soon, or your pancakes won’t brown and will be difficult to turn.
Griddles are great because you can make more pancakes at once. Electric griddles are nice because the temperature stays constant.
If you’re cooking on the stovetop, you may need to dial back the heat a bit over time. Your temperature is too high if the pancakes are becoming too browned on the outside while still raw on the inside.
Lightly brush your griddle or skillet with melted butter in between batches. If your surface is truly non-stick, you may not need to butter it at all. Otherwise, use a light hand because excess butter can burn over time.
The pancakes are ready to flip when about 1/2-inch of the perimeter has turned from glossy to matte. Better to wait a little too long than to end up with a doughy mess.
Serving Suggestions for Oatmeal Pancakes
Classic pancake toppings are welcome here—try a drizzle of maple syrup, fresh fruit (sliced banana or fresh berries), or even whipped cream.
For some extra protein and nutty flavor, add a spread of almond butter, pecan butter or peanut butter. Or, serve with a side of Greek yogurt.
Pancake Mix-In Options
Several have asked if blueberries can be added to these pancakes. The answer is yes! Stir up to 1 cup fresh blueberries into your finished batter.
You could also stir up to 1 cup sliced fresh strawberries or even 1/2 cup chocolate chips.
Don’t try to blend extra fruit into the pancake batter—it could mess up the moisture balance and throw off the results.
More Healthy Oat Recipes to Try
You’ll find a ton of wholesome and legitimately crave-worthy oat recipes here on Cookie and Kate. Here are a few of my go-to’s:
- The Best Oatmeal
- Blueberry Baked Oatmeal
- Cherry Pecan Muesli
- Easy No-Bake Granola Bars
- Gluten Free Oat Waffles
- Overnight Oats
Please let me know how your pancakes turn out in the comments! I love hearing from you.
Blender Oatmeal Pancakes
This oatmeal pancake recipe is super easy to make in the blender! These healthy pancakes are perfect for busy mornings. They’re whole grain and gluten-free. Recipe yields 12 pancakes, enough for 4 servings.
Ingredients
- 2 cups old-fashioned oats or quick-cooking oats
- 1 cup water
- 1 medium ripe banana (the riper, the better), sliced into 1-inch chunks
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 2 tablespoon melted butter, plus more for brushing the skillet if needed
- 2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon fine salt
- Optional serving suggestions: Thinly sliced banana, maple syrup, almond butter or peanut butter
Instructions
- If you’re using an electric skillet, preheat it to 375 degrees Fahrenheit now (if not, carry on and you’ll find a stovetop alternative in step 3).
- In a blender, combine all of the ingredients as listed. Blend at medium-to-high speed until smooth, about 30 to 60 seconds. Set aside.
- If you are not using an electric skillet, heat a skillet (ideally cast iron) or griddle over medium heat. You’re ready to start cooking pancakes once a drop of water sizzles on contact with the hot surface. If your surface is not non-stick, lightly brush the cooking surface with melted butter.
- Using a ⅓-cup measuring cup, scoop the batter onto the hot surface, leaving a couple of inches around each pancake for expansion. Cook until small bubbles form on the surface of the pancakes, 2 to 3 minutes (you’ll know it’s ready to flip when about ½-inch of the perimeter is matte instead of glossy).
- Flip the pancakes, then cook until lightly golden on both sides, 1 to 2 minutes more. Repeat the process with the remaining batter, brushing with more butter and adjusting the heat as necessary (if your pancakes are browning too deeply, dial down the heat to medium-low).
- Serve immediately or keep warm in a 200 degree Fahrenheit oven. Serve as desired.
- Leftover pancakes can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, or frozen for up to 3 months. To reheat, stack leftover pancakes and wrap them in a paper towel before gently reheating in the microwave.
Notes
Recipe adapted from Two Peas & Their Pod and Ambitious Kitchen.
Make it gluten free: Be sure to use certified gluten-free oats.
Make it dairy free: Substitute melted coconut oil for the melted butter.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
Which would be a good substitute for the banana? This looks amazing!
This is designed to use banana. Sorry!
great one dish recipe. was looking for recipes to use oatmeal and at 2 cups this put a serious dent in them, which is great.
Also I found this oatmeal version to be a lot lighter than flour which is awesome as Im not a big fan of regular pancakes as they tend to be dense and only get through a couple. i ate the whole batch in one sitting.
Great to hear, MP! I appreciate you sharing.
I’ve used apple and it’s really good too! .
Maybe use some applesauce to add some sweetness in place of the banana.
My entire family really enjoyed these! We add beet root powder for some extra veggies and minerals! I have to double the recipe every time so I can have enough leftover for Hubby’s breakfast the next day! Thanks for the easy recipe!
You’re welcome, Rachel! Thank you for your review.
I was pleasantly surprised with these pancakes. So often I try recipes that have good reviews and am disappointed. Not this time. These were very good served with strawberries and blueberries and syrup. I’d make them again as they are a lot healthier than white flour based pancakes.
That’s great to hear, Colleen! Thank you for your review.
Tasty and easy to make!
I’m excited you loved them, Elyse! Thank you for your review.
These are simple to make and tasty. I’ve added choc chips and peanut butter powder and they’re great, also fresh blueberries and nuts. Big yum
I make a batch every week, freeze them and then have one before I go to the gym. A little peanut butter on top sometimes.
Sometimes I throw in blueberries or a little flax seed. Always yummy!
Thank you for sharing, JoAnn! I appreciate your review.
Amazing taste! Sadly, my blender stopped working shortly after starting to blend, so I just dumped the mix into a bowl and finished with an immersion blender. No maple syrup so I used butter syrup. I was eating them almost as quickly as I made them! AND now I have breakfast already prepped for my seven-day shift. Once cooled, I will stack with parchment between each one and freeze until ready to devour! Thanks so much, and I love everything you share!!
Hooray! I’m glad you love them. I appreciate your review, Melissa.
These pancakes were very flavorful!! My husband said they may be his favorite pancakes ever. Definitely recommend this recipe.
That’s great to hear, LK!
Glad I made these pancakes. I used natural bee honey instead of the maple syrup. I was wondering what I could use instead of the eggs. Either way they came out delicious. Served them with a homemade strawberry jam/syrup. Just reduced frozen strawberries with bee honey.
Great to hear! I appreciate your review.
Use unsweetened applesauce as a replacement for eggs! 1/4 tsp per egg
I’ve tried so many healthier pancake recipes but none of them have had the proper consistency of a pancake. These ones were fluffier, delicious and they paired really nicely with jam, yoghurt and fruit. They would probably rise even better if you refridgerated the batter overnight, so I’ll try that next time. Thanks for the great recipe :)
I’m glad you loved it, Ava!
Good morning Kate,
Thank you so much for your blog.. I have been following you for a while now, and have made quite a few of your recipe’s, all of them very good. Today I feel the need to compliment you on your oatmeal pancakes, I made them this morning on the waffle maker and they are the best and easiest recipe. Keep up your blog please, because I enjoy checking out your latest efforts.
Thank you for sharing, Ineke! I’m glad you have been enjoying them.
I have never commented on a recipe before but I felt like I had to with this one. This recipe is amazing! The pancakes are so soft, fluffy and taste amazing! I will be using this recipe from now on and referring it to my friends. Thank you so much.
You’re welcome, Jessica! Thank you for your review.
Made these this morning, they were super delicious! Also very important, they were easy Thank you
You’re welcome Valkor! I appreciate your review.
Hi this recipe sounds amazing. I’ll try it. But a quick question – is there a reason why you are using oats instead of just oat flour?
Thank you!
I like the simplicity of it since I usually have oats on hand.
My husband and I love these pancakes! I usually make a double batch; one plain and one with mini chocolate chips. We freeze them and it’s an easy breakfast on workdays. Do you have a blender pumpkin version? Would love to alternate now that fall is here.
I love to hear that! Thank you for sharing, Michelle. I don’t have a blender pumpkin version. Sorry!
These are very yummy. My daughter will only eat pancakes in the morning. Thank you so much for a healthy(and delicious) alternative.
Hi. I just saw your recipe for pancake made with oatmeal that is so genuis delicious and healthy! I had to try to make some! I never thought to try oat flour instead of unbleached whole wheat flour I always use. Thank you for sharing! It is so easy to make and the banana gives it such a great taste. The texture was perfect too! I will be using oatmeal for flour for now own!
Great to hear! I’m glad you enjoyed these pancakes.
We halved the recipe and used 2 tablespoons of cinnamon apple sauce since our bananas were not ripe enough. Turned out delicious! Made 6 small sized pancakes. We will definitely make these again!
Wonderful to hear, Paula!
Will rolled oats work?
I have those but not quick or old fashioned.
Those should work. Let me know what you think!
These are fantastic.
I only had frozen bananas (and no microwave) so I used a Frozen banana. I knew it would be no problem for my vitamix and would cook up easily from frozen. Worked perfectly!
Only other sub was avocado oil for the butter since with no microwave melting such a small quantity of butter is not worth the effort.
I topped them with salted butter and it was perfect.
My my my . I’ve tried using oats to make pancakes before, but it never turned out quite as good as the ones I just had now, this recipe is boomb and a keeper!!!!
Thanks
Great to hear you enjoy it, Sanele!
This recipe was yummy! I was out of almond milk this morning and we don’t eat eggs. I risked subbing out eggs for flax eggs (per egg: 3T water, 2T finely ground flax seeds, 1/8t baking powder) and it worked perfectly!
Thank you for sharing, Carrie! I appreciate your review.
hi Kate dying to try you’re recipe but have no baking powder on hand – any suggestions?
This is best as written or you aren’t going to have the best results. Sorry!
This is an amazing pancake. It’s very filling and mostly full of healthy ingredients. I use the big bag of sprouted oatmeal from Costco. We make a double recipe every week and eat them for breakfast and snacks. They are so filling that just 1 pancake can solve hunger and the desire for a yummy munchie. I am still managing to lose weight while eating pancakes! I have one pancake with just a small amount of warmed up real maple syrup and it fills me up while satisfying my sweet tooth.
Thank you for your review, Renee! I’m delighted you enjoyed it.
Amazing my fav recipe everyone loves ❤️
These pancakes were gritty and fell apart in the pan :(
I’m sorry to hear that. It sounds like they didn’t get blended enough. How long did you blend them for and what type of blender did you use?
Made these for an easy dinner and everyone liked it :)
I used 1/2 cup apple juice and 1/2 cup water, as well as using honey instead of maple syrup. Turned out great!!! I was almost going to eat all of them and leave none for the family. We had them with some more honey on top and some peach and banana this will be my breakfast every day now haha. Great job with this recipe!
Hooray! That’s great to hear, J.
Can I bake the pancakes in the oven?
I haven’t tried it, sorry!
My family and I absolutely love this recipe! I was wondering if this could be made into a bread. Would all the ingredients be the same if being cooked in an oven?
I don’t think this will get you the results you want. You can try my Healthy Banana Bread! with How to Make Oat Flour.
Recipe looks great. Before I make these pancakes I have a question: is it possible to sub the water for greek yogurt to boost the protein content?
I haven’t tried it. You can try serving with a side of yogurt to dip in or serve with peanut butter.
Greatly surprised!
I have, in the past, made a banana pancake using general purpose flour. This was a regular brunch for me.
Since having to take weight loss and exercise seriously I have stopped eating them.
Today, having a solitary banana calling my name from the fruit bowl, I began to weaken but had thoughts of using an oatmeal recipe and tried yours.
Substituted marg for butter and honey for maple syrup. It worked for me.
Next time though, I will halve the quantity. So filling, it was too much for this old guy. Thanks…I look forward to seeing more of your recipes
You’re welcome, Peter! Thank you for your review.
Hard to believe how good these are, given they are so healthful and easy to make. Thank you for the recipes and helpful hints that ensure a good turnout
You’re welcome, Sonya!
These were certainly quick and easy to make but they didn’t have a nice texture (a bit rubbery). Any tips on on making them less thin and dense? Thank you.
I’m sorry to hear that! Did you use ripe bananas? If they aren’t quite ripe enough, you won’t get the best result.
These pancakes were great and I will definitely make them again for my gluten-free friends. The texture and flavor were great.
I had one issue though, I let them sit for 10-15 minutes and realized I forgot to put in the banana. I added it, but the batter was very thick so, I added almond milk to thin it out so that I could pour them more easily. But other than that they were really good.
Banana pancakes are easy to make and are sot, moist and delicious
Great to hear, Rebecca!
Needed more salt used rolled oats. . Very bland. Took a very long time to cook Texture was mealy. I made this before with quick oat. Was better than rolled oats.
This recipe made some of the best pancakes I’ve ever had! I made a double batch last time and froze leftovers. They reheated beautifully. Next time I’ll do a triple batch! Has anyone tried using this to make waffles?
Yum! So very easy and quick to make, tastes great, just like a treat but healthy. Didn’t put the melted butter in the blender with the other ingredients, only because I forgot, and I don’t think it made a difference. Will definitely make again…and again…and again
These are great! My husband has been sensitive to gluten lately, so we’ve missed having pancakes this year. My kids said they want to eat these pancakes forever, and my husband can eat them without repercussions! We’ve used your recipe twice, and I’m adding it to my regular use recipe list :)
That’s great to hear, Leslie!
Simply the best oatmeal blender pancakes I’ve made. I was in awe they came out so fluffy. My blender was in the dishwasher, so I used a food processor. This is my new go-to recipe!
I love making these with my toddler and she loves eating them! They are a staple in our house!
These are perfect. Fast and healthier than a mix, also easy to make gluten free. Also easy to customize with a sprinkle of berries or mini chocolate chips.
Thanks so much.
You’re welcome, Christina!
Hi Kate
If I wanna add protein powder to the batter. Would that make it too dense and dry?
I haven’t tried it so I can’t say for sure, sorry!
How many pancakes does this recipe make, and at what size? Thank you.
Hi Nancy! See the recipe notes and note card. It makes 12 pancakes and use 1/3 cup for putting your pancakes on the griddle.
Great recipe! Was scoffed down by my fussy toddler
That’s great, SJ!