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.
Oh my gosh are these good! I was tempted to use almond milk and not water but I followed recipe exactly and these are the best cakes I’ve ever made! These would be great with a few blueberries thrown in…. Next time!
Hooray! I’m glad you enjoyed them, Jo.
I made these pancakes yesterday and they were AMAZING! The only change I made was I used 1 cup of pure almond milk instead of water. They have this maple pecan taste, absolutely delicious! I’ve tried so many pancake recipes and this is the one! I love that they’re gluten free and so easy to make! You have such incredible recipes on your site! Thank you so much for your hard work!
You’re welcome, Candis! I appreciate your review.
I substituted a few things so it was a gamble, but we just had these muffins and they were really delicious and fluffy, a slight crunch from (probably not fully blended) oats. I used (a tiny bit more than a cup)buttermilk instead of water and one pear instead of the banana but it worked really well and the whole family enjoyed them with a smear of maple syrup.
I made this recipe for the millionth time (lol). I follow the recipe, except I used 2 tbsp of avocado oil in place of butter (I didn’t feel like melting butter lol). For the runners out there, I make these pancakes in advance of the week and I eat them prior to a workout as I equate them to an alternate for overnight oats. It has all the essentials, carbs, fat and protein & for me, it’s easy on the tummy. I actually toast them prior to heading out the door. I LOVE THIS RECIPE. The best blender pancake that I have found. Thank you Kathryne!!
I love that you have made these so much! I appreciate your review.
This recipe was awesome. As someone who is pm a diligent fitness journey, I can eat something sweet and healthy. I had leftovers.
I’m glad you enjoyed them! These pancakes freeze well.
These were amazing! We had about 4 pancakes left over and froze them. When we go on runs, we thaw these out, warm them up and put a little nut butter on them. Delicious and healthy run food. Thanks!
I’m excited you loved these pancakes, Michael! I appreciate you taking the time to review.
Nice
Thank you, Hanna!
These were amazing and my Husband loved them. So good that I even got some “action” that night. I also added a little hemp powder for more protein.
Thank you for sharing! I’m glad you loved them.
Awesome pancakes! Exactly what I was looking for! They came out so much better than expected…I will definitely look at trying the buckwheat recipe soon.
My only question is how would you warm up leftovers if you didn’t have a microwave? Thanks!!
Hi! I’m glad you love them. You could rewarm them on the stove or even try the toaster.
This is my go to recipe for pancakes.
Love to hear that, Dre! Thank you for your comment.
Once frozen, how do you suggest they get defrosted?
Hi! They can be defrosted in the microwave, toaster oven or toaster(I haven’t tried, but I know others have). I hope you enjoy them!
Best gluten free pancakes I have ever eaten. They were also very easy too make. I omitted the cinnamon, swapped water for a mixture of half almond milk and water and substituted dairy free butter for the butter. Highly recommend!
Wonderful to hear, Karolina! I appreciate your review.
Hi can I use fresh apricots instead of bananas in the batter as I am following low carbs diet.
Hi, this was designed to be made with bananas sorry.
I used half a banana and added some applesauce. I didn’t have baking powder and saw online that I could sub a 1/4 cup of molasses and 1/4 tsp bk soda for the powder… instead of cinnamon I added pumpkin pie spice… and voila! Really delicious gingerbread pancakes! I did add about 1/4-1/2 cup more oats to make it a tad thicker w/ the molasses addition. Super yummy! Thanks for the recipe!
The pancakes turned out so well!! I replaced the bananas with about 1/4 cup each of applesauce and Greek yogurt. Still turned out great! Love this recipe!
Thank you for your review, Camille!
My husband loves oatmeal pancakes and this is a great easy recipe you can make pretty quickly once you get the hang of it. I like to put whole blueberries in the mix after blending. I think they taste the best with a bit of whipped cream instead of butter. They are really great and make me look like a good cook. 2 year old requests them for breakfast! It’s a win for our family. Thanks for this great recipe.
Thank you for sharing how you made it, Devon. I appreciate your review!
Can you use flax eggs for this?
Hi Jane, I didn’t think it worked well, but I know others tried it and didn’t mind the results.
How many calories does it have?
Hi Sofia! See the nutrition information below the notes section.
Absolutely loved this recipe! Slight changes I have tried: I used one egg instead of two, added a bit of milk and reduced water, and soaked the oats in water before using it.
The recipe came out perfect and everyone loved it. Brilliant recipe. Thank you for giving us this low mess, easy to make, healthy and delicious recipe!
That’s great to hear, Aparna! I appreciate you taking the time to review.
LOVE these, thank you!! Perfectly fluffy texture
I use chia “eggs” in all my pancakes and fritters these days, and they were no problem at all in these. 2tbsp chia or flax seeds + 6tbsp warm water instead of the two eggs, and let it stand for a bit before adding to the mixture, so it goes gelatinous.
These are amazing.. I have been making g them for awhile now and LOVE then. Today I only had a half of a banana and so substituted 1/4 cup yogurt as well as I always use milk instead of water. It all turned out fine, perhaps a little thinner. I love to put blueberries on tip while frying them
Is there anything you can substitute the banana with?? I’m weird, i know, but i don’t like bananas
Hi, This recipe is designed to be used with bananas, sorry!
THESE PANCAKES ARE AWESOME!!! My mom and I have a gluten sensitivity and Love pancakes! This is the first and last gluten free recipe I will ever try!!! Best pancakes I’ve ever had!!!
These were amazing! I only had half of a ripe banana, so I adjusted the rest of the ingredients. I had 3 small/medium pancakes. It was perfect for me! Thanks!
You’re welcome, Hannah! I appreciate your review.
Great recipe. Easy and yummy.
Hi Kate! What would happen if I omitted the banana? Made these this morning and while I think they’re awesome, my kids “can taste” the banana and are claiming they don’t like that. Is the banana there for flavor or does it contribute something different to the recipe? THANKS!
Hi Lindley, These were designed to be made with banana. I would try another one of my pancake recipes instead.
I’m trying to find ways to hide spinach in things – added a good handful of fresh spinach to this and left out the vanilla – they came out brilliantly, thanks, will definitely be making them again.
What do u think about tossing Blueberries in the blender too? Will it change anything?
I wouldn’t suggest that. However, you can add blueberries to the batter when you add it to the skillet.
These were Ahhhmazing!!! I cut the recipe in half, omitted the salt (I follow a low sodium diet)and used vegan butter. They turned out fantastically well!! So delicious, amazing texture and so super easy to make (I used my Ninga blender) – and better for you than white flour! So happy your recipe called for water – loved everything about this! Thank you so much for your superb recipes-I have used many of them and they have all been excellent!!
Loved it
Kate a big thank-you from Rhodos, Greece. Just made my first batch of pancakes following your easy-peasy recipe and they are delicious! Made them for my granddaughter (9 months) who is coming on Friday so will see how she likes them! I tried one of course with some honey! Divine! Excellent recipe!
I’m glad you enjoyed it, Ivi!
Pancakes were delicious. I had to add more oats as I found the first batter too runny, however, she said to let it sit so maybe it would have thickened a little more. I could taste abit of the baking powder in the finished product. But all in all this recipe is a keeper!
That’s great to hear, Davia! I’m glad you enjoyed it.
HI THIS IS THE BEST OATMEAL PANCAKE I HAVE FOUND ON THE WEB.I ADDED SOME IRISH MOSS GEL AND SOME WALNUTS TO IT AND IT WASDELICIOUS. THANKS FOR A GOOD RECIPE. THIS WILL BE MY GO TO RECIPE
Great recipe. Added chocolate chips to some and blueberries to others. Even cooked well in the waffle maker.
Excellent ! I used 2 bananas because I had two ripe ones to use up and delish! Thank you !
Can I use milk in place of water?
You can try it. They work well with water and could be thicker with milk.
Made these today for news day brunch. They were lovely, so light and fluffy. I substituted the maple syrup 1:1 for date syrup because my partner is type 2 and I used macadamia oil instead of coconut and they worked out just perfect. Will definitely make these again. Thanks for the recipe.
Hi, I was wondering if you could substitute avocado for the banana? Could this work? I would like to try and make a savory version.
PS the Banana version is great!
I don’t think you will get the same results. Sorry!
Perfection! This came out so delicious, no modifications needed!
Great to hear, Judit! I appreciate your review.
Great recipe! I don’t eat sweets so I can’t personally attest to their taste, but my very picky eater kids gobbled them up. Thanks for the amazing recipe, definitely a keeper! (Also to anyone needing to make these vegan or without eggs, we used flax eggs successfully. 2 tablespoons of ground flax, 5 tablespoons of water.)
You’re welcome, Jessie! I’m happy you enjoy these pancakes.
Very delicious and healthy, I made them with out the banana this time. definitely will try with the blue berries. Thank you
You’re welcome, Jeanette! I appreciate your comment.
I love these so much! I used to make a version of blender oatmeal pancakes many years ago when our kids were young, so was happy to see this recipe come to my attention again. This is a perfect combination of ingredients and my husband and I are enjoying them in our retirement.
Hey Kate! I’ve been making your recipes for almost 10 years now! I’m not a vegetarian but I’ve always loved your takes on breakfasts. Your focus on healthy, whole ingredients is my style of cooking and I absolutely love it.
Anyway, you used to have a recipe for peanut butter pancakes. They could also be made in a blender. It looks very similar to the above but minus the butter and add a couple of tablespoons of nut butter. Used to have a quarter cup of milk in it too. Do you have that recipe somewhere handy by chance? Ive been making it for years and years, and every person who’s tried it – from my picky parents to my nieces and nephews – have absolutely loved it. They say it’s “Marianna’s pancakes,” and I’m like no! It’s Cookie and Kate!!
Thank you!
Hi Marianna, I’m so glad you have been following along for 10 years! I appreciate all your support. I don’t recall that recipe at the moment. Sorry!
Healthy and delicious. Ridiculously easy recipe for how amazing they turn out!
I’ve made a big batch, keeping some in the freezer for when little humans need a snack
Thank you for your recipe. It’s easy to make and super tasty. I didn’t use the butter to oil the griddle. I used canola oil on a pan. The pancakes turns out good.
I am not sure if I will go back to regular flour made pancakes.
That’s great to hear, Cora!
Ummm… what the!!?? I can’t seem to make normal pancakes look this good. Health freak mum over here just fizzing on this super quick, easy, minimal mess ‘treat’ alternative. Delicious flavour. Don’t even need milk to make yum. Will be a staple.
This is our favorite weekend morning recipe! My kids love to help make the pancakes! We like to add chocolate chips to them.
Sounds delicious! Thank you for sharing, Chelsea.
This is a family favorite. I made it when my kids had a play date and had to make a second batch because each child was asking for more. I swapped out the banana for unsweetened apple sauce because I didn’t have enough banana’s and it was SO GOOD. My new go to pancake recipe
Love these pancakes! If I’m feeling lazy, would it work to stick the batter in a baking tray and oven bake? If so, what temp and how long would you recommend?
I haven’t tried that so I can’t say for sure.
I didn’t have any banana on hand so I put some strawberries instead. These recipe is the best I have tried so far and it’s vegan friendly if the butter is omitted.
Thank you for sharing, Rochel! I’m glad you enjoyed these pancakes.