I’ve got an incredibly decadent recipe for vegan pumpkin pancakes to share with you today. While the ingredients boast some great health benefits, these pancakes don’t compromise on fluff or taste.
Pumpkin pancake recipe
Who said pancakes can’t be nutritious?! My family loves a good Saturday morning pumpkin pancake breakfast, though I often get a sugar crash after eating a few. This recipe for vegan pumpkin pancakes doesn’t have the same affect on me, and that’s due to the rawkstar ingredient list.
Whole wheat flour
One serving of whole wheat flour contains 13.2 grams of protein and 10.7 grams of fiber. That alone gives this pancake recipe a powerful boost, and lowers the sugar intake.
Almond milk
Most store-bought almond milk is fortified with vitamins, yet even a homemade recipe can bring benefits. If this milk isn’t your fav, then any other plant milk can be substituted.
Pumpkin puree
The star of this vegan pancake recipe, pumpkin, has a great deal of health benefits. It contains more potassium than a banana, 7 grams of fiber, and beta carotene, which is needed for both eyesight and skin health. It was even used in a study of diabetic patients, which showed its ability to lower blood sugar levels.
Flax eggs for vegan pancakes
This healthy vegan substitute for eggs is a great baking trick. For 1 flax egg, simply add 1 tablespoon of ground flaxseed to 3 tablespoons of water. Mix, then allow to sit for a few minutes before adding to a baking mixture. Flaxseed is a versatile superfood ingredient that is packed with protein, fiber, and omega-3 fatty acids. The US National Library of Medicine states flaxseed is high in antioxidants and beta carotene.
Homemade pumpkin spice blend
This vegan pumpkin pancake recipe calls for 2 teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice. If you don’t have any on hand, then you can easily make this blend at home! My simple recipe includes:
- 1/4 cup ground cinnamon
- 3 tablespoons ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom (optional)
Just add these spices to a jar and shake, then it’s ready to use. Don’t be afraid to adjust the spice amounts based on taste preferences. The cardamom adds a bit of complexity to the flavor of the mix, which I like. You can make a large batch to have on hand for all things pumpkin spice this season, or toss it together just when needed. 2 teaspoons of this blend will take these vegan pumpkin pancakes to the next level.
More vegan pumpkin recipes
Do these vegan pumpkin pancakes have you craving all things fall? Here’s a great list of more vegan pumpkin recipes:
- Maple Pumpkin Smoothie
- Vegan Pumpkin Soup
- Pumpkin Spice Smoothie
- Pumpkin Chia Pudding: Thrive Winter Reset
- Autumn Bliss Smoothie Bowl: Simple Green Smoothies book
- Pumpkin smoothie for fighting PCOS
I’d love for you to try this vegan recipe and let me know what you think. Leave a comment with your review of this recipe, and also some of your other fall favs.
Vegan Pumpkin Pancakes
Equipment
- stove
Ingredients
- 2 cups whole wheat flour
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 2 cups almond milk
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- 2 tbsp ground flaxseed - soaked in 6 Tbsp water
- 2 tbsp maple syrup - plus more for serving
- 1 tbsp melted vegan butter - plus more for cooking and serving
- 1/4 cup Protein Smoothie Boost - optional
Instructions
- Whisk flour, baking powder, Pumpkin Pie Spice, and sea salt together in a large mixing bowl and set aside.
- In a separate mixing bowl, whisk milk, pumpkin puree, flaxseed mixture, 2 tablespoons maple syrup, and 1 tablespoon melted butter until combined. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir just until combined. The mixture should have a few lumps and not be completely smooth. If the batter is too thick, thin out with a little more milk.
- Heat a nonstick griddle or skillet over medium-high heat. Add a little butter to the pan or griddle and spread it evenly. Ladle about 1/3 cup of the batter onto the heated, butter griddle or pan, working in batches as needed.
- Serve with maple syrup or jam.
Just made these for breakfast; SO good! Fluffy and filling.
What an you substitute for vegan butter?
Hi Peg – you can switch out the vegan butter for a traditional butter if that’s one that works for you. 🙂
I am always game for pancakes! Def making these this weekend.
Awesome! Let us know what you think after you make them!
These look so good! Can’t wait to try!
Let us know what you think after you make them, Kat! 🙂
Can’t wait to try this recipe tomorrow morning.
What did you think of them, Kim?
My fall-weekend go-to! My kids love this recipe too!
What a great fall weekend routine!
I loved your recipe. I’m gluten intolerant so I substituted Bob’s Red Mill GF for the flour. While substituting the flax seed for the eggs, the pancakes are mushy in the middle (seemingly undercooked). What do you suggest in order to have a more fluffy consistency?
Mirna, did you use ground flax seeds or whole?
Can you use eggs instead of the flaxseed?
If so how many eggs would it be?
Saadya, we love using flax “eggs” in place of eggs to make these pancakes vegan-friendly. However, if you prefer to use eggs, the conversion rate is 1 Tbsp ground flaxseed + 3 Tbsp water = 1 egg. So if you were to make the recipe as is, you’d use 2 eggs. 🙂
Are the flaxseeds supposed to be whole, or ground?
Chelsea, I think you can use whole flaxseeds but it would probably work better if you used ground. You can measure out your flaxseeds and then grind them into a fine powder using a coffee or spice grinder. If you opt to go straight for pre-ground flaxseeds, use 2 1/2 teaspoons. Then you whisk your ground flaxseeds in the water until the mixture becomes gelatinous. Optional: You can chill the mixture before using it in the recipe.
Thanks! Just read the actual blog post and saw the info about GROUND flaxseed. I just skipped to the recipe before and wasn’t sure.
FYI- we tried it with whole seeds. It was not great. Will try again with ground! 🙂
Chelsea, we updated the ingredients list so it’s more clear (sorry it wasn’t originally). Good to know it wasn’t as good with whole flaxseeds. Definitely let us know what you think of the recipe after you make it again!!
My new favorite breakfast food! The second time we made them, we added 3/4 cup chopped fresh cranberries and half cup chopped walnuts. These are SO good!
Those sound like awesome additions, Donette! I’m def going to have to make them like this. 🙂
Can this batter be used for waffles too?
Hi Kerry,
Definitely! The only difference between pancakes and waffles is often the fat content of the batter. Waffles have a little additional fat, that’s what gives you the slightly airier, fluffy yet crisp waffle texture. Add an additional tablespoon of butter to the batter and you should be good to go!
Cheers!
Can you substitute wheat flour for another to make it gluten free, and the milk… are there substitutes with either nut or coconut milk? Thanks!
Hi Vanessa,
Definitely! Use gluten-free pancake mix for whole wheat flour and baking powder, add the rest of the ingredients and cook as directed. And feel free to swap in a nut-milk in place of dairy in this recipe. Personally, I love using almond milk!
Cheers 🙂
The pumpkin pancakes recipe is not correct, it does not say to make the batter!
Hi Louise,
Great catch! We’ve updated the recipe to direct you to pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients to create this yummy batter! Thanks for letting us know.