Spinach Pancakes (Gluten-Free)
Posted Mar 07, 2018, Updated Nov 15, 2021
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These these spinach pancakes are a fun, healthy breakfast recipe full of nutritious ingredients like spinach, oatmeal and Greek yogurt that your kids will love! They are made in the blender and are gluten-free & refined sugar free!
It ain’t easy being green. Especially when you’re a stack of delicious pancakes. Because your lifespan will be short and your future looks pretty grim.
These gluten-free Spinach Pancakes are always devoured quickly in my house (just like these spinach muffins), and I love it. Add a dollop of homemade whipped cream on top get ready for breakfast perfection!
How to make Spinach Pancakes
These pancakes are very easy to make. Just blend the wet ingredients together, then mix them into the dry! Stir super well and get ready to cook! Here are a couple notes!
Use a Vitamix
In this recipe, the batter is blended to green perfection in my favorite kitchen powerhouse, making the spinach completely undetectable. Check out my Vitamix buying guide to determine which blender is right for you!
If you don’t have a Vitamix then you can blend these spinach pancakes in another high-powered blender. I do not recommend using a food processor because you almost certainly will be left with traces of spinach that could blow the whole shebang for picky little eaters.
Cook them on a griddle
I always use an electric griddle when making pancakes. I appreciate that it holds a consistent temperature and is easy to clean. Plus, I can make up to 8 pancakes at once, which cuts down on my time in the kitchen! Win win! Of course, you can cook them in a non-stick fry pan too if you don’t have a griddle!
Serving Suggestions
We like our Spinach Oatmeal Pancakes smothered with pure maple syrup or dressed up with a dollop of homemade whipped cream (or both, I won’t judge). This is a perfect healthy breakfast to make for your little leprechauns on St. Patty’s Day!
Store/freeze
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 2 months. Reheat in the microwave or toaster.
Recipe FAQs
No, I recommend using a blender so that all the spinach gets blended fully.
Yes, you can easily double this recipe to feed more people.
Spinach Pancakes: Substitutions
As always I recommend making a recipe exactly as written! However these pancakes are actually pretty versatile, so here are some possible substitutions:
- Oat flour: I have used a mixture of 3/4 cup all-purpose flour and 3/4 cup whole wheat flour instead of oat flour with great results…but using regular flour means they won’t be gluten-free. You can also substitute all-purpose gluten-free flour.
- Coconut sugar: any granulated sugar works perfectly here.
- Milk/Greek yogurt: I use a total of 1 cup of dairy in this recipe (3/4 cup milk, 1/4 cup Greek yogurt) because I never have buttermilk on hand and I love the added protein from the Greek yogurt. However if buttermilk is something you use regularly and have around, you can substitute these two ingredients for 1 cup of buttermilk. You can also substitute dairy-free yogurt/milk to make these dairy-free!
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Spinach Pancakes Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cups old-fashioned oats (or oat flour)
- 2 TBS ground flaxseed
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp sea salt
- 2 TBS coconut sugar
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¾ cup milk
- ¼ cup plain Greek yogurt
- 3 TBS unsweetened applesauce
- 1 cup spinach
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 large egg
- 1-2 TBS butter (or coconut oil) for greasing the griddle
Instructions
- Preheat an electric griddle to 350 degrees F.
- Place the old-fashioned oats in your Vitamix (or other high-powered blender) and blend starting on low speed and increasing to high.
- Blend for 30-60 seconds or until oats have become a fine powder and look like flour.
- Remove oats from blender and place into a large mixing bowl.
- Add flaxseed, baking powder, baking soda, salt, coconut sugar and cinnamon to the oat flour and stir to combine. Set aside.
- Add milk, Greek yogurt, applesauce and spinach to the container of your Vitamix.
- Blend starting on low speed and increasing to high.
- Blend on high speed for 30-60 seconds until mixture is smooth and homogenous.
- Add vanilla extract and egg and pulse until just combined.
- Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and mix until just combined.
- Grease your preheated griddle with butter, coconut oil or cooking spray.
- Carefully place ¼ cup portions of pancake batter onto the griddle about 1-2” apart.
- Cook on the first side until the edges become firm and the batter begins to bubble slightly (3-5 minutes).
- Flip and cook on the second side until golden brown (about 3-4 more minutes).
- Repeat until all the batter has been used!
- Serve warm with maple syrup!
Video
Notes
Ingredient Substitutions
As always I recommend making a recipe exactly as written! However these pancakes are actually pretty versatile, so here are some possible substitutions:- Oat flour: I have used a mixture of 3/4 cup all-purpose flour and 3/4 cup whole wheat flour instead of oat flour with great results…but using regular flour means they won’t be gluten-free. You can also substitute all-purpose gluten-free flour.
- Coconut sugar: any granulated sugar works perfectly here.
- Milk/Greek yogurt: I use a total of 1 cup of dairy in this recipe (3/4 cup milk, 1/4 cup Greek yogurt) because I never have buttermilk on hand and I love the added protein from the Greek yogurt. However if buttermilk is something you use regularly and have around, you can substitute these two ingredients for 1 cup of buttermilk. You can also substitute dairy-free yogurt/milk to make these dairy-free!
Store/freeze
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 2 months. Reheat in the microwave or toaster.Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
More delicious recipes
- This Healthy Shamrock Shake has no food coloring or refined sugar! It’s SO much better than the version from the golden arches!
- These Spinach Muffins are our favorites!
- This Rainbow Fruit Pizza is a fun St. Patrick’s Day dessert!
- Make some pesto pasta, or just pesto sauce, to serve for a green dinner, along with some roasted green beans or roasted brussels sprouts!
- These are seriously the best, fluffiest banana pancakes ever!
- If you’re looking for the best whole wheat pancakes, these are easy and healthy!
- We make these Greek Yogurt Pancakes all the time, they’re a family and reader favorite!
- We LOVE these healthy chocolate pancakes who doesn’t want chocolate for breakfast?!
- These zucchini banana pancakes are perfect for summer!
Sneaky veggies
If you haven’t noticed, I really love making sneaky recipes, jam-packed with veggies, that everyone loves. What can I say?! If my kids would rather eat their veggies smothered in syrup or studded with chocolate chips, sometimes it’s just easier!
I mean, within reason. Of course they eat vegetables in many other forms. In our house, at lunchtime they each pick one fruit and one veggie to go with whatever is on the menu that day. Then at dinner, they eat whatever they’re served, which always includes a vegetable of some sort (like these balsamic roasted vegetables)!
However, on the days when we have people over, eat out or go to a friends’ house, my husband and I much prefer to sit back and enjoy our meals without stressing about our kids eating something green.
On those occasions I love sneaking some vegetable goodness into their breakfasts, like in these Spinach Pancakes, carrot zucchini muffins, zucchini breakfast cookies, etc. My mommy mind can rest knowing they got some nutrients in their cute little bodies that day.
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Love the sneaky spinach! You have a lot of great green recipes for st. patty’s day too!
I love green things! 😉 As long as it’s natural!
That colour is amazing!!! Never would have thought to add spinach to pancakes!
I add spinach to just about everything! 😉
These look amazing! The addition of spinach is just brilliant.
Thank you Kerri!
First of all, how pretty are these pancakes? I think I may have to throw some spinach in our pancakes for St. Patty’s Day. The kids would love them. Great recipe!
Perfect way to add nutrition and make them fun!
This is great! And frankly, I think they look great in green. Irish I could eat them for breakfast tomorrow 😉😉
This is such a fun recipe! Love everything about these!
Thank you Jessica!
We put spinach in a lot of things, but pancakes we have not done! Need to try these 🙂
Perfect for your blog too! 😉
I totally love the idea of these! My kids are great eaters, but I’m definitely not above sneaking in even more nutrition. And these are so perfect for St. Patrick’s Day!
Yes! My kids could eat raw veggies all day long! But it’s always great to have some sneaky recipes in our mommy tool belts!
this idea is sensational, I mean look how fluffy yet dense they are! You made me realize I often don’t do pancakes because they aren’t filling, but that doesn’t appear to be the case with these!
The oatmeal and flaxseed combined with the Greek yogurt really gives these babies staying power! Lots of fiber and protein! 🙂
You are so prepared for St. Patrick’s day; I have your shamrock shake on the list to try next. I just need to get some extra ingredients. 🙂
I have SO many foods with spinach in them…more next year! 😉