Oatmeal Pancake Mix
This oatmeal pancake mix is amazing! The mix makes a lot, it stores well refrigerated, and the pancakes are beyond simple to whip up on a busy morning.
You should be very, very glad I can’t jump out of the computer screen and convince you how phenomenal this recipe is, thereby giving you no good reason not to make it.
Yes, these are exceptional pancakes (hands down, my favorite pancake recipe), but the best thing about this recipe is that the dry mix makes a lot and takes minutes to throw together.
It stores indefinitely in the refrigerator or freezer and these healthy pancakes are beyond simple to whip up on a busy morning before school, work…or just because you want pancakes.
I don’t know about you but my mornings are crazy. Crazy, crazy, crazy. Waking kids up, helping children off to school, making up lunchboxes, on and on.
I don’t have time to put together a full homemade pancake breakfast from scratch. But I like knowing my kids are getting a good, healthy breakfast in their tummies before their long day starts.
With this mix, which I’ve been making for what seems like forever, I pour a cup of mix into a bowl, followed by a cup of buttermilk, then an egg. Whisk it together and within five minutes my kids have hot pancakes to eat. And I feel like mother of the year. Which trust me, doesn’t last for long.
The texture of these pancakes is fantastic – I love the chewy oats and whole wheat flour (can we get a big hooray for fiber here??). I hope this mix does as much for you as it does for me and my family. We eat it at least two or three mornings a week and love it every time.
FAQs for Oatmeal Pancake Mix
Yes, after mixing up the batter in the morning, add a few tablespoons extra oil (waffles usually need a bit more of it) and then go ahead and use it.
Yes regular oats can definitely be used but you’ll either have quite a bit more texture to the pancakes, or you’ll want to grind the oats a bit finer before using.
Oatmeal Pancake Mix
Ingredients
- 3 ½ cups (350 g) rolled, quick oats
- 3 cups (426 g) whole wheat flour
- 2 cups (284 g) all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 3 tablespoons baking powder
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1 tablespoon baking soda
- 1 cup vegetable or canola oil
Instructions
- Mix all the dry ingredients together in a mixer with a paddle (or by hand). If desired, grind the oats in a blender or food processor before adding to the other dry ingredients for a smoother mix. With mixer on slow speed (or gently by hand), drizzle the vegetable oil into the bowl slowly while the mixer is running. When all the oil has been added, stop the mixer and squeeze a clump of mix in your hand. If it stays together, it is just right. If it is still crumbly, add another tablespoon of oil at a time until the consistency is correct (I’ve never had to add additional oil).
- Store in an airtight container for up to two weeks at room temperature or indefinitely in the refrigerator or freezer.
- To make the pancakes: whisk together 1 cup of mix, 1 egg, and 1/2 to 1 cup buttermilk (depending on how thick you want your batter. Here is a guide for making your own buttermilk). The mixture may seem thin at first but the oats will soak up the milk as it stands while the griddle preheats. Heat a griddle and drop the batter onto it. When the edges look dry and bubbles come to the surface and don’t break, turn the pancake over to finish cooking on the second side. As a sidenote, buttermilk can be frozen indefinitely for future batches of pancakes, so it’s worth keeping it around!
Notes
Recommended Products
Recipe Source: Adapted from King Arthur Flour The Baker’s Companion
Could I use applesauce instead of the oil? Would it hold its shape and have the same effect?
Hi Sharma, others in the comment thread have subbed for the oil so you may want to read through those to get suggestions. I wouldn’t add applesauce in place of the oil in the same step…it will make it so the mix can’t store at room temp for a while. If you use applesauce, I’d try to do so when mixing up each individual batch.
I have made this recipe for several yrs from the KA Site . I make 3 batches (one for me and 2 for my daughter)at a time . She made the pancakes for her visiting inlaws .Her MIL asked if there were other uses for the mix . All I have ever made is pancakes with this . Do you know of any other .I see where you say to add oil for waffles but I believe that MIL was asking about muffins or quick breads???
Jan H – I’ve never used this for anything other than pancakes or waffles. Sorry!
Made this recipe this morning….we live at about 6,000 feet and my batter was actually really thick to begin with. So I added some more milk- mistake! Should have kept the batter thick to yield some thicker pancakes 🙂 Will do that next time . Other than that snafoo, they were delicious! I have an oat waffle recipe that is my go to delicious recipe, and was excited to find a similar recipe for pancakes
I just tried these tonight and my family loved them! Very hearty and delicious. Thank you for all the wonderful recipes! Oh, and I used regular rolled oats that I ran through the blender first. They worked great.
I’m brand new to your site and this is the first recipe I’ve used. I threw it together as a 2nd dinner tonight (the first one clearly didn’t satisfy us!) and I have to say, these pancakes didn’t disappoint at all! I did a mix of whole wheat and ancient grains flours. I also ground the oatmeal…wowza! Delicious 🙂
Mom, Dad, and Toddler approved.
Thanks Kathy!! I will definitely give it a try. We have been using coconut oil in our box mix pancakes, and LOVE the hint of flavor that it adds. I can’t wait to try this recipe!
Amy – I always use coconut oil when I make these and it works great and tastes yummy. I found it difficult to get the “oil” (as it’s solid at room temp) to blend well so I whirl half the flour with half the coconut oil in the food processor and then do the other half (mine is not big enough to hold all of it at the same time. Hope this helps.
Kathy – thanks for your feedback on the coconut oil!
Could you melt the coconut oil and then add? Also is it the same amount 1 Cup?
I haven’t tried this with coconut oil but you could definitely try it out. I think it would still be the one cup.
Have you tried using coconut oil in this recipe?? These look and sound wonderful. I’m thinking of trying them with coconut oil (unless you tell me that you have and it didn’t work) 🙂
Thanks.
Thank you once again for a home-run recipe. I have approx 47 million pounds of Lehi Roller Mills wheat in my food storage, and these pancake’s are a great way to use it. I made these tonight (breakfast for dinner) and my kids loved ’em. I even added a few tablespoons of Milled Flax seed with no complaints. I am sure this mix will be a staple that I will keep stocked in my freezer. Thank you, thank you!!!
Fantastic recipe! I normally make the Betty Crocker cookbook pancake recipe with all whole wheat flour, but I have found a replacement–this is light and tasty. I made them with part plain greek yogurt/part 1% milk to bring it to 1 cup. Used all whole wheeat flour for the white. Great!
Hi Mel~ I made your carrot cake applesauce muffins today, and they are delicious! Started looking around at your other recipes, and came across this Oatmeal Pancake mix~Yum…, looks great also-~ Have you ever used this mix in a waffle iron ? And would there be any changes for that option? We love waffles for dinner! Thanks! Karen
Hi Karen – actually, I have used this in a waffle iron. The only adaptations (learned the hard way) is to whisk in a bit more oil to the batter since it was a bit sticky in the waffle iron. I think I used another tablespoon or so for every cup of batter. Good luck if you try it!
Hi Mel! I’m a new convert to your blog and to your amazing recipes! My sister, Luci, introduced me to these pancakes about 3 months ago and it was love at first bite! My kids love them as well and my two year old asks for them every morning. So glad my sis sent your recipes my way thank you! This morning I made the mix but I was out of white wheat flour. I had coconut flour on hand so I substituted the coconut flour for the wheat flour, but didn’t use as much (maybe 1 3/4 to 2 C). The results were delish and my kids and I scarfed them down as usual! The coconut flour is gluten free so I thought I would share!
Love this, Mandy! Thanks for sharing the variation with coconut flour!
Love love Love this recipe. It’s all I use for pancakes now. Thank you! Like someone else said, I packaged them up last year for Christmas and handed them out as neighbor gifts. I felt so crafty. Thanks again and keep it coming.
We love this recipe and have used it so much that I’ve finally decided to print it out to keep handy. I am not able to get he print button to bring up anything. Is anyone else experiencing this for this recipe?
CB – are you using Internet Explorer? Unfortunately, Internet Explorer doesn’t play nicely with many website functions and it has started having issues with my print feature. I am working to get it fixed but all the developers tell me it could take a while. I’ve been suggesting to other readers experiencing the same problem that they switch to another browser (like Chrome, Safari or Firefox) – which are all better functioning than Internet Explorer anyway. Sorry for the inconvenience!
JUST TRIED THESE PANCAKES BUT I CHANGE IT A LITTLE. I CUT THE RECIPE IN HALF. I JUST WENT AHEAD AND MIXED EVERYTHING INSTEAD OF USING SOME AND STORING THE REST. BUT I USED 1CUP OF FAT FREE SOUR CREME, 1 EGG, AND ENOUGH BUTTERMILK TO GET THE RIGHT CONSISTENCY. ALSO ADDED 2 CUPS FROZEN BLUEBERRIES AND 1 T. VANILLA…..THESE WERE SO YUMMY!!!! THANKS
Hi Mel! Any idea how to make these into pumpkin pancakes? Would you replace the buttermilk with pumpkin or in addition too? I’m so clueless 🙂 I already have the mix so don’t want to start from scratch!
Thanks!
Lori – I believe someone commented a while ago about using pumpkin and if I remember right, they used half the buttermilk and the other half was pumpkin puree (so 1/2 cup of each). I might be remembering the comment wrong but if it were me, that’s what I would do. 🙂
Hi Mel. Thanks for the recipe. We eat these just about every single week day and my family loves them. I found some buttermilk powder and powdered eggs at my local grocery store (I’m in Utah), and decided to see if I could turn this into a just-add-water recipe. It worked! I add 1 1/2 cups of buttermilk powder and 1 1/2 cups powdered eggs to the recipe, and when I mix it up I use a ratio of 3 parts mix to 2 parts water. It’s even quicker and easier and I don’t have to worry about running out of eggs and/or buttermilk.
I told my husband this morning that I was making healthy pancakes and he crinkled his nose and said “will they taste good?” I told him they were from Mel’s kitchen cafe and that she said they were her favorite pancakes. He said “oh perfect. Yeah we’re safe then.” Haha so I just wanted to let you know that you have my husbands full confidence! And mine too, obviously 🙂 we thoroughly enjoyed these pancakes and I loved how hearty and filling they are! Thanks for yet another keeper!
No comments in a while, but I just found this website and this is the first recipe I’ve tried from it. Yes, they were good, and my 5 and 7 yrs. olds liked them. Of course, they like anything that you put syrup, powdered sugar and sprinkles on!
I halved the recipe because I didn’t have much oatmeal on hand. I have a Ninja 1500 and ran the oatmeal with the food processor blade, then switched that blade out for the paddle and put the rest of the dry ingredients in to mix. Then I added all of the oil and pulsed it a few times. (The Ninja doesn’t run unless the lid is on, so I couldn’t add the oil while it was running.) I scraped the sides of the bowl, then pulsed a few more times and it was mixed properly. It stuck together as your instructions said it should.
I thought this might be helpful for anyone else who has a machine that processes and mixes in one. It’s nice to use one bowl and cut down on the dirty dishes!
FYI on the milk vs. yogurt- has anyone suggested milk and lemon juice? I admit I haven’t read all of the comments (there are 227!), but when I don’t have buttermilk on hand I put 1 Tbsp in a measuring cup and add milk to equal 1 cup. Let it sit for 5 min. and use like buttermilk. You can also use white vinegar in place of the lemon juice.
Thanks for the recipe, and the site. I have it bookmarked and will be using it more.
Just a quick comment on the amount of oil in the recipe. The first time I made it, I thought it was too crumbly and added more oil. The pancakes were fine, but not great. The second time I made it, I did the one cup and left it at that, even though it was pretty crumbly. The pancakes turned out amazingly good. So in my experience, pretty crumbly mix is still great.
I have been making this for almost a year now. It makes breakfast so quick, yummy, easy, and healthy. 3Tbls sugar in the whole thing! You can’t beat that! I also love making waffles with the batter, but I always add a tablespoon or so of oil to the batch since waffles do better with more oil. So great. Thanks Mel!
I just made another batch of this, and had to say THANK YOU! This recipe is SO good, and my kiddos just gobble it up every time.
Hi Mel. I tried reading through all 100 million comments to see if anyone used applesauce in the place of oil. Do you think that would be ok? Thanks for always sharing your recipes. You’ve been a true blessing to our family.
Hi Tiffany – I haven’t used applesauce personally and I can’t remember if anyone has commented if they have. It’s probably worth a try but you definitely wouldn’t want to add it to the dry mix. Instead, you could try adding it as you make up each batch of pancakes. You’ll have to estimate on the amount though. Good luck if you try it!
Hey Mel, Great recipe! We are going camping this weekend and I was hoping to prep the entire mix ahead of time and put it in a bag and make it like a pastry bag – just squeeze right onto the griddle! No mixing needed. I know the buttermilk freezes and the mix freezes but do you think it would freeze ok all together? Thanks!!
Hi Jackie – I haven’t actually tried it that way (freezing the mix after it has been whisked together with the buttermilk) but I’m pretty sure it should work ok. You might need to do a bit of mashing of the bag after it defrosts to help the ingredients recombine but otherwise, it should be ok!
Will be making these tomorrow.
Just a tip for all us Moms looking for convience. I make up a double or triple batch of either regular Pancakes or Finnish pancakes and freeze two at a time on a cookie sheet. When frozen I put them into a large freezer bags. Once frozen they do not stick together then I can take a couple out at a time. I will make these on the weekend then I have quick breakfasts for the kids for a couple of weeks. I have three pre-teen boys that are always hungry! Just take them out the night before and defrost in fridge or microwave for three mintues in the morning if you forget to take out lol.
Hi Mel, its a birthday morning here tomorrow, and these are coming out with whipped cream and berries (yay spring farmer’s market!!!). Just had to let you know that your recipe is putting the “special” in special breakfast (along with the cream, of course!! Ha!).
Can use I melted butter instead of the canola oil to make this mix? I realize that making this substitution means I’d have to store it in in the refrigerator or the freezer, but I’d be willing to do that if it means the flavor of the pancakes will be better, than with oil. thank you
Monica – I’ve never tried it with butter so you’ll have to experiment and see. You are right, though, the mix won’t be shelf stable with the butter like it is with the oil.
Mel, this recipe is as you say it is. Phenomenal. I use banana puree in place of buttermilk. It really does the trick. I also add ground cinnamon to the dry mix, and I use brown sugar rather than white sugar. And as a bonus, I only use organic ingredients. These pancakes are fantastic. IHOPs got nothing on this. 🙂
I LOVE this recipe and was so excited to discover it here!! Our fam recently has started to try eating less cold cereal on school mornings in favor of heartier, healthier items. This is a big part of our week now! We’re already on our second batch. I use rolled oats (broken up in the food processor), whole wheat pastry flour, and oat flour in place of white. Also, I live in a crazy humid climate and 1 cup of oil makes this much too ‘wet” so I go with about 3/4 cup.
If anyone is curious, my math came out to about 228 cal. for 2- 4 inch pancakes.
OK! That’s great and very helpful. Thank you! 🙂
Megan – a lot of it can be how each person measures flour. I grind my own wheat flour for these as well. If I’m using it straight after grinding, I find that it has quite a bit of air in it after grinding and so I shake it into the cup to settle it a bit more. If it’s wheat flour I’ve had in my freezer (from grinding the week before or something), it’s more compact, so I gently fluff it up, scoop my cup into the flour and sweep it off. My guess is that you might need to use a lighter hand in measuring the flour, especially because I’ve never had to add more oil than the recipe calls for. Good luck!
Hi! I’m not new to your fabulous blog. I am just new to commenting. I found this recipe when I did a search for a whole wheat pancake mix with oats. I made this tonight and it was TERIF. We LOVED these pancakes. I will be making these regularly! thank you!
Quick question . . . I had to add much more oil than it seems anyone else had to (as far as I can tell) and then a FULL cup of buttermilk. They were delicious but still pretty thick (we poured WAY too much syrup on them. ha!). I milled the wheat flour myself, which really shouldn’t be any different but . . . do you know if that makes a difference? That is the only thing I did differently.
So I made these this morning and they were amazing! I’m 5 months pregnant and am stewarding for ways that I can keep my family happy and full after the baby is born without spending hours in the kitchen and these were perfect! I ground 1/2 cup walnuts and added into the flour along with the ground oats and the rest of the recipe and I had to add a tad bit more oil but omg these were so filling and satisfying! My 2 year old loved them as well. Definitely a keeper now, and after baby comes too! Thank you! And btwi did the milk and vinegar instead of buttermilk and they still were incredible!
Hands down my favorite pancake recipe ever. SO good. Everyone loves it. Thank you for posting!
Melanie do you ever make the pancakes in your blender? (when you add the mix, egg, and buttermilk)
Hi Jessica – I don’t use my blender because I don’t like to clean it when I can just whisk it together in a bowl…but I think it would work just fine if that’s your preference.
Hi, Mel. Your site has inspired me! I just got a wheat grinder for Christmas and am excited to try recipes using the flour. Being new to grinding my own flour, my question is what kind of wheat would you use in this recipe and how finely would you grind it? I have both hard white and soft white on hand – which to use, or doesn’t it matter? Would I grind it for bread or the finer pastry consistency?
I can’t wait to try these. Thanks!
Mel, why in the heck has it taken me SO long to try this recipe out?!?! Gone are the days of buying pancake mix, because this was AMAZING. Kids gobbled it up!
I freeze leftover buttermilk in mini muffin tins. Also, you can find powdered buttermilk at some supermarkets. I always have this as a backup.
Mel, So we have a funny story about this mix. Yesterday, Jono got up with the kids and decided to make pancakes. I told them there was a mix in the fridge, this mix. He asked what he needed to add and I said 1 c. of buttermilk. I came downstairs and realized I had forgotten to tell him just 1 c. of mix. He was trying to blend the ENTIRE mix with 1 c. of buttermilk. He said that he thought it looked a little dry. So we have pancakes coming out our ears right now. Thank goodness they are SO yummy! I hope things are going well with your move.
Haley, I always have buttermilk on hand so I haven’t tried that substituition but I know many have in both recipes with good results.
Hey Mel,
This recipe is amazing! I couldn’t find the following question in your comments section.
Is there any harm in using the ol’ white vinegar + milk substitute (1 Tbl. vinegar + 1 c. milk) for 1 c. buttermilk? Have you ever tried this substitute with the wonderful bran muffins you make as well?
Thanks!!
I’ve been looking for a quick *healthy* homemade pancake recipe! I’ve been doing the wheat blender pancakes, but it’s not as quick (or quiet) as I’d like in the mornings. I should’ve known to come here! 🙂 You always come through!! Thanks for a great recipe! We had pancakes and waffles with it this morning. They were delicious!
I do have a question about the recipe. I saw a few comments about it being too runny. ( I only read a couple… way too many on this post to read through… but that tells me it’s a good recipe with sooo many comments!! ) I too had the same problem, only because I read the recipe: “To make the pancakes: whisk together 1 cup of mix, 1 cup buttermilk (a combination of half plain yogurt and half milk will also work), and 1 egg. The mixture may seem thin at first but the oats will soak up the milk as it stands while the griddle preheats.” I read this to mean 1 cup milk AND 1 cup buttermilk; not OR buttermilk. I wondered how in the world 2 cups of milk would work with 1 cup dry mix… well obviously it doesn’t. 🙂 So I just added another cup of mix and we were good. Just thought I’d mention that so you can maybe clarify for people… I’m thinking they did what I did. Anyhoo, thanks for all you do, you’re awesome and good luck with the move, new babe, and all you do!! 🙂
I’m sure I’m not the first to say…This recipe is a lifesaver! I have been making it regularly for about the past year and a half for my three hungry boys (four including my husband!) I love that it is healthy, versatile and that I can always have it on hand. Even when I realize we are out of the mix, it doesn’t take long to whip up a batch. I grind the oats, and use all white whole wheat flour. We eat it two or three times a week, and it just never gets old. Been meaning to experiment with the suggested variations (throwing in banana, pumpkin, etc), but haven’t gotten around to it yet. Soon! Thanks again, Mel.
You.are.a.genius. Please tell me you have more recipes like this?(the freezer-type) I love how I can just dig a cup out of the freezer on crazy-morning days. Ok, that’s pretty much every morning:) Thanks also for the tip that buttermilk can be frozen indefinitely! I love those kinda tips!!
This recipe is so forgiving. I asked earlier about if you can just use baking soda and no powder. You can! Also I ran out of oats as I was making this, so I subbed in bran flakes. No problem! Thanks. My family gobbles this up. With yogurt and fruit on top it’s healthy and delicious.
I eat theses with fiber and protein mixed in…every day of my life! Thanks!
I just made these this morning. Wow! So light and fluffy, so soft and yummy, so easy, and so healthy!! Where have these pancakes been all my life! Thanks for the great recipe! It will be made multiple times a week from now on 🙂
Mel,
We tried these and loved them. Question though: Has anyone ever tried these using only baking soda and not baking powder (like maybe just 2 tablespoons baking soda for the entire mix and no baking powder). It seems like it would work because the buttermilk really activates that soda. Any comments?
These are SO delicious! I have been making them for a while now and always love them. I make them with regular rolled oats and they have the most delicious chewy texture. This morning my husband came in asking where I keep the recipe, since he wanted to make them for our family for breakfast. I got it out for him and told him I was out of oil but remembered that in many baked goods you can substitute applesauce for the oil, so we tried subbing applesauce for all the oil. After today, I won’t go back to the oil – these were moist and amazing and I was so pleased and glad we tried it! Not to mention the decrease in calories (and for me, weight watchers points!) with the substitution.
Thank you for yet another delicious staple recipe in my kitchen.
Bridgett – no, I’ve never used butter. I always use canola oil.