Apricots & Oat Flour Pancakes (GF, Vegan)

You are going to love these healthy oat flour pancakes. They are incredibly filling, deliciously soft, and naturally sweetened. Enjoy as a weekend treat, and keep the leftovers for weekday mornings. The recipe uses 100% oat flour, so it's gluten-free and vegan-friendly! 

Pancakes are one of the most favorite things my family loves to eat on lazy weekend mornings—I secretly love them more for the extra hugs and kisses I get. So, because they are on the breakfast menu quite often on Sundays, I like to explore with the ingredients—usually with what's left in my pantry and fridge.

These oat flour pancakes are a huge hit, so I have to share. It's a recipe that might be a bit more time-consuming than the average from-scratch pancakes, but so worth it. Plus, you get a whopping 10 to eleven deliciously creamy pancakes with oats, and they are also quite filling. Any leftovers are a perfect grab-and-go breakfast the next day or two. So, let's talk about ingredients.

Notes on Ingredients

This oat flour pancake stack comes together without any need for baking powder or xanthan gum. A few simple blended ingredients create beautiful and rustic pancakes that are super soft, creamy, and naturally sweetened. 

Oat Flour

Instead of buying oat flour, I use gluten-free steel-cut or old-fashioned rolled oats and pulse it in a high-speed blender, food processor, or coffee grinder until I have a flour-like consistency.

If you love baking with oats or often make oatmeal recipes, then it is more cost-effective to buy this whole grain in bulk and double its use as a flour. 

Making these pancakes with 100% oat flour adds tons of healthy nutrients and creates a soft and creamy consistency. Plus, they are gluten-free! One cup of oats makes for about one cup of oat flour.

Cinnamon Powder

Adding this woody spice was initially an afterthought. But I love how it adds a warm flavor complementing the dried fruits in this naturally sweet breakfast.

I use Organic Ceylon Cinnamon Powder—best to buy in bulk—which is more aromatic and flavorful, in my opinion, than Cassia!

Apricots and raisins

What I love most about these pancakes is that they are sweet on their own and taste incredible even without toppings. And that is because I naturally sweeten them with brown raisins and (Turkish) apricots.

The dried fruits are first pureed in some plant milk before added to the flour. So, you won't notice their chewy texture, and they are not visible in the pancakes. But the result is a fruity, sweet flavor with a hint of tanginess. 

Plant milk

Choose your favorite plant milk. I prefer almond or oat milk in this recipe.

Egg or Egg Replacer

You can opt to use eggs, but I have dabbled in egg-free baking lately and have noticed that it makes these pancakes much lighter.

I tested this recipe with a gluten-free and vegan egg replacer from Bob's Red Mill. It's an easy-to-find brand, and the starches provide a great binding texture with a fairly neutral flavor. But check the notes below for a flax or chia seed variation. 

Coconut oil

I am only using a bit to grease the pan. Start with ½ teaspoon and then use only ¼ of a teaspoon for each next ½ cup of batter. Feel free to swap this with a different type of oil or butter.

HEALTHY TOPPINGS—IDEAS

The options are endless here, and, of course, a drizzle of sticky maple syrup is our favorite. But here at home and in particular for these pancakes, we also love

• Sliced bananas, extra chopped dried apricots with almonds mixed with some maple syrup;
• Add a dollop of creamy (vegan) fruit yogurt;
• Or a spoon of (homemade) jam, chia jam, or
• Homemade nut butter;

Because these gluten-free pancakes are already deliciously sweet, they also pair well with your favorite cheese. We love making them into "Pancake Sandwiches," paired with something nutty and hearty.

LEFTOVER PANCAKES

In my house, the few leftovers go in the fridge in an airtight container and disappear in the next 2 or 3 days. 

They are a perfect quick weekday breakfast—a great way to make Monday special. Set a small pan on your stove on low heat and flip the pancakes until warm—it only takes a few minutes. It heats them nicely without any fuss. You could even add the cheese at this point and let it slightly melt. I prefer this method over a microwave for 30 seconds—less mushy—but that works just as well. 

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• Sweet Buckwheat Waffles (Gluten-free)