What’s better than a stack of fluffy pancakes for breakfast? These oat milk pancakes are quick, simple, easy to make and so fluffy. Look no further for a delicious weekend breakfast you’ll fall in love with.
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Jump to:
- What Is Oat Milk?
- Are These Pancakes Dairy Free?
- What Makes Oat Milk Pancakes Fluffy?
- How To Make Fluffy Pancakes with Oat Milk
- Make The Fluffy Oat Milk Pancakes Vegan
- Storing and Freezing The Pancakes
- How To Serve Oat Milk Pancakes
- Add These Ingredients To The Oat Milk Pancakes
- Common Questions
- In The Mood for Breakfast? Try These
- The Fluffiest Oat Milk Pancakes
What Is Oat Milk?
These healthy oat milk pancakes aren’t made with regular milk, instead they’re made with oat milk. So what exactly is oat milk? Oat milk is a plant based milk derived from whole oat grains. It’s made by soaking the oats, blending them, and then straining the liquid through a cheesecloth.
The result is a creamy and delicious milk that’s nutritious and very delicious. Since oats absorb water easily, more so than nuts, you’ll find it has a creamier texture than nut milk. It also doesn’t have the added ingredients that nut milk does.
Making pancakes with oat milk or any dairy free milk like almond milk is a great idea because oat milk contains less sugar, no cholesterol, and contains fiber. Not to mention all of the vitamins and minerals that are naturally found in oat milk.
Oat milk is not just for those who are sensitive to dairy, it’s for anyone who wants a healthier, creamier alternative.
Are These Pancakes Dairy Free?
If you’re trying to steer clear from dairy, you may be wondering if these are made with any other dairy products. The answer is yes and no. I say that because there is no dairy in the batter. Since we substitute regular milk for oat milk that eliminates the dairy making these dairy free pancakes.
On the other hand, the pancakes are cooked in a skillet with butter. Butter as you may already know contains dairy. With that being said, you can make these dairy free by substituting coconut oil or canola oil in the batter and to cook the batter in the frying pan. The amount you’ll need will depend on how large your skillet is.
What Makes Oat Milk Pancakes Fluffy?
Fluffy pancakes come from having the right ingredients and using the right heat. The baking powder in your recipe is responsible for producing bubbles in the batter. It is first activated when it’s mixed with liquid. Then it’s activated by heat.
When baking powder is activated by liquid this process occurs slowly. When it’s introduced to heat, the production of the gas happens more quickly resulting in a fluffy pancake. So what does that mean about the cooking process?
If you want fluffy pancakes you first need to heat your skillet with butter. Give it a little time to warm up before adding the batter. Once it’s hot, and you add the batter, bubbles will start to form immediately and you’ll notice your pancakes start to grow and become fluffy.
I have one more tip for you. The way you flip the pancakes is important. Try to do so gently. Flipping quickly and having the pancakes hit the pan hard causes the bubbles to burst and your pancake could become more flat.
How To Make Fluffy Pancakes with Oat Milk
Step 1: In a large mixing bowl combine flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar. Make a well in the middle of the flour mixture and add the wet ingredients which include milk, egg, and melted butter. Mix until just combined. This means the flour streaks have disappeared but leaving lumps is perfectly okay! If you overtax your batter you’ll be left with a thick chewy batter instead of that fluffy texture we all love.
Optional: Consider refrigerating your pancake batter before cooking it. Chill for at least 30-45 minutes. This causes the gluten in the flour to relax which guarantees that you’ll have a lighter pancake. You can keep pancake batter refrigerated for up to 4 days in case you want to make ahead.
Step 2: Heat a lightly oiled or buttered griddle or frying pan over medium heat. When your frying pan has heated, pour the batter into the pan using a 1/4 cup for each pancake. Cook for about 3-4 minutes until you see bubbles starting to form. Flip and cook until golden brown on the other side for an additional 3-4 minutes or until cooked and browned.
Make The Fluffy Oat Milk Pancakes Vegan
Making these oat milk pancakes vegan is easy. The two ingredients that keep these pancakes from being vegan is the egg and butter. By omitting the egg and substituting butter for coconut oil or canola oil, you’ll have a fluffy pancake that’s vegan friendly and still very fluffy and delicious.
Storing and Freezing The Pancakes
There are a couple of ways you can store the pancakes. First you can start by storing the batter. The batter is good for up to four days in the refrigerator. This is a great idea as a make ahead option. Or if you only want to make a few at a time you can, then save the rest of the batter for another day.
Refrigerating the batter is a great idea because letting it sit for at least 30 minutes gives you a more light and fluffy pancake. I highly recommend this step.
After your pancakes have been made, they can be stored in the refrigerator in an air tight container or wrapped in foil for up to a week. To reheat the pancakes place in the microwave and heat until warmed through.
If you have a lot of pancakes you would like to reheat, place them in a single layer on a baking sheet, cover with foil and bake in a 350 degree oven until warmed through. Then serve immediately.
Pancakes freeze very well. To freeze after cooking, let the pancakes cool or at least come around room temperature. Place the pancakes in a sealed freezer bag. Keep in the freezer for up to 3 months. Allowing the pancakes to cool before they go in the freezer prevents excess moisture from accruing and causing the pancakes to freeze and stick together.
When you’re ready to eat the frozen pancakes, let them thaw completely in the refrigerator. Once thawed, microwave until warm. Alternatively you can bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees until warmed through.
How To Serve Oat Milk Pancakes
One of the best ways to serve these oat milk pancakes is with a sliver of butter over top of the warm pancakes. Let it melt and cover the top. For some added sweetness, top with fresh honey or maple syrup.
Try using orange blossom honey, lemon flavored honey, or even blueberry honey. The different flavors are delicious over the pancakes and are a must try!
Aside from the typical butter and syrup I suggest you eat these oat milk pancakes with fresh fruit. We commonly serve these with sliced strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries.
Add These Ingredients To The Oat Milk Pancakes
There are so many ways to enjoy oat milk pancakes and make your breakfast incredibly delicious. You don’t have to keep these plain. Consider adding the flavors you love and make them new every time. Here are some ideas you should try!
- Add fresh berries into the batter (strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, blackberries)
- Make it chocolatey. Consider sprinkling a few chocolate chips in the batter as it cooks. To make an entire batch of chocolate oat milk pancakes, stir in 1 tablespoon of cocoa powder
- Nut butter - try peanut butter, almond butter, or cashew butter. Add a dollop to the batter and mix well making sure you don’t over mix. This will give them a delicious sweet nutty flavor.
- Vanilla extract - It's subtle but adds delicious flavor especially when this pancake recipe is paired with fresh strawberries
Common Questions
Can I use whole wheat flour?
For added fiber and nutrition, whole wheat flour is a great substitute for all purpose flour. In doing so, I recommend that you use 50% whole wheat flour and 50% all purpose flour. The reason for this is because whole wheat flour absorbs more liquid than all purpose and this causes the pancakes to become more firm and stiff.
Can I double the recipe?
This recipe can be doubled or tripled easily. This recipe makes about 6-8 pancakes. It's more than enough oat milk pancakes for one but if you're cooking for a big family you may want to consider doubling or tripling the recipe. This is super simple.
Why are my pancakes not fluffy?
Your pancakes could be flat and not fluffy for a number of reasons. First, make sure the baking powder hasn’t expired. Expired baking powder can lead to it not giving your baked goods the rise it’s looking for. If your baking powder is fine, it’s possible that the batter was over mixed. The batter should still be lump and should be stirred until flour streaks have gone away.
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The Fluffiest Oat Milk Pancakes
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon white sugar
- 1 1/4 cup oat milk
- 1 egg
- 3 tablespoons melted butter + more for pan frying
- Garnish with fresh fruit
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl add the all purpose flour, baking powder, sugar and salt. Mix until well combined. Form a well in the middle of the flour mixture. Add the egg and melted butter. Stir until just combined, enough for the flour streaks to go away. The batter should still be lumpy.
- Heat a buttered or oiled skillet over medium heat. Once heated scoop 1/4 cup batter onto the frying pan. Let cook until the sides start to cook and you see air bubbles starting to appear. About 3-5 minutes depending on how hot your pan is. Flip and cook the other side until it has browned. About 3-4 minutes. Serve warm with butter and or fresh fruit.
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