So many people say they like these pancakes even more than “regular” pancakes, and now these are their regular pancakes. These cakes rise nicely and fill your kitchen with a wonderful lemony aroma. For best results, read the Notes section of this recipe before beginning to cook.
Oatmeal-Lemon Pancakes
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 2 to 4 (makes about 12 small or 6 larger pancakes)
Ingredients
- 2 cups unsweetened nondairy milk (plus more to thin batter as it sits)
- 2 ounces pitted dates (3 to 4 Medjool or 6 to 8 Deglet Noor), chopped
- 1½ cups old-fashioned rolled oats
- ½ cup cornmeal
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest (from 1 medium lemon; see Notes)
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- Sliced fruit, such as bananas, strawberries, or blueberries, to top pancakes (optional)
- Finely chopped walnuts to top pancakes (optional)
- 1 recipe Strawberry Date Syrup (optional)
Instructions
- Place the nondairy milk and dates into a small bowl, and set aside for 15 minutes (so the dates can soften).
- Grind the rolled oats into flour using a blender. Transfer to a medium bowl, and whisk in the cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon. Heat a nonstick frying pan or griddle to medium heat (not high).
- Pour the soaking dates and milk into a blender, and blend until smooth.
- Add this mixture to the bowl of dry ingredients, along with the lemon juice and zest, and whisk until smooth.
- When a water droplet sputters on the surface of the frying pan or griddle, it is ready: pour ¼ to ½ cup of the batter onto its surface (no oil is needed), and cook until bubbles form around the edges and on top, and the underside is medium brown (1 to 2 minutes). Flip the pancake and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes. (As the batter sits, it may thicken so add a little more milk as needed.)
- Serve pancakes immediately, with one or all of the optional toppings: sliced fruit, chopped walnuts, and/or Strawberry Date Syrup.
Notes
Use a high-quality, nonstick frying pan for these pancakes, since there is no oil in the batter or on the pan’s surface to help prevent sticking. A quality nonstick pan also produces more evenly cooked and browned pancakes. Read more about nonstick pans here.
If you do not have (or do not want to use) nonstick cookware, you can also bake the pancakes in the oven. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, and bake the pancakes at 400°F for 5 to 10 minutes before flipping them and baking for another 5 to 10 minutes. Baking does not yield the same deep brown color as the frying pan, but the pancakes will still taste great.
Use a silicone (not plastic) spatula with a large, flat surface and tapered edge for best pancake-flipping results.
To zest a lemon, use a very fine-toothed grater (a Microplane), grating or “zesting” only the yellow outer skin while avoiding the white pith below it. Be sure to always zest your citrus before juicing it.
If you do not have (or do not want to use) nonstick cookware, you can also bake the pancakes in the oven. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, and bake the pancakes at 400°F for 5 to 10 minutes before flipping them and baking for another 5 to 10 minutes. Baking does not yield the same deep brown color as the frying pan, but the pancakes will still taste great.
Use a silicone (not plastic) spatula with a large, flat surface and tapered edge for best pancake-flipping results.
To zest a lemon, use a very fine-toothed grater (a Microplane), grating or “zesting” only the yellow outer skin while avoiding the white pith below it. Be sure to always zest your citrus before juicing it.
Nutrition Information
Serving size: 3 small pancakes Calories: 223 Fat: 3.6g Saturated fat: 0.5g Carbohydrates: 45.3g Sugar: 5.6g Sodium: 210mg Fiber: 5.7g Protein: 5.6g Cholesterol: 0
If you make this recipe and enjoy it, please share a comment below or on my Facebook page. If you’d like to print this recipe, use the green “Print” button near the top-right of the recipe. Learn more about the Straight Up Food Cookbook here. Thank you!
Sticks to the pan. I’m using non-stick skillet. Help!
Hi Milton, I have made these in two different non-stick skillets; one was a Green Pan skillet, which is lighter duty/lesser quality, and the other was a Berndez non-stick, which is a high-quality, heavier duty pan. The Berndez made a significant difference in the sticking factor (they didn’t stick at all in this pan, but did in the Green Pan, which I don’t believe regulates the heat as well). You may also find that reducing the heat helps with sticking (and just cooking them a bit longer), but I think the pan quality is the bigger issue. Hope that helps 🙂
Hi, Cathy! Would you be willing to mention the exact type (name) of the Berndes pan you bought–and whether there are vendors in the States? Thank you. Because of the higher expense, I want to be sure I get “the right one” the first time.
I find that if they stick, you may not be letting them cook long enough.
Dear Cathy,
Thanks. I finally got hold of a good pan. The pancakes turned out perfectly.
Hi Milton, I’m thrilled to hear that! The right tools certainly make all the difference 🙂 Take care – Cathy
Is the 1.5 C of oats measured before they’re ground, or after? I imagine that the 1.5 C of rolled oats would be reduced in volume after the grinding. Thanks for the help! These look delicious.
Hi, yes, that’s not so clear. I measure the 1.5 cups before I ground them. If you find that ground is a different measurement, let me know and I’ll note it 🙂 Thanks!
Hi Cathy,
I needed to share with you how much I appreciate this recipe. My 4 year old son has a spinal tumor and through diet (I believe) was have stablized it, avoiding chemo, thus far. So transitioning his already vegan diet to a whole foods vegan diet has been the most imprtant thing I have ever done. AND, he is 4, so you know how picky they can be 😉 I always make pancakes on the weekend and enough for a few days after. This weekend was the first time I ventured from our regular recipe that I keep trying to make healthier and made this. I added vanilla blueberries and ripe sliced banans to the mix. My son sat at the table and went on and on how he liked these pancakes much more than my normal pancakes. This morning, he ate the last of them. He was so upset there were no more and said again how much better they were than the other pancakes. I promised him we would make more tonight together and he was so happy. I already have lots of ideas how to play with it. My son has been through enough, so the last thing I want him to have to do is shove food down his throat that he doesn’t like. thank u for this recipe. Can’t wait to have some fun with it now that I feel a little more confident 🙂
Hi Andrea, thank you for sharing that wonderful story! Wow! I’m so glad your son has taken to the healthier pancakes! Keep me updated if you come up with more variations that he likes. Have a great week! 😉
Hi Cathy-we made apple this weekend. Elliott (my son) liked them a lot, but I would make some changes next time. I was wondering if I took out the cornmeal and just did all oatmeal flour how that would be. Thoughts? I about doubled the cinnamon, added a bit of nutmeg, did 1 cup unfiltered apple juice, 1 cup almond milk and subed the apple sauce for date paste (although next time I’m not sure I would do that since they are apple pancakes) Left out the lemon. I grated 2 fresh apples but I think I would cook them a little bit next time to make them sweeter and prob add some raisens. If you have any other ideas-please share 🙂 Thanks again!
Hi Andrea, sure you can use all flour if you like. You may need to adjust the measurement a bit, but that’s easy. Wow, you’re creative! That all sounds great. Pancakes are pretty forgiving when it comes to tweaking them. Try bananas and blueberries. Sometimes I put chopped walnuts in mine too. Have fun and thanks for the comments!
Hi Cathy, We (including my 3 & 5 y. o.) loved these pancakes! I cooked all of them at one time even though we didn’t eat them all in one sitting. I left them on the counter to cool and all morning the kids kept running by and taking another for a “fly-by bite”. Needless to say, there were hardly any leftovers after that. I happen to love lemon and can see how easy it will be to modify this recipe for whatever you have on hand.
Hi Monica, thank you for the comment! They do make good snacks, and yes, so easy to modify them. I think as long as you have a good non-stick pan, any type of pancake is possible 🙂
I needed to give up a mix I had because I tried using subs for oil and eggs but it did not go well. I followed your directions but the batter was so runny. I added several tsp’s of flour and the consistency improved. Then I added freeze dried cranberries and walnuts. The flavor is different, but I think I like it.
Hi Rebekah, what kind of flour did you use? I make these a lot and the texture is typical of pancake batter before cooking and very cooked and raised up inside, never runny, so not sure what’s going on. Hmm. The flavor will be lemon-y. 🙂
Love your recipes! When you mentioned this on your facebook page today I wondered how I missed this recipe. How or can this be modified to make waffles?
Hi Teri, here is my waffle recipe. 🙂 http://www.straightupfood.com/blog/2010/05/04/waffles-with-date-syrup/
This was delicious. I was in a hurry so I used a tablespoon of maple syrup instead of the dates — but it worked out really well. Thank you.
I made these today and everyone in my house loved them. I toped them with poached pears, apples, & cinimin… yum
Some cornmeal contains gluten, I have been told. Are these pancakes totally gluten free?
Hi Anita, cornmeal is considered a gluten-free grain, but is often produced by manufacturers who also process wheat on their machinery. Check labels on the package you purchase to see if it is noted that the cornmeal is processed on equipment with wheat. 🙂
Cathy, just tried these and they are fantastic. Thank you so much for sharing all your wonderful and delicious recipes
Thanks Patty! 😉
For some reason anytime I cook pancakes it is still moist, really moist in the middle. I follow recipie exactly but my non stick griddle only has temperature settings, not high med low. Am I cooking them on too high of heat, please help. I could leave them on for 10min ea side and still moist
Hi Megan, I usually start my pancakes on high heat then turn it down about halfway through the batch as the pan heats up more. You could try another pan, a good quality non-stick makes the difference I’ve noticed. Maybe your baking powder is old(?) Also, don’t overmix, just mix until the dry is incorporated. It should only take about 3 minutes per side. 🙂
I’ll have to say that after trying many of the recipes featured on such sites as “Forks Over Knives” and contributors to that site, my wife and I have been mostly disappointed with the outcomes of the dishes tried. Finally, a recipe that delivers what it promises. Tasty indeed!
Cathy,
Thank you for the wonderful pancake recipe! The lemon zest really makes it special…Mike
😉
Cathy, I’d like to try this recipe…sounds very yummy. I am not able to eat any citrus right now. Will this work without the lemon? Do I need to substitute with vinegar or anything?
Thanks so much.
Elaine
Hi Elaine, Yes, it will work fine without it. No need to substitute. 🙂
Thanks Cathy! I am also eating gluten-free so I’m experimenting with different flours. I used 50/50 buckwheat and brown rice flour. I had to thin out the batter, but it was very tasty. I also added some vanilla. I used to make pancakes with added wheat germ and I miss that sweetness it adds. Can you think of anything that would be a substitute, but still gluten-free? Also, I think with the buckwheat, this would work well with wild rice added and take it more savory. Are the dates used for binding? Wasn’t sure about the dates with the wild rice. Love your website! So thankful to find vegan, oil-free cooking. 🙂
Hi Elaine, maybe flax seeds? The dates are used for a bit of sweetness, but you can leave them out. 🙂
Cathy, I can’t wait to try these but I can’t eat corn meal. What can I substitute in it’s place? Thanks!
Hi Annette, I’d make it up with oat flour or try ground millet. 🙂
Just made my first batch, oh boy so yummy. Thanks for the great recipe.
I’d love to try this recipe, everything I’ve made from your site is delicious! I need advice on which non dairy milk to use? Also, it will be my first time making non-dairy milk and I’ll be using your recipes for it. I’m watching calories too and would appreciate your recommendation for a milk for this recipe. I have to second the gentleman up above, your recipes are winners every time compared to other sites. Thank you!
Hi Meg, any kind will work, but oat and rice will be lower calorie. I usually use soy or almond since those are the ones I typically have in the fridge. 🙂 Thanks so much!
I love these. They are the only pancakes I make. Just finished baking a double batch. They freeze so well and we just pop them in the toaster when we are ready to eat them! Delicious!
Will Sunsweet Brand pitted dates (the basic kind you find in the raisin aisle) work for this recipe or will I need to make adjustments if using those? Thanks.
If they are deglet type, then I use 2x as many. It should say on there somewhere if that’s what they are. Should work fine. 🙂
Cathy,
Thanks for your reply. The box does not say what kind they are anywhere. Under ingredients it simply says: California pitted dates. What is the difference between different varieties of dates and how many different types are there? I’ve used them a few times in different recipes (not yours) and haven’t been completely successful (may have just been the recipe – or my lack of cooking skills). Makes me wonder if I’m using the wrong kind of dates? Thanks for you thoughts on this.
Hi Pam, there are generally two types: Medjool and deglet. Medjools are sweeter and almost twice as big. Most boxed dates I believe are deglet, so just use twice as many as the recipe calls for (I usually use Medjool and write my recipes with those in mind). There are more types than this in the world, but these are the most common in the US I believe.
P.S. Will Flax Milk work in this recipe?
I think any non-dairy milk would work, although I haven’t tried flax.
When I made these I had to go back on your site to see if I got the liquid measurement wrong as it was so thin. I was glad to see it thicken up as it set. The lemon zest added a nice touch – I almost did not add it but then decided to – glad I did. They even passed the husband test. Thanks for a great recipe.
I love it when things pass the husband test! 😉
Hi Cathy,
Mine was also very runny. I added WW flour. the taste was terrific. This is a keeper.
Thank you
Hi Cathy,
I just made these for the first time this morning (was tired of my usual oatmeal!) They were so delicious, and cooked so easily. I have a Berndes non-stick pan, which I found out about from your website, and the pancakes didn’t stick at all. Thanks so much!
That’s great! Thanks for writing! 😉
Hello Cathy
I made this today and my husband loved them!!!
I am not much of a pancake kind of girl, however, wanted to try another one of your wonderful recipes…. I could have eaten the batter by itself. It was so yummy 🙂
OMG, I just made this for my very picky teenage boys and it was a tremendous hit! Thank you so much. I’ve tries other vegan recipes and this is the best. FYI, I replaced the lemon juice and zest with a very ripe banana.
Yum! 😉
We love these pancakes! I have also made them by leaving out the lemon, and taking a banana, cinnamon and a little non-dairy milk and blending it up in my Vitamix to create a nice creamy banana mixture, when almost done I throw in a few pecans. I add this to other the dry and wet ingredients. It tastes like a Banana Bread pancakes, delicious!
I serve them with the no-oil hashbrowns!
Mmm! Sounds great Cheryl! Thank you! 🙂
Would almond or soy milk work?
Sounds delcious! 🙂
Sure. 🙂
Hi Cathy,
I’m rather new at eating a whole foods diet, thanks to my doctor, and your recipes have truly been a life-saver in so many ways. Many of them are in my weekly rotation. THANK YOU!!
My husband and I went camping a few weeks ago and I prepped what I could to make your Oatmeal-Lemon Pancakes while on our trip. These pancakes were the BEST I’ve had since eating G.F. They were so fluffy and tasty, and they will definitely be made many more times. So kuddos to you, and thanks again!
Great to hear! 🙂 Thanks Tawny!
“These are the best pancakes you’ve ever made!” That’s what my husband said when he took his first bite. We are in our late 60’s and have made lots of different pancakes so that’s saying a lot! Looking forward to your cookbook arriving in two days!
Yay! 🙂 Thanks Nancy!