Healthy Pumpkin Pancakes with Buttermilk

Lightly spiced healthy pumpkin pancakes are made using whole wheat flour, pumpkin puree and buttermilk for an extra fluffy consistency. Full of flavour, colour and goodness they make a delicious autumnal breakfast or brunch idea.

Pumpkin puree offers endless culinary possibilities and today I am sharing a quick and easy recipe for healthy pumpkin pancakes.  I like to make my own pumpkin puree (see Notes at the bottom of the post for how to do that) and then think of ways of using it. For example I used it recently to make healthy soft pumpkin cookies with a simple chocolate drizzle.  A while ago I made this easy pumpkin cake with a low-fat frosting, as well as moist, delicious healthy pumpkin brownies.  All three contain a moderate amount of sugar and fat and make fantastic healthier autumnal treats.

These healthy pumpkin pancakes are super light and fluffy and absolutely delicious.  It’s surprising just how well the sweet and slightly earthy notes of the pumpkin as well as pumpkin spice go with whole wheat flour.  My children who normally have a pretty negative reaction to anything whole wheat couldn’t get enough of these pancakes.  In fact they had no idea these were whole wheat pancakes!

Equipment you’ll need to make pumpkin pancakes

• Kitchen scales/measuring cup
• 2 large bowls, whisk, large spoon and/or small ladle
• Large pancake pan and spatula

How to make healthy pumpkin pancakes: step-by-step

1.In a bowl combine the flour, baking powder and soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and salt and stir thoroughly using a whisk.

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2. In another bowl whisk together the eggs, buttermilk, milk, pumpkin puree and sugar until smooth.  Slowly pour in the melted butter whisking all the time.

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3. Combine the 2 mixtures and stir (use a large spoon or whisk to do this) only until the flour is no longer visible.  Do not overmix the batter. It should be a little lumpy.

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4. Heat up a little oil (about 1 teaspoon per batch, you can spread it around the pan using a piece of paper towel), then lower the heat and ladle the batter onto the pan spreading it a little to make good size pancakes.  Do not make more than 3 pancakes at a time.  Cook over a fairly low heat for about 3 minutes on each side.

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5. Enjoy with a drizzle of maple syrup and knob of butter.

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Top tips

• Pumpkin: Use either canned pumpkin puree or make your own. To make pumpkin puree halve a small sugar/culinary pumpkin, place skin side up on an oven tray lined with paper and bake at 190 C for approx. 40-45 minutes or until the skin browns and the pumpkin is tender. Remove from the oven, discard the seeds, scoop out the flesh and place in a strainer.  It will release water as it cools. I leave it in a strainer overnight. Puree and make the pancakes. Pumpkin puree can be refrigerated for up to 4 days. It freezes well too.
• Flour: I used whole wheat flour but you can use all-purpose or even buckwheat flour. Or try a combination of whole wheat and plain flours.
• Buttermilk: Use buttermilk or kefir.
• Spice: I used a combination of cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg but you can replace that with pumpkin spice.
• Batter: Do NOT overstir the batter. Once you’ve combined the flour and egg mixtures stir only until the flour is no longer visible. The batter should be lumpy.
• Frying: Fry in a large, lightly greased pan, over a low heat so the pancakes cook through and don’t brown too quickly. Do not overcrowd the pan.
• Best served Keep leftover pancakes in a plastic container in the fridge and reheat in the microwave.

More healthy pancake recipes

• Healthy Banana Pancakes Recipe (Whole Wheat)
• Healthy Blueberry Pancakes 
• Apple Cinnamon Pancakes with Yogurt

Keep in touch

Have you made these healthy pumpkin pancakes?  I’d love to know how they turned out for you.  Let me know in the comments below, thanks!

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Print Recipe

5 from 7 votes

Healthy Pumpkin Pancakes with Buttermilk

Lightly spiced healthy pumpkin pancakes are made using whole wheat flour, pumpkin puree and buttermilk for an extra fluffy consistency. Full of flavour, colour and goodness they make a delicious autumnal breakfast or brunch idea.

Prep Time8 mins

Cook Time15 mins

Total Time23 mins

Course: Breakfast, Brunch

Cuisine: American

Keyword: pancakes, pumpkin

Servings: 9 large pancakes

Calories: 110.73kcal

Author: Monika Dabrowski

Ingredients

• 100 g pumpkin puree
• 120 ml buttermilk/kefir
• 90 ml semi-skimmed milk/low fat milk (3.17 oz)
• 2 medium eggs
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 2 tbsp melted butter
• 120 g whole wheat flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1/3 tsp nutmeg
• good pinch of fine sea salt

Metric - US Customary

Instructions

• In a bowl combine the flour, baking powder and soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and salt and stir thoroughly using a whisk.
• In another bowl whisk together the eggs, buttermilk, milk, pumpkin puree and sugar until smooth. Warm the butter in a microwave until it starts melting, then melt it completely by stirring (so it’s not too warm). Slowly pour the melted butter into the mixture whisking all the time.
• Combine the 2 mixtures and stir (use a large spoon or whisk to do this) only until the flour is no longer visible.  Do not overmix the batter. It should be a little lumpy.
• Heat up a little oil (about 1 teaspoon per batch, you can spread it around using a piece of paper towel), then lower the heat and ladle the batter onto the pan spreading it a little to make good size pancakes.  Do not make more than 3 pancakes at a time.  Cook over a fairly low heat for about 3 minutes on each side. Serve immediately.

Notes

• Pumpkin: Use either canned pumpkin puree or make your own. To make pumpkin puree halve a small sugar/culinary pumpkin, place skin side up on an oven tray lined with paper and bake at 190 C for approx. 40-45 minutes or until the skin browns and the pumpkin is tender. Remove from the oven, discard the seeds, scoop out the flesh and place in a strainer.  It will release water as it cools. I leave it in a strainer overnight. Puree and make the pancakes. Pumpkin puree can be refrigerated for up to 4 days. It freezes well too.
• Flour: I used whole wheat flour but you can use all-purpose or even buckwheat flour. Or try a combination of whole wheat and plain flours.
• Buttermilk: Use buttermilk or kefir.
• Spice: I used a combination of cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg but you can replace that with pumpkin spice.
• Batter: Do NOT overstir the batter. Once you’ve combined the flour and egg mixtures stir only until the flour is no longer visible. The batter should be lumpy.
• Frying: Fry in a large, lightly greased pan, over a low heat so the pancakes cook through and don’t brown too quickly. Do not overcrowd the pan.
• Best served Keep leftover pancakes in a plastic container in the fridge and reheat in the microwave.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 110.73kcal | Carbohydrates: 14.87g | Protein: 3.92g | Fat: 4.49g | Saturated Fat: 2.38g | Cholesterol: 45.33mg | Sodium: 86.51mg | Potassium: 161.67mg | Fiber: 1.87g | Sugar: 4.31g | Vitamin A: 1891.97IU | Vitamin C: 0.47mg | Calcium: 61.71mg | Iron: 0.86mg

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I am bringing these pumpkin buttermilk pancakes to #CookBlogShare.