Pumpkin Pancakes: A Healthy, Delicious Breakfast/Brunch Recipe (2024)

Your family will love this healthy, whole wheat pumpkin pancakes recipe for breakfast or brunch. These pancakes are healthy AND delicious!

Pumpkins: Not Just a Fall Decoration

It’s the perfect time of year to stock up on pumpkins – they’re inexpensive and abundant right now. But don’t let them sit and spoil on your front porch, because they can easily be turned into pumpkin puree that can be frozen, canned, or used right away.

One of my favorite uses for pumpkin puree is pumpkin pancakes. (If you love desserts, you’ll flip over this cake-like breakfast creation! Pun intended.)

Pumpkin pancakes are a unique and healthy alternative to your average buttermilk pancake. Among their many health benefits, pumpkins are a good source of fiber and Vitamin A. The pumpkin adds a warm, subtle flavor to this breakfast superstar, making it a perfect treat for a chilly morning. Each time I serve these pancakes I’m so happy I didn’t allow my pie pumpkins to spoil on the front porch.

Pumpkin Pancakes Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 eggs, preferably from pastured hens
• 1 ¾cups buttermilk, kefir, or sour milk (find kefir starters or learn how to make your own kefir)
• ¼cup unsweetened applesauce (learn how to make your own)
• 1 cup pumpkin puree (find it here or make your own)
• 2 ¾cups whole wheat flour (find organic whole wheat flour here)
• 2 Tablespoons cane sugar or maple syrup (find cane sugar here andmaple syruphere)
• 2 teaspoons non-aluminum baking powder (find it here)
• 1 teaspoon baking soda (find our favorite here)
• 1 teaspoon sea salt (find unrefined sea salt here)
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (find organic cinnamon here)
• 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (learn how to make your own)

Directions

1. To begin making these pumpkin pancakes, whisk eggs in a large mixing bowl.
2. Add buttermilk/kefir/sour milk, applesauce, and pumpkin. Stir until all wet ingredients are combined.
3. Add dry ingredients and mix well with a fork until very few lumps are noticeable.
4. Pour pancakes onto the pre-heated griddle. (I use an electric griddle set at 400°.) Flip pancakes when bubbles appear on the surface. Makes about 25-30.

Serve pumpkin pancakes with real butter, pure maple syrup, or even homemade whipped cream (yum!). Chocolate chips and/or walnuts also make a great addition.

Notes:

• Don’t have buttermilk, kefir, or sour milk? Just add a splash of white vinegar to your regular milk and stir it in.
• Feel free to adjust the measurements based on personal preference. If the batter is too thick for your liking, add more buttermilk. If too thin, add more flour.

Good Excuses to Make Pumpkin Pancakes

I always feel like I need a good reason to get into a baking project in the morning. Otherwise, I fall back on toast or eggs. Boring. Choose an appropriate excuse and indulge!

Want an easy re-heatable breakfast? I make a full batch of these pumpkin pancakes and store leftovers in the freezer. Freeze finished pancakes in single layers on a cookie sheet for about 30 minutes, then stack in a resealable bag and return to the freezer. Reheat a few pancakes on busy mornings when a full breakfast production is out of the question.

Having overnight guests? Make it easy on yourself; mix up the batter before bedtime and refrigerate. Use the extra time in the morning to visit with guests or drink coffee.

Looking for a tasty holiday breakfast? There’s no better time to treat your family to this new pumpkin pancake recipe!

Want to impress (or confuse) your family? When loved ones smell spiced pumpkin wafting from the kitchen, they will think they woke up on the set of a Food Network kitchen.

Do you have milk turning sour in the fridge? This might sound gross but soured (not rotten) milk is a perfectly acceptable substitute for buttermilk. When I make these pumpkin pancakes with sour milk they were better than ever!

For all you breakfast lovers out there – don’t delay! Try these pumpkin pancakes out and let us know how you like them.

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