Pumpkin pie in the form of a fluffy stack of pancakes, which are partly whole wheat and on the healthy side.
Did you know? It’s been 50 years since the premiere of ‘It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown’! The Peanuts Halloween special first aired on October 27, 1966.
I’m somewhat embarrassed to admit that I used to beg my parents to let me eat McDonald’s ‘Happy Meals’ so I could collect the little Snoopy toys. In fairness, I was about seven at the time. While I didn’t end up with every toy, I did collect quite a few of them! I distinctly remember having a Snoopy dressed as Sherlock Holmes, Snoopy as an artist, Snoopy in a jester outfit, Valentine’s Day Snoopy…
Something tells me I was a very annoying persuasive child.
Anyway, enough about Snoopy. Let’s talk about something even more exciting: pumpkin pancakes!
This breakfast is basically a pancake version of pumpkin pie. An easier, fluffier and (most likely) healthier version of pumpkin pie.
In the batter we have a mixture all purpose and whole wheat flours, some rolled oats (of course), fresh pumpkin puree, a little Greek-style yogurt and the quintessential quartet of spices: cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves.
To keep these pancakes on the ‘healthy’ side, there’s no butter or oil the batter – there’s simply no need for butter/oil when we have pumpkin puree and yogurt. A few tablespoons of maple syrup add extra flavor and some pie-like sweetness, so there’s no need for refined sugar either.
(Uh, unless, like yours truly, you love dusting your pancakes with powdered sugar because it looks pretty).
Part of the key to these pancakes is using fresh pumpkin puree, ideally made from roasted pumpkin. Trust me, fresh puree tastes a million times better than the stuff from a can.
(I talked quite a bit about making your own pumpkin puree in the Pumpkin Spice Latte Overnight Oats post, if you’re interested).
Since the water content of fresh pumpkin puree can vary quite a bit – and flour can sometimes do funny things – it’s important keep an eye on the consistency of the pancake batter. The pancake batter is supposed to be relatively thick (almost the consistency of brownie batter), but not insanely thick. If the batter seems really dense (like the consistency of muffin batter), then you may need to add a little extra milk.
There are two things to keep in mind when cooking pumpkin pancakes. First of all, make sure you have the stove hot enough and your skillet/pan is properly preheated. (Actually, this is something to keep in mind when cooking any type of pancakes).
If the pan isn’t hot enough, the baking powder and soda won’t react properly, resulting in a severe loss of pancake fluffiness. On the other hand, you don’t want the heat too high, or else your precious pumpkin pancakes will burn on the outside.
I usually find that medium-low heat is ideal, but it all depends on your stove, as well as and the size and thickness of your pan. If in doubt, make a ‘test’ pancake first.
Second thing to note: pumpkin pancakes take a little longer to cook than their non-pumpkin cousins. Once you’ve flipped the pancakes, make sure you give them ample time to cook through (about two minutes).
Last of all, let’s talk about toppings! Maple syrup is always welcome, of course. The pancakes are also delicious just by themselves.
And if you’re as nuts about pumpkin as I am, then try topping your with more pumpkin! Specifically, with pumpkin butter. I’ve recently because a little addicted to this Pecan Pumpkin Butter from Williams-Sonoma, which you can see on top of the pancakes in these photos.
Side note: I’m not associated with Williams-Sonoma at all, nor have I been paid to promote them. I just really like their pumpkin butter.
Oh, and in case you were wondering: yes, there are figs in the background of these photographs. And no, there aren’t any figs in this recipe. But when life gives you figs, then by golly, you make the most of them.
- Pancakes
- 2 large eggs
- ⅓ cup (90g) fresh pumpkin puree
- ¼ cup (60g) Greek-style yogurt
- 3 tablespoons maple syrup
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ cup (120mL) milk
- ½ cup (65g) all purpose flour
- ½ cup (60g) whole wheat flour
- ½ cup (50g) rolled oats
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 ¼ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Toppings- Pumpkin butter
- Chopped nuts
- Maple syrup
- In a bowl, whisk the eggs with a fork. Whisk in the pumpkin puree, yogurt, maple syrup and vanilla extract. Pour in the milk, and mix until well combined.
- Add the all purpose flour, whole wheat flour, rolled oats, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves and salt. Mix until just combined.
- Let the batter sit for 10 minutes.
- Preheat a skillet or griddle pan over medium-low heat. Grease with cooking oil spray, and then add around ¼ cup of batter for each pancake. If necessary, use the back of a spoon to shape the pancakes into circles.
- Cook the pancakes for about 3 minutes, or until the edges are set and bubbles appear on the surface. Flip, and cook for 2 minutes on the other side. Adjust the stove heat as needed.
- Top the pancakes with some pumpkin butter, chopped nuts and plenty of maple syrup.
The batter is supposed to be relatively thick (almost the consistency of brownie batter). However, if it seems really thick (like the consistency of muffin batter), then you may need to add more milk.
The consistency of the batter may vary depending on your pumpkin puree (and flour can do funny things).
Whole wheat flour
Whole wheat flour is also known as 'wholemeal' flour.