These delicious and healthy pumpkin spice pancakes are gluten free, dairy free, vegetarian, and naturally sweetened with coconut sugar, perfect for fall mornings!
Healthy Pumpkin Spice Pancakes
It took a lot of restraint to save this pumpkin recipe for October. I know there are many bloggers who hop on the pumpkin train in August which I think is way too early (I’m still soaking in the last bits of summer then!!) and in September which is fine but maybe a touch early because it’s still the “farewell to summer” (I’ll hang on to it as long as I can!), but October….October is totally pumpkin month! While I’m a firm believer that pumpkin recipes should be saved for the months of October and November I still had to use restraint because these healthy pumpkin spice pancakes are so delicious and lovely, I was definitely tempted to share the recipe sooner!
Pancakes never get old. There are always those recipes that are popular for a season but pancakes, they are always on the “trending” list and it’s not a big surprise. Who wouldn’t want to start their day with a big stack of fluffy, puffy, perfectly sweet pancakes filled with a yummy variety of ingredients and topped with all the goodies you could imagine; syrup, berries, nut butter, seeds, granola, jams, jellies…the list goes on.
These healthy pumpkin spice pancakes are no exception. Made with a simple combination of oats, flaxseed, pumpkin spice, cinnamon, pumpkin puree, eggs, almond milk, and coconut sugar they are lightly sweetened, fluffy, and still packed with fibre as well as that unmistakable pumpkin pie flavour.
The Cuisinart Griddler-5
I cooked these delicious pancakes to perfection on my Cuisinart Griddler-5 from The Brick using the “full griddle” function as you’ll see in the photos below. This awesome griddler is called the “Griddler-5” because it has five different functions including use as a contact grill (for chicken, salmon, veggies, etc.), a panini press (perfect for sandwiches and wraps), a full grill with both sides, a full griddle (great for pancakes like these) and a half grill/half griddle for small batch cooking!
I have truly enjoyed working with all of the amazing small kitchen appliances from The Brick. They also carry full-size appliances, furniture, home decor, and more! If you’re a regular reader of the blog you’ll probably have already seen the many recipes I’ve made using a variety of these sleek, sturdy, and practical appliances from The Brick. If you are new to the blog you can check out the other Brick recipes here!
The Brick also has great promotions and sales on these small kitchen appliances often so be sure to check out their website and stay up to date on when Cuisinart, KitchenAid, Danby, and Food Cycle Science products go on special.
Making Gluten Free Pumpkin Pancakes
When I switched over to a primarily gluten free and dairy free diet I had to learn about all the different substitutes for wheat and other gluten-containing flours that I could use in recipes like pancakes. Traditional fluffy, restaurant-worthy pancakes are usually made with all purpose white flour, white sugar, and often buttermilk. Could it be possible to make delicious tasting, nutritious pancakes that still have some “fluff” to them using a gluten-free and dairy-free batter? Luckily it’s a big yes!
I’ve used many different types of gluten-free and grain-free flours when making homemade pancakes but one of my favourites is still oat flour. It’s mainly carbohydrate (versus almond or another nut flour which is higher in fat content), and has a nice fine texture similar to that of all-purpose flour yet contains a great amount of fibre.
Oat flour is also super easy to make at home using a blender. You just add whole rolled oats to a high speed blender and whirl for a minute or so to create a flour. One thing to note is that not all oats are “gluten free” as the oats themselves are, but they can be contaminated with gluten in the processing so it’s always best to use only a “certified gluten free” brand of oats if you absolutely need to avoid gluten.
Other flour options to make gluten free pumpkin pancakes (or any other flavour of pancakes) include all-purpose gluten free flour, almond flour, rice flour, teff flour, cassava flour, and tapioca flour. When it comes to making delicious and healthy gluten-free pancakes, the world is your oyster!
The two ingredients that make these pancakes exactly pumpkin spice are the pumpkin and specific pumpkin pie spices. While you can definitely use fresh homemade pumpkin puree, the canned variety is just fine as well and what I used to make this delicious recipe. Just a little bit of canned pumpkin goes a long way in these pancakes to create a lovely and not overpowering pumpkin flavour that melds perfectly with the cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice mix.
I used the Clubhouse brand pumpkin pie spice mix for these pancakes and Simply Organic also makes one too. The mix combines cinnamon with ginger, nutmeg, and cloves, and I chose to add a little extra cinnamon for that additional flavour and spice!
For the healthy pumpkin spice pancakes toppings I kept it simple with fresh blueberries, raw pecans, a sprinkle of organic powdered sugar (totally optional!) and pure maple syrup. The pancakes themselves are so flavourful and delicious there’s no need to overdo it on the toppings.
Each little bite of this healthy gluten and dairy free pancake stack is delightful and wonderfully filling. If you are a fan of pumpkin pie you’ll definitely need to add these to your must-make list as they are perfect for a quiet morning at home or a brunch gathering! They also freeze well and taste great after a day or two in the fridge if you prepare a big batch and have leftovers. When I made these I had an extra large batch so I put the remaining pancakes in the fridge and let Hemsley snack on them over the following couple of days, she loved them too!
Have you made healthy pumpkin spice pancakes before? How are you enjoying pumpkin this fall season? I’d love to read about it in the comments! Also, be sure to pin the photo below the recipe to save it for later and of course, share the love!
Healthy Pumpkin Spice Pancakes
These delicious and healthy pumpkin spice pancakes are gluten free, dairy free, vegetarian, and naturally sweetened with coconut sugar, perfect for fall mornings!
Ingredients
- 1 cup rolled oats
- 3 tablespoons flaxseeds
- 1/3 cup coconut palm sugar
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 cup pumpkin purée (canned, not sweetened)
- 3 large eggs
- 3/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
- Olive oil spray or coconut oil to grease pan/griddler
Pancake Toppings:
- 1/2 cup fresh blueberries
- 1/4 cup chopped pecans
- Pure maple syrup
Instructions
1. In a food processor or blender, add rolled oats, flaxseed, coconut sugar, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, and baking powder and blend for 30 seconds to 1 minute until a flour consistency is achieved.
2. To the blender add the pumpkin, eggs, and almond milk, and blend again until smooth.
3. Let the batter sit for 5 minutes to thicken, while waiting pre-heat the Griddler-5 to 350 degrees or heat a large non-stick pan over medium-high heat.
4. Grease griddler or pan with olive oil spray or coconut oil.
5. Pour 1/4 cup portions of the batter onto the heated griddle or pan and cook for 2 minutes or until bubbling, then flip and cook another 1-2 minutes on the other side. Repeat the process until all the batter is used up.
6. Top the cooked pancakes with fresh blueberries, chopped pecans, and a drizzle of pure maple syrup.
7. Enjoy!
Notes
The batter will seem runny at first but will thicken once it sits for a few minutes before cooking. It will thicken even more over time.
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Have a wonderful Sunday,
More Gluten Free Pancake Recipes You’ll Love:
Healthy Cassava Flour Pancakes
10 Must-Make Healthy Buckwheat Pancake Recipes
Simple, Healthy Banana Cinnamon Pancakes
DISCLAIMER: THIS POST WAS MADE IN PARTNERSHIP AND SPONSORED BY THE BRICK. ALL THOUGHTS AND OPINIONS ARE MY OWN.
