Hi Vegetarian Carnivores! Pumpkin is so versatile and can be used in so many different dishes. It lends a sweet enough flavor to make a classic pumpkin pie, but is not too sweet to overpower a savory casserole dish. I asked you what fall recipes you wanted to see from me and vegan pumpkin pancakes was one of the most popular responses. So after a couple iterations of practice, I’m super excited to share this winner! It’s pretty healthy, with zero sugar, and packs a nutritional punch from the flax egg. Let’s take a look.
Why you’ll love these pancakes
Every (sane) person loves pancakes. They’re soft, fluffy, and just sweet enough. The pumpkin and maple syrup add sweetness without it being overpowering, and omitting the refined white sugar makes these pancakes healthier immediately. Add in the flax egg instead of a regular egg, because obviously vegan, and you’ve taken the nutritional value way up.
The end result is golden brownish perfectly smooth and fluffy pancakes that will make you feel like you’re eating a cloud.
The star ingredients
Pumpkin- Like the name suggests, we’re using canned pumpkin puree for this recipe. Canned pumpkin is not the same thing has pumpkin pie filling. Please do not use pumpkin pie filling for this. Pumpkin puree is so versatile and just a little bit of it ends up lending a beautiful deep flavor to these pancakes.
CInnamon- I use a generous teaspoon of cinnamon for this recipe. I found nutmeg to be not exactly the flavor I was going for in these pancakes, so I added a little extra cinnamon for warmth and omitted nutmeg altogether. That was a good decision. If you find cinnamon is a little too pungent for your taste, you can add just half a teaspoon. But for all you bold and autumn flavor lovers- use a teaspoon, trust me.
Oat milk- You can use any plant milk for this recipe, but it is better if it is creamy. I used Oatly full fat for this, but soy milk is also going to work well for this. I don’t recommend almond milk or a super thin milk because you want your batter to be just a little thinner than a cake batter and you won’t get that with thin milk.
Flax eggs- If you haven’t figured it out by now, I love using flax eggs in baking. But it also works in pancakes! It’s inconspicuous and packs a secret nutritional punch- way better than eggs. It’s super easy to make flax eggs. Just take one tablespoon of ground flaxseed and mix it with 3 tablespoons of water and let it sit for a minute. It becomes a gooey consistency and is immediately ready to use. That proportion is equivalent to one large egg.
How to make vegan pumpkin pancakes
The batter for these pancakes is super simple to make. It is made in just one pot so it’s minimal cleanup. Mix your dry ingredients together first and then add all your wet ingredients. So that is your flour (you can use whole wheat if you want to make the pancakes even healthier and you’ll still end up with a great result), cinnamon, baking powder, and salt. Mix well to combine. Then throw in your flax eggs, vanilla extract, pumpkin puree, and oat milk and whisk until well combined.
The tricky part is the actual cooking. Now, if you’re like me, you have no patience for much. In my first attempt I cranked up the heat way too high to get it to cook and ended up terribly burning the pancake, while the inside was horrendously undone. It was horrible and I can’t remember the last time i made a dish just to throw it away- I hate wasting food. If it doesn’t turn out amazing, I’ll still eat it cuz i made it and won’t blog about it. But that time was just so bad that I didn’t have any other choice. So here’s how to avoid my very gross snafu.
You want to heat up a nonstick or cast iron pan on medium heat. No oil, no butter, just alone. After 2-3 minutes, taking a tiny bit of water and throw it on the pan. If it sizzles, the pan is ready for the batter. If it doesn’t, give it another minute or so and try splashing a tiny bit of water again. When your pan has reached temperature, turn the flame down to medium low and pour your batter. I usually use my 1/3 or 1/4 measuring cup to get consistent sized pancakes. Just pour it and let it spread out on its own. Do not touch it or try to spread the batter. And then you leave it alone.
Wait until the top is full of completely popped bubbles and the batter on top doesn’t look shiny or wet. This is when you flip it. If it has a hard time coming up in one clean piece, you’ve touched it too early. Leave it alone for another couple minutes. I’ve been spending a good 4-5 minutes before they’re ready to flip, but that could be a result of the heat transfer properties of my specific pan, so I can’t speak to all pans.
Once flipped, the former bottom side should be a lovely light golden brown. If it is black or burnt your heat was too high.
Ingredients (9 medium pancakes)
- 1 cup flour, sifted
- 1/4 cup pumpkin puree
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1 cup oat milk, or other creamy plant milk
- 1 flax egg- 1 tbsp ground flaxseed + 3 tbsp water
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp baking powder
Instructions
- Mix flour, salt, baking powder, and cinnamon together in a bowl and stir to combine well.
- Add in flax egg, oat milk, maple syrup, and pumpkin puree. Whisk well to combine to form a smooth batter with no lumps.
- Heat a nonstick pan or cast iron skillet on medium heat. Splash a tiny drop of water to see if the pan is ready. The water will sizzle immediately on contact with a ready-to-go pan.
- Once your pan is confirmed ready, turn the heat down to medium low.
- Pour 1/4 or 1/3 cup amounts of batter into the pan. Do nothing and leave it alone.
- Once the entire surface of the pancakes has bursted bubbles and the pancake is no longer shiny or runny, your pancake is ready to flip.
- Flip your pancake once. and let it sit for another minute before moving. If the topside has not gotten dark enough to your liking, you can flip it back over and let it brown a bit more. But keep the heat in medium low always
- Serve immediately with maple syrup and vegan butter.
