Healthy Pumpkin Pancakes
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My healthy pumpkin pancakes are extra thick, fluffy, and made in just one bowl! No eggs and no flour needed, they make a quick and easy breakfast.
Come pumpkin season, I try to add it to every meal possible, and yes, that includes breakfast. How, you may ask? Well, my healthy pumpkin pancake recipe, of course!
I tested these against my regular pumpkin pancakes (made with flour, eggs, and sugar), and this version actually rose higher once I nailed the baking powder and vinegar ratio (a culinary school trick!). My family and partner couldn’t tell the difference, and now this is our go-to for a healthy yet satisfying weekend brunch.
Table of Contents
Why make my healthy pumpkin pancakes
- Quick and easy. Seriously, you don’t even need a mixing bowl to prep everything!
- No eggs. These pancakes are perfect for those following a vegan or egg-free diet. Also, no egg substitutes either!
- 100% flourless. By using rolled oats as the base, this recipe skips the need for any white flour, adding extra fiber and protein.
- Best texture. The texture is extra thick, fluffy, and soft in the middle. They are pleasantly sweet and full of pumpkin flavor.
What readers are saying
★★★★★ – “So fluffy and filling! These pumpkin pancakes are now our Sunday tradition.” – Melody
★★★★★ – “Quick, healthy, and my kids devoured them. Didn’t miss the eggs!”– Mark from Facebook
Key Ingredients
- Rolled oats. Blended rolled oats yield oat flour, eliminating the need for any other flour. You can also use quick-cooking oats. To keep this recipe gluten-free, I used certified gluten-free rolled oats.
- Pumpkin pie spice. A must for any pumpkin recipe! If you can’t find pumpkin pie spice, you can use a mix of cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and ginger.
- Baking powder. Gives the pancakes extra fluffiness, especially when combined with vinegar.
- Apple cider vinegar. When mixed with the baking powder, it achieves a texture that replicates eggs. You can also use white vinegar.
- Pumpkin puree. Unsweetened pumpkin puree. You can also use the canned variety. Just be sure it is not pumpkin pie filling.
- Maple syrup. Adds a little natural sweetness to the pancakes. You can also use agave nectar or coconut syrup.
- Milk of choice. Any milk works, like almond milk or oat milk. Depending on the thickness of your batter, you may need more or less.
How to make healthy pumpkin pancakes
Find the full printable recipe instructions and ingredient quantities below.
Step 1- Make the pancake batter. In a high-speed blender or mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients and pulse until a thick batter forms.
Step 2- Cook. Heat a non-stick pan on medium heat, and once hot, pour 1/4 cup portions of the batter into it. Cook the pancakes for 2-3 minutes on each side, then flip and cook for an additional 3 minutes.
Step 3- Repeat the process until all the pancake batter is used up.
Arman’s recipe tips
- The pancake batter will be thick and smooth, but it won’t be overly pourable. This is expected, and if you want thinner pancakes, you can add more milk.
- Flip like a pro. Covering the skillet while they cook traps steam (a hack I use for my applesauce pancakes, too). You’ll know they’re ready to flip when bubbles form at the edges and the spatula slides under cleanly.
- You’ll notice that my recipe includes a full tablespoon of baking powder. Yes! A full tablespoon! I tested batches with 1/2 a teaspoon versus a full tablespoon- too little and they were flat, too much of a cheap brand, and you get metallic notes. A good, aluminum-free baking powder gave the best rise without aftertaste.
- If you don’t have vinegar, you can also use lemon juice or orange juice as a substitute.
- Add mix-ins like chocolate chips, pecans, vanilla extract, or walnuts.
- If you’re looking for higher-protein pancakes, try my pumpkin protein pancakes instead.
Storage instructions
To store: My recipe yields 3-4 servings. Place leftovers in a ziplock bag or a sealable container and store them in the refrigerator for up to 7 days.
To freeze: Leftover pancakes can be placed in a ziplock bag and stored in the freezer for up to 6 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
Reheating: Either reheat pancakes in the microwave (30-40 seconds) or in a frying pan.
Frequently asked questions
In my testing, flat pancakes often result from skipping vinegar or using old baking powder. A fresh leaving agent and vinegar (or citrus) are non-negotiable.
I did experiment with resting the batter overnight in the fridge. It thickened considerably (oats absorb liquid), so I just added about three tablespoons of extra milk in the morning, and they cooked perfectly.
Yes, you can. Equal parts whole wheat flour, white flour, or even quinoa flakes can be used instead.
Yes! I’ve often made pumpkin waffles using this very batter. Just prep it as instructed, then pour it into a greased waffle iron and cook until the edges become crispy.
✅ Nutrition reviewed
Since these pancakes discuss healthier ingredients and dietary swaps, the nutrition information has been reviewed by registered dietitian Felicia Newell, MScAHN, RD, CPT.
Healthy Pumpkin Pancakes
Video
Ingredients
- 1 cup rolled oats gluten free, if needed
- 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice can sub for a mix of cinnamon, ginger and cloves
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 cup milk of choice * See notes
Instructions
- Combine the oats, pumpkin pie spice, maple syrup, pumpkin puree, baking powder, apple cider vinegar, and milk in a blender and blend until smooth and combined. If the batter is too thick, add extra milk.
- Let the batter sit for at least 5 minutes for the mixture to thicken.
- Preheat a skillet or griddle over medium heat. Once hot, use a 1/4 cup and pour pancake batter onto the pan. Cook for 2-3 minutes or until you can easily slide a spatula underneath. Flip. Cook for another 2-3 minutes on the second side.
- Repeat until all the batter is used up.
Notes
- Meal prep: Pancakes can be doubled, tripled, or even quadrupled. This is perfect to be frozen for quick and easy breakfasts.
- Leftovers: This recipe makes 3-4 servings. Place leftovers in a ziplock bag or sealable container and store in the refrigerator for up to 7 days.
Nutrition
More healthy pancake recipes
- Applesauce pancakes
- Sweet potato pancakes
- Protein pancakes
- Banana protein pancakes
- Or any of my pancake recipes
Originally updated September 2022
1 tablespoon baking powder
Seems like much, is this a type-o ?
Not a typo 🙂
My family of six loves these pancakes! Made as written, tripled the servings, and with chocolate chips in half of them. There were only about four pancakes left to freeze. (Mom sure appreciates the ease of throwing everything into the blender!) Thank you!
Easy, fast, yumtastic. Thank you for gifting this recipe to the internet.
Really good with whole milk vanilla Greek yogurt topping. Idk what kind of blender you all are using but I had to double the milk in order for my Vitamix to make anything even close to resembling a batter… It had to chew on it for a while. I think these need some kind of oil or even applesauce, and maybe a touch of vanilla. They got eaten by my picky 18 month old, which is a huuuuuuge compliment!! I cooked them as sheet pan pancakes (400 degree oven for about 10 minutes). Really easy and effortless!! Next time I will try to sub yogurt for milk, or soak the oats first, and add some applesauce.
Can you use maple flavoring and a non-caloric sweetener like monk’s fruit?
You can use my keto maple syrup recipe.
I just made these for breakfast this morning! I absolutely love pumpkin pancakes. I grounded up steel cut oats into oat flour since those were the only oats I had on hand today.
These pancakes tasted delicious, healthy and not super or overly filling!
A perfect Sunday treat 🙂
Thank you!
So GOOD! I think next time I will blend the oats and then mix the rest of the ingredients in a bowl. I felt that I lost a lot of my mixture to the blender even after adding some more almond milk. Really delicious though thank you.
Thank you!
These were so delicious! I did have to double the milk to make them pourable. Thanks!
I make these all the time! They’re my go to weekend pancakes 🙂
I’m giving this recipe a five star rating because it’s a very healthy alternative to other type of pancakes. A few things I did that were different from the recipe/directions: I first put the oats in my food processor to grind them to as much of a flour consistency as I could get. I then mixed all of the ingredients in a bowl (I’ve had issues getting batter out of my Vitamix, leaving a lot of waste). I added a splash of vanilla, had to add a lot more milk, and could have added more, and wanted to use up fresh cranberries still leftover from Thanksgiving – I added 1/4 cup and cut them in 1/2. These were delicious, and a pancake we could feel good about ingesting. Thanks for the recipe.
hi, Big thank you for this amazing recipe. I just wanted to say that 5 minutes is never enough unless you are making 1-2 servings. i just made a double for my 4 girls and me it took 15-20 minutes to cook. best wishes!
Can I use gluten free flour instead of oats? Thank you!
I haven’t tried 🙂
These are really good, but maybe cut down the baking powder to 1 or 1/2 tsp. A tbsp is a lot and you can taste it. Its a saltiness that numbs your tounge.
Do you try your recipes without any sweetener?Curious which types of combos would work well without it. Your website/recipes are super helpful for me, but sweeteners are probably my biggest issue with finding recipes. My medical diet leaves me with no coconut sugar, maple sugar, agave, honey, cane sugar, dextrose, monkfruit..pretty much no glucose or fructose. I can have stevia and/or Apple on a four day rotation.
I haven’t so you’d be best to experiment and see!
These are perrrffeection!!!!!! Changes I made: Added more cinnamon, because why not, added one scoop of vanilla protein powder (an excuse to eat more), increased the milk to 1/2 cup, subbed honey instead of maple syrup (I’m a 99.9% vegan okay). I will make these over and over and over again. Thank you for sharing these!!!
Hhaha 99.99% is great! 🙂 You are welcome, Michelle!