The best oatmeal pancakes recipe for a healthy breakfast! Made with wholesome oats and whole wheat flour for fluffy, satisfying pancakes.
I'll be the first to admit-we love pancakes in my family.
Over the years, I've shared a few different versions, from these classic buttermilk pancakes to lemon ricotta pancakes that are perfect for a Mother's Day brunch.
But when I want something quick, healthy, and still incredibly fluffy, this oatmeal pancakes recipe is the one I turn to most often. Packed with fiber, they're more nutritious than regular pancakes, and the secret to their texture is simple: soaking the oats before mixing the batter makes them unbelievably light and fluffy.
Ready in no time, they're perfect for a light supper or a relaxed weekend breakfast.
So, grab your oats and mixing bowl-let's make a batch together!
Quick Overview
Prep Time: 15-20 minutes (includes soaking the oats, mixing, and heating the pan)
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 35-40 minutes
Yield: About 18 pancakes
Serving Suggestions: Serve warm with a healthy fruit salad recipe, a drizzle of maple syrup, yogurt, or your favorite compote.
Instructions
Soak the oats: In a medium bowl, combine 1½ cups quick-cooking oats (125 g) with 2 cups milk (500 mL). Stir them together and let the mixture sit for about 10 minutes. This softens the oats and is the secret to getting fluffy pancakes with a wonderful texture.
Mix the dry ingredients: While the oats are soaking, whisk together ½ cup whole wheat flour (78 g), ½ cup all-purpose flour (71 g), 2 tablespoons brown sugar (25 g), 2 tablespoons baking powder (24 g), ¼ teaspoon salt (1.5 g), and ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon (1 g). Set aside. As an option, you can also add 1 tablespoon of wheat germ or flaxseed.
Combine the wet ingredients: To the soaked oats, add 3 large eggs, ¼ cup (60 mL) of vegetable oil, and ½ teaspoon (2.5 mL) of vanilla extract. Whisk until smooth.
Bring it all together: Gently stir the wet mixture into the dry mixture until just combined. Make sure to scrape the sides and the bottom of the bowl properly.
Cook the pancakes: Lightly grease a nonstick skillet or griddle with a little vegetable oil. Heat over medium. Pour about ¼ cup (60 mL) of batter for each pancake. Cook until bubbles form on the surface and the edges look set, about 2-3 minutes. Flip and cook for another 1-2 minutes, until golden brown.
As you cook the pancakes, place them in a single layer on a parchment-lined, rimmed baking sheet and keep warm in a 250℉ (120℃) oven.
Serve warm: Stack them up and serve right away with your favorite toppings. Pictured here is one of my favorites, blackberry compote.
Tips
- Whisking the dry ingredients together is essential to evenly distribute the baking powder. This prevents large holes in the finished product.
- Avoid overmixing the batter as this deflates the air bubbles, develops gluten and in turn, creates a chewier pancake.
- When mixing the pancake batter, make sure to scrape the sides and the bottom of the bowl.
- Your griddle pan is hot enough when droplets of water sprinkled on the surface “dance”.
Yes, as long as they soak for at least 15 minutes in the milk, they will soften. Expect the texture to be a little coarse.
Yes. A lumpy batter is fine as long as you no longer see dry streaks of flour.
Store leftover oatmeal pancakes in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Place them in an airtight container. For longer storage, freeze them for up to 3 months. To freeze: let pancakes cool completely, place on a baking sheet in a single layer, freeze for 2 hours, then transfer to a freezer bag. To reheat: microwave for 30-60 seconds, toast in a toaster, or warm in a 350°F oven for 5-7 minutes.
Yes! If you don't have whole wheat flour, simply replace it with all-purpose flour. The pancakes will still be fluffy and delicious, though they'll have a little less fiber than the version made with whole wheat.
Toppings for Pancakes we Love
Recipe Origins
I've mentioned before how much I enjoy having breakfast foods for supper, so I'm always on the lookout for quick and easy recipes to add to the rotation.
These oatmeal pancakes come from my soon-to-be vintage Robin Hood recipe booklets, dating back to the early 1990s. Over the years, I've adapted the original recipe to make it a little healthier-by adding more fiber and reducing the salt-without losing that fluffy texture I loved from the start.
As much as I enjoy piling them high with fresh fruit, you can also toss a handful of berries right into the batter. Isn't it wonderful to have choices?
I hope your family enjoys these oatmeal pancakes as much as mine does!
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Ciao for now,
Maria
★★★★★ If you have made this easy pancake recipe, I would love to hear about it in the comments below and be sure to rate the recipe!
Recipe
Easy Oatmeal Pancakes Recipe: Fluffy & Healthy!
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Ingredients
- 1½ cups quick-cooking oats 125 grams
- 2 cups milk 500 mL
Dry Ingredients:
- ½ cup whole wheat flour 78 grams
- ½ cup all-purpose flour 71 grams
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar 25 grams
- 2 tablespoons baking powder 24 grams
- ¼ teaspoon salt 1.5 grams
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 gram
- 1 tablespoon wheat germ and/or ground flaxseed, OPTIONAL
Wet Ingredients:
- 3 eggs room temperature
- ¼ cup vegetable oil 60 mL
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract 2.5 mL
- vegetable oil for greasing pan
Instructions
- In a small mixing bowl, combine oats and milk. Set aside and allow to soak for at least 10 minutes.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together dry ingredients. Set aside.
- In another bowl, whisk together eggs, oil, and vanilla.
- Combine the egg mixture to the oat mixture. Mix well.
- Add this wet mixture all at once to the dry ingredients. Stir together with a flexible spatula just until combined. It's okay if the batter is still a little lumpy.
- Lightly grease a nonstick skillet or griddle with a little vegetable oil. Heat over medium.
- Drop the pancake batter on the hot surface using a large serving spoon. You can also use a disher. In order to get 4-inch pancakes, use about ¼ cup of batter per portion.
- Cook 2-3 minutes until bubbles start to form on tops.
- Flip and continue to cook for 1-2 minutes until golden brown.
- Place on a rimmed baking sheet and transfer to the oven to keep warm. (set oven to 250℉/120℃)
- Serve with your favorite toppings.
Video
Notes
- Whisking the dry ingredients together is important to properly distribute the baking powder. This prevents large holes in the finished product.
- Avoid overmixing the batter as this deflates the air bubbles, develops gluten and in turn, creates a chewier pancake.
- When mixing the pancake batter, make sure to scrape the sides and the bottom of the bowl.
- Your griddle pan is hot enough when droplets of water sprinkled on the surface “dance”.
- Refrigerate for up to 3 days or can conveniently be frozen for up to 3 months.
- Reheat frozen pancakes in the toaster or microwave.
Nutrition
I originally published this post on February 15, 2015, and republished on February 19, 2020, and again on October 3, 2025 with updated content, photos and a video. Thanks for sharing!
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Ema
Hubby and I are both diabetic and have regular milk intolerance, so I substituted almond milk for the regular milk, and brown sugar substitute for the brown sugar, included the wheat germ. He LOVED these pancakes and I am overjoyed to find a pancake recipe that I can actually eat…and a healthier version made with OATS. What could be better? In addition, my blood sugar reading was only a couple of points higher 2 hours after eating. I can enjoy a pancake again! Thank you, Maria for this recipe!
Maria
My pleasure Ema! Thanks so much for taking the time to share.
Rosanne olishansky
Can I sub all purpose flour for the whole wheat? TY
Maria
Thanks for your interest Rosanne. Yes! If you don’t have whole wheat flour, simply replace it with all-purpose flour. The pancakes will still be fluffy and delicious, though they’ll have a little less fiber than the version made with whole wheat. Enjoy!
Stephanie
Really delicious pancakes. The reason I took away one star is that I followed the recipe exactly and it was too liquidity and difficult to make the pancakes on the pancake griddle. What we ended up doing was add a little extra oatmeal and put it in the fridge to soak for a few hours to thicken up the batter. After that the batter was much easier to work with!
Maria
Thanks so much for your feedback Stephanie. Great idea to add a little oatmeal. I’m curious to know did the quick oats absorb the milk properly?
Yumgoggle
Yum! These pancakes look like my kind of Sunday morning! Great recipe!
Maria
So glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for your comment.
🙂