Icelandic Oatmeal Pancakes (Lummur)

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Lummur are small, thick Icelandic pancakes made with leftover oatmeal and a pinch of cardamom. They turn yesterday’s porridge into a quick, hearty breakfast, and they’re just as good with jam and syrup as they are with smoked fish.

These leftover oatmeal pancakes are an old Icelandic way to stretch the morning porridge. Cold oatmeal goes into a simple batter with a little flour, an egg and milk, and it cooks up soft and creamy inside with a golden, buttery outside.

I first came across them in The Nordic Cookbook, which describes lummur as thick pancakes made with leftover oatmeal or pearl barley porridge. The book serves them with sugar or jam, or with savory toppings like cheese, lamb and smoked trout.

In Iceland, the end of winter comes with the First Day of Summer, Sumardagurinn fyrsti, a holiday on the first Thursday after April 18. The old Icelandic calendar had just two seasons, winter and summer, and that Thursday marks the turn into the light half of the year.

Here in Vermont, real spring doesn’t line up with the calendar either. The buds don’t start to break until the third week of April, so I know that late April feeling well.

For thin Icelandic pancakes rolled up with sugar, try pönnukökur. And if you’re cooking your way through the Nordic kitchen, my Scandinavian holiday recipes have plenty more to try.

What Are Lummur?

Lummur are small, thick pancakes, closer in size to American pancakes than to thin Icelandic crepes or Norwegian pancakes. What sets them apart is the cooked oatmeal in the batter, which keeps them soft and almost creamy inside.

The oatmeal also gives them a mild, toasty flavor that works with sweet or savory toppings. A little cardamom in the batter adds warmth, the same spice that turns up in so much Nordic baking.

Because the batter starts with porridge, lummur are as much a leftover dish as a breakfast. Danish cooks do the same thing with leftover risengrød in klatkager, and Finland’s ålandspannkaka bakes a whole pan of porridge into a custardy oven pancake.

Ingredients for Lummur

Leftover oatmeal is the heart of this recipe, and any thick, plain oatmeal works. Steel cut, rolled and old-fashioned oats all make good lummur once you cook them.

One reader made them gluten free with cassava flour and oat milk and loved the results. If you don’t have leftover oatmeal at all, you can make them with raw rolled oats instead.

• Cooked oatmeal: Cold leftover oatmeal works best, since it’s firm and easy to measure. Thick oatmeal needs more milk to loosen it, and soft oatmeal needs less.
• Flour: All-purpose flour holds the pancakes together. If the batter looks thin and runny, whisk in a little more, a spoonful at a time.
• Egg and milk: The egg binds the batter, and the milk thins it out. Start with the smaller amount of milk and add more only as needed.
• Baking powder, sugar, salt and cardamom: The baking powder gives the pancakes a little lift, and the cardamom gives them their warm, Nordic flavor.

You’ll also need butter for the griddle. A cast iron griddle or a heavy skillet holds steady, even heat, which helps these thick pancakes cook through.

The ingredients are simple, so the oatmeal you start with makes the biggest difference. Plain oatmeal leaves room for whatever topping you choose.

How to Make Lummur

Lummur mix up in one bowl in a few minutes. They take a little more patience at the stove than regular pancakes, because the oatmeal holds a lot of moisture and needs time to set in the middle.

Keep the heat at medium and the pancakes small, and they’ll cook through before the outsides get too dark.

Mix the Dry Ingredients

Whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, cardamom and salt together in a large bowl. A whisk spreads the baking powder evenly, so every pancake rises the same.

Mixing the dry ingredients first also keeps the cardamom from clumping in one spot.

Add the Oatmeal, Egg and Milk

Add the cold oatmeal, the beaten egg and the smaller amount of milk. Whisk or mash until the batter comes together, breaking up any big clumps of oatmeal as you go.

Check the consistency next. If it’s too stiff to pour, add more milk a splash at a time until you have a thick batter that still pours slowly from a ladle.

For smoother pancakes, run a stick blender through the batter for a few seconds. One reader found that was what made hers come out right.

Heat the Griddle

Heat the griddle or skillet over medium heat and melt a little butter on it. Give cast iron about 5 minutes to heat through.

The butter should sizzle gently when the batter goes in. If it smokes or browns right away, turn the heat down a little.

Cook the Pancakes

Pour small ladles of batter onto the griddle and spread each one a little with the back of the ladle. Keep them about 3 to 4 inches across, so the middles cook through.

Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until the edges look set and the bottom is deep golden brown. Flip and cook the second side for another 3 to 4 minutes, until the center springs back when you press it lightly.

Keep Them Warm

Move the finished pancakes to a plate in a low oven while you cook the rest. Add a little more butter to the griddle between batches.

They hold well for 15 to 20 minutes, so everyone can sit down to eat together.

Serving Lummur

For breakfast, serve lummur with jam, syrup or a sprinkle of sugar. A spoonful of homemade blueberry jam or rhubarb jam goes well with the oats.

They’re just as good savory, the way the cookbook suggests. Try them with a slice of cheese, smoked salmon or trout, or a little smoked lamb.

The book’s list of toppings ends with trout smoked over sheep dung, which struck me as rather specific. It turns out it’s another traditional Icelandic recipe in the same book.

Later in the season, cucumbers and smoked fish make a nice summer plate with them. And for a cozy Icelandic meal, serve them alongside a bowl of kjötsúpa or a plate of plokkfiskur.

With coffee, sweet lummur sit nicely beside other Icelandic sweets like kleina and a slice of jólakaka.

Lummur with Raw Oats

The Nordic Cookbook points out that most people don’t keep cold porridge around anymore, so it also gives a version made with raw rolled oats. It isn’t the traditional way, but it’s handy when there’s no leftover oatmeal in the fridge.

The raw oat batter uses more flour and a little less liquid, and it comes together in one bowl. Let it rest for about 10 minutes so the oats soften, then cook the pancakes the same way. The card notes have the amounts.

Storage and Reheating

Cool leftover lummur completely, then keep them in a covered container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

To freeze them, layer the pancakes with parchment paper and freeze for up to 2 months. Reheat them in a toaster or a warm skillet until they’re hot in the middle.

Icelandic Oatmeal Pancakes (Lummur) FAQs

Most questions about lummur come down to the batter, since every pot of oatmeal is a little different.

More Nordic Pancakes

From paper-thin to baked in a skillet, here are more Nordic pancakes to try.

Icelandic Pancakes (Pönnukökur)

Norwegian Pancakes (Pannekaker)

Finnish Pancakes (Ålandspannkaka)

More Breakfast Recipes

Start the day with a few more breakfast ideas.

Dutch Baby Pancakes (Fluffy Oven Pancake)

Swedish Banana Bread (Banankaka)

Three Ingredient Oatmeal Raisin Cookies (Vegan & Gluten Free)