These pumpkin pancakes are flavoured with warm spices such as cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg. Light, fluffy and healthy, this pancake recipe makes for a wholesome, hearty breakfast that your friends and family will love.

This pumpkin pancake recipe combines two of my favourite things. Breakfast and pumpkin. My mission each fall is to help people understand the unrealised potential of pumpkin, whether it’s through my moist pumpkin cake recipe (makes for a great pumpkin bread too!), stunning pumpkin pie, dainty pumpkin cheesecakes, pumpkin scones or baked pumpkin doughnuts. There is so much capacity to make such beautiful creations with pumpkin, and these fluffy pumpkin pancakes are a fine example.

What these pumpkin pancakes are:

• Healthier than your average pancake (if you’d like them to be). I just replace pretty much all the ingredients with healthier alternatives and it works beautifully. Use what you have on hand though.
• Light and fluffy. Thank you, pumpkin and thank you, science.
• Full of fall flavour. Cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger do the trick!
• Full of pumpkin. I use fresh purée that I make at home in bulk and use for all my baking. Canned is fine, but since pumpkin is abundant this time of year, it might be worth making your own. 
• Perfect for breakfast. Because 1. Pancakes and 2. Healthier, and breakfast is the most important meal of the day right?
• Delicious with apples, pecans and of course, maple syrup. 

How to make these pancakes healthier

• I use whole wheat flour instead of all-purpose flour makes these pumpkin pancakes more fibrous and hearty without compromising on flavour (but you can use all-purpose if you like).
• I use coconut sugar instead of regular granulated sugar because it doesn’t spike your sugar levels like regular sugar does. You can also use a natural sweetener such as honey or agave syrup or really any sweetener of choice (make sure to adjust the amount accordingly).
• In the batter, I use coconut oil instead of regular melted butter or oil. You can use any fat you like. 
• Serve with fresh fruit (I like apples cooked with cinnamon) and nuts. 
• I use regular milk to make these. Use what you have on hand or what you prefer (i.e. lower in fat, non-dairy, etc). 
• I use apple cider vinegar instead of regular (but that works too). 
• Pumpkin. Use fresh. 
• Spices. Also good for you.

Producing the Perfect Pancakes

There are a few tips I have for obtaining the perfect pancake. 

1. Baking soda, baking powder and vinegar are needed for this pumpkin pancake recipe. The baking soda reacts with the vinegar, and the baking powder helps get the pancakes extra tall and fluffy.
2. Don’t over-mix the batter after adding the dry ingredients. This overworks the gluten results in a tougher pancake.
3. Let the pancake batter sit for around 10 minutes before cooking. This allows the leavening agents to start doing their thing so that you get some aeration before the batter hits the pan and after.
4. The first batch of pancakes is never perfect. You’ll need to play with the heat. I usually start on high to get the pan heated up, then once the pan is nice and hot, I ladle on the pancakes then switch to medium-low. I usually keep it at medium/medium low. Too high of a heat will cause the inside to be runny.

These pumpkin pancakes are golden. Literally and figuratively. Not only is the colour magical, this fluffy pancake recipe is a healthy addition to your breakfast spread (breakfast is the most important meal of the day after all), without compromising one bit on taste. And without further ado, the recipe!

Fluffy Whole Wheat Pumpkin Pancakes

These pumpkin pancakes are flavoured with warm spices such as cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg. Light, fluffy and healthy, this pancake recipe makes for a wholesome, hearty breakfast that your friends and family will love.

5 from 4 votes

Yield: 2 hungry people (or 3, makes 10-11 pancakes)

Prep: 15 minutes minutes

Cook: 10 minutes minutes

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Ingredients

• 135 g (1 cup) whole wheat flour, can replace with all-purpose
• 1 1/2 tbsp coconut sugar, see note below
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground ginger
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp allspice or ground cloves, optional
• 175 mL (3/4 cup) milk , I use whole
• 125 grams (1/2) pumpkin puree*, I use fresh (see note below)
• 1 tbsp unrefined coconut oil, replace with any other oil
• 1 large egg
• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

Serving Suggestions

• Apples cooked with cinnamon*, see note below
• Pecans or walnuts
• Maple syrup, if you're feeling indulgent
• Butter, if you're feeling indulgent

Instructions

• In a medium/large bowl, combine the flour, coconut sugar (if you're using liquid sweetener add that with the wet ingredients), baking powder and baking soda, salt, ground cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves/allspice if using.
• Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients, and add in the milk, pumpkin puree, oil, egg and vinegar. Whisk together till just incorporated.
• Scrape down the sides of the bowl, then let the batter sit for 10 minutes before frying. In the meantime, place a griddle or large frying pan on the stove and begin to heat it up on low, with a splash of vegetable oil (or butter for a little indulgence).
• Once the pan is hot and the batter has had a chance to set, pour spoonfuls of the batter onto the pan (I would say about 1/4 cup, 60mL), slightly apart, in small disks. I fry 2-3 at a time. Make sure the heat is at a medium or medium-low.
• Fry each pancake for around 1 and 1/2 to 2 minutes, or until golden brown, adjusting the heat accordingly.
• Enjoy these warm, with whatever toppings you like. Fresh fruit, nuts, maple syrup and butter are all favourites of mine!

Notes

*I use fresh pumpkin puree. It's super easy to make, here's how to make pumpkin puree at home.

*coconut sugar- you can replace with unrefined sugar, agave syrup, honey - whatever you have. 

*To prepare cooked apples, slice two apples (with or without the skin). Heat a medium-size frying pan, and add 1/2 tbsp of oil. Fry the apples with 1 tsp of ground cinnamon, on a low flame till soft. You can alternatively start by cooking the apples with a bit of water (1/4 cup) instead of the oil, then add the cinnamon and cook on a flow flame till the water has evaporated. 

STORING: These should be eaten immediately!

Author: Vedika

Course: Breakfast

Keyword: Breakfast, Pancakes, Pumpkin

And if you like this pumpkin pancake recipe, you will love my other healthy pancake recipes, whether it’s healthy whole wheat blueberry pancakes, oatmeal pancakes or banana chocolate and raspberry pancakes.

For more recipes, pre-order my new cookbook!

52 Weeks 52 Sweets has been in the making for years, and I am super excited to show you what I’ve been working on! The book is seasonally and culturally themed, with a recipe for each week of the year (52 recipes for 52 weeks), organised by months.

Learn more about it here.