Healthy Oatmeal Pancakes
Fast, easy and made with minimal ingredients. These healthy oatmeal pancakes are a staple in our home for breakfast, snacks or a light dessert.
Who doesn't love a good pancake? Warm with slightly crisp edges and a fluffy inside. The perfect vehicle for carrying sweet deliciousness.
My family has an "unhealthy" love for desserts and sweet baked treats. I think it started with my dad. His mom had a super sweet tooth and it obviously carried over to my dad and then to us. Hence, I am always trying to adapt and try healthier versions of old favorites.
Pancakes, or flapjacks as we always called them growing up, hold a special place in my heart. They come with nostalgia and a story.
When my sister and myself were little, my grandparents would pick us up from school every Friday and we would spend the afternoon with them. There was never a shortage of good food and sweet treats in their house!
Pancakes were often on the lunch menu. I can remember the smell of them in my gran's kitchen. They were perfectly crispy around the edges thanks to her lovingly frying them in butter. They were hot and fluffy on the inside when they reached your plate. They were spread with butter and then drizzled with good old fashioned golden syrup ( the one from the tin ). I can taste them as I type this.
What is it about food that is made with love? It leaves lasting memories and connects people in a special way. Maybe this is where my love for food started, with simple pancakes made lovingly by my gran on a sunny Friday afternoon.
The Creation of Healthy Oatmeal Pancakes
When I became a mom, I was always on a mission to create healthy recipes for my kids. It was a delight for me to turn an average recipe into a supercharged version of its former self, packed with as many nutrients as I could get in.
This healthy oatmeal pancake recipe was a hybrid of my gran's original recipe and the trendy banana pancakes that were doing their rounds at the time. You know, those ones with just egg and banana? And although they were healthy they tasted like a banana flavored omelette.
I already loved baking with oatmeal because it had so many more nutrients than wheat flour and was easier on a tiny tummy too. What I loved ( and still love ) most about this recipe, is that you can throw everything into a blender or smoothie maker and whip up a great batter in minutes.
What Goes into Healthy Pancakes?
We have grown to love the texture that oat flour brings to baked goods, especially these pancakes. I also love the natural sweetness that banana adds to these and the extra moisture they add. I am also a real lover of coconut sugar and the caramel taste they always provide.
There are 10 simple ingredients that make these delicious healthy oatmeal pancakes, most of which should be in your pantry right now:
banana
egg
milk of choice
oatmeal
baking powder
baking soda / bicarbonate of soda
cinnamon
salt
coconut sugar
butter for frying
Quick and Easy
These healthy oatmeal pancakes are made weekly in my home. My girls love them as a Friday morning breakfast treat, served warm with butter and honey or our favorite jam.
As a dessert these are delicious topped with jam, whipped cream and fresh berries or sliced strawberries. My dad will often request these when he feels like a dessert and they are always light and delicious after any meal. They are super quick and easy to make and require being blended and poured into a pan to fry.
I love to double batch these and freeze half for an anytime treat. They are easy to reheat in a toaster or in the pan with some butter.
If you are feeling extra fancy, you can throw in some fresh or frozen blueberries or some chocolate chips straight into the batter.
Substitutions
Banana: If bananas aren't your jam, substitute with 1/3 cup of applesauce or an extra egg
Coconut Sugar: Regular brown sugar, or maple sugar will also work well
Egg: Add and extra banana, 1/3 cup applesauce or 1 flax egg
Milk: Use any milk of your choice
Notes
If your batter seems too thin, add a teaspoon at a time of oat flour. If it is too thick then add a teaspoon at a time of milk to thin it out. Batter should be thick enough to dollop into a pan and slightly spread out.
Other optional toppings: jam of your choice, whipped cream and sliced strawberries.
Blueberries or chocolate chips can be added into the batter for a sweet twist.
For a protein boost leave out the 1/4 cup of oats and add a scoop or two of your favorite protein powder.
Can be frozen and reheated in a toaster or in a pan in some butter.
