Oatmeal Pancakes... on the Road! DIY Pancake Mix and Travel Options.

Welcome to summer!  That peaceful time of eagerly anticipated days of family travel, endless queries of "Are we there yet?" and the search for meals on the road.

While I love to travel, it's often hotel and restaurant food that does me in.  I can only take so many days of oil laden $18 (if we are lucky) pancakes and waffles, dripping made to order omelettes, and bacon on top of everything.

Being a mostly plant-based and dairy-free family (my kids are severely lactose intolerant making this an even more important issue to control) has its difficulties when searching for food to meet our needs.  Then toss in our travel for Liv's competitive dance team and finding not only dairy-free foods, but healthy options to sustain her through 10 hour plus days becomes nearly impossible.

But that's where a little DIY creativity finds us making our hotel neighbors positively envious as they find aromas of fresh oatmeal pancakes drifting through our adjoining doors.

Yes, I've taken to traveling with my own griddle!  A recent Amazon find of the Presto Liddle Griddle solved our breakfast issue with its small (read very packable) 8 1/2 x 10 1/2 inch cooking surface.

Traveling the last two weeks with Liv's team I planned ahead and pre-packaged several bags of our favorite pancake mix along with our new griddle.  With Almond Milk and syrup in the cooler, our plant-based pancakes were ready in minutes, and I'm proud to say I actually had a knock on the door from our hotel neighbors (a team member) saying she could smell them through the door and to please tell her we had extra!

With ingredients including oat flour, oats, chia, ground flax, and banana, these pancakes set Liv and her girlfriends off to a good start before competing, and if desired, the addition of an egg brings even more protein to the meal.  And... all for a small fraction of the price of the hotel restaurant.

Here's were I'm going to change subjects just for a minute and gush about our week!  You know that dream of winning it all?  The dream of scoring the highest score of the entire competition and coming home with an 8 foot trophy?  Well... that happened!

Pure excitement!  National 1st Place winner... Best of the Competition!

These girls attended the Star Systems Nationals in Las Vegas with over a thousand other dancers and finished the season with their large group contemporary number undefeated, and took home the highest score of the week.  Not a bad way to end the season!

For those of you following on our Facebook page, this is the same number you voted on for the Industry Dance Awards and the girls send their sincere thanks.

But back to the pancakes... which I'm thinking may have fueled the beginning of their day so well that I may be partially responsible for the win ;).  Whole grain, laced with cinnamon and banana, then drizzled with pure maple syrup.  Hotel breakfasts just don't get much better.

Oatmeal Pancakes on the Road  
(vegan and non vegan options)

Prepackaged at home, all you need is a cooler for your milk of choice, syrup and eggs if desired.  Filled with whole grains these power pancakes will set your day off in a spectacular way and save your dollars for something better than what's offered downstairs in the hotel.

Printer Friendly Recipe

Safety Note:  We used our Liddle Griddle in the hotel room as did one of our teammates.  The teammate however, had her griddle confiscated by the hotel as a fire hazard (it was returned when she explained her dietary issues and the need to make food herself).

Please take care when using the griddle and ensure it is unplugged and packed away before you leave your room.

1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup oat flour (make your own!)
2 Tbs ground flax meal
1 Tbs chia seed 
1 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp baking powder
Pinch salt
1 cup milk (we use Silk Unsweetened Original Almond Milk)
1/2 ripe medium banana, mashed (I've also used a whole small banana)
whole oats to sprinkle (optional)
1 egg (optional)
Maple Syrup

Place the dry ingredients (flour through salt) into a zip top bag, and with a sharpie write "pancake mix" along with the rest of the recipe "1 cup milk, 1/2 banana - mashed, 1 egg (if using)".

I pack three bags into a Ziploc Twist 'N Loc , Medium Round, Containers and pack an additional container to help with mixing.

In your cooler pack enough milk, bananas and eggs, to equal as many recipes as you have with you.  You may also want to pack a small bag of additional all-purpose flour or oat flour to thicken just in case your mix is too thin.  Also pack your griddle, spatula, paper plates, forks and syrup.

When ready to prepare, heat griddle to about 335ºF.  Then measure 1 cup of milk into one of the zip lock twist containers (I love that it has the measurement on the side!  No need to pack measuring cups).  Add 1 package of the mix and 1/2 mashed banana (and 1 egg if desired - note though, that you may want to add a Tablespoon or so of additional flour to thicken properly if you use the egg).  Mix with a fork and pour small portions onto the hot griddle.  Liv likes to sprinkle a few pinches of whole oats on top of her pancakes before she flips them.

When pancake puffs and forms small bubbles on the surface flip.  Cook a minute or two more (or until cooked through) and remove from griddle.

Serve with additional fruit, walnuts and syrup if desired.

*Makes 6-8 medium pancakes (For us that is serving for two people) - Scale as desired

Hotel Pancake Suggested Packing List
Printer Friendly

• Spatula 
• Liddle Griddle
• Ziploc Twist 'N Loc , 32 oz. Containers
• Paper Plates 
• Plastic Forks 
• Napkins  
• Pre-packaged pancake mix 
• Small container of rolled oats (I use an old spice jar)  
• Milk of choice 
• Bananas  
• Eggs if desired 
• Maple Syrup
• small bag of additional all-purpose flour to thicken batter if necessary

Liv Life Note:  Should you happen to forget a spatula... we have been known to tear a paper plate in half and use that to flip pancakes.  Works in a pinch!

Liv Life Note 2:  This post contains Amazon Affiliate Links to the products we are recommending... If you click on the link to purchase Liv Life receives a small commission - And we thank you!  We have not been paid or compensated in any way to promote these items, we just like them and want you to know about them too!