Vegan Blueberry Oat Pancakes

Name: Vegan Blueberry Oat Pancakes
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 21 min
Total time: 31 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 2 tbsp (14 g) ground flaxseed; 5 tbsp (75 ml) water, cold; 2 cups (200 g) oat flour, spooned and leveled; use certified gluten-free if needed; 1 tbsp (12 g) baking powder, fresh, aluminum-free if possible; ½ tsp (1 g) ground cinnamon; ½ tsp (3 g) fine salt; 1¼ cups (300 ml) unsweetened soy milk, at room temperature, plus 1–2 tbsp (15–30 ml) extra if needed to thin; 2 tbsp (40 g) pure maple syrup; 2 tbsp (28 ml) neutral oil (such as avocado or canola); 1 tsp (5 ml) apple cider vinegar; 1 tsp (5 ml) vanilla extract; 1 cup (150 g) blueberries, fresh or frozen (do not thaw), rinsed and dried if fresh; 1 tbsp (14 ml) neutral oil or vegan butter, for the pan, for greasing the pan between batches; maple syrup, for serving, warmed, to taste (optional)

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

Fluffy, tender pancakes made with oat flour and a flax egg, studded with juicy blueberries. They are completely dairy-free and egg-free, with a mellow, toasty oat flavor.

Prep: 10 min
Cook: 21 min
Wait: 15 min
Total: 46 min
Makes: 12 pancakes (about 4½ inches / 11 cm each)

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Ingredients

4 servings

2 tbsp (14 g) ground flaxseed
5 tbsp (75 ml) water, cold
2 cups (200 g) oat flour, spooned and leveled; use certified gluten-free if needed
1 tbsp (12 g) baking powder, fresh, aluminum-free if possible
½ tsp (1 g) ground cinnamon
½ tsp (3 g) fine salt
1¼ cups (300 ml) unsweetened soy milk, at room temperature, plus 1–2 tbsp (15–30 ml) extra if needed to thin
2 tbsp (40 g) pure maple syrup
2 tbsp (28 ml) neutral oil (such as avocado or canola)
1 tsp (5 ml) apple cider vinegar
1 tsp (5 ml) vanilla extract
1 cup (150 g) blueberries, fresh or frozen (do not thaw), rinsed and dried if fresh
1 tbsp (14 ml) neutral oil or vegan butter, for the pan, for greasing the pan between batches
maple syrup, for serving, warmed, to taste (optional)

Equipment (9)

Large nonstick skillet or griddle (12-inch / 30 cm)
Large mixing bowl
Medium mixing bowl
Small bowl (for the flax egg)
Whisk
Flexible spatula
¼-cup (60 ml) measuring cup or ladle
Thin flipping spatula
Baking sheet with wire rack

Steps

Before you start

Make sure your oat flour is fresh and fine. If you grind your own, blend rolled oats in a high-speed blender for 60 seconds until powdery, then measure by weight (200 g).
If using frozen blueberries, do not thaw them. Thawed berries bleed purple and turn the batter gray.
Set a baking sheet with a wire rack in the oven and preheat to 200°F (95°C) so you can keep finished pancakes warm while you cook in batches.
The batter must rest for 10 minutes. Oat flour needs this time to absorb liquid, so don't skip it.

1
Make the flax egg
- In a small bowl, stir the ground flaxseed and cold water together with a fork.
- Set aside for 5 minutes while you prepare the other ingredients.
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Ready when: Mixture looks thick, slightly slimy and gloopy, like raw egg white
Tip: Use ground flax, not whole seeds. Whole seeds will not form a gel.
2
Preheat the ovenOven 200°F / 95°C
- Heat the oven to 200°F (95°C) with a baking sheet topped with a wire rack inside.
- This keeps cooked pancakes warm and dry without steaming them.
3
Whisk the dry ingredients
- In a large bowl, whisk together the oat flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt for 30 seconds, breaking up any lumps of baking powder.
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Ready when: No visible clumps; the mixture looks evenly pale with flecks of cinnamon
4
Whisk the wet ingredients
- In a medium bowl, whisk the soy milk, maple syrup, 2 tbsp (28 ml) oil, vinegar and vanilla until combined.
- Add the thickened flax mixture and whisk for 20 seconds until evenly mixed.
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Ready when: Liquid looks uniform with no streaks of oil or flax clumps
Tip: The vinegar reacts with the baking powder and soy milk for extra lift, so don't leave it out.
5
Mix and rest batter
- Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and stir with a spatula just until no dry flour remains, about 15 strokes.
- Leave the batter to rest for 10 minutes.
- It will thicken noticeably.
- Before cooking, check the consistency: it should slowly fall off the spatula in a thick ribbon.
- If it plops in a stiff mass, stir in 1–2 tbsp (15–30 ml) more soy milk.
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Ready when: Batter is thick but pourable and a few small lumps are fine
Tip: Overmixing makes oat pancakes gummy. Stop as soon as the flour is hydrated.
6
Heat the pan
- Set a large nonstick skillet or griddle over medium heat for 3 minutes.
- Brush or wipe lightly with about ½ tsp of the pan oil.
- Flick a drop of water onto the surface to test it.
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Ready when: A drop of water sizzles and skitters across the surface before evaporating
Tip: If the pan is too hot, the outside browns before the oat center sets. Lower the heat if the first pancake darkens in under 2 minutes.
7
Cook the first side
- Scoop ¼ cup (60 ml) batter per pancake into the pan, leaving 1 inch (2.5 cm) between them.
- Cook 3–4 pancakes at a time.
- Spread each gently into a 4-inch (10 cm) round, then scatter about 1 tbsp (12 g) blueberries over each one and lightly press them in.
- Cook for 2–3 minutes.
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Ready when: Edges look matte and set, small bubbles form and pop on the surface, and the underside is golden when you peek
Tip: Adding the blueberries on top in the pan, rather than stirring them into the batter, keeps them from bursting and turning the batter purple.
8
Flip and finish
- Slide a thin spatula under a pancake and flip it in one confident motion.
- Cook the second side for 1½–2 minutes, without pressing down, until golden brown.
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Ready when: Both sides are golden brown and the pancake springs back when lightly touched in the center
Tip: Pressing the pancake flattens it and squeezes out the fluffiness.
9
Keep warm and repeatOven 200°F / 95°C
- Transfer the cooked pancakes in a single layer to the rack in the warm oven.
- Wipe the pan, add another ½ tsp oil, and repeat with the remaining batter and blueberries to make 12 pancakes in total (about 3 batches).
- Reduce the heat slightly if the pan gets hotter with each batch.
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Ready when: Each batch is evenly golden with cooked, not raw, centers
Tip: Don't stack the pancakes in the oven, as they'll steam and turn soft.
10
Serve
- Stack 3 pancakes on each of 4 plates and serve right away with warm maple syrup and any extra blueberries.

Good to know

Tips

Weigh the oat flour if you can. Cups of oat flour vary a lot by how it's packed, and too much will give dry, dense pancakes.
Cook on medium heat. Oat batter needs a little longer than wheat batter to set the center, so a moderate pan prevents burnt outsides and raw middles.
Wait for bubbles to form and edges to look set before flipping. Flipping early makes pancakes tear.
Frozen blueberries work well and release less juice if pressed in while still frozen.

Make ahead

"Whisk the dry ingredients together up to 1 week ahead and store them in a sealed jar. The finished batter is best used within 30 minutes of mixing, because the baking powder loses its lift, so mix the wet and dry ingredients just before resting."

Storage & reheating

"Room temperature: up to 2 hours. Fridge: cool completely, then store in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Freezer: freeze in a single layer on a tray, then bag with parchment between pancakes for up to 2 months. Reheat in a toaster or a 350°F (175°C) oven for 5–8 minutes (from frozen, 8–10 minutes) until hot and crisp at the edges."

Substitutions

unsweetened soy milk → unsweetened oat milk or almond milk. Use the same amount. The batter may be slightly thinner with almond milk, so check the consistency after resting.
ground flaxseed → 3 tbsp (45 g) unsweetened applesauce. Replaces the flax egg and skips its water. The pancakes will be a little softer and more cakey.
blueberries → chopped banana, raspberries or vegan chocolate chips. Use the same volume. Raspberries are tender and should be added gently.
pure maple syrup → agave syrup. Use the same amount for a similar sweetness.