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 pancakes are amazing! they taste like banana bread. however I don’t have time to make these in the morning, do you think it would be possible to make these the night before refrigerate the dough and make the pancakes in the morning?
Hi! I wouldn’t recommend refrigerating the batter as it will get very thick and I don’t think your pancakes will turn out as well. The pancakes do freeze well!
I make them at night and just reheat in the morning before school. My kids love them!
Great to hear, Chelsea! I appreciate your review.
THESE WERE OYT OF THIS WORLD!!! Oh my goodness!!! I will never buy pancake mix ever again! I had all the ingredients and was so easy to make! My first batch didn’t have butter because I forgot and left it in the microwave but they were just as delicious! THANK U
You’re welcome, Irma!
Super yummy and really easy to make!!
Oh Yes. These were very good and I will be making them again. However, I’ve not bought eggs in years and don’t plant to ever buy them again, so I substituted Ener-G egg replacer (didn’t feel like grinding up some flax seeds). Also used canola oil to replace the butter/coconut oil suggested in the notes. They still come out great and I imagine that I managed to reduce the cholesterol a bit.
Loved them Kate. Thank you so much.
I’m glad that worked out for you, Tess!
Made them exactly as written and they are AMAZING! I’ve already shared the recipe with my whole family. We will try to add collagen peptides and ground flax next time hopefully without changing texture or flavor. Thank you so much for the delicious recipe!
You’re welcome, Ashley! I’m happy to hear you enjoyed them.
My husband is diabetic it was delicious but I made with 5grian no banana too much sugar I used stevie
Five stars. Your recipes never disappoint!! I substituted avocado oil for butter, otherwise I followed the recipe exactly. Best ever GF pancakes. And as a long distance runner these pancakes have all the tummy friendly macros that I need for a pre or post run snack. Thank you!
I have always been a huge fan of your recipes and religiously make your banana oat pancakes. I decided to try this recipe to see how it differed as many of the ingredients are the same. Have to admit these are my fave. So quick to make (I used a food processor and swapped out the butter for coconut oil) and they came out fluffy and consistent. Definitely a new one to add to the rotation. Thank you for sharing such delicious, healthy recipes!
I’m glad you love them, Lise! Thank you for your review.
Oh, ya. These pancakes are great! We served them with a little dollop of peanut butter and a little bit of maple syrup. So good! Why would I go back to white flour pancakes again?
Hello Kate,
Thank you so much for this wonderful recipe. I made these pancakes for today’s breakfast and they were AMAZING:)
Warm regards from Montreal, Canada!
Thank you, Amina! I appreciate your review.
Just made these absolutely Yummmazing pancakes!!! Thankyou for the detailed instructions!! It’s yumm and not overly sweet. I used just 2 tablespoons of Jaggery powder since I did not have maple syrup. It took me under 2.5 minutes to get the batter ready. Has to me
These are my favorite pancakes! Oil, eggs, and cinnamon are triggers for my GERD though so I sub tahini for the oil, flax eggs for regular eggs, and omit the cinnamon but they still turn out super great. Thank you for the recipe.
Hooray! I’m happy to hear that, Nicole.
These are the best, so easy and a new breakfast staple in my house! Thanks soooo much for a fabulous easy healthy breakfast!
You’re welcome, Rachel!
Made this as a treat for New Year’s morning here in the mountains of NC. So yummy, had some fresh blueberries and strawberries for a topping. Can’t wait to make these next time my gluten-free girlfriend visits.
I’m glad you enjoyed these, Therese.
This is the BEST pancake recipe EVER. I’ve tried so many oatmeal pancakes because I loooove oatmeal and it was a disaster everytime. This!!!!! This one is amazing. It’s the only one I’m gonna do from now on.
Thank you, Camille!
Can you substitute milk for water?
Hi Saba, I liked these best with water.
Love your recipes Kate – thank you! I have some oat flour I’d like to use up – if I’m using oat flour instead of the oats, would it still be 2 cups? Thank you.
Hi! I’m not sure as I didn’t weigh it and it depends on how fine it is. Try it and let me know how it works!
Super easy to make and very tasty! Thanks Kate!
You’re welcome, Jen!
I’ve tried a few oatmeal pancake recipes and this is by far the best! Easy and delish. I tried some with blueberries and some with chocolate chips, they were all great.
Thank you, M!
We really liked the flavor of these, but the texture reminded me of eating oatmeal. Next time I will exchange some whole wheat flour for some of the oatmeal.
Hi Barbara, I’m sorry to hear that. Did you blend until smooth?
These turned out so yummy and fluffy!
I’m glad you enjoyed these, Merci!
I have a question for this recipe it looks so yummy. But I need to know would it be ok to use frozen ripe bananas if that’s all I have.
Thanks so much
Hi! You would want to make sure they are thawed first. I hope you love them!
If anyone ever reads this, yes you can do it with frozen bananas if your blender is strong enough. I don’t have a microwave and only had frozen bananas so I used it and it was no issue for my vitamix and the recipe turned out great!
These were so delicious and very easy to make. I’m not a fan of most gluten free pancakes using GF flour. These pancakes have brought back pancakes to my home.
I’m absolutely loving cookieandkate.com
I was just wondering if there’s a substitute that you think could work in the pancakes recipe instead of bananas, as I’m allergic.
Thank you in advance.
Hi Joanne! Sorry, this recipe is specific for banana.
Many thanks for your reply. Not a problem.
I’m going to order your book, as you have amazing recipes.
I loved this recipe! I added flax and chia as I am a breast feeding mom and everything in this recipe supports my milk supply! I’ll be making these weekly!
I’m glad you love them. Congratulations, Jenny!
This recipe shattered my blender should have written the directions to blend dry ingredients first, then slowly add the wet. The oatmeal soaked up the water and got so thick the blender couldn’t handle it when I turned it on. POW.
I was so looking forward to eating these
Hi, I’m sorry to hear that. I have made this recipe several times and didn’t have any issue. Did you let it set for awhile?
What can I use in place of maple syrup?
Hi Maria, you can omit or try honey.
Do you have to include the banana?
For these to turn out, yes they are needed. I hope you can try them!
Excellent recipe! Very easy and delicious. I don’t think I’ll ever make pancakes with flour again after making these!
Hooray! I love to hear that.
The whole family loved these, so much so that I had to make a second batch after the first batch was quickly gobbled up. Thanks, Kate! This is a keeper.
That’s great! Thank you for sharing, Mary.
I made a half batch. Discovered as I was cleaning up that I forgot to add the melted coconut oil. LOL. My taste buds found the banana flavour too over powering despite using half of a small banana. I ate about 3/4 of the half batch and tossed the rest in the garbage. Next time I will pre-grind the oats to a coarse flour, and use even less banana or see if I can eliminate the banana all together. Thanks for the recipe.
Hi Joanne, I’m sorry you had issues! I don’t believe these will work well without the banana. If you are looking for a banana free pancake recipe, you can try my Buckwheat Pancakes if you are looking for gluten free!
Such a great recipe! I’ve tried other oatmeal pancakes and my husband will not eat them. However, this recipe? He loves it!
Great to hear, Jenn!
Instead of buying Pancake mix, Id rather buys the ingredients of your recipe and make its own version. Can recommend me a pancake with a Mediterranean twist?
Hi. I think I remember that you had a recipe for fluffy oat pancakes that used Greek yogurt. Can I sub out the banana for Greek yogurt? I do not eat banana lol.
Thank you.
Bananas work best here. If you try it, let me know what you think!
SOOOO good I’m obsessed. Made them spontaneously because I was craving pancakes… 10/10 will make again
Wonderful to hear, Julia! I appreciate your review.
Was really excited to make these and I’m sure they were going to be really good, but you should really have a note about this being for powerful blenders only. Mine continuously froze up, so I kept mixing the thick batter around trying to get it to spin, until eventually my blender just died. Now I have no blender and no breakfast.
Hi Ren, I’m sorry to hear that. It worked great in my Vitamix and haven’t heard from others causing an issue.
Instead of buying Pancake mix, Id rather buys the ingredients of your recipe and make its own version. Can recommend me a pancake with a Mediterranean twist? like the taste of miss pickle in misspickle.
These are my go to pancakes for my toddlers! Any tips on freezing them? I’d like to make some for the week.
Hi Maria! Make sure they are cooled and you can freeze them in a freezer safe container or bag. I freeze them in a silicone stasher bag that works well!
Hi, Kate–
I just made these, as I always do if I know lunch will be… delayed.
What I do: I halve the recipe, reduce the baking powder to 1 tsp.,
& reduce the water to 1/3 c. (I like them a bit thicker.) They are
great, with apple butter & peanut butter.
Thanks again for another great recipe. I hope Grace is doing well;
can we have a few pictures?
Elizabeth
I just made the recipe but as I was low on straight oats, I mixed 1/3 each oats, hulled barley flakes and rye flakes. It’s wonderful! I topped it with blueberries heated from frozen with a tiny bit of maple syrup drizzled in after heating. There’s my fruit and grains kick for the day. Nut butter and apple or pear slices on cold pancakes will make an easy snack too!
Thank you for sharing, Lorna!
These pancakes are the best. My husband makes them all the time.
Rich banana taste and so moist.
Great to hear, Dianna!
These turned out perfectly and are delicious! I through one a couple handfuls of spinach into the blender to sneak some greens into my kids
Wonderful! Thank you for your review, Nyssa.
Made yesterday but didn’t eat until this morning. They are delicious. Definite do overs in this house. I followed recipe to the letter, no changes. Thank you!
Wonderful, Cindy! Thank you for you review.
These pancakes are delicious. I added chopped walnuts once I made the flip. Thank You
Can I use frozen ripened bananas? Will it change the texture?
Hi, You will want them to be thawed first. I’m not quite sure how they will hold up. Let me know if you try it!
Hello,
I tried the recipe and I really enjoyed them. I did substitute the water for almond milk. I think I will use regular milk the next time for the protein. Im concerned though that maybe some of them have browned nicely, but maybe undercooked. Or maybe the consistency is supposed to be a little oatmeal like. Will microwaving them cook them a little more. In either case. Thanks for the recipe. They are very tasty!
Hi Natasha! It sounds like they needed some more time. Your pan may have been too hot as to why the outside was getting done quicker. I hope you try them again!
They were heavenly very moist and it’s a good way to have some oats served in them in the morning as I run out of topping ideas. Thank you for a nice recipe!
I’m glad you enjoyed it, Kylee!
Yummy yum yum! Easy to make and super delicious.
Thank you, Ana!
These are a family favorite! Thanks for another great recipe!
Made exactly as stated. They were very good!
That’s great SG!
Looked up oatmeal pancakes this morning and so happy this recipe turned up! My husband and boys loved them, and they are 100% diet approved for me! (Left out the maple syrup from the batter). Will definitely be saving this and making them again soon!
I’m happy you found it too, Marcy!
I have been making these pancakes for months now, not only are they delicious but healthy, fiber-rich, and filling. I didn’t have butter so I used coconut oil and came out perfect. As always, thank you for such great recipes
I love that! Thank you for your review, Addys.