Bulk Up Pancakes With Oatmeal For A More Filling Breakfast

Who doesn't love a hearty stack of pancakes smothered in butter and maple syrup for breakfast? One bite of those sweet, fluffy flapjacks is enough to take the sting out of a busy morning routine or to make you feel rewarded on the weekend. But let's face it, even though it might seem like a big breakfast, you'll likely be hungry again shortly after eating your pancakes. The reason for this is that all that sugar and refined flour — particularly white flour that's most commonly used to make pancakes — cause your blood sugar to increase quickly and then just as quickly crash, sending you back to the kitchen looking for something else to munch on.

If you want a breakfast that's equally delicious, nutritious, and filling, try making tasty oatmeal pancakes. By adding oatmeal to your pancake batter, you'll boost the fiber in your pancakes, helping you feel full until lunchtime or your next meal — who says pancakes can only be eaten for breakfast? Oatmeal pancakes can be made with rolled oats and flour, or you can ditch the flour completely and make a gluten-free version with just the oats.

You can make homemade oatmeal pancakes with either rolled or steel-cut oats and with or without flour. Steel-cut oats are less processed than rolled oats so they take longer to cook. They also have a chewier, crunchier texture and a nuttier flavor than rolled oats. Old-fashioned rolled oats have been steamed and flattened and have a softer texture than steel-cut oats. Quick oats — which are different from instant oats — are a type of rolled oats that have been further processed and thus require even less cooking time. Despite the differences in cooking times and texture, the variations of oats are nutritionally practically the same. 

If you want to save a little time you might opt for old-fashioned rolled oats or quick oats instead of steel-cut. But if you enjoy the nutty flavor of steel-cut oats or if this is what you have in your pantry, they work well in pancakes too. When making oatmeal pancakes with rolled oats you can simply soak them for several minutes in milk to soften them before adding them to your pancake batter. If using steel-cut oats, you'll have to cook them on the stove before mixing them in with your batter. 

Many dieticians will tell you that oatmeal is one of the best foods you can eat in the morning for a balanced breakfast. Old-fashioned rolled and steel-cut oats in particular have especially been touted for their nutritional benefits such as helping lower cholesterol (which can lower your risk of heart disease) and regulating blood sugar. Oatmeal contains soluble and insoluble fiber which are both beneficial for your gastrointestinal health and help you feel full longer. Whole oats are also rich in several other nutrients such as antioxidants, polyphenols, and protein. 

Oatmeal pancakes give you the best of both worlds: a tasty breakfast and a heart-healthy meal to fill you up. No matter how you make your oatmeal pancakes, adding in additional ingredients like ripe bananas, blueberries, cinnamon, or dark chocolate chips can make them extra yummy and even more filling. Adding Greek yogurt to the batter is another way to boost the protein of your pancakes and also helps keep them from drying out. Try making banana oatmeal pancakes with maple date sauce to satisfy your sweet tooth or honey oat blueberry pancakes for something more fruity and tart.