A super easy, recipe for the fluffiest and yummiest gluten-free Oatmeal Pancakes! Celiac friends, be sure to see the note at the bottom of the post about gluten-free oats.
New! I’ve added a cooking video to this page so you can see how quick and easy it is to make these gluten-free Fluffy Oatmeal Pancakes!
If you’re new to the website, I have a printable recipe on the bottom of every recipe page with exact measurements and directions.
Enjoy!
Original post….
If you follow my Instagram stories, you know my son LOVES breakfast!
On weekdays, he usually eats eggs with toast and fruit, on Saturdays he loves to make a bacon and egg sandwich and on Sundays we make Pancakes!
We used to make pancakes only with a mix (nothing wrong with a mix — we still use one many mornings!) but at the recommendation of a friend we branched out a year ago and tried a made-from-scratch pancake recipe…It was a total hit!
We have been eating these Fluffy Oatmeal Pancakes ever since! They are super fluffy, hearty but not heavy and so yummy!
They are made with only 8 real, whole food ingredients:
milk (any type you love will work)
gluten-free rolled oats
eggs
oil
gluten-free all purpose flour (we use GFJules – affiliate link)
sugar
baking powder
and salt.
As an aside, you may have noticed that we are affiliate for GFJules. To learn more about why we love GFJules flour and why we have used it for 10 years, click here.
Bonus: at the bottom of that post is a one-time use affiliate Discount Code.
And importantly, purchasing through an affiliate link does not change your cost at all. It generates a small percentage of the sale for me, and purchasing through an affiliate link helps me fund this website and all the recipes I share, so thank you!
Back to the gluten-free Fluffy Oatmeal Pancakes…
The key to making this recipe is soaking the oats for 15 minutes or more (if you’ve made these before, I recently increased the soaking time because I realized I was soaking them longer by virtue of starting the process, then getting distracted in my kitchen!)
So before you even get all your other ingredients ready, pour 2 heaping cups of gluten-free rolled oats into a bowl, pour 2 cups of milk over them, stir to combine and let sit.
Gluten-Free Oats mixed with milk, before soaking
This is what they look like after soaking for 15 minutes.
Gluten-Free oats and milk, after soaking for 15 minutes
One note, they will look thinner or thicker depending on the oats and milk you use.
Next up, you add in the eggs, then the oil, then the rest of the ingredients.
This is what the batter looks like when all mixed up…
It’s pretty thick and I usually use a spoon to scoop onto the skillet.
Batter after mixingBatter will be pretty thick and use the back of a spoon even out and flatten a bit
Recipe adapted from Genius Kitchen, the batter is super easy to make and makes a large quantity.
You could cut the recipe in half but we like to make the full recipe and save half the batter in the refrigerator for the next day.
Nothing better than cooking once, eating twice!
Bonus: you may have extra batter for tomorrow!
A note about oats: Oats are a naturally gluten-free grain but they are contaminated via cross contact with wheat, barley and rye during the growing and processing process. So definitely look for gluten free oats, preferably certified gluten free oats.
But there’s more.… back when my son was first diagnosed with celiac disease, gluten-free oats were mostly grown via a process known as purity protocol. In recent years, gluten-free oats have also been processed through a manufacturing process known as “sorting”. There is much controversy about sorting versus purity protocol oats. And some oats that were thought to be “safe” were recently tested to show gluten… For more information I’m linking to latest article by Gluten-Free Watchdog from January 2023
Also, some people with celiac don’t tolerate oats so please do what ‘s best for you and your health.
Hope you love the pancakes!
PIN it!
Scroll down for recipe and leave a comment if you try it.
A super easy pancake recipe that gives you fluffy, hearty and delicious pancakes every time! Recipe adapted from Genius Kitchen, we made them with Gluten-free Oats and GF Jules Gluten-free flour. Batter saves well for the next day.
Prep Time20 minutesmins
Cook Time10 minutesmins
Total Time30 minutesmins
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: Gluten-Free, Vegetarian
Servings: 12-15 pancakes
Author: Healthy Gluten-free Family
Ingredients
2cupsmilkwe've used skim milk and 2% milk
2heaping cups Gluten-Free rolled oats
2eggs
1⁄4 cup oil
3⁄4 cup gluten-free flourwe used GF Jules (affiliate link all purpose flour) (New tip: make sure your gluten-free flour includes xanthum gum)
2tablespoonssugar
2 1⁄2 teaspoons baking powder
1scant teaspoon saltI usually use just a little less than 1 teaspoon
Instructions
In a large mixing bowl, pour milk over oats, stir to combine and let stand 10-15 minutes. (we find the longer they soak, the better!)
Add and beat in eggs, followed by oil, then add and mix in the remaining ingredients.
Note: Original recipe says batter will be thin but we actually found batter to be average to thick each time we've made these. NEW NOTE: I've found that the pancakes are fluffier and cook better when the batter is thicker, so if batter seems thin, let is sit and settle 5 minutes before next step.
Heat a large fry pan or griddle, melt a small amount of butter or spray with cooking spray, and scoop mixture onto pan. Use the backside of the spoon to gently even out batter and form shape. Cook both sides 3-5 minutes or until lightly browned on both sides.
Great question! My family tends to eat the entire batch in the first or second day so I’ve never frozen them! I would expect that they would freeze well for at least a few weeks since I have refrigerated and reheated them with much success. Let me know if you try 🙂
I’ve never done it… while I’ve made these with everything from skim milk to whole milk, I feel like the buttermilk might be too thick. If you try buttermilk, you may have to use extra buttermilk.. lmk if you try
Hi. I don’t believe it would work. Coconut flour is much more absorbent than an all purpose flour so you’d need significantly less of it and/or might need an additional egg, but having never tried it, I can’t give exact measurements.
I am so addicted to these panckaes! They are absolutely delicious! I just made a batch of batter this morning. I had my panckaes with raspberries and blueberries – so good!. I keep the leftover batter in the refrigerator to make for a quick breakfast during the week.
My kids and I loved this pancake recipe! I have Celiac Disease (diagnosed 8 years ago) and my family and I often use pancake mixes because we haven’t quite mastered gluten free baking (and pancake-making). I added a bit of cinnamon and brown sugar to the batter and the pancakes tasted like a bowl of oatmeal made into a fluffy pancake! Thank you again, Karen!
Thank you! I have never made these pancakes with a dairy-free milk… While I’m a fan of almond milk in so many things, I would think oat milk or soy milk would taste much better in this recipe. Let me know if you try.
Well I did it! Decided to give it a try since my husband had surprised me with both kids from out of state for Mother’s day! Just finished the one that was left over and was going to message you! It was wonderful, not sure how much better they could be! I used Oat milk, Thank you again for a great recipe!
Thank you ? great ? recipe and so easy to make! Every one loved them. I used bananas instead of eggs. It went super well. I also used some cornstarch.
There are as yummy in pictures as in real ?
I LOVE LOVE LOVE, these pancakes!! I had to give up my cereal of 20 years plus last August, and it’s been hard to get a breakfast together fast before work. I can make this batter once, and it lasts me about 5 mornings. I was in a rush to make these for the first time a few weeks ago, and I made them with a flour without Xanthan gum, but had Pamela’s Not Xanthum Not Guar to add to the mix, which worked great! Now, I use GF Jules flour. I just love how chewy and thick they are and they really fill me up!! Thank you!!
These are seriously the best, fluffiest pancakes ever! They are in regular rotation at our home, the kids ask for it constantly. I always make a double batch!! Sooo good!! Thanks for sharing!!
This is an all time best GF pancake recipe! I make a big batch of these and then freeze the leftovers…I then pop them in the toaster for a quick pancake! Regular box GF mixes turn out so flat, but these are so fluffy! My husband (who isnt GF), actually prefers these now! Thank you!
I think I have finally made my go to pancake recipe! I soaked the oatmeal and milk overnight so I could make them first thing in the morning. I also added a few shakes of cinnamon. We have them with fruit and yogurt. A great healthy breakfast to start the day!
I often dread making pancakes because my three kids seem to be able to eat endless amounts and I am stuck at the griddle all morning. I gave these a try with the hope the kids would feel fuller faster and it worked! The oats probably sat in milk for about 20 minutes. The cooked up nice and thick and with fruit on the side they are definitely a satisfying & hearty breakfast. I added about 1 1/2 tsp vanilla. I’d like to play around with the recipe and add swap in a portion of quick oats.
Unfortunately, I don’t think it would work. Almond flour can not be directly substituted for gluten-free all purpose flour without impacting the texture too much.
Instead of oats, I used 1 1/2 cups of buckwheat flakes, 1/4 cup flax meal and 1/4 cup almond flour, and these turned out perfectly. As always with Karen’s recipes, my whole family loved them. Nice fluffy texture!
I made this recipe as waffles but substituted the oats and like for buttermilk, put in about 1 1/2 cups of extra flour and added some vanilla and they are amazing!
First, thank you for publishing all these GF recipes. I do subscribe to your emails.
I think I did something wrong. The batter is super thick. Also, maybe I didn’t cook it long enough in the frying pan. I used an electric better. Maybe I should have mixed it by hand.
Anyway, I haven’t given up and will definitely try again! 💝
Hi! Thank you for being part our our email community! The batter can be thick but it sounds like you may have needed to add a bit more milk if the batter was too thick– sometimes the oats really absorb the milk! And if the batter was super thick, it sounds like you are correct in that they may have needed a bit more cooking time. I use a stand mixer so a hand mixer should have worked well.
Hi! My name is Karen, and I’m the mom in our Healthy Gluten-Free Family. My posts and pictures here and on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook and Twitter are labors of love that allow me to share a very personal journey with you, one our family has taken together — learning, experimenting and sharing how to raise a healthy happy gluten-free family. Read more ...
Do these pancakes freeze well?
Great question! My family tends to eat the entire batch in the first or second day so I’ve never frozen them! I would expect that they would freeze well for at least a few weeks since I have refrigerated and reheated them with much success. Let me know if you try 🙂
Thoughts on subbing buttermilk for regular milk?
I’ve never done it… while I’ve made these with everything from skim milk to whole milk, I feel like the buttermilk might be too thick. If you try buttermilk, you may have to use extra buttermilk.. lmk if you try
Do you think I could use coconut flour?
Hi. I don’t believe it would work. Coconut flour is much more absorbent than an all purpose flour so you’d need significantly less of it and/or might need an additional egg, but having never tried it, I can’t give exact measurements.
Very good tasting used coconut oil for oil followed directions rest.
Great substitution! I will have to try that one time! Thanks!
These were delicious! My kids were very pleased! A nice alternative to the box mix!
Great! So happy you all loved the pancakes!
I am so addicted to these panckaes! They are absolutely delicious! I just made a batch of batter this morning. I had my panckaes with raspberries and blueberries – so good!. I keep the leftover batter in the refrigerator to make for a quick breakfast during the week.
So happy you love them as much as we do! And I love that you added raspberries and blueberries!
My kids and I loved this pancake recipe! I have Celiac Disease (diagnosed 8 years ago) and my family and I often use pancake mixes because we haven’t quite mastered gluten free baking (and pancake-making). I added a bit of cinnamon and brown sugar to the batter and the pancakes tasted like a bowl of oatmeal made into a fluffy pancake! Thank you again, Karen!
You’re welcome! So happy you loved it as much as we do! And Cinnamon is a great add always!
These were really good pancakes and my kids ate them up. They were delicious with some Greek yogurt and fresh fruit on top.
So happy you loved them! Love how you served them! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Happy Mothers Day Karen,
Do you think you could use Oat or Almond Milk for these instead?
Thank you! I have never made these pancakes with a dairy-free milk… While I’m a fan of almond milk in so many things, I would think oat milk or soy milk would taste much better in this recipe. Let me know if you try.
Well I did it! Decided to give it a try since my husband had surprised me with both kids from out of state for Mother’s day! Just finished the one that was left over and was going to message you! It was wonderful, not sure how much better they could be! I used Oat milk, Thank you again for a great recipe!
Great! Happy it worked well with oat milk! And happy for you that your kids were home on Mother’s Day –what a nice surprise!
Veganized this recipe by swapping cow milk with almond milk and used flax egg instead of regular eggs ! They turned out delicious ?
Thanks for sharing Sarah! Glad the substitutions worked!
These are so yummy ? they keep really well in the fridge ! Have them for dinner sometimes !
Thanks Beckie! Great idea to make them ahead and save them!
Thank you ? great ? recipe and so easy to make! Every one loved them. I used bananas instead of eggs. It went super well. I also used some cornstarch.
There are as yummy in pictures as in real ?
And I also used coco milk and quinoa milk, I didn’t added the oil as coco milk is pretty fat ?
Great substitutions! Thanks for sharing!
Happy you loved them! Thank you!
I LOVE LOVE LOVE, these pancakes!! I had to give up my cereal of 20 years plus last August, and it’s been hard to get a breakfast together fast before work. I can make this batter once, and it lasts me about 5 mornings. I was in a rush to make these for the first time a few weeks ago, and I made them with a flour without Xanthan gum, but had Pamela’s Not Xanthum Not Guar to add to the mix, which worked great! Now, I use GF Jules flour. I just love how chewy and thick they are and they really fill me up!! Thank you!!
Yay! This just made my day! So happy you love them and that you have a breakfast you can count on! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Would this batter work for waffles?
Great question! I’ve never tried it but it should! Let me know if you try.
These are seriously the best, fluffiest pancakes ever! They are in regular rotation at our home, the kids ask for it constantly. I always make a double batch!! Sooo good!! Thanks for sharing!!
This is an all time best GF pancake recipe! I make a big batch of these and then freeze the leftovers…I then pop them in the toaster for a quick pancake! Regular box GF mixes turn out so flat, but these are so fluffy! My husband (who isnt GF), actually prefers these now! Thank you!
Can GF quick oats be used? That is the only thing I could find at my supermarket. Can’t wait to try them!
I usually use non-quick oats so not sure…. worth a try? Maybe cut the recipe in 1/2 in case it doesn’t work….
I used banana almond milk because that’s what I had on hand. They were fantastic! Will definitely make these again soon!
Great! Happy you loved them! And thanks for sharing that they worked well with almond milk!
I think I have finally made my go to pancake recipe! I soaked the oatmeal and milk overnight so I could make them first thing in the morning. I also added a few shakes of cinnamon. We have them with fruit and yogurt. A great healthy breakfast to start the day!
Yay! So happy you love them as much as we do! And cinnamon is always a great add! Thanks for sharing!
I often dread making pancakes because my three kids seem to be able to eat endless amounts and I am stuck at the griddle all morning. I gave these a try with the hope the kids would feel fuller faster and it worked! The oats probably sat in milk for about 20 minutes. The cooked up nice and thick and with fruit on the side they are definitely a satisfying & hearty breakfast. I added about 1 1/2 tsp vanilla. I’d like to play around with the recipe and add swap in a portion of quick oats.
Can I use almond flour?
Unfortunately, I don’t think it would work. Almond flour can not be directly substituted for gluten-free all purpose flour without impacting the texture too much.
This has been my go to weekend breakfast pancakes for months now. Simple and delicious :-)))) (and I add chocolate chips to it too for good measure)
LOVE them with chocolate chips! Happy you love them too! Thank you!
Instead of oats, I used 1 1/2 cups of buckwheat flakes, 1/4 cup flax meal and 1/4 cup almond flour, and these turned out perfectly. As always with Karen’s recipes, my whole family loved them. Nice fluffy texture!
Love your substitutions! Great ideas! Thanks for sharing and happy you loved them! Thank you!
Sooo good! This recipe is a keeper! Thank you for sharing this amazing recipe!
Happy you love it! Thank you!
Have you ever put buttermilk in them or will that change the recipe too much?
I made this recipe as waffles but substituted the oats and like for buttermilk, put in about 1 1/2 cups of extra flour and added some vanilla and they are amazing!
First, thank you for publishing all these GF recipes. I do subscribe to your emails.
I think I did something wrong. The batter is super thick. Also, maybe I didn’t cook it long enough in the frying pan. I used an electric better. Maybe I should have mixed it by hand.
Anyway, I haven’t given up and will definitely try again! 💝
Hi! Thank you for being part our our email community! The batter can be thick but it sounds like you may have needed to add a bit more milk if the batter was too thick– sometimes the oats really absorb the milk! And if the batter was super thick, it sounds like you are correct in that they may have needed a bit more cooking time. I use a stand mixer so a hand mixer should have worked well.