Oatmeal Buttermilk Pancakes

Looking for a gluten-free breakfast that tastes great and is easy to make? Well, look no further than these Oatmeal Pancakes. No special ingredients required — just rolled oats!

By
Sally Vargas
Sally Vargas
Sally Vargas

Sally is the author of four cookbooks and is a regular correspondent for the Boston Globe Wednesday Food Section. She also is a food photographer.

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Updated February 16, 2021
Sally Vargas
Glueten Free Oatmeal pancakes stacked high on a whie plate drizzeled with maple syrup and topped with raspberries and a glass bottle of milk behind the stack.
Sally Vargas

Pancakes made "from scratch" are a special treat, and this batter, made from old-fashioned rolled oats, is quick and easy to make, so put away that mix!

Chopped oats provide these pancakes with plenty of texture and a satisfying nutty, earthy taste. Oatmeal pancakes are sure to please any palate but those sensitive to gluten will be especially appreciative of this breakfast because there is no wheat flour. Just make sure your oats are labeled “gluten-free!”

A food processor makes quick work of this breakfast by blending whole oats into oat flour. Just set aside a small amount of oats to add to the final batter and grind the rest in your food processor (5 seconds!). Add the remaining ingredients to the ground oats; push the button for a couple of pulses, and you’re done!

Tips for Cooking the Perfect Pancake

  • Pick the correct pan: A griddle is my first choice for making pancakes because it’s a wide shallow pan without the tall sides of a skillet. Shorter sides make it easier to flip the pancakes. If you don’t have a griddle, a well-seasoned cast-iron skillet is also a good choice even though the pancakes may be a bit harder to flip because of the higher sides. Both distribute the heat evenly and are essentially non-stick. Failing those two options, use a non-stick skillet.
  • Lightly oil the griddle/pan: Whether using a skillet or griddle, a thin slick of oil or a pat of butter is all you need. Drizzle a few drops of oil (or a pat of butter) in the pan and spread it around. Repeat between each new round of batter. I prefer oil to butter, but really either will work.
  • Cook on medium-low temperature: Low and slow is the way to go. Once the pan is hot, turn the heat to medium-low. The pancakes cook slowly, giving the outsides time to brown and the insides time to cook. A hot griddle may burn the pancakes too quickly on the outside, leaving the inside raw.
  • Know when to flip: Once bubbles form on the surface of the batter and the edges start to look a little dry, it’s time to flip. Slide a wide spatula under the pancake (try not to move it) and peek to make sure it is brown. Then slide the spatula all the way under the pancake and flip it. The first side takes longer to cook than the second.
Healthy oatmeal pancakes stacked high on a whie plate drizzeled with maple syrup and topped with raspberries.
Sally Vargas

Can You Refrigerate or Freeze Leftover Pancakes?

Yes and no. You can refrigerate pancakes for up to 5 days. Cool them, then stack on a plate between waxed paper and cover with plastic wrap. Reheat them in the microwave, or spread them on a baking sheet and reheat them in a 350oF oven.

If you want to freeze them, layer them between waxed or parchment paper and enclose them in a plastic freezer bag. Store for up to 2 months. Reheat in the same way as the refrigerated pancakes.

The only downside is that they do lose a little of that hot-off-the-griddle, crisp-on-the-outside quality, but then, slathered with butter and syrup, it may not matter all that much!

You Can Never Have Too Many Pancake Recipes!

Oatmeal Buttermilk Pancakes

Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 15 mins
Total Time 25 mins
Servings 12 pancakes

Ingredients

  • 3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 1/2 to 2 cups buttermilk
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil or melted butter
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Vegetable oil (for the skillet)

Method

  1. Grind the oats:

    Set aside 1/2 cup of the oats to add to the batter later. In a food processor, grind the remaining 2 1/2 cups oats until the mixture resembles coarse whole-wheat flour, with a few particles of oats.

    Grinding oats in a food processor to make oat meal pancakes
    Sally Vargas
  2. Make the batter:

    Add the baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, eggs, 1 1/2 cups of the buttermilk, oil or melted butter, honey, and vanilla to the food processor bowl and pulse a few times, until blended.

    Pour the batter into a bowl and stir in the remaining 1/2 cup oats. Let stand for 5 to 10 minutes. The mixture will not be not completely smooth, and it will thicken as it sits. If the batter becomes too thick at any point feel free to thin with some of the remaining buttermilk.

    A spoon is lifting some gluten-free pancake batter out of a white mixing bowl.
    Sally Vargas
  3. Heat a skillet or griddle:

    Pour a few drops of oil into the skillet or griddle and spread with a paper towel. Set the pan over medium heat. The pan is hot enough when you drop a few drops of water on it and they sizzle. Turn the heat to medium-low.

  4. Cook the pancakes:

    Ladle about 1/3 cup of batter for each pancake onto the skillet. With the back of the ladle, spread the batter into 4-inch circles. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until bubbles form on top and the bottoms look brown when you peek under the pancakes with a spatula. Turn them and cook for another 2 minutes, or until browned. Repeat until all the batter is used.

    Homemade healthy and gluten free pancakes frying on a skillet. They need to be flipped because bubbles are forming.
    Sally Vargas
  5. Serve the pancakes:

    Serve them hot off the griddle or keep them warm in a 325oF oven on a wire rack set over a baking sheet. Serve with lots of butter, fresh fruit (if you wish), and maple syrup.