Are you a breakfast person?

I personally am not, unless of course it is brunch where you have time to make something gorgeous, and the appetite for something delicious. Then, I am all in. But most days it is a handful of berries, a sliver of toast, or a spoonful of almond butter. Which is why it is interesting that I am often asked for breakfast suggestions. I feel like a fraud. Do they know?

I appreciate the question though. Some people, especially those of Pitta leanings, wake up hungry. Hungry, without a lot of time to fuss. Hungry and ready for action. That is your Pitta.

One day recently I soaked oats overnight to prep them for the next day’s oatmeal bake. But I never got around to that, so the following, following morning, concerned I’d lose the still soaking oats after 36 hours, I drained, blended, seasoned, ladled, griddled, and oh what a surprise.

Our son is on a mission to climb the great mountains and so is traveling and living in a van these days with a griddle to fire up his meals. (And writing about it here.)

Today our Van Man, home from a big adventure, tried them and it looks like they may become a #vanlife classic: So hearty, so easy and so good even an adventurous mountain man can appreciate them.

With a faint perfume of stephanotis and a delicate taste of bergamot on the back of that first bite, these are sweet delights. A treat unto themselves, they also welcome any topping tagged breakfast or brunch: Toasted coconut flakes, roasted nuts or seeds, almond butter, home-made fresh berry jam, tofu scramble, a fried egg, veggie lentil stew – I just can’t think of anything they wouldn’t say yes to.

Oatmeal Griddle Cakes
Makes 4-6 Pancakes

If you aren’t ascending mountains, hop skipping across lakes and valleys, or camping overnight in the wilds, and don’t have a griddle, just use a skillet. Really these are pancakes, but they aren’t your everyday pancake, so we can’t call them that, or they’d be overlooked. In fact, oats are so good as a flat cake, it’s a wonder we ever defaulted to wheat. Plus, #gf bonus.

The nice thing about a griddle, though, is that it doesn’t need to be greased. If you are using a skillet, add a bit of ghee or coconut oil to the pan before ladling so the “cake” doesn’t stick.

When adding the water to thin the batter, you could add a teaspoon of fresh squeezed orange or apple juice. It is not necessary but adds a lovely fruity scent, almost like a floral note that really works with the oats. Just a teaspoon, a third of your liquid at most.

Ingredients
1 cup oats
2 cups water to soak
a capful vanilla extract
hearty pinch cinnamon
less hearty pinch cardamom
smaller pinch pink or sea salt
1-2 teaspoons maple syrup
1 teaspoon coconut oil
2-3 tablespoons warm water
optional: a knob of ghee or coconut oil to grease the pan

Method
Soak the oats overnight. Drain, and toss the discard soaking water on your plants. It’s good for them.

Put the oats in your blender with the vanilla, spices, salt, maple syrup and coconut oil. Blend a bit, just to mix it all together. Add water a bit at a time to get the batter to pancake or crepe consistency. In other words, it is not cake or cookie batter – it has to pour and spread itself in the skillet. A thinner batter, with more liquid, will make it like a crepe, lovely lacey and crispy. A thicker batter, less water, will keep it soft and doughy through the middle.

Fire up your griddle. Or, if you are using a skillet, melt a nob of ghee or coconut oil on medium high. Wait until the skillet gets hot enough that a light spray of water droplets will sizzle. Pour the batter in slowly enough for the size you want. Reduce heat to medium. Cook 4-5 minutes, careful not to burn, adjusting heat if needed. When this side is lightly brown, carefully turn with a spatula, and cook another 2-3 minutes. Slide onto a plate and serve immediately, or keep warm in a warming oven.

Repeat until the batter is cooked, or save the batter in the refrigerator until later that day to make more. The batter won’t stay fresh more than 24 hours once blended, so eat up!

Serve with toasted coconut flakes, roasted pumpkin seeds, sunflower butter, tofu scramble, a fried egg, or even a savory dal. In photos below you see I topped it with a turmeric tofu dandelion, spinach and green onion scramble made into a breakfast roll.

If you do intend to load or top it with something savory, then omit the maple syrup when blending.

Vata: So perfect you might want it again for lunch!
Pitta: Coconut flakes and pumpkin seeds are cooling. Sunflower, hemp, chia and flax are also good seeds to add, while a dal or tofu scramble make it hearty for Pittas who need that extra heft in their morning meal.
Kapha: A bit sweet and heavy for Kapha, you can lighten it up by adding more cinnamon, omitting the maple syrup and serving with a drizzle of raw honey, or

Have you made Oatmeal Pancakes before? It was utterly new to me as I’ve been experimenting with all kinds of grains this past spring – making sourdough starter for breads, tossing dough for chapatis, reviving the buckwheat crepe in my book, remembering rice dosas, and also playing around with different whole, soaked grains to make flat breads, just to see what happens. I haven’t become good at anything, but I have learnt a lot about texture, binding, fermentation, and even flavor. It’s been a joy, especially when shared in virtual kitchens with some fabulously talented nieces.

Please share your discoveries and favorites. It’s been great fun to see so many take to the hearth this season and become food artists, kitchen scientists, and makers of edible magic.

Calm & Grounded Bundle Giveaway
How do we cope with stress? How does Ayurveda address anxiety? This is the subject of a video piece I am currently writing. Meanwhile, our friends at Banyan Botanicals have offered this bundle to help us restore calm, and relax into ease.

I have 1 bundle to giveaway. Please leave a comment below if you are interested in being entered in the drawing. Sadly, they don’t ship abroad any more so this will have to be for U.S. residents only.

Entry is now closed. Marlee McDonald-Yepes is the winning recepient! ✨

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Be well my friends! Please stay whole, rested and nourished. Our world needs you – your heart and your light will see us through. Thank you.