Oatmeal-Lemon Pancakes with Raspberry-Date Syrup

Name: Oatmeal-Lemon Pancakes with Raspberry-Date Syrup
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 4 oz. pitted dates, chopped (7 to 8 Medjool or 14 to 16 Deglet Noor); ½ cup fresh raspberries, strawberries, or blueberries, or chopped peeled kiwifruit, peach, or mango; 2 cups unsweetened, unflavored plant-based milk, plus more to thin batter as needed; 2 oz. pitted dates, chopped (3 to 4 Medjool or 6 to 8 Deglet Noor); 1½ cups old-fashioned rolled oats; ½ cup cornmeal; 1½ teaspoons regular or sodium-free baking powder; ½ teaspoon baking soda; ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon; 1 tablespoon lemon zest; 3 tablespoons lemon juice; ¼ cup finely chopped walnuts (optional); Fresh raspberries (optional)