3-Ingredient Vegan Oat Pancakes {Gluten-Free, Oil-Free}

Hearty and healthy 3-ingredient vegan oat pancakes! They are also gluten-free, flourless, and oil-free. They are also easy to make in a single bowl (no blender required!).

Easy Egg-Free, Dairy-Free Flourless Oat Pancakes

Happy holiday weekend, everyone!

My recipe today? It required some channeling of my Scottish roots. I wanted to make a new version of oat pancakes that were mostly oats.

As each attempt failed, I added another ingredient to make things work. Chia seeds. Flaxseed meal. Chickpea flour. Tapioca starch. Psyllium husk. Each was gooey and gross in a unique way. Cleaning out the blender umpteen times was nightmarish.

I nearly gave up. But some ancestral, Scottish force must have guided me to try again. With more oats, and little else. After a few more rounds of testing, I had what I was craving.

Introducing my 3-Ingredient Oat Pancakes.

Ingredients for Vegan Oat Pancakes

These homey pancakes have (as the title spells ou) 3 ingredients:

1. Rolled oats
2. Baking powder
3. A smidge of coconut sugar

The addition of salt is recommended, but also optional/adjustable. You will also need some water to mix everything into a batter.

The results are well tidy scran (Scottish slang for delicious/fantastic/outstanding food), if I do say so myself.

Nutritional Highlights of 3-Ingredient Oat Pancakes

These hearty, bonnie pancakes are also:

• Vegan
• Gluten-free
• Oil-free
• High fiber
• Low calorie

They are also delicious, easy to make, and, in true Scottish form, seriously frugal.

How to Make 3-Ingredient Oat Pancakes

(1) Soak some (but not all) of the oats

To make the pancakes, you’ll use oats in two ways. First, soak one 1 cup of rolled oats and 1 cup of water for at least 30 minutes or for up to 12 hours.

(2) Stir the soaked oats until smooth

The soaked oats will be very soft and mushy. Next, grab a wooden spoon and stir like crazy. One to two minutes of vigorous stirring will render the mixture mostly smooth. A bowl and wooden spoon is so much easier to clean (to the nth degree) than a blender!

(3) Add more oats!

Time for more oats! Add an additional cup of (dry) rolled oats to the mix, along with another 1/3 cup water.

(4) Stir in the remaining ingredients

Add 2 tablespoons coconut sugar (or the sweetener of your choice) as well, 2 teaspoons of baking powder and 1/4 teaspoon salt (you can vary or omit the salt according to your needs). Stir until just blended.

The different oat textures make these pancakes “work”: the soaked oats create a creamy, oat-milky base while the additional dry oats add structure and body (i.e., no gooiness!). Hooray for the wonder of oats!

Note that I made different batches of these pancakes with both old-fashioned rolled oats and quick-cooking (not instant) oats. I actually prefer the latter (the smaller pieces of oats throughout) , but either variety works fine.

Are Old-Fashioned Rolled Oats more Nutritious than Quick-Cooking Oats?

Keep in mind that there is zero difference between the nutritional value of old-fashioned and quick-cooking oats.

Both are simply steamed oat groats that have been rolled flat to create their characteristic “flake” shape. Quick-cooking oats go through one more step: they are coarsely cut into smaller pieces so that they will cook more quickly. That is the only difference!

(5) Cook the Pancakes in a Skillet or on a Griddle

Scoop the batter by 1/4 cup portions into a preheated, seasoned cast iron skillet (set over medium to medium-high heat). I prefer to use a preheated nonstick griddle, so that I can make a lot of pancakes at once. The heat is even and controlled (no lopsided, half-burnt pancakes!). 

One more note about scooping the batter into the skillet or onto the griddle:  because it is thick with oats, you’ll need to use the back of a spoon to spread the batter out into a 4-inch (10 cm) circle.

Cook until bubbles form on top and edges are golden brown. Flip pancakes and cook 1 to 2 minutes longer until browned and cooked through.

You can cool the pancakes and store for future breakfast (store in the refrigerator or freezer, reheat in the microwave).

Or serve immediately the pancakes with the toppings of your choice (e.g., syrup, fresh fruit, yogurt).

These are definitely not “traditional” pancakes (e.g., IHOP or Bisquick). They are very hearty; two will easily fill you up. You can also use them as flatbreads/griddle scones and use them for sandwiches or spreads of all kinds.

As (I hope) you can imagine, fancying up these humble pancakes (e.g., some vanilla or spices, for starters) is always an option. I love them just as they are.

Happy Sunday–here comes summer!