Tofu Pancakes: Rolled Oat Pancakes Recipe

Tofu pancakes are a healthy, simple recipe that you can prepare for breakfast or brunch (or how about lunch, dinner, or dessert, too?).

Our recipe combines soft, silken tofu with ground, rolled oats to produce unique ‘no flour’ pancake batter that you can then cook up quickly in a skillet. For flavor, we’ve mixed in maple syrup, coconut oil, and vanilla extract. These aren’t vegan pancakes, though, because we still use a large egg to hold the batter together, but it’s much healthier than standard pancake batter.

Keep reading, and learn the best way to make tofu pancakes!

Tofu pancakes recipe tips and FAQs

Tofu pancakes are easy to prepare, especially if you have a blender to process the batter quickly. Keep reading, though, and you can discover our top pancake making tips and answers to the most commonly asked questions. 

What toppings can I add to my tofu pancakes?

Okay, so this is the number one question that we get asked all the time, but we love providing pancake lovers with great ideas for toppings!

Maple syrup and almonds are a simple, easy-to-prepare combination of toppings that take no time at all to cook up, but we’ve got lots more ideas on top of that. You can add sauces such as jam, blueberry, or raspberry sauce. Fresh or frozen berries are one of our favorite pancake toppings, too.

You can try Nutella or chocolate sauce if you have a sweet tooth, and you can add lots of cream or even ice cream if you’re cooking tofu pancakes for dessert. 

You can make this into a heartier breakfast or filling brunch by cooking up a few savory items for the pancakes. If you’re veggie or vegan, then tofu pancakes go well with a tofu scramble (double tofu) or with ‘fake’ bacon or veggie sausages. 

There are lots more great toppings you can try, so don’t be afraid to get creative when you’re making tofu pancakes.

What tofu is best for tofu pancakes?

For the best tofu pancakes, you need to use silken tofu. This is the softest tofu you can buy in the store, so soft in fact that it’s almost creamy in texture and taste. For that reason, it’s perfect for creating a pancake batter.

When it’s blended, silken tofu turns into a smooth paste that we can then easily flavor with vanilla extract and maple syrup. Other types of tofu, such as soft or firm tofu, don’t have the same texture. Even when crumbled, these types of tofu remain solid rather than creamy. 

Do I need to press silken tofu?

For this recipe, you don’t need to press the silken tofu unless you think it’s extremely watery. Tofu has a high water content (and silken tofu has the highest water content of any tofu), and for many tofu-based recipes, you need to press out the excess liquid before cooking using a tofu press. For tofu pancakes, however, we actually need that high water content in order to blend the tofu into a smooth paste with our other ingredients.

If you’re worried that the water content is too high, however, then you can drain the water before cooking. As you blend the ingredients together, you can pour in water by hand to give yourself the optimal texture and consistency when it comes to the batter. 

How can I make vegan tofu pancakes?

If it wasn’t for the single large egg in this recipe, then these would already be vegan protein pancakes. Don’t worry, though, because it’s just as easy to make simple vegan pancakes by removing the egg.

The egg acts as a binding agent in the batter, helping to hold it together. It does work without the egg, but it will have a slightly different texture (less puffy and more flat). We can also find a substitute for the egg by adding a little soy yogurt, flaxseed, or just extra baking powder to the recipe.

Are tofu pancakes healthy?

Tofu pancakes are surprisingly healthy, at least in comparison to traditional pancake batters that include lots more dairy products and oils (and lots of saturated fats). 

Tofu pancakes are lower in calories than traditional pancakes, but the silken tofu base also ensures that tofu pancakes have a high protein content (these pancakes are literally packed to bursting with protein).

Of course, tofu pancakes, like any pancakes, are only ever as healthy as your toppings, so go easy on the maple syrup!

Tofu pancakes are the perfect breakfast!

Tofu pancakes are the best way to start the day, and with the help of a food processor, they really don’t take long at all to cook (you could even whip these up before work). You can enjoy tofu pancakes covered in maple syrup or topped with some fresh blueberries, or you could skip the dairy and prepare fluffy vegan pancakes.

Why not bookmark our tofu pancakes recipe for your next pancake breakfast?