Rhubarb Oatmeal Pancakes

When it’s rhubarb season, I’m always looking for creative ways to incorporate this tasty veggie into more dishes. Wait, veggie? Yup, you heard that right, we tend to think of rhubarb as a fruit since it’s used in jams and pies, but rhubarb is actually a vegetable. The USDA does, however, classify it as a fruit. While rhubarb stalks are delicious, the leaves are actually poisonous, so don’t eat them!

If you have kids, like me, you probably get lots of requests for pancakes. It’s almost an every-weekend thing at our house. So we have to get real crafty with what we put into pancakes to add some variety. We have been making scrumptious banana chocolate chip pancakes for years, but both Peter and I were over it. We’d both kind of cringe when the kids asked us to make them. One morning, I decided to swap out the chocolate chips for rhubarb, and this new version was amazing. Not too sweet and the sour, crunchy kick of the rhubarb. Yum! The kids, of course, prefer the banana chocolate chip pancakes. I’ll be sure to post that recipe soon, too.

There is nothing like fresh rhubarb from the garden. It is a really unique flavor. It looks somewhat like swiss chard, the texture is similar to celery, but the taste is sour like a citrus fruit. You can often find it in the grocery stores when it is in season. Growing your own rhubarb plant is the way to go. Rhubarb is super easy to grow; it’s a perennial that thrives on neglect. Or at least my rhubarb plants are regularly neglected and survive. Rhubarb grows best in cold regions. It needs cool, long winters to grow thick stalks. You won’t be surprised to hear we have multiple super hearty rhubarb plants growing on our property in Maine. Although I was able to grow this well in Colorado, too. If you don’t have rhubarb, most berries work well in these pancakes. In the wintertime, we make these with frozen blueberries (Otis’ favorite) or strawberries. Both are delicious substitutions.

Health Benefits of Oats

I’m not a big oatmeal eater, I wish I was because I know how good oats are for you! These rhubarb oatmeal pancakes are my answer to start the day off right with oats. Plus, these pancakes are entirely gluten free. Even if you don’t follow a gluten-free diet I encourage you to make these with oat flour. Oats are just so much more nutritious than wheat and we need more variety in our diets. According to Healthline oats are a whole grain high in antioxidants and fiber that can improve heart health, lower blood sugar, promote weight loss, is good for our skin, may reduce childhood asthma, and provides constipation relief.

Now that is fuel for our bodies!

Pro Tip

No need to buy oat flour, you can easily make your own in the blender. Especially for this recipe, you don’t even need it to be finely ground flour. Sometimes I even only half blend the oats for these pancakes. More texture works just fine in this recipe. Now let’s get cooking!

Syrup Not Needed

These rhubarb oatmeal pancakes are already sweetened with 4 bananas. You do not need syrup to enjoy them. Another bonus is they are great for breakfast on the go. Without a sticky syrup mess, kids can eat these with their hands while waiting at the bus stop or for a park snack!

Rhubarb Oatmeal Pancakes

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This tasty rhubarb oatmeal pancakes recipe is gluten-free and sweetened only with banana and rhubarb. Enjoy a nourishing and delicious start to your day!

• Author: Erica
• Prep Time: 5
• Cook Time: 20
• Total Time: 25 minutes
• Yield: 12 pancakes 1x
• Category: Plant based
• Method: Healthy
• Cuisine: Vegan
• Diet: Vegan

Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

• 1.5 cups of chopped rhubarb (about 4 stalks)
• 4 ripe bananas
• 2.5 cups of oat flour
• 2 tablespoons ground flaxseed
• 2 tablespoons chia seeds
• 1.5 teaspoons baking powder
• 1.5 cups unsweetened plant milk
• Olive oil for cooking

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Instructions

1. Add the rhubarb to a small saucepan with a tablespoon of water. Cook on high for about 5 minutes until the rhubarb has softened. Stir occasionally to avoid burning, and add more water if it begins to stick to the pan.
2. While the rhubarb is cooking. In a large mixing bowl, mash the bananas.
3. Add the oat flour, ground flaxseed, chia seed, baking powder, and plant milk to the bowl. Mix everything together until all ingredients are incorporated.
4. Add the cooked rhubarb to the pancake batter, stir to mix in the rhubarb, but don’t overmix it.
5. Pre-heat a non-stick frying pan. Add a little olive oil to the pan to keep the pancakes from sticking. I love to use a cast-iron pan for cooking pancakes.
6. Once pre-heated, turn the heat down to medium. Use a 1/4 measuring cup to scoop out the pancake mix. Since this is egg-free, it will be on the thicker side as far as batters go. Use the bottom of the measuring cup to smash down the pancakes if needed. Cook the pancakes for about 4 minutes and then flip them over. Cook for approximately another 2-3 minutes until lightly golden brown.
7. Toss in another batch of pancakes until all pancake batter is used up. Enjoy!

Notes

You can skip cooking the rhubarb first and add the chopped rhubarb directly to the batter. The rhubarb is more crunchy and sour, but still delicious!