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Healthy Pumpkin Pancakes

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These fluffy whole wheat pumpkin pancakes are exactly what you need in your life. They’re healthy, made with whole grain flour and truly so easy.

pumpkin pancakes stacked with melted coconut butter

FRIENDS. I made you another pancake recipe and it’s about damn time. It’s been way, way too long since I’ve made you pancakes and because it’s October, naturally I had to make you some pumpkin ones.

Pancakes always bring me back to weeknight dinners.

Yes, you read that right – weeknight dinners. My family didn’t really do big weekend breakfasts because at least two of us kids (out of six) would likely have some sports game on the weekend.

More often than not, we would have “brinner” – AKA breakfast for dinner –  during the week because it was quick and easy and something we all liked.

Let’s also just quickly move past the fact that I definitely grew up on Bisquick, so homemade pancakes from scratch wasn’t a normal thing for me until after college.

It’s kind of funny just how simple pancake mix is and you usually have everything you need already in your cupboards and fridge.

coconut butter covered pumpkin pancakes stacked on plate

Pumpkin Pancakes Ingredients

  • whole wheat white flour – I use whole grain flour varieties for most baking and cooking. You can use whole wheat pastry flour, or half whole wheat with half-all purpose.
  • baking powder – as the leavening agent that will make these pancakes super fluffy.
  • pumpkin spice – you can use store bought or make a homemade pumpkin pie spice using this simple recipe that uses just 4 ingredients!
  • canned pumpkin – Obviously we’re using some pumpkin here. Make sure to use canned pumpkin (and not pumpkin pie mix). I haven’t tried using fresh pumpkin purée, but if you do, the batter might end up a little more liquid-y, so you might need to add a touch more flour (possibly 1 tablespoon more).
  • egg – Eggs help provide structure but I am guessing you can sub a flaxseed “egg” or even a chia seed one.
  • oil – just a touch!
  • brown sugar – Just a hint of sweetness is perfect in the batter. Then you can go crazy with toppings as you wish.
  • non-dairy milk of choice – I used oat milk here but feel free to use whatever you have on hand.

If you’re a fan of pumpkin chocolate chip pancakes, feel free to add 1/3 cup mini chocolate chips to the batter!

ingredients on board for pumpkin pancakes, in bowls and with text labels

How to Make Pumpkin Pancakes

Making homemade pancakes couldn’t be easier. I like to mix the dry ingredients together separately – in this case the flour, baking powder and pumpkin spice.

Then begin mixing together the wet ingredients in a separate bowl – starting with the pumpkin, egg and oil, before finally mixing in the milk.

Lastly you’ll add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and whisk until batter is smooth. Let the pancake batter rest for a couple of minutes while griddle heats up.

You’ll want to make sure the griddle is nice and hot before adding any batter.

mixing bowl with pumpkin and egg for pumpkin pancakes

Pancake Making Tips

  • Use a 1/4 cup measuring cup to scoop batter.
  • Make sure griddle is hot (medium heat) before adding oil or butter to pan, then follow with batter.
  • You’ll know when the pancakes are ready to be flipped once the edges start to raise and bubble. Once flipped, the other side should only need about another 2-3 minutes.
milk pouring into bowl with egg and pumpkin

How to Meal Prep Pancakes

This pumpkin pancake recipe is actually great for meal prep too. Here’s how you do it…

  • Let them rest on a wire rack until completely cool.
  • If layering in a storage container, add parchment paper between layers to keep from freezing together.
  • To reheat, I prefer the toaster oven (about 3-4 minutes) but microwave works too.

Topping Ideas

When it comes to toppings for pumpkin pancakes, make it extra special with these ideas:

pumpkin pancakes with syrup pouring on the stack

If you make this recipe, be sure to leave a comment and review below! I love hearing from you, and it helps others learn more about the recipe too!

Print

Healthy Pumpkin Pancakes

coconut butter covered pumpkin pancakes stacked on plate
Print Recipe

★★★★★

5 from 2 reviews

Easy, homemade and healthy Pumpkin Pancakes made with whole grains, lightly sweetened and dairy. These light and fluffy pancakes will definitely be your new fall favorite. Perfect for weekend mornings and the leftovers freeze well to reheat in the toaster during the week.

  • Author: Ashley
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cook Time: 10 minutes
  • Total Time: 15 minutes
  • Yield: 12 medium pancakes 1x
  • Category: Breakfast
  • Method: Stovetop
  • Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 ½ cups whole wheat white flour or whole wheat pastry flour
  • 1 ½ tablespoons baking powder 
  • 2 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice*
  • 2/3 cup canned pumpkin 
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 tablespoon oil
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 1 ¼ cups non-dairy milk (almond, cashew, oat, etc. – not a protein blend)

Instructions

  1. Preheat non-stick griddle or frying pan to medium heat. (or add butter)
  2. In a medium bowl combine dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, salt, and spices) and set aside.
  3. In a large bowl, whisk together pumpkin, egg, oil, sugar and gently pour in milk and whisk until combined.
  4. Carefully add dry ingredients into bowl of wet ingredients, using whisk to fully mix. Batter will be somewhat thick but pourable consistency. Allow batter to rest for 2 minutes.
  5. Using ¼ cup measuring cup, scoop batter into pan, making sure to leave enough room for flipping. Cook pancakes on one side until edges start to bubble and you can see the pancakes rise. Flip and continue cooking for another 2 minutes on other side, Use flat spatula to carefully transfer to plate or warm oven (200ºF).
  6. Top with your favorite toppings like maple syrup, a little whipped cream or yogurt, pecans, granola, etc.! 

Notes

Flour – you can also use half whole wheat flour, half all-purpose flour. i.e. 3/4 cups whole wheat flour + 3/4 cups all-purpose flour. Using a 1:1 gluten free baking flour also works.

*You can make Homemade Pumpkin Spice using this simple recipe that uses just 4 ingredients!

Nutrition based on 1 serving = 3 pancakes

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 3 pancakes
  • Calories: 278
  • Sugar: 13g
  • Sodium: 184mg
  • Fat: 6g
  • Saturated Fat: 1
  • Unsaturated Fat: 4g
  • Trans Fat: 0g
  • Carbohydrates: 46
  • Fiber: 7g
  • Protein: 10
  • Cholesterol: 48mg

Keywords: fall pancake recipe, whole wheat pumpkin pancakes, healthy pumpkin pancakes

photography by Roberta Dall’Alba

About Ashley

"Ashley Walterhouse is the founder of Fit Mitten Kitchen, based in the Greater Lansing Area of Michigan, AKA “the Mitten.” Ashley grew up as a picky eater but later discovered that eating healthy was actually easy and fun. She started FMK in 2015 as a way to share her newfound love of developing healthier recipes for all to enjoy."

Reader Interactions

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    • Ashley says

      Unfortunately coconut and almond flours aren’t a 1:1 sub here so I am not sure how much you should use as I haven’t tested it this way. Sorry!

      Reply

  2. Cassie Thuvan Tran says

    Oh wow, these look fantastic! I made a similar recipe but used a flax egg and protein powder–have to try this again except with whole wheat pastry flour to yield a fluffier texture! YUM <3

    Reply

  5. Sara says

    I love this recipe! Toddler approved too. One question, can I use dairy milk? It shouldn’t affect the outcome right?

    Reply

    • Ashley says

      Yes you can use dairy milk! The only milk I can see affecting it would be like a protein based plant milk, i.e. pea protein.

      Reply