Blueberry-Banana Oatmeal Pancakes

It’s Friday, friends. Let’s get casual, shall we?

We’re going to poke around on the Internets shortly, but first I have very important pancake matters to discuss. I really love pancakes, but they’ve always been more of a special occasion thing for me. My mom makes them on Christmas, I’ll order a good ricotta version at brunch once or twice a year, and every few months, I whip up some Dude Diet chocolate chip banana pancakes to eat in bed with my roommate. That’s about it.

Then a couple months ago, I had a weird weekday pancake craving and decided to treat myself to a clean-ish batch with what I had on hand. I was out of whole wheat flour, but I had rolled oats, so I threw them in the food processor to make oat “flour” and whisked that with a little baking powder, an egg, a mashed banana, and some almond milk. They were a teensy bit bland but hit the spot and didn’t leave me requiring a pants-free nap, so I felt good about them as a jumping off point to start oatmeal pancake negotiations.

I’ve riffed on that basic recipe once a week or so in the hope of perfecting my healthy oatmeal pancake game, and I’m pleased to report that I finally nailed it last Saturday. My “perfect batch” involved a little vanilla extract, a sprinkling of cinnamon, fresh lemon zest, and a handful of blueberries. [Insert Italian finger kissing emoji.] Best of all, I realized I could skip the flour-making step and just throw all the pancake ingredients in a blender and blitz them into a smooth, pourable batter (!!!). I deeply appreciate things that don’t interfere with my laziness, especially in the morning.

Eager to share the magic with you, I made said perfect pancakes yesterday to take the requisite glamour shots. As I sat cross-legged on my floor eating them post-shoot, I thought, “These taste different than the last batch, Serena. A little more dense and moist, perhaps? What did you do differently??” It took me a while to stop thinking about the word “moist” figure it out, but three pancakes deep, it finally hit me. I FORGOT THE EGG, DAMMIT!

So, I rustled up another batch with an egg—this weird blog lady is nothing if not a pancake perfectionist—and after doing a side-by-side taste test, I decided I kinda preferred the eggless, accidentally vegan version. What can I say? It’s a little more cakelike, which I dig, and the pancakes reheat well (very rare!) but also taste great at room temperature/cold. In fact, I made an almond butter and banana sandwich on two pancakes straight from the fridge this morning, and it was straight up delightful.

Long story short: These gluten-free and vegan oatmeal pancakes are dank, and they don’t cause a carb coma. They’re also heart healthy, high in fiber, and doable from start to finish in 10 minutes flat. Make them ASAFP and report back.

Moving on to Internet nonsense and musings!

This small child expressing her distaste for slow walkers is possibly the greatest thing on the Internet this month. Also, gimme a treat.

If you’ve ever wondered WTF goes into making a cookbook, you must listen to The Cookbook Deal podcast by the one and only Jessica Murnane. She covers every step of the (very weird) process from proposal through launch in short, punchy episodes that are great for bingeing. Just a heads up, yours truly will be talking #dudediettour on the finale episode next week…

On the podcast thread, has anyone else listened to Missing Richard Simmons? I marathoned it a couple weeks ago and am still thinking about Richard and his hermit-ing. If you’ve got a good theory, lemme know. Honestly, I’m still not convinced the maid isn’t keeping him locked in the house.

I love few things in life more than watching people laugh at their own jokes, so this compilation of SNL cast members breaking character makes me giddy.

Fellow book nerds, I read two really good ones on vacation: In a Dark, Dark Wood and The Interestings. The former is an addictive female-centric thriller, and the latter is a very well-written story about a group of friends and how their relationships change over the course of three decades. Highly recommend both.

Needless to say, there are infinity things I want to make and eat from the Interwebs this month. The following are currently at the top of my list…

This Green Quinoa Salad with Basil Dressing has #sassydesklunch written allll over it.

Karina’s Easy Thai Satay Chicken is one of those one-pot wonders that could easily slide into the regular rotation. Over zucchini noodles because naked season is coming.

I can’t wait to eat this Early Summer Salad with watermelon, cherry tomatoes, farro, and all my other favorite things somewhere outside in the near future. I shall serve it with the rosé that’s crowding the bottom shelf of my fridge in anticipation of the season…

Donna Hay’s Quinoa, Zucchini and Haloumi Burgers are a veggie burger I can get behind. Perhaps lettuce wrapped to lighten things up.

Hot shit. Why did I not think of Chimichurri Roasted Chicken? And am I the only one that things it would be really bomb in a quesadilla?

Cinco de Mayo looms large on the horizon, and I would very much like to have my tequila with a side of Crispy Carnitas Oven Nachos with Homemade Tortilla Chips.

Speaking of tequila, I’d like to consume one too many Chili Lime Mango Margaritas this weekend. Ayiyiyiyi.

Let’s be real, I will never make these very fancy Watermelon Popsicles, but they’re adorable, and if you are the patient, crafty type, you should totally do it. You go, Glenn Coco.

Happy weekend-ing, weirdos! May your days be filled with sunshine and pancakes.

Blueberry-Banana Oatmeal Pancakes

Author - Serena Wolf

Print recipe Save RecipeSaved!

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes

Yields: 2 servings (6-7 pancakes)

Ingredients

• 1¼ cups gluten-free rolled oats
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 tiny pinch of salt
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon zest
• 1 ripe banana
• ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2/3 cup unsweetened almond milk
• ½ cup blueberries
• Coconut oil for greasing the pan
• Maple syrup for serving optional

Instructions

• Add all the ingredients to the blender except the blueberries, and blend until very smooth. The batter should be thick but still pourable.
• Heat a couple teaspoons of coconut oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. When the oil is hot and shimmering (but not smoking!), ladle roughly ¼-cup measures of batter into the skillet (if necessary, use a spatula to help spread the pancakes into a nice round shape), and immediately sprinkle each pancake with a few blueberries. (I recommend cooking 2-3 pancakes at a time so you don’t crowd the pan.) Cook until you see small bubbles appear on the top of the surface of each pancake, about 1 minute. Carefully flip the pancakes with a thin spatula and cook until the undersides are lightly browned, another minute or so.
• Transfer the pancakes to a plate, add a little more oil to the skillet, and repeat the cooking process with the remaining batter.
• Serve pancakes warm with maple syrup or toppings of your choice!