How to make Healthy Vegan Pumpkin Pancakes

These vegan pumpkin pancakes are the perfect way to start off your morning during the fall season when cozy breakfasts are a must! They're healthy, easy to make, and they taste delicious too.

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🧡 Why These Vegan Pumpkin Pancakes Are a Breakfast Game-Changer 🏆

First off, let's talk about the healthier breakfast option these pancakes offer. We're all about indulging, but why not do it guilt-free? These vegan pumpkin pancakes are packed with nutrients like fiber, vitamin A, and antioxidants, thanks to the star ingredient—pumpkin! So, you're not just satisfying your taste buds; you're also giving your body a nutritional boost. It's like a spa day, but for your insides.

Next up, the easy and hassle-free factor. Look, we get it; mornings can be hectic. The last thing you want to do is spend hours in the kitchen. Good news—these pancakes are so easy to whip up, you could practically do it in your sleep. Seriously, you can make everything in one bowl if you're not in the mood for extra dish duty. Just mix the wet and dry ingredients, and you're good to go. It's like the Netflix "Skip Intro" button, but for cooking.

Lastly, let's debunk the myth that healthy equals bland. These pancakes are anything but! They're the perfect balance of fluffy and flavorful, rivaling their high-calorie counterparts without the added guilt. Plus, you can totally customize them with your fave vegan toppings. Think vegan chocolate chips, a dollop of dairy-free yogurt, or a drizzle of maple syrup. Your taste buds won't know what hit 'em!

So, are you ready to elevate your breakfast game? Keep scrolling for the full recipe and prepare to be amazed. 🤩

Since we are pumpkin fans, we love pairing it with our Vegan Pumpkin Spice Latte!

These Pumpkin pie-inspired Healthy Vegan Pumpkin Pancakes are made just in one bowl with any leftover pumpkin puree you may have, non-dairy milk, and Autumn flavors. They have become a fall season favorite in the house along with the Pumpkin Maple Granola.

Serve with vegan butter and a drizzle of maple syrup and you have your perfect fall morning breakfast.

🧾 Ingredients

The best pumpkin pancakes are those that require minimal and easy-to-get ingredients. To make pumpkin pancakes vegan, we remove the eggs and replace them with a mix of almond milk and lemon to make vegan buttermilk, that will hold things together.

• Wheat pastry flour (or whole wheat flour): This is the primary structure-building ingredient in the pancakes; it provides the necessary gluten that helps the batter to rise and become fluffy when cooked.
• Oat flour: Oat flour is included for its fiber and whole grain benefits, lending a unique, slightly nutty flavor and a more tender texture to the pancakes.
• Non-dairy milk (almond milk, cashw milk, or soy milk): This liquid component hydrates the dry ingredients, helping to create a pourable batter; it also contributes to the overall texture and flavor of the pancakes.
• Lemon juice (or apple cider vinegar): Used as a vegan buttermilk substitute, it reacts with the baking powder, enhancing the pancakes' fluffiness and adding a subtle tanginess to the flavor.
• Pumpkin purée (natural or canned): The star ingredient that imparts a rich pumpkin flavor and moistness to the pancakes while also providing a good source of vitamins and fiber.
• Pure vanilla extract: Adds depth and complexity to the flavor profile, enhancing the sweetness and warmth of the other ingredients.
• Coconut sugar (or organic, brown sugar, or granulated sugar): This sweetener balances out the savory flavors, complements the pumpkin and spice, and contributes to a desirable golden-brown color when cooked.
• Agave nectar (or maple syrup): A liquid sweetener used to increase the overall sweetness of the pancakes without adding too much-granulated sugar; it also adds moisture and helps create a desirable texture.
• Baking powder: The leavening agent that causes the batter to rise when heated, resulting in fluffy, airy pancakes.
• Pumpkin pie spice (or ground cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger): These spices complement the flavor of the pumpkin purée, giving the pancakes their characteristic autumnal, cozy taste.
• Salt: This crucial ingredient enhances all the other flavors in the recipe, providing balance and contrast to the sweetness.

🔪 Instructions

How to make fluffy vegan pumpkin pancakes

First. Make the vegan buttermilk.

Add one tablespoon of lemon juice (or apple cider vinegar) to the non-dairy milk. Let it sit until it curdles.

Second. Sift and mix dry ingredients.

Sift all the dry ingredients together, including the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and pumpkin spice mix. Discard the remainder.

Third. Mix Wet ingredients.

Add the rest of the wet ingredients to the buttermilk.

Fourth. Mix everything.

Mix the wet and dry ingredients in a large bowl, and let it sit for 10 minutes. Mix thoroughly until the vegan pumpkin pancake batter looks fully mixed and silky.

Fifth. Cook on a flat frying pan.

Get that non-stick pan nice and toasty by setting it on medium heat for a hot second, then dial it down to low. Let the first side of your pancake cook for about 30-60 seconds, then flip it and give the other side 20-30 seconds of love.

Pro Tip: If you're into thinner pancakes, just add a splash more plant milk to your batter and swirl it around the pan a bit more. Voila, crepe-like goodness!

Oil or No Oil? You can totally spritz some cooking spray, dab vegan butter, or drizzle melted coconut oil if that's your jam. But honestly, if your pan is truly non-stick, you can skip the extra calories and let the pan do its thing. 🙌

Serve.

Optionally add vegan butter when the pancakes are hot so they melt well. Add pure maple syrup on top. Remember that the batter has some sweet ingredients, so you don't need to go crazy on the maple syrup.

💡 Pro Tips for the best vegan pumpkin pancakes

Pumpkin Spice Mix

Pumpkin Pie Spice is a simple mix of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and clove. You can use store-bought, but if you are a fan of the fall season flavor, I encourage you to make your own, if five minutes.

Pumpkin Puree

You can use canned pumpkin, homemade pumpkin puree, or even leftovers.

I like making our vegan pumpkin pancakes as healthy as possible, so I make my own pumpkin purée by steaming and mashing it. It is not only easy and timeless, but the pumpkin flavor is more prominent in my opinion.

Don't forget to check our comprehensive guide on cooking with pumpkin. This fantastic fruit (yes... it is a fruit!), has fantastic health benefits.

If you make it fresh, steam or boil your pumpkin beforehand. Let it cool before mashing it and putting it in the bowl.

Then, use it as usual in all your pumpkin recipes. If you boil it and the pumpkin puree is watery, don't add all the non-dairy milk at once, as the batter may end up extra soggy.

Measure the flour with a food weight or measuring cups for more accurate results. If you do not have a food scale, use the spoon and level method of measuring flour, which is the most precise way to measure flour.

🥡 Storing and freezing pumpkin pancakes

Leftover pancakes can be stored in the refrigerator in an air-tight container and then reheated on the stovetop or microwave. Reheat in a microwave oven or toaster until heated through. And they're frozen-safe as well as delicious! Let them cool up thoroughly before they are frozen, and then heat them in the microwave.

You can also save leftover vegan pumpkin pancake batter in a mason jar in the fridge. I kept it for three days, and they were fine. I haven't tried leaving them for longer, as they always fly!

If you have a thick batter in the fridge after a couple of days, add some oat milk or almond milk to thin the pancake batter up and stir it.

Don't be scared to make a batch; leftover pancakes are great partners for busy mornings, busy husbands, and hungry, sweet-toothed kids. You are sure to give them a healthy and fiber-full breakfast.

❓FAQ

📖 Variations

Antioxidants boost: add two teaspoons of flax meal.

Gluten-free pumpkin pancakes option

To make this vegan recipe gluten-free, the only ingredient you'll need to change is wheat flour. These pumpkin spice pancakes work perfectly with oat flour or gluten-free 1:1 baking flour. You can swap in any of these options at a similar rate to conventional flour. What are the best parts? This recipe for pumpkin pancakes is not only gluten-free. It doesn't even have to be eaten! This healthy pumpkin pancakes recipe makes them gluten-free too.

Sweetener

Maple syrup is the staple sweetener for pumpkin pancakes, but I have also had them with pumpkin syrup, homemade date paste, and agave nectar, and both work well.

Flour

We opt for a dynamic duo of wheat flour and oat flour to strike that perfect balance between health and fluffiness in our pumpkin pancakes.

Trust us, we've been through the flour Olympics here—whole wheat pastry flour, all-purpose, gluten-free blends, buckwheat, almond, spelt, and yes, even coconut flour have all had their moment in our test kitchen.

Our pro tip? Stick with wheat flour for at least half of your flour blend, then go wild with your fave healthy flour for the other half. It's like the yin and yang of pancake goodness! 🥞

If you want to make it gluten-free, go for a blend like Bob Mills or our homemade gluten-free flour mix.

Non-dairy milk

Any non-dairy, plant-based milk works here, so feel free to use the one you have handy.

Baking powder vs. baking soda

To make extra fluffy vegan pumpkin pancakes, add ¼ teaspoon of baking soda. I think the baking powder does a great job on its own, and I always feel a little bit of the baking soda aftertaste, even though nobody around me does! So I decided to go for pure baking powder, and it worked wonderfully.

Fluffy vegan pancakes rely on baking powder. If you live in a country where baking powder is hard to get, remember you can always mix your homemade baking powder quickly.

Pumpkin flavor

If you want to tune up the pumpkin, add an extra tablespoon for these measures; don't go over that, otherwise, the pancakes may not turn as fluffy.

Additions

Our favorite additions to twist the pumpkin pancake recipe; are blueberries and vegan chocolate chips. In both cases, only add them to the pancake batter before pouring it into the nonstick pan.

You can top your healthy vegan pumpkin pancakes with chopped pecans or caramelized walnuts, like the ones we use on our pumpkin spice overnight oats. Remember not to overdo the nuts if you are counting calories or watching your weight.

These vegan pumpkin pancakes are delicious. You'll adore them for your cozy winter mornings and fall nights too! These are ideal for breakfasts, brunch, or any holiday dish!

If you make them, please leave a comment below and give this recipe a rating so everyone will see it as well.

As always, I love looking at your gorgeous creations on Instagram and Pinterest so be sure to tag us! Happy pumpkin pancake cooking!

📚 More pumpkin recipes!

• Pumpkin Spice Mix
• Vegan Pumpkin pie
• Pumpkin Spiced Overnight Oats
• Vegan Pumpkin Spice Latte
• Roasted Pumpkin recipe
• Easy Pumpkin hummus

⭐ If you try this dairy-free pumpkin pancakes recipe, let us know! 💬 Leave a comment, rate it, and don't forget to tag us @ourplantbasedworld on Instagram. Cheers!

📋 Recipe