Blueberry Lemon Yogurt Pancakes
Delicious blueberry-studded pancakes made with oat flour, so they are gluten free! No crazy ingredients required.
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on October 22, 2024
To move, according to Merriam-Webster, is simply “to change one’s residence or location.” The past week has been so much more than that. This move has meant saying goodbye to friends, feeling guilty for increasing the distance between me and my family, and asking for lots of help. There has been a lot of packing… and unpacking… which is hard work if you’re a food blogger/borderline hoarder.
This move is bittersweet. One minute I’m filled with optimism, the next I want to cry and run home to my friends and family. While my family will be in Oklahoma for the foreseeable future, my closest friends are leaving the town I’ve called home for the past 8 years. I took their exodus as a cue to leave—the town was feeling too small as it was, like a shirt that’s too tight.
The boxes are slowly clearing and my new space is feeling more livable. I’m taking this opportunity to downsize, which isn’t entirely a choice given that I have half the storage space in my new kitchen. I’ve amassed far too many breakable glasses and serving pieces over the past few years. Would you believe that I filled an entire box with oils and vinegars?
I’ve been subsisting on take-out leftovers for the past few days, so after I finally got my kitchen halfway organized yesterday evening, I decided I deserved some comfort food. My kind of comfort food isn’t biscuits and gravy, it’s blueberry pancakes doused in real maple syrup. For dinner. I served it with a glass of white wine, because why not? Speaking of which, I’ve learned that in Missouri, I can buy chilled wine, in a grocery store, on a Sunday. I cannot do any of those things in Oklahoma. Maybe this place is all right.
One last thing—I adapted these pancakes from my banana oat pancakes recipe, which has been a huge hit with all but a particular treat for gluten-free eaters. The beauty of these gluten-free pancakes is that they only require one type of flour and a few standard ingredients.
In this adaptation, I just traded plain yogurt for the mashed banana, adjusted the spices, and added a bit of lemon zest and a cup of ripe blueberries. If you’re in the mood for more blueberry lemon goodness, check out my blueberry muffins and scones, which are made with yogurt as well.
Blueberry Lemon Yogurt Pancakes
Sweet and tangy blueberry lemon yogurt pancakes made with oat flour, so they are gluten free. Recipe yields about 10 pancakes.
Ingredients
- ⅔ cup plain yogurt*
- 2 tablespoons butter, melted
- ½ teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice (from 1 small lemon)
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup or honey
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup oat flour**
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon fine salt
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 cup blueberries
Instructions
- In a small mixing bowl, stir together the yogurt, butter, lemon zest, lemon juice and maple syrup. Beat in the eggs.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the oat flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.
- Form a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the wet ingredients. With a big spoon, stir just until the dry ingredients are thoroughly moistened. Do not overmix or you’ll run the risk of getting tough pancakes! Fold in the blueberries.
- Let the batter sit for 10 minutes to give it time to thicken. Heat a large stainless steel or nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. If necessary, lightly oil the surface with butter or cooking spray, wiping off the excess with a paper towel.
- Once the pan’s surface is hot enough that a drop of water sizzles on it, pour ¼ cup of batter onto the pan. Let the pancake cook for about 3 to 4 minutes, until the top perimeter is more matte than shiny and the underside is golden.
- Once the bottom side has cooked sufficiently, flip it with a spatula and cook for another 90 seconds or so, until golden brown on both sides. You may need to dial the heat down at this point. Repeat with remaining pancakes, oiling the pan and reducing the heat as necessary.
- Serve the pancakes immediately or keep warm in a 200-degree Fahrenheit oven.
Notes
Recipe adapted from my banana oat pancakes recipe. Recipe adjusted in August of 2024—I increased the maple syrup from 1 teaspoon to 2 tablespoons to reduce the risk of the pancakes burning against the pan.
*Yogurt options: I’ve successfully used plain, low-fat yogurt and whole-milk Greek yogurt.
**Make it gluten free: Be sure to use certified gluten-free oat flour or oats. To make oat flour out of old-fashioned oats, pour one cup of oats into a food processor and process until it is very finely ground. One cup before and after grinding measures about the same, believe it or not!
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
P.s. Behind the scenes:
I made these this morning, but I had trouble flipping them over? They tasted great, but it was really hard to flip them over without crumbling them into all sorts of different pieces :( I used Greek yoghurt, could that be the reason why?
Hi Yii, I’m sorry you had trouble flipping the pancakes over. I don’t recall running into that problem. Was your batter really thick due to the Greek yogurt? If so, you might try thinning them out with a dash of milk next time. Are you sure they were done on the first side before you tried flipping them over? I’m sorry I can’t offer any other suggestions!
Hi Kate,
I must say YOU ARE THE “GODDESS” when it comes to BEST DELICIOUS RECIPES.
I really enjoy all of your recipes.
Thank you very much!
Thank you, Thess! Your comment made me smile. :)
Hi Kate,
Can I use steel-cut gluten free oats for the oat flour?
Thanks!
Hey Nick, I’m sorry for my delayed response. I haven’t tried using steel-cut oats to make oat flour but I suspect you will have trouble grinding them up sufficiently. Let me know if you try it.
I made these tonight and they turned out great! I used full-fat, plain yogurt and frozen wild blueberries (did not defrost, just tossed them in there!) and they turned out wonderful. I’ve portioned them out and froze some for quick weekday breakfasts or snacks. Thanks for the lovely gluten-free recipe!
Victoria, I’m so glad you enjoyed the pancakes! I think you could use this pancake recipe as a base for all kinds of different flavors. I’d like to try it with orange zest and fresh cranberries before winter is over!
This pancakes didn’t work for me. They crumbled in the pan. I added an extra egg and normal flour and they finally turned out ok.
Naomi, I’m so sorry the pancakes didn’t turn out well for you. I’ve remade them a couple of times since receiving your comment because I want them to turn out great for everyone. They turned out fine for me as written, but held together better when I reduced the yogurt to 3/4 cup. I’m sorry again for your troubles! I don’t know why these pancakes are more finicky than my other versions that call for banana or pumpkin puree.
Quite impressed by how organized and generous this site is. I was surprised at the fact that these recipes are indeed very well thought out (some even with a twist) and was excited at the fact that it is also vegetarian and gluten free. :)
Im especially excited to try making this recipe, and wanted to ask about the baking soda and if I could take a chance and attempt to do without. Will it make a huge difference as for the rising or can it still be eaten?
Thank you! :D
Thanks, Jessie! Not all of my recipes are gluten free, but these pancakes are. I haven’t intentionally tried making these pancakes without baking soda. One time I forgot to add baking soda to my pancakes and they were very flat and rubbery (not fluffy at all). I would recommend using the baking soda.
I made these yesterday with peaches and coconut Greek yogurt and they were divine. So light and fluffy!
Ali, thanks for commenting! I got really excited about your peach idea and had to try them immediately. My version is up on the blog now. :)
Ha, awesome!
I just made these this morning for my partner and I! They were absolutely divine :) I will definitely be making these again!
-Tisha
Yay! Thanks for letting me know, Tisha! Glad they turned out well for you.
Lovely recipe (as are the others on your site) but why oh why do you insist on underlining every single piece of text? It gives me a headache just trying tor read it!! Underlining is designed for emphasising ONE point or piece of text not every single word on the page! It just makes it very hard to read for many people who may not have 20/20 eyesight – it can make the text “swim” around awfully.
Just something I think you should consider for future recipes.
Hey Mike, I’m sorry about that! I was horrified to find that all of my text was underlined for a brief span of time and fixed it right away. If you still see underlined text everywhere, please clear your browser’s cache and it should go away!
These are the best pancakes I have ever made! I made a few small changes based on what I had on hand (GF flour mix instead of oat, plain kefir instead of regular yogurt) and I added baking powder on a whim bc of some success with fluffier quick breads using both. these were thick and fluffy, cooked up golden brown with crispy edges, and the hint of lemon was perfect. I love how little sugar they have (with maple syrup on top, they were the perfect sweetness). Do you think the baking powder had any effect?
Hey Lindsey! Thank you, I’m so glad you enjoyed them. I’m not sure about the baking powder, do you remember how much you added? I know I’ve tried replacing the baking soda with baking powder but my pancakes just had lots of holes inside (they weren’t any more fluffy than the baking soda pancakes, just holy!).
I also used GF flour instead of oat flour, these are so good! For sure these are “Restaurant worthy”. Definitely a new favorite.
Delicious! I did change a few things (pastry chef in me won’t let me make a recipe without a few adjustments!)
Had to up the flavor since going thru chemo makes taste buds not as acute, but my husband loved them as well and he did not think there was any flavor that was too strong.
Removed 1 TB oat flour and replaced with 1 TB non-GMO corn starch for a bit of crisp, browned the butter, used honey, no lemon juice, 1rounded teaspoon lemon zest, 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract, 1/8 tsp almond extract and a whopping tsp of Saigon cinnamon, and we could not wait 10 minutes for the batter to sit so PANCAKES WERE FLUFFY, last one was thin. I do prefer the thinner pancakes so we will let the batter sit next time, but they were still wonderful!
I would never know these pancakes were not made with wheat flour!!!!
Off gluten for the duration to keep inflammation down and pancakes/waffles have been sorely missed as most recipes have potato flour and that is a night shade famliy food also not great for anti-inflammatory diets, or they are grainy or just odd.
Thanks so much for the recipe!
Hi Justine, I’m so glad you enjoyed these pancakes! Your version sounds great. I have quite a few oat flour pancakes and waffles on the blog, as well as some gluten-free buckwheat options that I really enjoy. Here are all my gluten-free recipes. I hope they make your treatment more tolerable!
Made these for my grain-free, 11 year old daughter, she loved them (all my other kids did too). Used 0% Fage yogurt, and let batter sit. Pancakes were very fluffy and do take longer than regular pancakes to cook. Put whip cream on top to actually cut the sugar intake down (instead of maple syrup). Carmelized a couple of bananas for the topping. Big hit and look forward to trying different fruit combos next time. It was breakfast for dinner in our house — Thank you, Kate!
Thank you, Tyler! Happy to hear the pancakes were a hit!
We just made these and they were amazing! I would double the batch if you make them. They are so delicious you will want more :)
These pancakes (minus the lemon) were a huge hit with my 10 month old. Made for a great finger food and yummy breakfast for us both.
Ah! Such a cute image of chubby baby hands grabbing at pancakes, and even cuter that you enjoyed them together. Thanks!!
Such a small world- I have been following your blog for a year or two now. I live in Boston and am originally from Lawrence, KS. A friend from home (who also recently moved to Boston) was telling me about she met you and had coffee with you in KC!
Yum! I’ve made this several times, and today I didn’t have enough oats, so I tried buckwheat flour. It was great! Newly gluten-free, it’s nice to have a comfort food once in awhile! Thanks so much!
You’re welcome, Nicole! There are so many ways around a GF diet, don’t fret about not having comfort food. :)
Hey Kate, just made this recipe for a friend that came over with her kids. The protein and fruit will tide them over till their ski lessons are done this evening (plus they’re delicious!).
Just wanted to say – reading this post – I hope you’ve noticed how far you have come in the last >5 years. Something to celebrate as 2017 comes to a close.
Cheers, Deepthi
Thank you! It’s crazy where the time has gone and how things have evolved for sure.
loved these! I used plain sheep’s milk yogurt and they were fantastic. they made for a really filling breakfast.
Wow , these pancakes were amazing! Made them just as you suggested and they turned out perfect. Can’t wait to make them again . Thanks!
I’m glad you think so, Kristine!
Has anyone made this dairy free? I love this recipe but my family is avoiding yogurt now.
You could try using a dairy-free yogurt, although I haven’t tried it yet!
These were very good! My kids loved them and asked for extra servings!
I wanted to make it again for my husband who can’t have yogurt. How much almond milk should I use?
Thanks for a delicious recipe!
this was a great recipe! Just wondering if u can make the batter and then freeze it for later?
Great, Bella! I don’t usually recommend storing your batter as it can impact the end result.
Every single oat flour pancake recipe you have is amazing!
I’m glad you think so, Genevieve!
Made these this morning and they were fabulous! Next time I will make a double batch. I used Greek yogurt and the batter was super thick, so I added some almond milk to thin it out a bit and they were perfect! My family loves all your oat pancakes recipes!
I stumbled across this recipe many years ago when my family was just trying out gluten-free. They’ve been part of our Saturday tradition ever since. Just adore them. <3
I think that’s a great tradition, Katie! Thanks for your review.
Hi there!
Made so many of your recipes and they are always wonderful.
This one looks great. I was wondering if you think ricotta would work in place of the yogurt?
Thanks!
Jennifer
You could try it! I haven’t, but it could still work.
I’m fairly new to your blog, I found you when I needed enchilada sauce-your recipe is the best ever. Now you’re my first stop for new recipes. Made these this morning and they were a hit! My husband is on a low fat diet so I omitted the butter, they were fantastic. This will go into my Saturday brunch rotation for sure!
I used plain greek yogurt instead of regular and used a flax egg to make vegan. They turned out great
Thank you for sharing, Janel!
I’ve tried to make these twice now. The first attempt, I made the mistake of using 1c. Gluten-free All Purpose Flour only. The batter was extremely dry. The second attempt I used 1c. Almond Flour plus 1/4c GF All Purpose flour, and it also turned out extremely dry. This is such a bummer, especially since the ingredients are expensive :( I followed the wet ingredients exactly so I’m not sure how you don’t get dry batter.
Hi Nicole, You want to make sure to follow the dry ingredients too. Maybe try the gluten free again, but use the same amount as the recipe and try a new blend? Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 works well.
Hello Kate and Cookie,
My husband and I made this receipe today–craving pancakes as we have been for weeks–with one substitution that worked out beautifully.
We subbed millet flour for the oat flour, followed all other directions to a tee and thoroughly enjoyed the resulting “griddlecakes” bursting with fresh, warm, sweet, tart blueberries that were perfect balanced with the pancake batter. Looking forward to trying this again with oat flour too!
Hours later, satisfied and energized, loving the fact that pancakes made from scratch with gluten-free ingredients was a breeze.
Deb and Dan,
Bellevue, WA
I made these pancakes yesterday and they came out DELICIOUS!!! These by far are my favorite Thank you for sharing this recipe.
This are terrible! They taste like feet!
I used greek yogurt for the recipe, and the pancakes came out thick! I didn’t get 10 pancakes, I got 6. But still super delicious!!
This recipe is whack. Did not work at all
Absolutely delicious! I followed the recipe and used plain Greek yogurt. I made them for company and now I’m hooked. Yes, been thinking about them for the last 24 hours since I served them.
First of all, I LOVE this recipe and have made these pancakes about 100 times :) SO good.
Secondly, Kate, can I sub Sprouted Rolled Oats for regular Rolled Oats to make the flour? The grocery deliver guy accidentally brought me Sprouted Rolled Oats :) It looks the same… but I don’t know much about it.
Thanks!
Hi Uma! I’m glad you love this recipe. It should work. Let me know!
I never leave negative comments but I made sure I followed the recipe right. They came out so dense and tasteless. I made banana oat pancakes from another recipe and they were delicious and was hoping these would turn out just as good. Very disappointed.
great pancakes! did not have fresh berries but Trader joes has wild frozen blue berries so they went into the batter – yum!
Love these pancakes !!! My new go to pancake recipe ! The banana oat pancakes are great too!
That’s great! Thank you for sharing, Stefanie.
Can I use almond Flour that I have on the shelf,
Make it heart burn free,
Thanks Ellen
Hi! Sorry, almond flour isn’t a great 1:1 substitution.
Yum! This was just what I was craving. I don’t eat pancakes much. When I do I make my “cleansing” banana oat pancakes. I was out of bananas, so I searched for a gluten free oat pancake recipe. These were perfect! I ate them with orange slices and VT maple syrup! I will make these again for sure. My son just came over and ate five pancakes! They are so light and the flavor is great! I also added about a tablespoon of ground flaxseed.
I made these the other day for my family. My youngest has asked me every day since then when we can have more “booberry pancakes.” They were a hit! I look forward to making them again soon.
That’s great, Julie! Thank you for your review.
Our families go to weekend recipe for years! Thank you!
You’re welcome, Abra!
Hi! Can I sub oat flour for whole wheat flour? Thanks.
Be sure to follow my How to Make Oat Flour for guidance.
My kids devour these pancakes! I always have to double the recipe, so I can eat one. I make them almost every week and they are still a favorite!
I love to hear that your kids love these pancakes, Becky! I appreciate your review.
I have been eyeing this recipe for awhile and finally decided to give it a try because it’s local blueberry season here in central Florida! Yes, you read that right! I was fortunate to go to an organic blueberry farm and get 5#s of fresh berries! They taste really great and knowing there are no pesticides makes them even better –
This recipe, I followed it exactly using Greek yogurt and they came out perfect however I caution that they are a bit fussy and you are right – the heat must be just right or they don’t cook up well. Tomorrow I will try the oat pancake recipe and toss in blueberries. Thanks Kate!
I’m so glad you did! Thank you for sharing your experience, Lynn.
I just made these and they turned out beautifully fluffy and tasty. The one cup of ground oats made slightly less than 1 C. flour so I added 2 Tbs of fine ground almond flour to the oat flour. I also added 1 tsp. of baking powder since I like my pancakes fluffy. The next time I make these I would scale back the lemon juice as I found it to be too over powering for my personal taste. Overall, another fantastic recipe Kate! Thanks.
Are these supposed to be a really thick consistency? Mine were so they did not cook well. Not sure what I did wrong lol
Oh no! How did you measure the flour? If it wasn’t spoon and leveled, it could be too much.
Il try these,look good
Hello! Have you ever tried these as muffins? I also had a bit of trouble cooking the pancakes and the crumbling. I think I was flipping them too soon, and had better luck cooking them on lower heat for longer. They tasted delicious! Love the lemon.