Whole Wheat Pumpkin Pancakes
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These healthy pumpkin pancakes are packed with irresistible fall flavors. Although they’re made with 100% whole wheat flour, these flapjacks retain their light, fluffy texture. Top with Maple Whipped Cream for even more decadent fall flavor.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Much like our Pumpkin French Toast, these whole wheat pumpkin pancakes are the epitome of the fall season in our house, although we eat them year-round. Here’s what’s to love about this recipe:
- Nutritious: Thanks to the pumpkin puree and 100% whole wheat, these pancakes are filled with vitamins, minerals, and satiating fiber. (I added just a little bit of brown sugar for sweetness but feel free to leave it out if you want.)
- Fall Flavors: The pumpkin, cinnamon, and nutmeg add autumnal flavor notes and will make your house smell amazing.
- Freezer-friendly: Double and freeze a batch for busy mornings.
Ingredient Notes
- White whole wheat flour – To make sure these whole wheat pancakes turn out light and fluffy, you will need to find this specific kind of whole wheat OR use half all-purpose flour and half regular whole wheat flour. Find white whole wheat flour in health food stores, larger grocery stores, or online here.
- Brown sugar – I chose to add a small amount of brown sugar because it adds a hint of sweetness and goes so well with the pumpkin, cinnamon, vanilla, and nutmeg. However, feel free to either leave it out or use a healthier sweetener option like coconut sugar, xylitol, or liquid stevia.
- Milk – I’ve tested this recipe with nearly every kind of milk, including plain, non-dairy milk. It always turns out fine, so use whatever kind you have on hand.
Note: Find our full printable recipe with ingredient amounts and directions at the bottom of this post.
How to Make Healthy Pumpkin Pancakes
1. Mix Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and brown sugar. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the milk, oil (or melted butter), eggs, pumpkin, and vanilla.
2. Combine: Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Stir together just until smooth, but do not over mix!
3. Cook Pancakes: Preheat a large skillet over medium heat. Grease the pan with cooking spray or butter. Using 1/3 cup batter per pancake, cook until bubbles form on the surface. Then flip and cook until golden brown.
4. Serve: Serve warm with butter and real maple syrup (and perhaps Maple Whipped Cream).
What to Serve with Pumpkin Pancakes
Aside from the obvious partners in crime (maple syrup and butter), we’d highly recommend topping them with toasted pecans and Maple Whipped Cream and a side of Baked Bacon.
Or, if you’re trying to stick with the “healthy” theme, serve these with a Baked Omelette or Cheddar Chive Egg Bites and our Classic Fruit Salad instead.
FAQs
Absolutely! I do this all the time. Let pancakes cool completely. Place in a gallon-sized freezer bag in single layers. Divide each layer with parchment paper. Seal tightly, squeezing out any excess air, and freeze. When ready to eat, pull out however many you want and use the defrost setting on the toaster or microwave until heated through.
The pumpkin puree can be replaced with sweet potato puree, butternut squash puree, mashed overripe bananas, or applesauce. If using the bananas or applesauce, leave out the brown sugar ingredient.
Replace with half all purpose flour and half regular whole wheat flour.
Yes, just replace the flour with a 1:1 gluten-free baking flour like Bob’s Red Mill brand.
Want More Pumpkin Recipes?
With YEARS worth of content and recipes on Thriving Home, it can be easy to forget about some amazing pumpkin recipes that we have shared over the years, like our Pumpkin Spice Latte, Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins, or Pumpkin Baked Oatmeal.
Here are our Top 10 Pumpkin Recipes that you simply must try!
Did you make this? Snap a photo and tag us on Instagram at @thrivinghome so we can see your creations and cheer you on!
Whole Wheat Pumpkin Pancakes
These healthy Whole Wheat Pumpkin Pancakes are a part of our family’s regular breakfast rotation for good reason. They have sneaky vegetables (i.e. pumpkin this time) and 100% whole grain in them but retain their light, fluffy texture.
Ingredients
- 2 cups white whole wheat flour (sub: 1/2 whole wheat and 1/2 unbleached all-purpose flours)
- 4 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- pinch nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar (or 12 drops liquid stevia)
- 2 cups milk (sub: plain almond milk)
- 4 teaspoons avocado oil or melted butter/coconut oil, plus more for greasing skillet
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup pumpkin puree (sub: sweet potato puree)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
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Instructions
Make It Now:
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and brown sugar.
- Mix Wet Ingredients: In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the milk, oil (or melted butter), eggs, pumpkin, and vanilla.
- Combine: Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Stir together just until smooth, but do not over mix!
- Cook Pancakes: Preheat a large skillet over medium heat. Grease the pan with cooking spray or butter. Using 1/3 cup batter per pancake, cook until bubbles form on the surface. Then flip and cook until golden brown.
- Serve: Serve warm with butter and real maple syrup (and perhaps Maple Whipped Cream).
Freeze For Later: Fully cook and cool. Freeze in single layers, divided by parchment or wax paper, in a gallon-sized freezer bag or container. Squeeze out all the excess air, seal tightly, and freeze.
Prepare From Frozen: Pop them in the toaster for a short cycle. Then microwave for about 20 second intervals, as needed to heat through.
Notes/Tips
-
- To make sure these whole wheat pancakes turn out light and fluffy, you will need to find white whole wheat flour OR replace it with half all-purpose flour and half regular whole wheat flour. Find white whole wheat flour in health food stores, larger grocery stores, or online here.
-
- I chose to add a small amount of brown sugar because it adds a hint of sweetness and goes so well with the pumpkin, cinnamon, vanilla, and nutmeg. However, feel free to either leave it out or use a healthier sweetener option like coconut sugar, xylitol, or liquid stevia.
-
- I’ve tested this recipe with nearly every kind of milk, including plain, non-dairy milk. It always turns out fine, so use whatever kind you have on hand.
- For Gluten-Free: Replace the flour with 1:1 gluten-free baking flour like Bob’s Red Mill.
- The pumpkin puree can be replaced with sweet potato puree, butternut squash puree, mashed overripe bananas, or applesauce. If using the bananas or applesauce, leave out the brown sugar ingredient.
To those of you who are having problems with sticky batter, I would suggest cooking them on medium low and in scoops of about a 1/3 cup per pancake. Whole wheat flour is generally more gooey than white flour. I did this and they turned out great!
Would I use the same amount of unbleached flour in place of the whole wheat?
I imagine that would work but haven’t tried myself.
These were so good!!!!
Oh great, thanks!
Made these tonight for my son and will be freezing them. I have to take his breakfast to school and pancakes are his favorite. These came out soooo good. Your blog is my absolute favorite. Thanks!
Thanks, Jamie! So glad you liked these pancakes and that they can be a help to your family!
LOVED these! Thank you so much – multiple people exclaimed about how good they were and we loved the wholesomeness of the ingredients.
This looks so delicious! I can’t wait to try it.
I was wondering….can I also use this recipe to make waffles? If so, would I have to make any adjustments to the recipe?
Thanks so much!
I have a friend who said she did this and it worked. I don’t see why not! Also, you might check out the Pumpkin Protein Waffles recipe on our site. I made those for the kids last night and they are awesome.
Looks delicious! I’m wondering if these would be freezer-friendly? Maybe make a larger batch and freeze the leftover pancakes for another day?
OH yes!! Definitely. Just cool and freeze in a freezer bag. To warm, toast in the toaster and then microwave in 10-20 second increments until the inside is warmed through.
Love love love these!! We topped ours with toasted pecans to add to the fall flavor profile- super yummy!! Thanks for the delicious recipe!
Good idea on the pecans! I am for sure doing that next time.
So upset I wasted ingredients on this! I’ve cooked since I was a girl, and never have I had problems with pancakes sticking so badly. I threw the mess out!
Sorry to hear about this; that’s so frustrating when a recipe doesn’t work out. But, Polly and I both make these regularly and don’t have a problem with sticking at all. I’m wondering if you left out an ingredient or just didn’t have enough oil on the pan itself?
I am so sorry these didn’t work for you, Melissa! I made them for my family of 6 earlier this week and had no problems. Maybe give it another shot with a smaller batch?? We used a ceramic pan and coconut oil.
could I sub maple syrup for the brown sugar/liquid stevia? If so, how much would you recommend? Thanks!
Oh sure. I think that would be fine. I don’t know the exact exchange for maple syrup to sugar, but I would probably just try 1 tablespoon. If you’re topping it with syrup anyway, it’ll be fine!
Do you use the large canned pumpkin or small?
It’s a 1/2 cup of pumpkin puree, not 1/2 a can. I am going to change the wording of it in the recipe, because I think others have been confused too. Thanks!
I came across your recipe and tried them this morning.. whole family loved them! Can’t wait to make them again
Thanks for sharing, Irene! I’m so glad your family enjoyed them.
Since the purred (sp?) fruit is used (pumpkin), the eggs can be omitted, especially if more pumpkin and/or bananas and/or apple sauce is used. That’s what we do. Also, the unsweetened apple sauce can be used for the oil making the pancakes fat free. If we use sugar, it’s two to four packets of Sugar in the Raw. however, bananas make the pancakes very sweet as well as the pure maple syrup we use with them or the natural jelly or apple butter. (I have a knack for making real food that is fat free, whole wheat and low to no sugar and get compliments and recipe requests for them)
Am I missing seeing a ‘print friendly’ button? It would be helpful if you could add one…they are free. =)
I finally got a chance to include the printable version. Thanks for the reminder!
I would just love them…love the way you changed up to healthy ingredients too. I love the white whole wheat flour and the liquid stevia as well. GREAT idea! I will try these soon…
These look delicious! I’m soo excited for fall and pumpkin flavored everything. I love love love pumpkin! I know you can eat pumpkin year round, but it just works best in the fall with the cooler temps and that certain fall crisp in the air 🙂