Pumpkin Pancakes Your Family Will Love

Pumpkin Pancakes Your Family Will Love

We’ve given traditional pancakes a makeover by using cleanse-friendly ingredients and adding pumpkin for a tasty fall twist. 
pancakes with pecans

There’s nothing quite like a sweet, buttery stack of pancakes on a holiday (or just a weekend morning). We’ve given traditional pancakes a makeover by using cleanse-friendly ingredients and adding pumpkin for a tasty fall twist. Since this batter is made in the blender, you can whip these pumpkin pancakes up quickly, with all of the bragging rights of homemade.

Pumpkin is one of those nostalgic fall flavors that pops up everywhere as temperatures cool down. For this recipe we’ve used organic canned pumpkin, so you can make it any time of year.

Why pumpkin is perfect

Pumpkin is a good source of fiber, which is a great nutrient to pair with sweet treats like pancakes. Fiber helps slow the release of glucose into the bloodstream, feeds healthy gut bacteria, and promotes a feeling of fullness as you eat. Since cooler months often have us reaching for heavier, comforting foods, taking advantage of fiber-rich vegetables like pumpkin can help satisfy cravings without feeling weighed down.

Pumpkin is rich in vitamin A (also known as beta-carotene), which is important for skin health. Pumpkin is also rich in the antioxidants alpha-carotene and beta-cryptoxanthin, which, like the antioxidant beta-carotene, help fight free radicals in the body. These antioxidants can also help prevent sun damage to the skin (or help treat existing damage).

Benefits of spicing things up

We love adding pumpkin pie spice to our fall treats to give them that fall flavor we crave. Pumpkin pie spice is typically a combination of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves. You can substitute any or all of these seasonings for pumpkin pie spice, if you have trouble finding it. Cinnamon is incredible at improving circulation and can help regulate blood sugar. Nutmeg has anti-inflammatory properties and is antibacterial, meaning it can help ward off illness. Ginger is incredible for digestion and contains powerful antioxidants to help fight free radicals in the body.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups almond milk

3/4 cup canned pumpkin purée

2 tablespoons flax seeds or 1 egg (if not cleansing)

2 tablespoons coconut oil or ghee (if not cleansing)

1 tablespoon vinegar or lemon juice

2 cups gluten-free flour

2 tablespoons coconut palm sugar or maple syrup (if not cleansing)

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon pumpkin spice

Optional: Pecans, ghee, and/or syrup for topping pancakes

 

Directions:

Prep all ingredients and juice lemon, if using.

pumpkin pancake ingredients

Add all ingredients to a high-speed blender. Blend on high until creamy and smooth.

pancake batter in blender

Heat a nonstick pan over medium heat. Add a small amount of ghee or coconut oil (about one teaspoon) to the pan and let melt.

Add pancake batter, 1/2 cup at a time, to the hot pan. Let cook until small bubbles form on the pancake batter, and the pancake is slightly browned on one side (2-3 minutes). Then, flip the pancake and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes.

pancake cooking in pan

Continue to cook pancakes until batter is finished, wiping the pan and adding new oil between each pancake. Serve pumpkin pancakes immediately with toppings of your choice!

stack of pancakes


Recipe and photography by Kaitlyn Noble

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