Pumpkin Pancakes Recipe (Healthy & Whole Wheat)

Soft, fluffy, and filled with everyone’s favorite fall flavor, this healthy and best Pumpkin Pancakes Recipe is sure to become a family favorite. Made with whole wheat flour and without any eggs in under 30 minutes, these naturally vegan and kid-friendly flapjacks are perfect for either a weekday breakfast or a lazy weekend brunch.

About Pumpkin Pancakes Recipe

It seems that love for all things pumpkin spice has become an entirely universal sentiment. My American friends tell me that its ubiquitousness has become almost a joke.

Apparently, you can find pumpkin spice-flavored everything, from cereals and pop tarts to coffees and candy bars, and even hummus, cheese, potato chips, and cleaning products!

While I, too, am a devotee of this warm and cozy flavor profile, that seems like companies have gotten a little carried away, no?

However, in the spirit of the season, I couldn’t resist coming up with my own, healthy, homemade breakfast take on the pumpkin spice craze.

When it comes to eggs, these healthy pumpkin pancakes prove that you don’t need them at all to create flavorful, soft and fluffy flapjacks.

By using a mix of whole wheat flour, pumpkin puree (which acts like an egg replacer), & other plant based ingredients in combination with baking powder (leavener), these pancakes are naturally vegan and egg-free.

So whether you have dietary restrictions or just want to try something new, these egg-free and whole grain pumpkin pancakes are a tasty and wholesome option for breakfast or brunch.

This delightful recipe is:

• Wholesome & Nutritious: Adding whole wheat flour makes these pancakes healthy, so you can easily have them without guilt. Plus, they’re loaded with real pumpkin and only have 2 tablespoons of raw sugar in the whole batch!
• Quick & Easy: The whole recipe takes less than 30 minutes, meaning an Instagrammable breakfast is never far from reach.
• Allergy-Friendly: My pumpkin pancakes recipe is easy to make gluten-free and nut-free and is naturally vegan and soy-free.

Love pumpkin as much as we do? Be sure to check our egg-free recipes of Pumpkin Pie and Pumpkin Bread recipes for more ways to get your fix.

Ingredients & Substitutions

• Whole Wheat Flour – To make these pancakes gluten-free, feel free to use Bob’s Red Mill gluten-free flour, or your favorite cup-for-cup GF flour blend. You could also opt to swap the whole meal flour with all-purpose flour, but just remember to add less almond milk.
• Raw Sugar – A small amount of sugar encourages beautiful browning in the pan and adds just the right amount of sweetness. Feel free to omit for sugar-free pancakes.
  
  You can easily substitute raw sugar with any sweetener like maple syrup, brown sugar, palm sugar, coconut sugar, or jaggery (Indian unrefined sugar made from sugarcane juice). 
• Ground Allspice, Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Cloves & Ginger – Feel free to use pre-made Pumpkin Pie Spice instead!
• Salt – Just a pinch will help to wake up all the other flavors.
• Baking Powder – Not to be confused with baking soda, baking powder is a leavener that begins to activate as soon as it touches liquid. As such, make sure you are ready to make the pancakes as soon as you add the wet ingredients, or you’ll miss out on the full rising power.

• Pumpkin Puree – Feel free to use either homemade or canned pumpkin puree here. If you opt for canned, make sure it’s 100% pumpkin, NOT pumpkin pie filling. For an interesting variation, you could also try adding a small mashed banana.
• Almond Milk – Any unsweetened plant-based or dairy milk can be used instead.
• Vanilla Extract – While technically optional, the addition of vanilla makes these pumpkin pancakes truly decadent. Feel free to swap in equal amounts of vanilla powder or paste, or use half as much vanilla essence instead.
• Sunflower Oil – Melted coconut oil or any neutral tasting oil will also work. If you aren’t concerned about being dairy-free, butter is a lovely, rich option.
• Maple Syrup & Fresh Fruit or Berries – For serving!

If you enjoy soft, comforting breakfast treats, here are a few more eggless pancake and snack recipes you might like:

• Eggless Pancakes – Classic fluffy pancakes made without eggs, perfect with maple syrup or fruits.
• Banana Pancakes – Naturally sweet and wholesome, these are great for using up ripe bananas.
• Blueberry Pancakes – Juicy blueberries in every bite; a fruity twist on the classic.
• Lemon Muffins – Bright and zesty muffins with a soft, moist crumb. Perfect for a light snack or a quick homemade treat.

How To Make Pumpkin Pancakes 

You’ll be surprised at how easy it is to make these pumpkin-spiced pancakes. Here’s how it’s done:

Prepare the Batter

1. In a mixing bowl, add the following ingredients:

• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 2 tablespoons raw sugar (or granulated white sugar or brown sugar)
• ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
• ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ⅛ teaspoon grated nutmeg or ground nutmeg
• 2 pinches ground ginger (ginger powder)
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 pinch salt

2. Stir and mix all the dry ingredients with a whisk to an even mixture.

3. Add ½ cup pumpkin purée – homemade or canned. I have used my homemade and fresh Pumpkin Puree.

Store-bought canned puree will be very thick and a bit sweeter than homemade, so you will likely need to increase the amount of almond milk and reduce the sugar.

4. Add 1 to 1.25 cups almond milk, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract and 1 tablespoon sunflower oil or any neutral tasting oil.

Depending on the thickness of pumpkin puree, you will need to add less or more milk.

Make sure to use a neutral flavored oil (NOT olive oil) so that your pancakes do not have any savory after-taste.

For a vegetarian option, you could also use melted butter (unsalted).

5. Using a whisk mix very well.

6. The pancake batter should be smooth, flowing, and a medium consistency. You will also see tiny bubbles in the batter.

Tip 1: If the batter is too thick, add a few tablespoons of almond milk.

Tip 2: If it looks thin, add 1 to 2 tablespoons whole wheat flour.

Cook Pumpkin Pancakes

7. Heat a well-seasoned cast iron skillet or other heavy bottomed pan on medium heat. After it becomes hot, reduce the heat to low as cast iron retains heat.

The pan has to be hot before you pour the batter. Spread 1 to 2 teaspoons oil on the pan. Then pour ⅓ to ½ cup of batter on the pan.

You can use a ladle to pour the batter. Do not spread as the batter will spread on its own. Use a well seasoned pan so that pancakes do not stick. 

8. On low to medium-low heat cook one side till golden. You will see air pockets on top. Drizzle a bit of oil on the top and the sides

9. When the base is golden, gently flip and cook the second side.

10. Cook for a few minutes until the second side till golden. Remove the pancake from the pan.

11. Make all pancakes this way and use up the entire batter.

12. Serve them hot or warm drizzled with maple syrup or any sweet fruit or berry sauce of your choice and some seasonal fresh fruits or berries.

Serving Suggestions

Pumpkin pancakes are delicious when served with a drizzle of maple syrup. You can serve these fiber rich pancakes with a sweet fruit or berry jam or agave syrup or honey if you prefer. A side of fresh seasonal fruits also tastes good with these pancakes.

You could even use date syrup, chocolate syrup, or a berry sauce like blueberry or strawberry sauce with a spritz of whipped cream to turn your fall breakfast into dessert.

Expert Tips

1. Make Sure Your Pan Is Hot: Whenever I’m making pancakes in a rush, the first one always turns out rather disappointing. Why? Because I didn’t let the pan get hot enough first! Give yourself plenty of time for it to preheat.
2. Skillet or Pan: For making pancakes or fritters, a cast iron skillet or griddle works best for even heat distribution, though you can use a good heavy steel pan or even a non-stick pan if that’s what you have on hand. Whichever pan you use, make sure that the pan is seasoned so that the pancakes do not stick on it.
3. Scaling: This pumpkin pancakes recipe makes 10 pancakes and can easily be halved or doubled depending on your needs.
4. Make-Ahead Tip: If I have a busy week ahead, I like to get a jump on my meal prep. These pancakes can easily be made a day ahead (if you plan to serve it the next day), cooled, and frozen (in the freezer) in a single layer before being stacked in a zip-top bag or airtight container. To reheat, simply pop one in a toaster oven until heated through for the speediest and tastiest breakfast around!

FAQs

This Pumpkin Pancakes Recipe from the blog archives first published on August 2020 has been updated and republished on October 2023.