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Most pumpkin pancake recipes start with all-purpose flour and a scoop of brown sugar. These vegan pumpkin pancakes start with whole wheat flour, a flax egg and a full cup of pumpkin instead, and the only sweetener is two tablespoons of maple syrup across the entire batch. They still come out fluffy and golden, with about 7 grams of protein and 7 grams of fiber in every two-pancake serving. Nobody at my table has ever noticed they’re whole grain. They notice when the stack runs out.
Use any leftover pumpkin for my Maple Pumpkin Smoothie the next morning, and when it’s a full brunch, a Bright Berry Salad goes on the table next to the stack.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love It
- Whole wheat flour, not all-purpose. Two cups of it plus a flax egg is where the protein and fiber come from. The pancakes stay light because a full cup of pumpkin keeps the crumb soft.
- A full cup of pumpkin. Most recipes use a third to three-quarters of a cup. This one uses enough that you taste pumpkin, not just pumpkin spice.
- Two tablespoons of maple syrup for the whole batch. No brown sugar, no cane sugar. Pumpkin and the spice blend do the rest.
- About 7 grams of protein and 7 grams of fiber per serving, with 6 grams of sugar and no refined sugar. Vegan, dairy-free and egg-free as written, with easy gluten-free and nut-free swaps below.
- Freezer-friendly. Double it on Saturday and the toaster handles school mornings all week.
Vegan Pumpkin Pancake Ingredients
The full list is in the recipe card below. These are the ones that matter most.
- Whole wheat flour: the regular kind, not pastry flour. It gives the pancakes a little body and a nutty flavor that belongs next to pumpkin spice. Spoon it into the measuring cup and level it off so the batter doesn’t turn stiff.
- Pumpkin puree: one full cup, and check the label. Puree, not pie filling. Pumpkin does the job an egg usually does here, holding everything together and keeping the pancakes tender.
- Flax egg: 2 tablespoons of ground flaxseed soaked in 6 tablespoons of water. It’s the same flax egg I use for most of my baking, and it adds fiber the batter wouldn’t otherwise have.
- Almond milk: unsweetened. My favorite store-bought almond milks all work here, and homemade almond milk makes the batter even creamier.
- Pumpkin pie spice: 2 teaspoons. Store-bought is fine. My homemade blend below is better, and it takes two minutes.
- Maple syrup: 2 tablespoons of pure maple syrup in the batter. That’s the only sweetener, so save the heavy pour for the table.
- Vegan butter: 1 tablespoon melted into the batter, plus a little for the pan. It’s what gives these that golden, slightly salty diner flavor. Miyoko’s salted is my favorite.
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Homemade Pumpkin Pie Spice
This recipe uses 2 teaspoons. If the jar in your pantry is empty, or has been there since you moved in, mix your own:
- ¼ cup ground cinnamon
- 3 tablespoons ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
- ½ teaspoon ground allspice
- ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom (optional, but it’s what makes people ask what’s in it)
Shake it together in a small jar. It keeps for months and goes into oatmeal, smoothies and, if that’s your thing, coffee.
How to Make Vegan Pumpkin Pancakes
- Make the flax egg. Stir 2 tablespoons ground flaxseed into 6 tablespoons water and let it sit for 10 minutes, until it thickens.
- Mix the dry ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice and salt.
- Mix the wet ingredients. In a second bowl, whisk the almond milk, pumpkin, flax egg, maple syrup and melted vegan butter until smooth.
- Combine. Pour the wet into the dry and stir just until you no longer see dry flour. Stop there. Lumps are fine. Overmixing is what makes whole wheat pancakes tough. If the batter is too thick to pour, add milk a tablespoon at a time.
- Cook. Heat a skillet over medium-high, add a little vegan butter and ladle in ⅓ cup of batter per pancake. A 12-inch skillet takes three at a time. After the first round, drop the heat to medium. Pumpkin batter browns fast on the outside and needs the extra minute for the middle to set.
- Flip when the edges look dry. Bubbles on top aren’t enough. Wait until the edges lose their shine, about 2 to 3 minutes, then flip and cook another 1 to 2 minutes. Don’t press down with the spatula. Keep the finished pancakes warm on a sheet pan in a 200°F oven while you work through the batch.
- Serve with vegan butter and maple syrup, or pick from the toppings below.
Substitutions and Variations
- Gluten-free: a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend, same amount. Choose one built from several flours (I use King Arthur Measure for Measure) for the best rise, and expect to add a splash more milk.
- All-purpose flour: works if it’s what you have. You’ll lose some of the fiber and the pancakes will be a touch softer.
- Nut-free: swap the almond milk for oat milk, which also makes a creamier batter. Any non-dairy milk works.
- Vegan butter: melted coconut oil, in the batter and the pan. It won’t taste like coconut.
- Flax egg: a chia egg in the same amounts, or your favorite store-bought vegan egg replacer.
- Mix-ins: dairy-free chocolate chips, chopped pecans or blueberries. Drop them onto each pancake right after you pour so they don’t sink to the bottom of the bowl.
Pancake Toppings
Vegan butter and maple syrup is the everyday answer. When it’s a weekend, these come out:
- Coconut Whipped Cream: needs a chilled can of coconut cream, which means planning ahead. Worth it.
- Candied Pecans: the brunch upgrade. Make a batch early in the week and hide it.
- Cashew Coconut Yogurt: a spoonful on a warm stack, tangy against the maple.
- Healthy Granola: sprinkle on top for crunch, or fold a handful into the batter.
- Slow Cooker Applesauce: what I grew up putting on pancakes. Still my favorite.
- Fresh fruit: raspberries, sliced banana or mango.
Make-Ahead, Storage and Freezing
- Batter: mix it right before cooking. Baking powder starts working the moment it gets wet, and whole wheat flour keeps drinking up the milk as it sits. The dry ingredients can be whisked together the night before.
- Fridge: cooled pancakes keep up to 5 days in an airtight container.
- Freezer: cool completely, freeze in a single layer on a sheet pan, then move them to a freezer bag. Up to 3 months.
- Reheating: straight from the freezer into the toaster or toaster oven. No thawing.
- Pancake dippers: cut a few into strips before freezing. When my kids were little, they’d pull a handful out and dip them in applesauce without any help from me.
- Doubling: the recipe doubles without any adjustments. One batch has never made it past Sunday here.
More Pumpkin Recipes
Pumpkin season doesn’t stop at breakfast. Here’s where the rest of the can ends up:
- Roasted Vegan Pumpkin Soup: roasted pie pumpkin blended silky. The first soup I make every fall.
- Pumpkin Chia Pudding: dump, stir, refrigerate. A snack that’s ready when everyone walks in the door.
- Pumpkin Smoothie: pumpkin and greens, for the mornings you’d rather drink breakfast.
Vegan Pumpkin Pancakes
Jen HansardIngredients
- 2 cup whole wheat flour
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- ½ tsp sea salt, unrefined
- 2 cup almond milk unsweetened
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- 2 tbsp ground flaxseed soaked in 6 Tbsp water
- 2 tbsp pure maple syrup plus more for serving
- 1 tbsp vegan butter melted, plus more for cooking and serving
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 and spread it evenly. Ladle about 1/3 cup of the batter onto the heated, butter griddle or pan. If you can fit more than 1 pancake in the pan at a time, then go for it.
- Cook 1-2 minutes or until bubble start to form on the top side of the pancakes. Flip carefully then cook another 1-2 minutes, or until cooked through.
- Repeat step 4 until all the batter has been cooked.
- Serve with coconut whipped cream, vegan butter, maple syrup and/or candied pecans.
Recipe Notes
- Swap whole wheat flour with the flour of your choice.
- Swap almond milk with any dairy-free milk.
- Serve with coconut whipped cream, vegan butter, sweetened cashew cream, and/or candied pecans.
- Leftovers can be stored in the fridge up to 5 days.
- These can easily be frozen once completely cooled. Store in for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
Equipment
Common Questions
A flax egg does. Stir 2 tablespoons of ground flaxseed into 6 tablespoons of water and let it sit for 10 minutes until it thickens, then whisk it in with the wet ingredients. The pumpkin puree also helps hold vegan pumpkin pancakes together and keeps them tender, which is why they don’t need a store-bought egg replacer.
Pumpkin batter is heavier and wetter than plain pancake batter, so it browns on the outside before the center sets. Cook vegan pumpkin pancakes over medium heat, not medium-high, and wait until the edges look dry and the bubbles on top stay open before flipping, about 2 to 3 minutes. Don’t press them with the spatula, and keep them to ⅓ cup of batter each so they cook through.
Yes. Swap the whole wheat flour for the same amount of a 1:1 gluten-free baking blend. Blends made from several flours give the best rise. Gluten-free batter thickens as it sits, so add a splash more almond milk if it stops pouring easily.
Yes. Cook the full batch, cool the pancakes completely, then store them in the fridge for up to 5 days or freeze them for up to 3 months. Reheat vegan pumpkin pancakes straight from the freezer in the toaster. Mix the batter right before cooking, since it loses its lift as it sits, though you can whisk the dry ingredients together the night before.
Yes. This vegan pumpkin pancake batter works in a waffle iron with no changes. Cook each waffle until the steam stops, which takes a little longer than a pancake, then cool and freeze the extras for a crisp toaster breakfast.
Halve every ingredient, including the flax egg, which becomes 1 tablespoon of ground flaxseed in 3 tablespoons of water. A half batch of vegan pumpkin pancakes makes about 6 pancakes, or 3 servings, and the method stays exactly the same.
Hello, is there a way that I can make this recipe for one person?
For sure. The egg part just get’s a little wonky. You might wanna double it so you use a whole egg and haev a little bit for the next day:
1⁄2 cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
dash of sea salt
1⁄2 cup almond milk, unsweetened
1⁄4 cup pumpkin, canned
1⁄2 egg, beaten
2 tsp maple syrup
1 tsp coconut oil, melted
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!