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Blueberry-Oat Pancakes

By America's Test Kitchen

Published on November 6, 2019

Time

1¼ hours

Yield

makes 18 pancakes; serves 6

Blueberry-Oat Pancakes

Ingredients

2 cups organic low-fat buttermilk, plus extra as needed1 cup (3 ounces/85 grams) old-fashioned rolled oats 1½ cups (4½ ounces/128 grams) oat flour ½ cup (2½ ounces/71 grams) all-purpose flour 2½ teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon ¼ teaspoon salt ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg 2 large organic eggs 3 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons expeller-pressed canola oil 3 tablespoons sugar 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 7½ ounces (213 grams/1½ cups) blueberries

Before You Begin

We prefer using store-bought oat flour, as it has a very fine grind and creates the most fluffy pancakes, but you can make your own in a pinch: Grind 1½ cups (4½ ounces) old-fashioned rolled oats in a food processor to a fine meal, about 2 minutes; note pancakes will be denser if using ground oats. Do not use toasted oat flour, or quick, instant, or thick-cut oats in this recipe. Serve with maple syrup and additional blueberries if desired.

Instructions

  1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 200 degrees. Set wire rack in rimmed baking sheet and place in oven. Combine 1 cup buttermilk and oats in bowl and let sit at room temperature until softened, about 15 minutes.
  2. Whisk oat flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, and nutmeg together in large bowl. In separate bowl, whisk remaining 1 cup buttermilk, eggs, 3 tablespoons oil, sugar, and vanilla together until frothy, about 1 minute. Whisk buttermilk mixture into flour mixture until smooth. Using rubber spatula, fold in oat-buttermilk mixture.
  3. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until shimmering, 3 to 5 minutes. Using paper towels, wipe out oil, leaving thin film in pan. Using ¼-cup measure, portion batter into pan, spreading each into 4-inch round using back of spoon. Sprinkle each pancake with 1 tablespoon blueberries. Cook until edges are set and first side is golden, 2 to 3 minutes.
  4. Flip pancakes and cook until second side is golden, 2 to 3 minutes. Serve or transfer to wire rack in oven. Repeat with remaining batter, whisking additional buttermilk into batter as needed to loosen, and adding remaining oil to pan as necessary.
Blueberry-Oat Pancakes
Photography by Daniel J. van Ackere. Styling by Elle Simone.

Blueberry-Oat Pancakes

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By America's Test Kitchen
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Time

1¼ hours

Yield

makes 18 pancakes; serves 6

Ingredients

2 cups organic low-fat buttermilk, plus extra as needed
1 cup (3 ounces/85 grams) old-fashioned rolled oats
1½ cups (4½ ounces/128 grams) oat flour
½ cup (2½ ounces/71 grams) all-purpose flour
2½ teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 large organic eggs
3 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons expeller-pressed canola oil
3 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
7½ ounces (213 grams/1½ cups) blueberries

Test Kitchen Techniques

Ingredients

2 cups organic low-fat buttermilk, plus extra as needed
1 cup (3 ounces/85 grams) old-fashioned rolled oats
1½ cups (4½ ounces/128 grams) oat flour
½ cup (2½ ounces/71 grams) all-purpose flour
2½ teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 large organic eggs
3 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons expeller-pressed canola oil
3 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
7½ ounces (213 grams/1½ cups) blueberries

Test Kitchen Techniques

Ingredients

2 cups organic low-fat buttermilk, plus extra as needed
1 cup (3 ounces/85 grams) old-fashioned rolled oats
1½ cups (4½ ounces/128 grams) oat flour
½ cup (2½ ounces/71 grams) all-purpose flour
2½ teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 large organic eggs
3 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons expeller-pressed canola oil
3 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
7½ ounces (213 grams/1½ cups) blueberries

Test Kitchen Techniques

Why This Recipe Works

A stack of classic pancakes makes for a delicious breakfast but doesn't offer much in the way of nutrition. To give this breakfast a boost, we turned to whole grains and zeroed in on oats for their nutty flavor, hearty texture, and high fiber content. We were able to create a smooth base for our batter using three-quarters oat flour, with ½ cup all-purpose flour providing structure and lift. We stirred whole rolled oats into our batter as well. Pre-soaked until just softened, they gave our pancakes a satisfying, nubby texture. Fresh blueberries, cinnamon, and nutmeg paired nicely with the toasty oats. Lastly, switching from whole milk to low-fat buttermilk kept our pancakes light and fluffy. An electric griddle set at 350 degrees can be used in place of a skillet. 

Before You Begin

We prefer using store-bought oat flour, as it has a very fine grind and creates the most fluffy pancakes, but you can make your own in a pinch: Grind 1½ cups (4½ ounces) old-fashioned rolled oats in a food processor to a fine meal, about 2 minutes; note pancakes will be denser if using ground oats. Do not use toasted oat flour, or quick, instant, or thick-cut oats in this recipe. Serve with maple syrup and additional blueberries if desired.

Instructions

  1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 200 degrees. Set wire rack in rimmed baking sheet and place in oven. Combine 1 cup buttermilk and oats in bowl and let sit at room temperature until softened, about 15 minutes.
  2. Whisk oat flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, and nutmeg together in large bowl. In separate bowl, whisk remaining 1 cup buttermilk, eggs, 3 tablespoons oil, sugar, and vanilla together until frothy, about 1 minute. Whisk buttermilk mixture into flour mixture until smooth. Using rubber spatula, fold in oat-buttermilk mixture.
  3. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until shimmering, 3 to 5 minutes. Using paper towels, wipe out oil, leaving thin film in pan. Using ¼-cup measure, portion batter into pan, spreading each into 4-inch round using back of spoon. Sprinkle each pancake with 1 tablespoon blueberries. Cook until edges are set and first side is golden, 2 to 3 minutes.
  4. Flip pancakes and cook until second side is golden, 2 to 3 minutes. Serve or transfer to wire rack in oven. Repeat with remaining batter, whisking additional buttermilk into batter as needed to loosen, and adding remaining oil to pan as necessary.

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