Many weekends throughout my childhood, my mom pulled out her big metal mixing bowl and two large frying pans. She poured glasses of “crazy drink” for my brother and me, a combination of orange and mixed fruit juices along with carbonated water, and we held those sippy cups in our hands as we sat at the kitchen table and watched her work.
She whipped up every batch from scratch, starting with the milk and eggs and vanilla, followed by the flour and baking powder and salt. Since she was the best mom ever, she made pancakes for my brother and me first, always dolloping them in the silhouette of a Mickey Mouse face because she knew how happy and excited those specially shaped pancakes made us.
Once they turned golden brown, she quickly flipped them out of the pans and onto square pink plastic plates, set those in front of us at our places at the kitchen table, and handed us a bottle of Log Cabin syrup. Because we poured out enough to nearly cover the entire plate, she gave us the cheap kind… And saved the expensive, real, pure maple syrup for herself and Dad!
Smart lady.
Once we reassured her we had eaten enough, she tossed handfuls of fresh blueberries into the mixing bowl, stirred them in, and dolloped batter into circular silver dollar sized pancakes into the frying pans. My brother and I hated “bits” in our food back then, like onions in spaghetti sauce and blueberries in pancakes, so we never touched our parents’ hot blueberry pancakes!
Eventually, sometime during middle or high school, I finally tried one of Mom’s blueberry pancakes for the first time, and my eyes immediately widened…
Why in the world had I avoided those for my whole life?? The sweet juicy berries surrounded by warm fluffy pancake, finished with a little pat of butter that immediately melted across the top and a quick drizzle of rich pure maple syrup… In Mom’s eyes, and then mine too, that tasted like the most incredible and indulgent way to make—and eat!—pancakes.
So when I spotted the jug of maple syrup and pint of fresh blueberries in my fridge last weekend, I immediately knew what I wanted to make…
But I gave Mom’s pancake recipe a little makeover, which resulted in these Healthy Blueberry Oatmeal Pancakes! They’re just as fluffy as the ones from my childhood with plenty of plump juicy berries in every single pancake. However, these contain no refined flour or sugar and just 123 calories in each stack!
I’m pretty sure Mom would be proud… And hopefully enjoy every bite just as much as I did!
So let’s go over how to make these healthy blueberry oatmeal pancakes!
You’ll actually start with instant oats. They’re also called “quick cooking” or “one minute” oats, and they’re smaller and thinner than old-fashioned rolled oats. Their smaller size means they soften faster, which makes your healthy blueberry oatmeal pancakes much fluffier!
You’ll mix those instant oats with Greek yogurt and milk before turning to the rest of the ingredients. This is a special trick of mine! By stirring the instant oats into the Greek yogurt and milk first, that gives the oats a chance to start soaking up moisture ahead of time, which leads to an even more moist and fluffy texture in your healthy blueberry oatmeal pancakes.
Tip: If you have enough time to let that oat mixture rest for at least an hour (or even overnight!) in the fridge, your healthy blueberry oatmeal pancakes will turn out with an even better moist and fluffy texture!
Next, you’ll whisk together white whole wheat flour with a touch of cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Although blueberries and cinnamon aren’t exactly a classic flavor combination, it feels wrong to eat oats in any form without cinnamon… And as it turns out, cinnamon’s rich flavor actually elevates the natural sweetness of blueberries and makes these healthy blueberry oatmeal pancakes taste even more cozy and irresistible!
Maybe you’ve heard me say this before in another recipe, but it’s worth repeating again… White whole wheat flour actually exists, and it’s not a combination of white (aka all-purpose) flour and regular whole wheat flour! Instead, it’s made by finely grinding a special type of soft white wheat (hence the name!), whereas regular whole wheat flour comes from a heartier variety of red wheat. The both have the same health benefits, like extra fiber, but white whole wheat flour has a lighter taste and texture… Which lets the fluffy texture of your healthy blueberry oatmeal pancakes truly shine!
Hint: I’ve shared my favorite gluten-free option in the Notes section of the recipe, if you prefer!
To keep your healthy blueberry oatmeal pancakes low calorie and low fat, you’ll add a mere 1 teaspoon of melted butter or coconut oil, and you’ll also use just 1 large egg white. However, your pancakes will still taste really moist and tender and fluffy for two reasons!
The first reason is the Greek yogurt that you already stirred into your instant oats! Greek yogurt adds the same moisture as extra butter or oil but for a fraction of the calories. It also gives your healthy blueberry oatmeal pancakes a protein boost!
Nerd Alert!
The second reason is because of another special ingredient. This time, it’s plain white vinegar! The vinegar (an acid) reacts with the baking soda (a base) to create air bubbles. Those air bubbles make the pancake batter rise while it cooks in the pan, and it also creates a supremely moist and fluffy texture in your healthy blueberry oatmeal pancakes.
The vinegar may make your pancake batter smell a little funky when you first stir it in… But I promise you cannot taste the vinegar in the finished pancakes!
Because I know how much pure maple syrup my family usually drizzles all over their stacks of hot pancakes, I only added a teensy tiny teaspoon of it to the batter. The blueberries also add lots of natural sweetness, so I didn’t think these healthy blueberry oatmeal pancakes needed all that much maple syrup inside of them too! But if you prefer sweeter pancake batter, you can definitely add more.
And speaking of that fruit… It’d be impossible to make these pancakes without the berries! I generally prefer using fresh blueberries because (a) they taste a little plumper and juicier and (b) they don’t stain the batter a strange gray color like frozen blueberries do. However, frozen blueberries will work, which means you can easily eat these healthy blueberry oatmeal pancakes all year round!
It’s just about time to cook your pancakes! I’ve covered how to cook the perfect pancakes in lots of detail here. Things like the best pans for cooking pancakes, the best flipping technique, and whether you need a pancake griddle. I’ve even shared photos showing you what to do (and what not to do!).
But I also want to share a couple more quick tips!
Tip #1: Adding Blueberries
I’ve seen people make blueberry pancakes two ways. The first, which my mom always did, is by adding the blueberries to the bowl of batter, then dolloping that mixture onto the pan. The second is by adding the plain batter to the pan, then gently pressing a few blueberries into the batter.
I’ve tried making these pancakes both ways, and the best way is…
Adding the blueberries to the bowl of batter! When I did that, these healthy blueberry oatmeal pancakes cooked evenly on both sides, even though the blueberries stuck up out of the batter when I first dolloped it into the pan.
When I tried adding plain batter to the pan and pressing blueberries into it, the batter didn’t rise and bubble up around the blueberries, and the blueberries never fully incorporated… So when I flipped the pancakes, the batter on the second side didn’t touch the pan and couldn’t finish cooking through properly.
So don’t be afraid—add those blueberries to your bowl of batter!
Tip #2: Pancake Thickness
This tip is a little more straightforward! Thick batter = thick pancakes. Thin batter = thin pancakes. It’s that easy!
As written, this recipe yields healthy blueberry oatmeal pancakes that are on the thinner side. They’re still fluffy! Just not very fat or tall.
If you prefer thicker pancakes, then use less water when mixing up your pancake batter. Super simple! Just remember, if you have thicker pancake batter, it won’t spread as much in the pan… So you may need to spread it some yourself with a spatula or the back of a spoon.
Whew! I think that’s about it. And if you’ve stuck with me this long, then you’re just about ready to…
Eat a nice big stack of hot fluffy pancakes! And when you make your own, remember to snap a picture and share it on Instagram using #amyshealthybaking and tagging @amyshealthybaking IN the photo itself! (That guarantees I’ll see your picture! ?) I’d love to see your healthy blueberry oatmeal pancakes!
| Healthy Blueberry Oatmeal Pancakes | | Print |
- ½ cup (50g) instant oats (gluten-free if necessary and measured like this)
- ¼ cup (60g) plain nonfat Greek yogurt
- ½ cup (120mL) nonfat milk
- ½ cup + 2 tbsp (75g) white whole wheat flour or gluten-free* flour (measured like this)
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 tsp unsalted butter or coconut oil, melted
- 1 large egg white, room temperature
- 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp (30mL) distilled white vinegar
- 1 tsp pure maple syrup
- ¼ cup (60mL) water
- 1 cup (140g) fresh blueberries
- Stir together the oats, Greek yogurt, and milk in a small bowl. (See Notes!)
- Whisk together the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a second small bowl. In a medium bowl, whisk together the butter, egg white, and vanilla. Stir in the vinegar and maple syrup. Stir in the oat mixture. Alternate between adding the flour mixture and the water, beginning and ending with the flour, stirring just until incorporated. (For best results, add the flour mixture in 3 equal parts.) Gently fold in the blueberries.
- Lightly coat a large nonstick pan or griddle with nonstick cooking spray, and briefly preheat over low heat.
- Using a scant 2 tablespoons of batter for each pancake, dollop the batter onto the hot pan, and spread into a circular shape using a spatula or back of a spoon (if desired). Let the pancakes cook for 2-3 minutes, or until a slight skin starts to form around the edges and bubbles begin to show on the top. Slide a spatula underneath, and flip. Continue to cook for another 1-2 minutes or until cooked through. Re-coat the pan with nonstick cooking spray, and repeat with the remaining batter.
Instant oats are also called “quick cooking” or “one minute” oats. They’re smaller and thinner than old-fashioned rolled oats. To make your own out of old-fashioned oats, add the same amount to a food processor or blender. Pulse until they’re no more than ¼ of their original size.
If you have enough time to cover and let the oat mixture rest for at least an hour (or even overnight!) in the fridge, your healthy blueberry oatmeal pancakes will turn out with an even better moist and fluffy texture!
Any milk may be substituted for the nonfat milk.
For the gluten-free flour, I recommend the following blend: ¼ cup (30g) millet flour, ¼ cup (30g) tapioca flour, 2 tbsp (15g) brown rice flour, and ¼ teaspoon xanthan gum. Many store-bought gluten-free flour blends (like this one!) will work as well, if measured like this.
Whole wheat pastry flour, regular whole wheat flour, or all-purpose flour may be substituted in place of the white whole wheat flour.
Remember to measure the flour and oats correctly, using this method or a kitchen scale. (← That’s the one I own and love!) Too much will dry out your pancake batter. This is especially true of the oats because they act like little sponges and soak up as much moisture as possible!
Honey or agave may be substituted for the pure maple syrup.
These pancakes aren’t overly sweet—and that’s intentional! Because my family usually covers their pancakes in lots of maple syrup, I found that adding more to the batter was completely unnecessary. However, if you prefer sweeter pancakes, increase the maple syrup by 2-3 tablespoons, and reduce the water by the same amount.
Frozen blueberries may be substituted for the fresh. They may stain your batter a grayish color and make your pancakes take a bit longer to cook, but the flavor will remain the same!
Remember… Thick batter = thick pancakes. Thin batter = thin pancakes. However, when you add thick batter to your pan, it doesn’t spread, so you’ll need to spread it a bit yourself using a spatula, the back of a spoon, or the bottom of a measuring cup to get that nice, circular pancake shape.
For thicker pancakes, decrease the water by 2 tablespoons, or omit it altogether.
For thinner pancake batter, add more water or milk until you achieve your desired pancake batter consistency.
For more cooking tips, see the blog post above, as well as the text and pictures in this blog post of mine.
This recipe is easily doubled to make more. If you have any leftovers, they freeze really well too!
Optional Drizzle: Stir together 2 tablespoons (18g) confectioners’ style erythritol and 1 ½ to 2 teaspoons of milk (any kind!) in a small bowl. Transfer to a zip-topped bag, cut off a tiny piece of one corner, and drizzle over the pancakes.
{gluten-free, clean eating, low fat, lower sugar}
View Nutrition Information + Weight Watchers Points
You may also like Amy’s other recipes…
♡ The Ultimate Healthy Buttermilk Pancakes
♡ Healthy Blueberry Waffles
♡ The Ultimate Healthy Blueberry Oatmeal Muffins
♡ Healthy Blueberry Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies
♡ The Ultimate Healthy Blueberry Scones
♡ Healthy Blueberry Oatmeal Breakfast Quick Bread
♡ …and the rest of Amy’s healthy pancake recipes!
Thanks for all your information about this recipe. Suggestion: place a button at the beginning of your commentary that gives readers the option to “Go Directly to Recipe”. Saves so much scrolling time. Thank you ?.
I’ll bring that up with my web developer the next time we speak! 🙂 I’d love to hear what you think if you try these pancakes Tricia!
Amy, do you have a nutritional breakdown of the recipe? (Ie: calories, carbs, fats, etc) thank you.
Yes! The full nutrition information is actually included directly underneath the recipe. I know it can be easy to miss! 🙂
Thank you, Amy!!
It’s my pleasure Tricia! 🙂
Amy I agree with Tricia, we need a jump to recipe button at the top of the page. Scrolling makes me frustrated and makes me want to abandon your website. I really appreciate all the information you give us! I really want to eat healthy so that is why I am offering my opinion in hopes of improvement .
I truly appreciate your interest in our recipes, Rita! We are working on adding a “Jump to Recipe” button to all of our recipes. It requires some coding and reconfiguring of all recipes individually, and with 1000+ recipes on the blog, it’s taking a bit of time to do. However, we promise that adding that “Jump to Recipe” button to all recipes as quickly as possible is a top priority! 😉
Thanks Stacey!
After making normal, calorically dense chocolate chip pancakes and eating a few too many, I planned to look for a low calorie pancake recipe. I scrolled through instagram, and behold, your pancake post popped up, it’s as if it read my mind! Saving this recipe to use next time!
Great minds definitely think alike!! 😉 I can’t wait to hear what you think of these pancakes Samira!
Amy;
Hi,mmmm these blueberry pancakes look so good and tasty but i prefer waffles to pancakes.Do you have any waffle recipes that i can cook on my waffle maker?
Have a nice evening and a nice day tomorrow.
Kim
As always, I really appreciate your interest in my recipes Kim! You can find my waffle recipes here. In the future, the best way to find a specific recipe is to click on the “Recipes” tab at the top of my blog or use the Search Bar (located on the right side, if you’re viewing on a computer, or the bottom of my blog, if you’re viewing on a mobile device). 🙂 I can’t wait to hear what recipe of mine you try next!
Delicious! Liked so much I made a mix of dry ingredients and froze the yogurt in 1/4 cup containers. Now I can make 3 batches pretty easily. I did not have white vinegar so I used 1/2 the amount of salt-free rice vinegar Seemed to work as well. Next batch -pumpkin instead of blueberries! Your recipe directions leave no doubt about measuring or substitutions.As a pretty average cook, I love that! Next up-today’s Dark Chocolate Brownies with Peanut Butter Frosting-oh,Lordy!
I’m so glad you enjoyed these pancakes Conni! That means the world to me that you’d want to make them again — that’s the best kind of compliment! Thank you! 🙂 I’m so excited to hear what you think of the brownies too!
Could one use oat flour or would that mess it up?
Yes, oat flour is fine in this particular recipe! I’d love to hear what you think if you try these pancakes Jordanna! 🙂