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

Healthy pumpkin pancakes

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

Healthy pumpkin 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.

Healthy pumpkin pancakes

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.
Pumpkin pancakes

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.

Healthy pumpkin pancakes

This healthy pumpkin pancakes recipe is…

Vegetarian and gluten free.

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Healthy pumpkin pancakes

Healthy Pumpkin Pancakes


  • Author: Sonja Overhiser
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 10 minutes
  • Total Time: 25 minutes
  • Yield: 8 large pancakes 1x

Description

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


Ingredients

Scale
  • 1½ cups old-fashioned oats or oat flour (see Step 1)
  • ½ cup whole wheat flour or gluten-free flour
  • ¼ cup cornstarch
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon ground ginger
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
  • 2 eggs
  • 2½ tablespoons maple syrup
  • ½ cup pumpkin puree
  • 1 cup milk (or non-dairy milk)
  • 2 tablespoons melted butter (or coconut oil)

Instructions

  1. If using rolled oats, make oat flour by placing the oats in a food processor and processing until finely ground.
  2. In a medium bowl, combine the dry ingredients: oat flour, gluten-free or whole-wheat flour, cornstarch, baking powder, kosher salt, cinnamon, ginger, and ground cloves.
  3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, maple syrup, pumpkin puree, and milk. Pour into the dry ingredients, then add the melted butter and stir to combine. The batter should be thick but just pourable. If not pourable, add a small bit of milk to lighten the batter and stir again.
  4. Lightly grease a skillet with butter and wipe off any extra grease with a paper towel. Heat the skillet to medium heat. Pour the batter into small circles and fry the pancakes until the bubbles pop on the top. Then flip and heat until cooked through and lightly browned.
  5. Serve the pancakes with maple syrup and other toppings of your choice (maple-sweetened Greek yogurt, chopped pecans, and so forth). 
  • Category: Breakfast
  • Method: Stovetop
  • Cuisine: American

Keywords: healthy pumpkin pancakes, gluten free pumpkin pancakes, pumpkin pancakes

Looking for pumpkin recipes?

Here are a few of our favorite pumpkin recipes, from penne to oatmeal cookies!

Last updated October 2020

About the authors

Sonja & Alex

Meet Sonja and Alex Overhiser: Husband and wife. Expert home cooks. Authors of recipes you'll want to make again and again.

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22 Comments

  1. Wise words. While we live in a half-renovated house and I keep dreaming of “when the kitchen is finished..” it’s easy to forget how much I dreamed for and longed for the day when Tim and I would live in the same house and see each other every day, kitchen or not. I had this lightbulb over the weekend that one day I will probably look back on the sweet days in our house where we picnicked in the living room and ate cereal out of paper bowls and feel nostalgic.

  2. What a sweet post and awesome to get a glimpse into your history together and your dreams. You’re right though, it’s a challenge sometimes to raise above it all and see what a blessing our life is now even though we’re still going after some dreams. Looks like you’re in a pretty good spot. ;-) And these pancakes look delicious. Hello fall!!

  3. I appreciate the beautiful story, as well as the recipe. Having lived apart from my partner for four months, I truly could not wait for when I would get to wake up to his face every morning. Everything else seemed extra. But now, that we spend so much time together and get to share in more than just morning rituals, I realize just what a boon it is to really share your life with someone. Thank you!

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