These healthy pumpkin pancakes are made with rolled oats and pumpkin spices, and come out hearty and satisfying. Perfect for fall mornings!

Alex and I were college sweethearts. We spent a fair amount of that time long distance: summers, since I lived in Minnesota and he lived in Indiana. Half of my junior year I studied abroad in Madrid and he stayed in the US. It was hard, and I remember thinking often, “When will we ever just be able to be together?” It’s ironic because as much as we were apart then, we are together now, running a business together and co-parenting our 2 year old.

It takes a unique working relationship to be husband and wife business owners. At times we disagree and get stressed, of course. But 100% of the time, we love it. Sometimes it’s easy to forget when you’re in it, but we’re living in what used to be a distant dream! And that distant dream may also have included pumpkin pancakes for breakfast on fall mornings. That’s where these healthy pumpkin pancakes come in!

Related: Banana Oatmeal Pancakes

What makes these healthy pumpkin pancakes?

So, what makes these healthy pumpkin pancakes? We’ve used our favorite trick and made oatmeal pancakes! For us, eating pancakes for breakfast is usually just an excuse to eat cake. Right? Standard pancakes are fluffy and sweet, and we both get hungry a few hours later. Instead, these healthy pumpkin pancakes are made with rolled oats (oat flour) instead of all-purpose flour. This makes them heartier and more filling than a normal all-purpose flour and sugar pancake. And the oats provide lots of nutritional benefits (see more below)!

These pancakes are more like eating oatmeal for breakfast than cake! You’ll notice that that there’s just a bit of cornstarch to provide a lightness that helps to offset the denseness of the oats. Another healthy spin is we’ve cut back the sugar level. These healthy pancakes are sweetened just enough with maple syrup, which sweetens more gently than sugar.

How to make healthy pumpkin pancakes

Due to the denseness of the oats, these pumpkin pancakes are not as light and fluffy like a typical pancake. Instead, they are hearty and filling! They feature both pumpkin puree and pumpkin spices, like in your favorite pumpkin spice coffee.

Here’s how to make these healthy pumpkin pancakes (see the recipe below for full quantities):

If using rolled oats, grind the oats in a food processor for about 1 minute until oat flour forms.
Mix together the dries: oat flour, gluten-free (or whole-wheat flour), cornstarch, baking powder, kosher salt, cinnamon, ginger, and ground cloves.
Mix together the wet ingredients: eggs, maple syrup, pumpkin, milk and butter.
Mix the wets and the dries. Scoop batter onto a greased griddle and cook until golden on both sides.

Nutrition benefits of oats

There are lots of great things about eating these healthy pumpkin pancakes. Since they are made mostly of oats, they bring all the benefits of eating a big bowl of oatmeal. According to the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health, oats:

Are high in fiber
Can reduce the risk of heart disease
Can be helpful for weight control

Alex and I eat lots of oatmeal in our household, so we love that this trick turns it into something that looks like a pancake but has all the benefits of oatmeal.

How to freeze and reheat pancakes

These pumpkin pancakes can easily be frozen for later and are perfect for reheating on busy mornings. To freeze, let them cool to room temperature before laying them on a baking tray. Stick the baking tray in the freezer; once the pancakes are hard enough not to get squished, stack them in a freezer bag. To reheat the frozen pancakes, warm them in the toaster or microwave.

This healthy pumpkin pancakes recipe is…

Vegetarian and gluten free.