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
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 an extra boost of protein and some 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. For a more prominent banana flavor, try my 3-Ingredient Banana Pancakes.
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.
These sound good and I am wondering how they would be as waffles. Waffles can give a lighter airy feel to foods that might be more heavy. Now I just have to wait for my banana to ripen! Thanks!
I’m not sure, but I have a very similar banana oat waffles recipe that will for sure work well!
Can you use frozen banana? That’s what I usually do with my overripe ones
Hey Trudi! I believe you could—you might need to defrost it for a bit beforehand (but maybe not, since we’re blending it?). Would love to hear how it works for you if you try it!
We use frozen ripe bananas all the time for this recipe. Work great. I slice into chunks and throw in blender.
Best use for ripe bananas! We make weekly with grandson. Great gluten free recipe!
Thanks for the recipe. I make ones very similar with almond milk instead of water. I do want to try with the butter because the recipe I use doesn’t call for it. Just a note. I have used quick oats with this recipe because I ran out of the regular and I didn’t like the texture as much. Have you noticed any difference?
These are by far the best pancakes I’ve ever made and so healthy and easy. A must try!
Thanks Lori! I think you’ll appreciate the butter. You can use quick-cooking oats, same amount—you won’t be able to tell the difference in the final product!
Making these this week. Will let you know. Great recipe Kate.
Thanks, Nancy! Looking forward to your feedback.
Back to you Kate! I made these pancakes this morning and my husband loved them, so guess who will be making these in regular rotation? I loved them too but they came out a bit thick and made 9 big ones and 1 small one. I used the 1/3 measuring cup. I was wondering if the batter needed more water ( used your suggested amount) or if it might have something to do with the oats that I used, which were organic fast cooking oats. Any ideas?
Hi Nancy! Thank you for your feedback. Did you let it set at all? If it sets too long, the oats will start to soak up the water. Or, if you used a larger banana can make the batter thicker.
These look awesome! 2 questions: Did you happen to test with chia or flax egg? And, what type of griddle is that? :)
Hey Alex! Sorry, since these are made with oat flour (no gluten there), I do not think that chia or flax eggs will suffice. You can try, but you’d likely end up with a strange pudding mixture. I used my old Cuisinart folding griddle—don’t think they’re making it anymore, but I bet you could find something similar!
I tried it with 1 flax egg and 1 regular egg and they came out ok. Also, subbed soy milk for water to give an extra boost of protein and coconut oil for butter. I added a little extra vanilla too. My family devoured them! Made for a yummy breakfast dinner.
Hi Kate, I’m not big on eating pancakes, but these sound delish and so healthy. I’ll be making them tomorrow. Yummy
Thanks, Miriam! Please let me know how they turn out.
Did you ever try oat/cashew waffles? I put 1 1/2 c rolled oats, 1/3 c raw cashews. pinch salt, 1 Tb butter and 2 1/4 c water in blender and run till very smooth. Transfer to a bowl, because as it thickens it is difficult to get last part out of blender. Allow to thicken somewhat as iron heats. Cook longer than “normal” waffles…till crispy. Freeze extras and reheat in toaster.
Hey Rob! Thanks for sharing—I have never heard of that combination, and I’m intrigued!
They’re delicious, and since they’re not sweet they go well with savory spreads for appetizers, too.
These look great! Will steal cut oats work?
Thanks, Kristina! I haven’t tried making these with steel-cut oats. It may be worth a try, but you would definitely need to use half as much steel-cut oats as old-fashioned oats (they are essentially the same thing, but steel-cut oats are twice as dense). You’ll probably need to blend the mixture longer to break down the steel-cut oats, and that could negatively impact the texture. Please let me know if you try!
These look delicious! And healthy to boot.
Just wanted to mention—I’ve been checking your blog regularly on my iPhone, and hadn’t seen any new recipes since your tortilla soup. It was only after I signed up for the newsletter that I realized you’d been posting recipes all month! On my phone, your homepage still shows up with no recipes more recent than that soup. (I checked it out with an iPad and I could see more recent recipes.) Not sure if it’s just a me problem but figured I would say something in case it’s impacting others and you have the ability to fix it. I wouldn’t want anyone else to miss out!
Thank you for letting me know, Katie! That’s really strange. It sounds like a caching issue, either with your phone or my website. You might go into your iPhone settings > Safari settings and try clearing your cache. Hope that fixes it. I haven’t heard of this happening to other people, but I will start checking and see what needs to happen on my end! I ran into some difficulties last month and didn’t post as much as I wanted to, so you didn’t miss much, at least. :) Thanks again.
Hi! I just wanted to chime in and say that I have been experiencing the same issue with my iPad. The last blog post that shows up is your recipe saving feature. I regularly check several food blogs on my iPad and yours is the only that doesn’t seem to be updating. Just wanted to share!
Hi Stacy, I’m sorry to hear that. Try clearing you cache, that should do the trick.
Hi Kate I just read the above comment re phone not updating your posts and this has been happening to me too! I’ll try what you’ve suggested above but wanted to let you know. Also I’m very excited to try these pancakes :)
Looking forward to making these Oatmeal Pancakes, they sound fabulous! Do you think I could use Steel Cut Oats? Thanks for the recipe!
Hi Elizabeth! I haven’t tried making these with steel-cut oats. It may be worth a try, but you would definitely need to use half as much steel-cut oats as old-fashioned oats (they are essentially the same thing, but steel-cut oats are twice as dense). You’ll probably need to blend the mixture longer to break down the steel-cut oats, and that could negatively impact the texture. Please let me know if you try!
I will make this recipe this weekend and add fresh blueberries. Thank you…..because I love blueberries.
Thanks, Phyllis! Enjoy! I think you could stir some blueberries into the batter with great results.
Hi Kate,
Could you bake these in the oven? And if adding frozen blueberries, would I reduce the water in the recipe? Thank you!
Hey Ele, I don’t know about baking these in the oven. I think you could stir some frozen blueberries into the batter (perhaps up to 1 cup). I would not blend them into the batter because they would change the moisture levels (maybe reducing the water would help). Please let me know if you give that a try!
For this recipe and others it would be very helpful if your nutrition information would include the amount of potassium and other nutrients because with certain health conditions it is important to not get too much of what would normally be considered a healthy amount. The percentage of potassium is not nearly as helpful as the amount since it is not stated what the percentage is based on. There are many of us with chronic kidney disease etc. that really need that information and must keep track of the amount of certain nutrients we are getting each day.
Hi Lena, thank you for your feedback, and I’m sorry that my nutrition info isn’t meeting your needs. I am providing as much information as my nutrition calculator provides—I just don’t have the option to provide exact numbers for potassium at this time. Perhaps there is an another online calculator that you could use?
Thank you for your reply.
Can’t wait to try this! I kinda want to add blueberries – thoughts?
Hi Maria! I think you could stir some blueberries into the batter (perhaps up to 1 cup). I would not blend them into the batter because they would change the moisture levels. Please let me know if you give that a try!
Thank-you :) and I’ll let you know.
is waffle batter and pancake batter different even if only slightly? And can this recipe be adapted?
Hey April, they are a bit different. Waffle recipes need a higher amount of fat to crisp up properly. Pancakes call for less. I actually have a banana oat waffle recipe very similar to this one, so I recommend following that recipe!
Hi there I will try your recipe tomorrow morning.
Please let me know how the pancakes turn out! Have a great day. :)
hi
do you know the calorie count for this
Hi Catherine! Check under the recipe for the “nutrition information” heading. Click on it to open the full nutrition breakdown.
These were great! I’ve been looking for some new breakfast ideas – so tired of my standbys – and these fit just perfectly! Hearty enough to get me to lunch and no mid-morning sinking feeling! Thank you, we’ll be enjoying these often!
Marvelous! Thank you for getting back to me with your results, Darcie! I appreciate it.
I will make again! Had to omit butter and the end result was fine. The batch made 6 for the two of us and I have leftovers because these are filling.
Awesome, thanks Dana! You’re right, the pancakes work without the butter, but they are a bit nicer with it!
Hello, I wonder if I could add a sweet potato instead of banana?
Hi Patti! I don’t think you would get the same texture or binding here. If you try it, i would be interested!
Hi..can we reduce the quantity of ingredients you used to half to try for first time…thanks
Hi, That could be ok. Just make sure it can still catch in your blender to blend.
I make similar pancakes for my 20 month old! Don’t add any butter. Might try adding it next time! I’m trying to include more veggies in my diet and love your website for healthy recipes. Can you please include what to serve with all your recipes (salads for example) or what pairs well with it to make it a complete meal. That would be perfect for me(beginner in healthy eating ☺️)
The butter is a really nice addition, I think you will enjoy it!
Made these for my kiddos this am and they loved them!
I love it! Thank you for your review, Rebecca.
Hi Kate, thank you for the recipe! If I wanted to use ready oat flour, what amount would I use? Thanks!
Hi Tatisana, Refer to my How to Make Oat Flour for reference in the post. This should help!
Hi Kate! I was so excited about these recipe until I saw it called for bananas (darn allergy). Your recipes are also super easy to follow so I made a few vegan subs and cut the measurements in half for about 4 medium size pancakes. Applesauce, flax seeds and hemp milk for a remix. They didn’t turn out super fluffy but still delicious! You are a true foodie’s inspiration <3
I’m sorry to hear you can’t have these! I tried them without bananas, and just couldn’t get them to work. But, I like your creative approach!
I made these today exactly as called for in the recipe. I thought they had a really nice texture and flavor profile. The pancakes felt like a cheat meal despite being pretty healthy. My only feedback is that 1/3 cup of batter makes a pretty large pancake so if you like smaller pancakes use 1/4.
Thank you for trying it already and reporting back!
I have been making a very similar recipe for years. My sister in-law shared it with me probably 15 years ago now. My family loves it when I make them. I normally make a triple batch and freeze the left overs. I’ll share my version of the recipe.
Blender Banana Oat Pancakes
Ingredients:
2 cups rolled oats
1 1/4 cups milk (I use almond milk)
1 ripe banana
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 Tabl maple syrup
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
2 tsp baking powder
1 egg
Directions:
Blend all ingredients in blender until smooth.
Let stand 10 minutes to thicken batter.
Then cook on greased skillet.
Thank you for sharing your variation!
I just made these this morning … I added some fresh blueberries and they are delicious !!! I love them
Can you soak the oats before blending? I imagine I’d have to reduce the water added.
Hi! I recommend this as is. Not sure about soaking the oats for this to turn out the same.
Made these for breakfast this morning and they were delicious! I had no doubt since I haven’t found a single one of your recipes I haven’t loved :) My toddler loved them, too. We enjoyed them plain since they had great flavor from the banana and maple syrup. Thank you for another great & easy recipe, Kate!
I had been looking for a way to use up “creamy buckwheat cereal” that I did not like, so I subbed the oatmeal with buckwheat. Made with 1% milk and canola oil instead of butter. These came out very fluffy, light, and delicious.
Thank you for sharing! I’m glad it turned out with buckwheat.
Trying to eat and change lifestyle. Love blueberry pancakes, with lots of syrup. Saw this recipe and gave it a try. Blown away. They where delicious. What an amazing option to buttermilk pancakes. Thank you so much for sharing this. Look forward to more.
Hooray! I’m delighted you enjoyed thm.
Hi! I halved the recipe and got around 4 small-med sized pancakes. Really enjoyed these! Thank you! Super easy and quick to make as well!
That’s great! Thank you for your review, Sum.
First of all these were ridiculously easy! Wow, is all I can say, I just made these and they are to die for! I made them with water like you said and I wouldn’t change a thing! The flavor is amazing, they are super filling and they taste better than regular pancakes! New staple in my house! Thank you!!!!
You’re welcome! I’m excited you enjoyed them, Dana.
i love this idea for a breakfast, esp for those who doesnt like oatmeal. i will be trying this soon.
Be sure to let me know what you think when you try it!
These are amazing!!! Made half plain and half w bluebs….my new favorite pancake recipe…sorry Martha!
Hooray! I love it.
Hi Kate! Love your recipes. What is the actual serving size for these Blender Oatmeal Pancakes? 2 pancakes? 3?
Thanks! :-)
Hi! It yields 12 pancakes, and serves 4. So 3 pancakes is your magic number :)
Very tasty and easy to make. My husband who is extremely picky had one complaint – I didn’t make enough :-)
Fantastic, Anna! Thank you for your review.
These were the tastiest pancakes I have every had. I was skeptical that it only used oatmeal but they worked out beautifully and don’t feel heavy in my gut. Thank you for your clear instructions and the “why” behind many of the steps that may seem unusual.
You’re welcome! I’m excited you enjoyed them, Holly.
I’ve tried other oat pancakes and been terribly disappointed. I was excited when I saw your recipe. I made your recipe as written with one exception, I only one egg (that is all I had). They were a snap to put together and they came out beautifully! I was very pleased!! They rose beautifully and they are hearty and will hold you for hours. This is my new go to pancake recipe!!
Hooray! I’m glad you weren’t disappointed. Thanks for your review, Karen.
they tasate like bannana bread fresh out of the over! supper good
Thank you, Katniss!
Wow! Just had this for breakfast this morning. Our new favorite way to make pancakes. Got to get more of those over-ripe bananas. Yet another great recipe from Cookie and Kate! Thanks
You’re welcome, David!
Delicious! Thanks for the recipe.
A couple of things, just FYI..
I made 4 x 2/3 cup pancakes out of the recipe, so, for those crunching the numbers, serving size is 2/3 cup. I created a food entry in my fitness pal app called “blender Oatmeal Banana Pancakes” for anyone that wants to track it.
dear kate….these pancakes are the bomb!!!…and thankfully 3 hours later i don’t feel as if i am recovering from the typical carb breakfast…
on another note, i really appreciate your endeavors to create some might fine delights that inspire a springboard opportunity to fine tune to my palate…it’s always a little more or less of something but ultimately a foundation is provided…
thank you
claudia
Thank you! I’m happy you enjoyed them, Claudia.
I’ve made these twice now and they’re delicious! My son requested them for state testing so I have a batch ready to grab and go in the freezer! Thanks for a great recipe.
Thank you for your review, Kate! I’m delighted they are a hit.
Just made these for brunch served with natural yoghurt and fruit salad. Delicious, filling and easy to prepare. Thanks for another great recipe :)
I haven’t had much success in adjusting recipes to be vegan. Yes, I have tried flax, chia, psyllium, and probably others I can think of at the moment. Do you have any suggestions? I’d love to make my family some pancakes!
PS Absolutely love your blog. Big hug to Cookie.
Hi Mary, I haven’t tried these vegan. But others have commented that flax eggs have worked for them. If you try it, let me know!
Made these over the weekend exactly as written, but subbed coconut oil for the butter(was just too lazy to get butter out of the freezer). The coconut oil flavor was subtle but great with the banana. They turned out delicious. My toddler ate them up! Very easy, wholesome and naturally sweetened. Love it. These will become a go-to!
Great recipe. Used my Vitamix to mix grind the oatmeal finely first. Turned out great. Nice change to oatmeal porridge every morning.
Thank you for your review, Annika!
These are great, thank you!
These were delicious, light and fluffy which surprised me as my previous oatmeal pancakes are usually quite dense – I loved how easy and quick they are to make too! thank you!
I’m glad you loved them! Thank you for your review, Sherry.