Oatmeal Pancakes

Pancakes are one of our favorite brunch meals—so light and fluffy, perfect for pairing with crispy bacon, scrambled eggs, and mimosas. But while we love them, we do recognize they’re pretty much cake without the frosting (and actually, with butter and maple syrup and a dusting of powdered sugar, even that’s in contention). So on weekdays, we want something that feels a little heartier and more filling to start our work days off right. But who says pancakes are just for weekends? Instead, add oats to your pancakes to make them worthy of your weekday breakfast rotation.

Here’s our top trick for keeping these pancakes extra light and fluffy, while still being full of all the benefits of a bowl of oatmeal: soak your oats! It sounds strange, but hydrating the oats helps soften them, which in turn helps them combine with the other pancake ingredients. Think of it like our peanut butter overnight oats, where spending time soaking overnight turns raw oatmeal into something delicious. Luckily, for these pancakes, they really only need a few minutes to soften, so you can do it while you’re preparing your other ingredients (like melting your butter and mixing it with sugar).

These pancakes have perfect lacy edges and a subtle cinnamon flavor that we love, but feel free to experiment with other spices too (pumpkin pie spice or cardamom might be nice?). Serve with maple syrup and fresh fruit, or any of your other favorite pancake toppings. Or swap these in for your average morning toast with jam—your morning just got WAY better.

Have you made these yet? Let us know how it went in the comments below.

Editor's Note: The introduction to this recipe was updated on April 26, 2022 to include more information about the dish.