This recipe for red and green spinach pancakes is colorful, festive, and delicious! The healthy, gluten free spinach oatmeal pancake batter is made in the blender for easy clean-up, and the low-maintenance berry compote uses frozen mixed berries. Both kids and adults will enjoy these sweet green pancakes!
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Fa-la-la-la-pancakes!! The countdown to Christmas is on, and I’m all about sharing red and green dishes for the holiday.
This recipe for spinach pancakes may sound weird, but trust me, it tastes AMAZING. The pancakes are naturally green from a handful of spinach, but they’re sweet (not savory) thanks to maple syrup and a little granulated sugar in the batter. I also used ground oats as the primary flour, which means this healthy breakfast has some extra fiber and can fit into gluten free diets.
And we can’t forget to talk about the best part: berry compote!! While you’re making the pancakes, heat some frozen berries and maple syrup in a sauce pan until they break down and start to get syrupy. This berry sauce adds a pop of red and purple, and it pairs really well with the flavors in the pancakes.
Make this recipe for Christmas morning, weekend brunch, or as part of your weekly meal prep. It’s a keeper!
How to Make Spinach Pancakes
- First, start the berry compote by combining a bag of frozen berries with some maple syrup in a sauce pan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and cook until it gets to your desired consistency. Stir occasionally
- Blend the oats, in a high-powered blender or food processor, until you get a flour-like powder. Add them to a bowl with the other dry ingredients.
- Blend together the milk, maple syrup, vanilla, and spinach until the spinach is totally blended. Add the egg, and pulse until the batter is combined.
- Add the dry ingredients back to the blender and blend everything together. However, be careful not to over-blend at this point. You don’t want there to be too many air bubbles in the batter.
- Rub a skillet with some oil and place over medium-low heat. Pour two to three tablespoons of the batter onto the skillet, and repeat for however many pancakes can fit. Cook for two minutes on each side. Serve with the compote, and enjoy!
This is just a preview of the directions for spinach pancakes. Scroll to the recipe card for the complete recipe.
Expert Tips
- Oat flour: The recipe will still work if your oat flour isn’t very fine, so it’s up to you to decide how much you want to blend the oats. If you need the spinach pancakes to be gluten free, make sure you use certified gluten free oats.
- Equipment: I made this recipe using a Vitamix, but I believe it will also work if you use a regular blender. I recommend grinding the oats in a food processor if you don’t have a Vitamix then blending the rest of the batter in the blender.
- Cooking tips: To keep the green color and avoid browning, cook the pancakes at medium-low heat. I have a gas range and had my heat turned to #3 (out of 10) on the dial. I cooked them for two minutes on each side, and they kept their color very well. For best results, I also recommend keeping the pancakes pretty small and only pouring two the three tablespoons of batter for one pancake.
- Storage: These keep well in the fridge for two to three days. Reheat in a skillet over medium heat on the stove, in the toaster, or under the broiler. The berry compote can be reheated in the microwave.
- Other topping ideas: maple syrup, peanut butter, whipped cream, fresh fruit
Want another green breakfast recipe?! Check out the Spinach Banana Muffins while you’re here.
More Breakfast Recipes
If you love these fun spinach pancakes, you should check out the Naturally Pink Beet Waffles, Gluten Free Carrot Banana Bread, and Spiced Oat and Butternut Squash Muffins.
I’d love to hear how you like this recipe! Rate/review using the stars on the recipe card or in the comments, and follow the Veg World on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest. Looking for something totally different? Browse the recipe library.
Spinach Pancakes with Berry Compote
Equipment
Ingredients
For the pancakes
- 1.5 cups rolled oats – get certified gluten free if needed
- 3/4 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tbsp granulated sugar – optional; add for sweeter pancakes
- 1 cup milk of choice – I used unsweetened almond
- 3 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 to 2 cups spinach – use 2 cups for greener color
- Canola oil – for cooking
For the berry compote
- 2 cups frozen mixed berries
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
Instructions
- Combine the frozen berries and maple syrup in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low, and cook for 15 to 25 minutes until they reach your desired consistency, stirring occasionally. I personally like when the berries start to become slightly syrupy, after about 20 minutes.
- In a high-powered blender, blend the oats until they have a flour-like substance. Add them to a bowl with the cinnamon, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and granulated sugar (optional). Pour the milk and maple syrup into the blender. Add the vanilla and spinach, and blend until the spinach is completely blended. Crack the egg into the blender and pulse a few times until combined. At this point, you can pour the batter into the bowl with the dry ingredients and mix until combined by hand. Alternatively, you can add the dry ingredients back to the blender and pulse a few times until combined. Be careful not to over-blend, since you don't want lots of air bubbles to form in the batter.
- Grease a skillet with a little bit of oil and get it warm over medium heat on the stove. Reduce the heat to medium-low, pour two to three tablespoons of the pancake batter onto the skillet for each pancake. I was able to fit four pancakes on my skillet. Cook for two minutes on each side until cooked through and slightly browned. To maintain the green color and prevent over-browning, keep the heat at medium-low. I had my burner turned to #3 (out of 10) on my gas range, and it worked very well. Transfer the cooked pancakes to a plate. Grease the skillet again, and repeat with the rest of the batter.
- Serve the pancakes with the berry compote, and enjoy!
Notes
- For best results, keep these pancakes small (two to three tablespoons of batter per pancake).
- The recipe will still work even if you don’t grind your oat flour into a very fine powder. Some blenders will not grind oats as well as others. I recommend using a Vitamix for this recipe if you have one, but if you don’t, use a food processor to grind the oats, then blend the rest of the batter in your blender.
- These pancakes keep well in the fridge for two to three days. Reheat in a skillet over medium heat until warmed through, in the toaster, or under the broiler. The berry compote can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge and reheated in the microwave on high.
- Other topping ideas include maple syrup, peanut butter, whipped cream, and fresh fruit.
Nutrition
Enjoy your festive brunch! – Lizzie
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