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Oatmeal Pancakes are my favorite way to make pancake morning feel a little more wholesome, with hearty old fashioned oats soaked soft in buttermilk, a little whole wheat flour, warm cinnamon, and juicy fresh strawberries folded right into the batter. They are fluffy and filling in the best way, and my girls love them stacked tall with whipped cream and maple syrup on a slow weekend morning. If you love an easy breakfast, our banana nut muffins are another go to.
Soak the oats while you sip your coffee, and the rest comes together in one bowl.
Oatmeal Pancakes Quick Look
- 🕒 Prep Time: 25 minutes
- 🌡️ Cook Time: 6 minutes
- ⏳ Total Time: 31 minutes
- 🍽️ Serving: 8 pancakes
- ⚡ Calories: 211kcal
- 🌶️ Flavor Profile: Hearty, fluffy oat pancakes studded with fresh strawberries and warm cinnamon
- ✋ Difficulty: Easy, a simple one bowl batter, like our lemon blueberry muffins
Quick Answer
Stir old fashioned oats into buttermilk and let them soak for 20 minutes to soften. Whisk in eggs, oil, and vanilla, then stir in the flours, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Fold in chopped strawberries, then cook quarter cup scoops on a lightly greased skillet over medium heat for about 3 minutes per side until golden.
Jump to:
- Oatmeal Pancakes Quick Look
- Quick Answer
- Why This Recipe Works
- Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Key Ingredients
- Variations and Substitutions
- How to Make Oatmeal Pancakes
- Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Serving Ideas and Suggestions
- Oatmeal Pancakes FAQs
- Other Recommended Easy Breakfast Recipes
- Easy Oatmeal Pancakes with Strawberries
Why This Recipe Works
Click to see the technique science
- Soaking the oats is the secret. Letting the oats sit in buttermilk for 20 minutes softens them so the pancakes are tender, not gritty or dense.
- Buttermilk for fluffy lift. The acidity in buttermilk reacts with the baking soda for pancakes that cook up light and fluffy.
- A little whole wheat flour. Swapping in some whole wheat flour adds heartiness and fiber without making the pancakes heavy.
- Fresh strawberries in every bite. Finely chopped strawberries folded into the batter add natural sweetness and pops of juicy flavor.
- One bowl and a skillet. No special equipment needed, just a bowl, a whisk, and a hot pan for an easy weekday or weekend breakfast.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- They are a hearty, wholesome twist on classic pancakes that still taste like a treat.
- Soaking the oats makes them tender and fluffy instead of gritty.
- They are as easy as whisking up a batch of our lemon blueberry muffins.
Key Ingredients
Simple wholesome ingredients come together for these hearty oatmeal pancakes.
- Old fashioned oats: The hearty base, soaked in buttermilk so they turn soft and tender in the batter.
- Buttermilk: Adds tang and reacts with the baking soda for light, fluffy pancakes.
- Fresh strawberries: Finely chopped and folded in for juicy, naturally sweet pops in every bite.
- Whole wheat and all purpose flour: A blend that adds heartiness and fiber while keeping the texture soft.
- Cinnamon: A warm, cozy spice that rounds out the oats and strawberries.
See recipe card for exact quantities.
Variations and Substitutions
These oatmeal pancakes are easy to customize.
- Swap the strawberries for blueberries, raspberries, diced banana, or chocolate chips.
- Use all purpose flour for the whole wheat if that is what you have on hand.
- Make them dairy free with a non dairy milk plus a teaspoon of lemon juice in place of the buttermilk.
- Stir in a scoop of vanilla protein powder or ground flax for an extra nutritious boost.
How to Make Oatmeal Pancakes
- In a large bowl, stir the old fashioned oats and buttermilk together. Let the mixture sit for 20 minutes so the oats soften.
- Add the eggs, vanilla, and oil to the soaked oats and whisk until well combined.
- Add both flours, the sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Stir together until just combined.
- Gently fold the finely chopped fresh strawberries into the batter.
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat and lightly grease it. Add a quarter cup of batter per pancake and spread it into a circle. Cook about 3 minutes until bubbles form and burst in the center.
- Flip and cook another 3 minutes until the bottom is golden brown. Serve immediately with whipped cream and maple syrup.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Do not skip the soak, since 20 minutes in buttermilk is what makes the oats tender and the pancakes fluffy.
- Chop the strawberries small so they fold in evenly and the pancakes cook through without raw spots.
- Keep the heat at medium, as too hot a pan browns the outside before the inside cooks.
- Wait for the bubbles to form and burst across the surface before flipping for the best texture.
- Grease lightly between batches so each pancake gets an even golden crust.
- Keep them warm in a 200 degree oven on a sheet tray while you finish the batch.
Serving Ideas and Suggestions
These oatmeal pancakes are best served hot off the skillet, stacked tall with a dollop of whipped cream, extra fresh strawberries, and a generous drizzle of maple syrup. They make a cozy weekend breakfast that feels special but comes together on a busy morning.
Round out the breakfast table with a side of bacon or sausage and a fruit salad, or serve them next to our lemon blueberry coffee cake for a brunch crowd.
They also freeze and reheat beautifully, so make a double batch for quick weekday breakfasts alongside our oatmeal fruit smoothie bowls.
Oatmeal Pancakes FAQs
Yes. Cook the pancakes fully, cool them, then store in the fridge for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 2 months. Reheat in the toaster, microwave, or a warm oven for a fast breakfast any day of the week.
Old fashioned oats give the best hearty texture, but quick oats will work in a pinch and need less soaking time. Avoid instant oat packets, which are too fine and can make the batter gummy.
Make a quick substitute by stirring a tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar into a cup of milk and letting it sit 5 minutes. The soak still works and gives you that tender, fluffy result.
Oat batters thicken as they sit because the oats keep absorbing liquid. If it gets too thick to spread, stir in a splash of buttermilk or milk until it is pourable again.
These pancakes are a wholesome choice made with whole grain oats, whole wheat flour, and fresh fruit. They are heartier and higher in fiber than classic pancakes, and you can easily lighten them further with the variations above.
Yes. Use certified gluten free oats and swap the all purpose and whole wheat flour for a one to one gluten free flour blend. The texture stays soft and fluffy thanks to the soaked oats.
Tried these easy oatmeal pancakes? I would love to hear how they turned out, leave a comment and a star rating below and tell me what fruit you folded in!
If you love a fruity breakfast, our oatmeal pancakes with strawberries are a wholesome family favorite.
Easy Oatmeal Pancakes with Strawberries
Ingredients
- 1 cup old fashioned oats
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 2 large eggs
- ¼ cup canola oil or melted butter
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup whole wheat flour
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ½ cup finely chopped fresh strawberries
- Whipped cream for serving
- Maple syrup for serving
Instructions
- In a large bowl, stir the oats and buttermilk together. Let sit for 20 minutes.1 cup old fashioned oats, 1 cup buttermilk
- Add the eggs, vanilla, and oil to the bowl and whisk to combine.2 large eggs, 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract, ¼ cup canola oil or melted butter
- Add the flour, whole wheat flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Stir together until combined.½ cup all-purpose flour, ½ cup whole wheat flour, 3 tablespoons granulated sugar, ½ teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- Fold in the strawberries.½ cup finely chopped fresh strawberries
- Place a large skillet over medium heat. Lightly spray with cooking spray.
- Add ½ cup of the batter to the skillet and spread it out into a circle shape.
- Cook for 3 minutes on the first side until bubbles come up in the center and burst.
- Flip and cook for an additional 3 minutes or until the bottom is browned.
- Serve immediately with whipped cream and maple syrup.Whipped cream for serving, Maple syrup for serving
Notes
- Nutritional value does not include syrup or whipped topping.
- This recipe can be doubled to serve more people!
- Other fruits can be used instead of strawberries.
- Top this with other things, see above for ideas.
- Make sure that you are using old fashioned oats for this recipe.
- These can be frozen, see above on how to do that.
- The whole wheat flour can be substituted for all-purpose flour.
- Use this as a base recipe for other pancakes. You can even leave out the strawberries for just oatmeal pancakes. Some other yummy mix-ins include: blueberries, chocolate chips, chopped pecans, butterscotch chips, or peanut butter chips.
Nutrition
Love This Recipe?
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These look so amazing! I can’t get enough strawberries right now:)
OMG these look so delish I want some RIGHT NOW! I haven’t added strawberries or oats to my pancakes but you can bet I will now!
Love oatmeal pancakes but have never added strawberries to it. Looks sooo good! Thanks for the recipe!
These look awesome! Found you on the link up..
These are going on my summer breakfast plan–the kids would love them! Thanks for sharing at Snickerdoodle Sunday. 🙂
YAY! I’m so glad they were such a hit, make sure to check out Shannon’s blog http://CozyCountryLiving.com for more great recipes!
I ended up making these with blueberries last night—HUGE hit! I doubled the batch and every last one was devoured. They were delicious and filling. Thanks again!
I would like these for breakfast please 😉
They look sooooo good.
I’ll be trying these tonight! I already had breakfast for dinner on the menu, and this sealed the deal! Thanks!
I can’t wait to try these! I’ve never put oatmeal in pancakes before, but my kids love pancakes.. and brinner during the summer with fresh fruit is the best! Thank you for linking these up!