I never ate pancakes growing up, nor in my early adult years. I always thought they were unhealthy, full of butter, sugar, and fat. It wasn't until recently that I developed an OBSESSION with almond milk pancakes made in the blender using oatmeal and banana. As in, I've been making and perfecting this recipe for WEEKS now, trying to find the perfect balance of fluffiness, healthiness, and "reheat ability".

My toddler and husband love these pancakes, and little do they know that it's jam-packed of all sorts of healthy goodness. I like to feed my family with home-cooked meals, but I don't like spending hours on end cooking. These pancakes find a balance because they reheat well in the microwave.

Ingredients You'll Need:

Oats: I use steel-cut whole oats, but instant oats work well too. Don't use the oatmeal packets that are flavored with sugar and other things.
Whole wheat flour: I add whole wheat flour to my pancake recipe to keep them fluffy. I found that using only oats, make the pancakes less fluffy and more rubbery if that makes sense.
Bananas: I use fresh ripe bananas. It wouldn't be the end of the world if you used frozen bananas if that was all you had on hand.
Eggs: Use the whole egg in the recipe. If you want to make this recipe vegan, I've heard that applesauce can be substituted for eggs for pancakes. However, I've not tried it, so it might not work. If I try applesauce, I'll update this post on if this option worked. If you try it, please leave a comment below to let other readers know!
Dates: I really like cooking and using Sukari dates, however they might not be easily available in your local grocery store. Medjool dates are great to use also. If using Medjool dates, add less because the dates are almost twice the size of Sukari dates. If you don't have any dates on hand, you can use honey, agave nectar, or raw sugar.
Almonds: I use raw whole almonds for this recipe, however you can also use slivered and sliced almonds as well. The almonds can be omitted from this recipe if desired. If you don't use a Vitamix blender, I recommend leaving these out because you might end up with bits of almond. Since I use almond milk in this recipe and it's a little bit watery, I add almonds to make the batter more creamy.
Milk: I use almond milk for this recipe, however oat milk, soy milk, or cow's milk are good substitutes as well.
Baking powder & baking soda: Make sure to add baking powder and baking soda so that your pancakes are fluffy.
Spices: I add vanilla extract, ground cinnamon, and ground cloves. If I don't have fresh ground cloves on hand, I just add the full cloves (about 3 or 4) into the blender.
Oil/butter: I like making the pancakes with butter or coconut oil. If your non-stick pan is legit, you don't need any sort of added fat.

You will also need:

Blender (my most used kitchen appliances are my Breville Espresso Machine and my Vitamix blender)
Nonstick wide skillet or pancake griddle
Spatula

Tips and Tricks

Use a blender! Whole oatmeal pieces make the pancake have a very strange texture. Get around this by blending all of the ingredients using a blender.
Blend in two stages. It's important to blend the almonds first so that there are no almond bits in the pancake.
Sweeten with natural ingredients.
Are you counting macros and need to up your protein? You can add some vanilla protein powder to this pancake recipe, however, do so gradually. The after taste can be a little strong if you add too much.
These pancakes cook a little darker because of the dates and bananas, so don't think you burned them.

Are Oatmeal Pancakes Healthy?

Yes! This recipe is packed full of whole foods. There is no oil or butter in the batter directly, only to coat the frying pan when cooking. I recommend using a spray or thin coating to make the pancakes easy to flip.

How to Store Pancakes

These healthy homemade oatmeal banana pancakes store really well in the fridge for up to 4 days. I reheat my pancakes using a microwave for 30 seconds to 45 seconds.

Best Way to Eat

There are so many ways to eat pancakes, the ideas are endless! I prefer my pancakes with some scrambled eggs and maple syrup. I like the combination of salty and sweet, and I find that the meal is pretty balanced when counting my macros.

My toddler eats these pancakes with some peanut butter and honey on top. Sometimes, I eat these pancakes as a snack with some homemade almond butter.

Other Healthy Breakfast Recipes to Try

📋 Recipe