These delicious Whole Wheat Pumpkin Pancakes are fluffy, light and packed with pumpkin spice flavor. Whip up a batch of these easy, fluffy delights in just 20 minutes. They are perfect for welcoming in the weekend and healthy enough to enjoy without any guilt. I promise you won't regret it.
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Why you will love this recipe
If you've been on the hunt for a new breakfast to shake up your routine, look no further than my delicious Whole Wheat Pumpkin Pancakes. They're seriously the best! Packed with warm fall flavors, this yummy breakfast recipe is perfect for sweater weather.
I don't know about you, but I LOVE pancakes. They're fluffy and light, and yet decadent all at the same time. Anything that gives me an excuse to eat maple syrup is a winner in my book. And kids love them, too!
This short stack is especially wonderful because it's infused with my all-time FAVORITE seasonal flavor combo: Pumpkin Spice!
If you, like me, love anything pumpkin spice flavored at any time of the year, you're going to love this pumpkin pancake recipe.
As an added bonus, this simple and easy pancakes are also miraculously healthy. Whole wheat flour offers high fiber and the nutritional boost of whole grains. If that weren't enough, pumpkin is also an excellent source of Vitamin A and beta carotene.
My pumpkin pancake recipe can also be made dairy free, so there's something for everyone to love.
Oh, and you can also make a batch on your meal prep day and freeze them for fast breakfast throughout the week. Breakfast worth getting out of bed for? Check!
A Few Notes On Ingredients
Since these are pumpkin pancakes, you're going to need some real, 100% pumpkin purée. I make my own using sugar pumpkins, but you can certainly opt for canned. Just make sure that you don't accidentally get canned pumpkin pie filling. TRUST ME!
If you can't find pumpkin purée, feel free to substitute with butternut squash or sweet potato purée instead. They have a similar flavor profile and are sometimes a bit easier to find out of season.
I like using whole wheat flour in my pumpkin pancakes to give them a bit more nutritional heft. You can opt to use whole wheat pastry flour, gluten free flour (1-to-1) or all purpose flour instead.
The milk and butter can be substituted for non-dairy alternatives - nut milk, soy milk, or oat milk are all acceptable. Margarine or vegan butter will do the trick as well.
The eggs can also be removed. Substitute yogurt or flax eggs instead! (One flax egg = 1 Tbsp flax meal + 3 Tbsp water)
If you don't have pumpkin spice on hand, you can make your own. Check out the FAQ section below.
How to make pumpkin spice pancakes
Now that you have all of your ingredients sorted, the pumpkin pancake recipe is so easy! First, combine all of your dry ingredients in a mixing bowl. Whisk to combine.
Add your wet ingredients to the bowl.
Stir to combine, taking care to eliminate most lumps from the batter. Rest the batter for about 5 minutes to allow the leavening to do its work.
Now you're ready to get cooking! Spoon roughly ¼ cup into a heated non-stick pan (or griddle).
Let the batter cook undisturbed for a few minutes, until bubbles begin to appear on the surface.
Flip the pancake and cook for another 2-3 minutes, until golden and cooked through.
Repeat with the remaining batter. Serve warm with butter, maple syrup and pecans for a truly decadent take on "healthy breakfast!"
Frequently asked questions
The way my recipe works, yes! Whole wheat flour offers a healthy dose of fiber and the pumpkin adds a whopping 3400+ mg of Vitamin A per pancake!
If you want to cut back on the sugar, feel free to opt for your favorite natural sugar alternative instead. Monk fruit or stevia could lighten things up a bit.
The nutritional facts listed below are for the recipe as written; making any substitutions (e.g. almond milk for dairy) will impact the nutritional bottom line.
Yes - 1.5 tsp ground cinnamon, ½ tsp ginger, ½ tsp nutmeg ¼ tsp clove powder and ¼ all spice.
Yes, feel free to skip the eggs! You can opt to add ¼ cup of plain yogurt in their place.
Flax eggs are a vegan alternative that will work nicely as well. Simply stir together 4 tablespoons of ground flax meal with 12 tablespoons of water and let it thicken over the course of 10 minutes. Add the mix to the batter with the liquid ingredients.
Yes! Choose any non-dairy milk substitute, use vegetable oil, margarine or vegan butter and substitute flax eggs by adding 4 tablespoons of ground flax meal and 12 tablespoons of water.
To make it gluten free, simply substitute a 1-to-1 gluten free flour mix.
Place them on baking sheet for 200 degrees F during breakfast service. Just note that keeping them in the oven for too long might make them dry or burn, so it is best to limit their oven exposure.
Yes! Allow pumpkin pancakes to cool after cooking. Stack using parchment paper to separate them. Wrap in foil, plastic wrap or a freezer bag. Pancakes will keep for up to three months in the freezer.
Variations and Serving ideas
Want to jazz up your pumpkin spice pancakes even further? Try adding any of the following:
- chopped nuts like pecans or walnuts
- chocolate chips
- dried cranberries
- granola
Cooking for a crowd? Try turning these into a breakfast buffet. Make a big batch of pumpkin pancakes using a sheet pan, then choose some yummy toppings for your pancakes like:
- marshmallow fluff
- maple syrup
- apple compote or jam of choice
- melted butter
- whipped cream, sweetened cream cheese or mascarpone
Just have fun and go where the spirit takes you! I have zero doubts that you will love these pumpkin spice pancakes no matter how you serve them.
Want more pumpkin inspiration? Check out some of my other favorites:
If you tried this easy and healthy Pumpkin Pancakes recipe, please feed me with your comments below! I'd love to know how they turned out for you.
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📖 Recipe
Pumpkin Pancakes
Ingredients
Dry ingredients
- 2 cups Whole Wheat Flour
- 3 teaspoons Baking Powder
- ½ teaspoon Baking Soda
- 3 teaspoons Pumpkin Pie Spice
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
- 3 tablespoons Sugar
Wet ingredients
- 1 cup Pumpkin Purée
- 2 Eggs
- ⅓ cup Melted Butter or Vegetable Oil
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 2 cups Milk of choice
Instructions
- In a large bowl whisk together flour, baking powder and soda, pumpkin pie spice, salt and sugar.
- Then, add puree, eggs, butter, vanilla and milk. Whisk everything until just combine. Do not overmix, couple of lumps if any are absolutely fine. If the batter is still too thick then add couple of spoons of milk and mix.
- Let the batter rest for 5 minutes.
- Heat a griddle or non stick pan over medium heat. Now, brush griddle with oil or coat with cooking spray.
- Now, drop ¼ measure cup of batter and lightly spread it of needed. Cook until bubble appears on top.
- Flip and cook pancakes on other side for until golden brown.
- Serve warm with maple syrup or whipped cream and nuts.
Andrea Howe
I have some homemade pumpkin puree in the freezer I'll have to defrost to make these. They sound so good, but also good for you! Thanks for the great recipe
Laura Arteaga
Yumm! these look amazing! Love pumpkin and I never have enough recipes to cook it! I will try these pancakes next Sunday morning!!
Adriana
I have pumpkin puree, so definitely making this tomorrow. That stack of pumpkin pancakes looks fantastic. I bet my family will enjoy this breakfast so much.
Jacqueline Debono
I'm with you about maple syrup. I love it too, especially on pancakes. I bet these pumpkin pancakes would be a dream with maple syrup. On my to make list!
Jenny
These pancakes came out delicious, a melt in your mouth, goodness. They were a treat. Not difficult to make, I followed your tips and all went smooth. I will make them again, for sure. Thanks so much for the recipe!
Jen
Thank you for adding all the details for gluten free and vegan. It is so nice to be able to make one recipe for the whole family. And they were delicious!
Eva
Isn't it fantastic when you can have both taste and health benefits from your food? These pancakes are indeed the perfect brunch element for a slower day like the weekend. No matter the season I will never say no to anythig pumpkin spice!
Alice | SkinnySpatula
I've actually never made pancakes with whole wheat flour, but these look amazing. Pinning to try soon!
Neha Khanuja
Can I just take a moment to comment on how pretty are your clicks before I get on to these pancakes! And those pancakes look so fluffy, I am so trying them out!
Amy Liu Dong
I have never tried to make pumpkin pancakes for my kids and this sounds really easy, delicious, and healthy. I am sure they will also love this!
Farrukh Aziz
Hey Amy, thank you very much. Yes, do give it a try, I am sure they will love it. 🙂