Oat Flour Pancakes

These oat flour pancakes are fluffy, tender, and absolutely delicious! The recipe is simple and easy, and the batter mixes up in under 5 minutes. The only flour you need to make these pancakes is oat flour, which makes them naturally gluten free!

Oat flour has quickly become my favorite flour to bake with. While it’s incredible for making oat flour chocolate chip cookies, banana muffins, and my favorite oat flour waffles, lately I’ve been absolutely obsessed with oat flour pancakes!

We make pancakes just about every Saturday. It’s a family tradition that I had growing up, and my kids love it just as much as I did. While we’ve experimented with a lot of recipes, this is our go-to.

These pancakes are super fluffy and deliciously tender. They also freeze well, which is an added bonus in our house. I often cook a double batch, and then add them to the kids’ lunches throughout the week when we’re in a pinch. Below, I’ve included the secret to making them super fluffy, and easy tips for making your own oat flour!

What is Oat Flour?

Oat flour is a whole grain flour made by processing rolled oats into a fine powder. It’s rich in fiber and protein, and pack with vitamins and minerals such as calcium, iron, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, and zinc. It has a mildly sweet and nutty flavor, and gives a soft and fluffy texture to baked goods. Oat flour is available at most grocery stores, but can easily be made at home from rolled oats using a food processor or blender.

Ingredient Notes

• Oat flour – You can purchase this at the store, or easily make your own from rolled oats. I typically purchase this certified gluten free oat flour.
• Milk – Any milk works in this recipe, including dairy free milk like almond, coconut, or cashew milk. Do not use coconut milk from a can as it will be too thick.
• Coconut oil or butter – Refined and unrefined coconut oil both work. I recommend an unrefined organic coconut oil for the best neutral flavor.
• Eggs – Use large eggs for this recipe. Oat flour soaks up moisture, so if you have medium, you may need to add a tablespoon more of milk to thin the batter.
• Maple syrup – Use a dark maple syrup for the best flavor.
• Lemon juice or apple cider vinegar – While this is optional, it makes the pancakes a bit fluffier. Both work great and don’t add any flavor.

See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.

Substitutions

If you find yourself short, you can make a few easy swaps to make the recipe fit your needs:

• Milk – You can use any type of dairy free milk, including almond, coconut, or cashew milk. Just make sure to avoid full fat coconut milk in a can.
• Maple syrup – you can use honey instead, however it will make the pancakes slightly more sweet.
• Vanilla extract – Leave this out, or use an almond extract for a nice almond flavor.

How to Make Oat Flour Pancakes

When it comes to breakfast, I want things quick and easy! This is my favorite pancake recipe because it mixes up in under five minutes! Here’s how to make it:

1. Mix: Add all of the ingredients to a blender (tip: add the wet ingredients first) and blend until smooth.
2. Rest: Let the batter rest for 10 minutes to let the flour absorb the liquid. The batter will thicken slightly. If you find the batter is too thick and doesn’t pour, add a little more milk a tablespoon at a time until it becomes pourable.
3. Cook: Heat a large non-stick skillet or griddle over medium heat. Once the skillet is hot, add about ½ – 1 teaspoon of oil to the pan. Pour the batter directly into the pan so it forms into a circle. Use about ¼ cup of batter for each pancake. Cook until the underside turns golden brown and the batter starts to bubble, about 2-3 minutes.
4. Flip: Flip and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes, or until golden brown. Repeat with the remaining batter. Serve warm with butter, syrup, or fruit!

Recommended Toppings

There is nothing better than toppings when it comes to pancakes! You can really add anything your heart desires, including:

• Fresh berries
• Maple syrup
• Butter or coconut oil
• Whipped cream (my favorite is coconut whipped cream!)
• Chocolate chips or sprinkles
• Sliced bananas
• Chocolate or blueberry syrup
• Nutella or peanut butter
• Chopped nuts
• Jam
• Bacon pieces

Making Oat Flour

Homemade oat flour works great in recipes, including this one. Just process rolled oats for about 30-60 seconds in the blender, or until a fine powder forms. Once ground, measure out the amount you need for your recipe. Store the extra oat flour in an airtight container. Note: 1 cup rolled oats will yield just under 1 cup oat flour after being processed.

Cooking Tips

• Let that batter rest! Oat flour needs time to absorb moisture.
• If you use coconut milk, make sure to use coconut milk from a carton. Canned coconut milk has more fat and the pancakes will end up too thick. 
• No blender? Just mix the batter in a mixing bowl.
• To bring the eggs to room temperature, lay them out for an hour before you use them, or put them in a warm water bath for 3-4 minutes.
• Use plenty of cooking fat in the pan when cooking each pancake. I find coconut oil, ghee, and butter works best.
• Always do a test pancake. I find the first one is always a little runny and thin. After that, the pancakes will be nice and fluffy.
• If the pancake batter is too thick after the test pancake, add a little bit more milk a tablespoon at a time.
• While I like to pour the batter directly from the blender, you can also scoop the batter out with a ladle or ¼ cup-measuring cup.
• To add mix-ins, gently place a few blueberries, chocolate chips, or sliced bananas directly in the pancake right after pouring it in the pan. Leave space in between the pieces to ensure even cooking. I like to use a spatula to quickly cover the pieces with a little extra batter so it doesn’t burn when you flip the pancake.

Recipe FAQs

Storage

We love making these because they are fantastic for meal prep! We often do a double batch and store extra in the refrigerator and/or freezer to grab for the kids during the week!

TO STORE: Let pancakes cool to room temperature, then store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. I like to store my in a silicone sealable storage bag.

TO FREEZE: To freeze, just separate each pancake with a small piece of parchment paper so they don’t stick together, and place them in a freezer safe zip-top storage bag. They will keep in the freezer up to two months.

More Breakfasts Recipes

• Oat Flour Waffles
• Coconut Milk Overnight Oats
• Oat Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Mango Coconut Milk Smoothie
• Apple Banana Smoothie

Recipe by: Noelle Tarr and Kelsey Hite / Coconuts and Kettlebells | Photography by: Casey Colodny / The Mindful Hapa