Oatmeal Pancakes

It occurred to me the other day that while I have filled these posts (and hopefully your recipe files and stomachs) with all manner of recipes suited for lunch, dinner, snacks, and dessert, I have been seriously remiss in addressing what is commonly referred to as the most important meal of the day. Breakfast. Perhaps this is because I tend to go the simple route when it comes to my AM cuisine. Not being a morning person, I am prone to choosing the simple and easy over the sophisticated and time-intensive when it comes to my breakfast cuisine. At least if I’m making it. If I’m at a restaurant, all bets are off.

Most days, my weekday breakfasts go something like this: get bowl; add Greek yogurt; add fruit; sprinkle with granola; eat on couch while trying to wake up. I get a little more creative on the weekends, especially if Stan and I get to indulge in a lazy morning at home. Ok, to be honest, all of my mornings lately are lazy and spent at home. But I don’t get to spend those mornings with Stan, so I try to make our weekend meals a little bit snazzier. You know, in honor of the together time.

I was going through my online recipe file last night and came across this recipe for oatmeal pancakes. I had book marked the recipe months ago and just never got around to trying it out. I noticed I had all of the ingredients on hand, so I decided to make the pancakes for our Saturday breakfast. Good thing I decided this on Friday evening because these pancakes need to be started the night before. Don’t be turned off by this though. The night-before prep takes 2 ingredients and all of 30 seconds. (All you have to do is soak some oats in some buttermilk.)

Now a little bit about the flavor: these pancakes are a taste departure from your typical flapjack, especially if, like me, you grew up in the land of Bisquick. The oats in the batter make them slightly lumpy and the buttermilk makes them a little bit tangy. I must admit, while I’ve moved on from my beloved childhood Bisquick pancakes, I’m not sure my taste buds were in love with these oatmeal ones. I was a bit bothered by the lumpy texture, though I think that could change if I made them with quick oats rather than regular old-fashioned oats. I decided to post this recipe because Stan quite enjoyed the pancakes. He claimed he didn’t notice the lumpy, oat-y texture, and he was too busy slathering his bites in butter and maple syrup for me to ask about the tang. I have to assume he liked it; he sure ate a lot. If you’re looking for a new riff on an old favorite, I’d say give this recipe a go and see what you think. An added bonus is that the pancakes freeze well and can be popped in the toaster for a taste of the weekend any day.

Oatmeal Pancakes
Adapted from Simply Recipes

Ingredients:
2 cups quick oats (not instant)
3 cups buttermilk
3 eggs, well beaten
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
Dash of salt
1 T. peanut or canola oil
Butter or extra oil for the griddle

Optional toppings: maple syrup, butter, fresh fruit, powdered sugar, jam…

Directions:
Place the oats and buttermilk in a large bowl. (I used a deep pie plate.) Stir to combine. Cover with plastic wrap and let the oats soak overnight at room temperature.

To prepare, mix together the oats, eggs, flour, baking powder, salt, and peanut or canola oil.

Heat a griddle or large skillet over medium-low heat. Grease the pan with either some butter or vegetable oil. Using a ladle or a measuring cup, pour the batter onto the griddle. (I used a 1/4-cup measuring cup.)

Cook until bubbles start to form on the surface of the pancakes and the edges look dry, about 2 to 3 minutes. Use a spatula to flip the pancakes and cook another minute or two, or until the bottoms have turned golden brown.

Serve immediately or keep warm in the oven while you prepare the rest of the pancakes. (I turned my oven to the warm setting and kept the pancakes on a cookie sheet in the oven until we were ready to eat.)


Serve with maple syrup, butter, or whatever else you like on your pancakes.

Makes 16 pancakes using a 1/4-cup measuring cup.