Recipe: Gluten-Free Oatmeal Buttermilk Pancakes

Pancakes have always been a tradition in our house on the weekends and I worked for years to perfect my favorite pancakes before being diagnosed with celiac disease. Being gluten-free doesn’t mean you have to give up on delicious, fluffy pancakes.  I have lots of versions I use, such as corn cakes, buckwheat pancakes, blueberry pancakes, buttermilk pancakes and even eggnog pancakes, but the top-rated pancakes in our house are oatmeal buttermilk pancakes.  I make these pancakes for overnight (and gluten eating) guests and get nothing, but compliments and empty plates.

Most people with celiac are able to handle pure gluten-free oats, and they are a great source of fiber to replace the whole grains we have to omit from our  gluten-free diets.

Thanks to Bob’s Red Mill, gluten-free oats they are now widely available at many grocery stores, when previously they were more difficult to find, not to mention more expensive.

The secret to this recipe is soaking the oats for at least an hour.  Sometimes I will soak them the night before, so when I wake in the morning, I am ready to go.  Any gluten-free flour blend can be used, lately I have been using Pamela’s Baking & Pancake Mix for incredibly tasty results. Do not use Pamela’s if you are nut- or dairy-free.

This recipe makes about a dozen pancakes, so I will double if feeding more than our 3-person family.

• 1 cup gluten-free oats
• 1 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 4 tablespoons vegetable oil (I use grapeseed oil)
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup gluten-free flour (I used Pamela’s Baking & Pancake Mix)
• 2 tablespoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Directions:

1. Combine the oats with the buttermilk and let sit for at least an hour or overnight.
2. After sitting, blend in the vanilla, oil and eggs.
3. Add the flour, sugar, baking powder and baking soda. Mix until combined.
4. Let batter sit for 15 minutes.

Heat a lightly buttered or oiled griddle or frying pan over medium heat. I like to use coconut oil. Ladle the batter onto the griddle, using approximately 1/4 cup for each pancake. Lightly brown on both sides, keep warm in the oven at low temperature until finished with all pancakes, serve warm.

I usually like to add a 1/2 cup of fresh of frozen blueberries right before putting on the griddle. Only stir them in lightly so not to break up the blueberries and turn the batter blue.

During the holidays, I will replace half of the buttermilk with eggnog, add 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon, and serve with a side of fresh, homemade cranberry sauce.  This is an easy and impressive breakfast for holiday guests.

I can eat these plain, but I usually serve with fresh fruit and optional maple syrup.