Blueberry Zucchini Oatmeal Pancakes
Blueberry Zucchini Oatmeal Pancakes- Made with whole grain flour and rolled oats, these vegan zucchini pancakes are hearty and will keep you full for hours!
I’ve been on a mission to sneak zucchini into all of my favorite carbs. Cookies, muffins, bread, cake, overnight oats, waffles and now pancakes. What else am I missing?
It seems like most zucchini pancakes include chocolate which I am in no way opposed to. But I felt like going to fruity route with blueberries and I was not disappointed. There is something so good about warm, juicy blueberries bursting in your mouth with each and every bite.
Blueberry Zucchini Oatmeal Pancakes Ingredients
- Spelt Flour– I prefer to use spelt flour for my pancakes because it’s a whole grain option that’s slightly less earthy than whole wheat and also happens to be naturally lower in gluten, because it is an ancient grain. If you’re looking to make these gluten-free, simply swap equal amounts of a GF all-purpose flour.
- Rolled Oats- Incorporating rolled oats gives these a delightful chewy texture while also adding nutrition and fiber. You can also use quick cooking oats but either way I don’t recommend skipping them!
- Oat Milk- I’ve tested these with both almond milk and oat milk and the latter worked much better for me which is likely due to the higher protein content. If you can find oat milk (or want to make your own) it is the best option but any non-dairy milk will work.
- Apple Cider Vinegar- This helps curdle the milk so that it reacts with the baking powder for nice fluffy pancakes. You can also use lemon juice or white vinegar if you don’t have ACV on hand.
- Pure Maple Syrup- I only use 1 tablespoon here for a lightly sweetened pancake. You can always add more when serving to suit your preferences.
- Vanilla- I’m a firm believe everything is better with vanilla.
- Melted Vegan Butter- Miyoko’s is my favorite vegan butter but you can also use coconut oil or your preferred neutral oil. I haven’t tested these oil-free but usually you can sub a very drippy nut butter or tahini. If you try that, please let us know how it turned out in the comments below!
- Shredded Zucchini- Obviously necessary to make these zucchini pancakes but I wanted to point out the importance of squeezing the excess liquid from the zucchini after it’s been shredded. This helps prevent a mushy texture so please don’t skip this step!
How to Make Blueberry Zucchini Oatmeal Pancakes
All you have to do is whisk together the dry ingredients in a large bowl, pour in the wet ingredients, and cook the batter! Simple enough to do first thing in the morning when you’re groggy and half asleep.
If you give these pancakes a try please let me know how they turned out for you! I hope you enjoy them as much as we do.
Want more zucchini recipes?
- Double Chocolate Zucchini Cake
- Gluten-free Zucchini Bread
- Healthy Zucchini Corn Fritters
- White Bean Zucchini Burgers
- Vegan Zucchini Taco Boats
- Vegan Zucchini ‘Meatballs’
- Vegan Cashew ‘Ricotta’ Zucchini Lasagna
- One-Pot Zucchini Pasta
Blueberry Zucchini Oatmeal Pancakes
Made with whole grain flour and rolled oats, these vegan zucchini pancakes are hearty and will keep you full for hours!
Servings: 5 (5-inch) pancakes
Ingredients
- 1 cup spelt flour, gluten-free all-purpose or oat flour for GF option
- 1/2 cup rolled oats, certified GF, if necessary
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/2 cup non-dairy milk, see notes
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup, plus more for serving
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 tablespoons melted vegan butter, or coconut oil
- 1/2 cup shredded zucchini, squeezed dry
- 1 cup blueberries
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together the spelt flour, rolled oats, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.
- In a large measuring cup or small bowl, combine the milk and apple cider vinegar. Set aside to "curdle".
- To the large bowl, add the grated zucchini. Pour the wet ingredients (milk mixture, vanilla and syrup) over top, adding the melted butter last. Using a spatula, fold everything together, just until evenly combined. *Please note that the batter will thick and not pourable like standard pancake mix.*
- Warm a large skillet over medium heat. Lightly grease the skillet then scoop about 1/3 cup of the batter at a time. Use a spatula to spread the batter out into a pancake shape. Add blueberries and press down into the batter. Cook until small bubbles form and the edges appear firm. Flip and continue to cook on the opposite side for a few minutes. Repeat until all of the batter is cooked.
- Serve warm with pure maple syrup and enjoy!
Notes
Using a plant-based milk with a high protein content is ideal for optimum results. Cheap watered down almond milks (such as Almond Breeze) don't have enough protein to react with the vinegar. If the milk curdles once you add the vinegar that means the protein content was high enough to create lactic acid which is needed for optimal leavening and a fluffy texture.
Nutrition
Calories: 206kcal, Carbohydrates: 28g, Protein: 5g, Fat: 7g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Sodium: 186mg, Potassium: 185mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 4g, Vitamin A: 438IU, Vitamin C: 4mg, Calcium: 76mg, Iron: 2mg
Did you try this recipe? Please let me know how it turned out by leaving a comment below or sharing a picture on Instagram with the hashtag #makingthymeforhealth. I love hearing your feedback!
These look great! I scrolled through 2x and can’t find the amount of blueberries to use or when they’re added to the batter…;)
Whoops! Can I use pregnancy brain as an excuse? ;)
I just updated it. I actually add them to each pancake as I cook them.
Yes you can use that as an excuse; it’s a good one. When I wrote my first comment that’s actually what I was thinking! Anyway, thanks for your reply and update! ;)
Thank you for pointing it out to me! :)
So I ate spelt blueberry pancakes last week and added it to my list of dishes to recreate at home! ;-) Pancakes are always a hit with me – they’re my favorite breakfast/brunch food!
These are so good and filling! I’ve made them twice this week. Your recipes are always a hit :)
That makes me so happy! Thank you for the review, Mirella!
Such a yummy recipe love the different textures of the pancake! Made some changes only because Didn’t have some of the ingredients on hand But was craving pancakes this morning so used buckwheat flour, steal-cut oats, ripe banana for oil. Love blueberry anything.
Wow, I’m thrilled to hear the recipe worked with your changes! Thank you for the review!
These pancakes look so fluffy and delicious! :)
Thanks Sarah! :)
Just made these this morning for breakfast. They have potential and would love to know where I went wrong! The batter was REALLY thick (more like cookie dough) and it was hard to make the pancakes. I added more almond milk to get a better consistency and they were better to work with but after cooking both sides until they were brown, the inside was gooey. Only thing I did different was using almond milk and used a coconut blend oil. Any advice would be appreciated! :)
Hi Vanessa! I’m so sorry you didn’t have good results with these. What brand and type of flour did you use? Did you spoon and level when you measured it out? The batter is supposed to be very thick, not pourable like standard pancake batter, but also not thick like cookie dough where you could roll it into balls. You might have needed a little more milk based on the flour you used and ended up adding a bit too much. Also, I didn’t have the best results when I used almond milk so it’s possible that (in addition to the fact that too much was added) caused them to be uncooked in the center. The higher protein content in oat milk reacts better with the acid in the recipe which allows the pancakes to be fluffier inside. If you are able to find oat milk I recommend trying them again with that option. I hope that helps some!
I used spelt flour not oat flour because that’s what the recipe called for. I didn’t know that about oat milk, maybe that’s why they didn’t turn out. I will definitely get some oat milk and try this recipe again! Thank you for replying! :)
Hi! Made these again this morning . I bought oat milk and the batter was thick and still gooey inside when I cooked it and not fluffy at all. I’m determined to get them right because I love that they are healthy and have zucchini in them for my 2.5 year old. I cooked some with extra oat milk and still gooey inside. The only other thing I did different is I made them smaller in size.
I’m so bummed they still didn’t work for you! Did you have to add more oat milk than what I have listed in the recipe? It’s also possible your leavening agent might not be fresh enough. Do you know how old your baking powder is? That is what reacts with the apple cider vinegar to make them fluffy.
Yes I added a bit more than what the recipe said. I cooked some before adding it and some after and both were gooey and didn’t seem cooked inside. Funny you ask about the baking powder, I just bought a new one a few days before! Gah! My daughter has still been eating them cold from the fridge but would love to get them fluffy! :)
Wow, I’m so sorry but I’m really having a hard time figuring out what else could have gone wrong. So long as the zucchini has been squeezed dry, the inside shouldn’t be gooey. I wish I could help more!
No worries! I appreciate you taking the time to help me!! I love all your recipes and will probably continue to make them because my daughter loved them!! Thanks again! :)
That is so sweet of you to say! Thank you. And I’m happy she liked them at least! :)
I really enjoy trying your recipes and the Blueberry Zucchini Oatmeal Pancakes looked like something that would make a family hit. I made it exactly as you say … only using full fat canned coconut milk (Thai Kitchen) and leaving out the oil. I had to make a double batch for the 3 of us using the full can. They were fabulous! We also added sliced banana on top. The only thing I would change is not putting the blueberries inside. They make an awful mess to clean up even on a Teflon skillet. Maybe heating them up in a saucepan and adding with the syrup?
I’m so glad they worked using coconut milk! I think cooking the blueberries separately would be equally delicious. I’ve found they don’t make quite as big of a mess if you use enough oil/butter when cooking each pancake but if you’re trying to avoid oil then cooking them on the side is a much better option. Thank you for the review!
Hello, Sarah! I love your recipes, thank you so much!
Wanna try to make these pancakes, they look sooo good…
I’ve got a question: do you measure grated zucchini (1/2 cup / 60 grams) before or after you squeeze it?
After you squeeze it! :)
Hi Sarah! Love the combination of ingredients and flavors this recipe calls for.. I made it this morning and had trouble with the thickness as far as and spreading out successfully on pan and cooking evenly. It turned out to be a very dense pancake , is there any reason for the consistency to be like this in a pancake? How could i be modified to have a lighter and fluffier pancake? Thank you for your time :)
Hi Gerardo! Because the recipe is made with whole grain flour and rolled oats it’s normal for the batter to be on the thicker side. You just have to spread it out yourself as you cook them. You could try to use all purpose flour instead to lighten up the texture a bit. But overall using rolled oats and zucchini will keep them from being very light and fluffy as those are dense ingredients.