This post may contain affiliate links. See my disclosure policy.
These healthy pumpkin pancakes are extra thick, fluffy, and made in just one bowl! No eggs, no dairy, and no flour needed, they make a fabulous breakfast!
Pumpkin season is in full swing and I’m just a little excited.
To some, we reserve pumpkin for healthy desserts, like pumpkin pie, pumpkin bread, or pumpkin muffins, but for me, I love to have some first thing in the morning, as healthy pumpkin pancakes!
Why you’ll love this recipe
- All made in the blender. Seriously, you don’t even need a mixing bowl to prep everything!
- No eggs or dairy. With none of these ingredients needed, these pancakes are perfect if you follow a vegan and/or gluten free diet.
- Accidentally flourless. By using rolled oats as the base, this recipe skips the need for any white flour, adding extra fiber and protein.
Now, just because these pancakes are healthy does not mean they compromise on taste. Like almond flour pancakes, the texture is extra thick, fluffy, and soft in the middle. They are pleasantly sweet and full of pumpkin flavor, and perfect with some maple syrup and other toppings!
Ingredients needed
This recipe uses pantry staple and affordable ingredients. There are no egg substitutes or alternatives needed either. Here is what you’ll need:
- Rolled oats. Blended rolled oats yield oat flour, which replaces the need for any flour. You can also use quick-cooking oats. As I wanted 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, 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 plant based milk works, like almond milk or oat milk. You may need more than the recommended amount.
How to make healthy pumpkin pancakes
The beauty of this recipe is how hands off it is. All you do is add everything into a blender and your batter is ready to be turned into pancakes!
Step 1- Make the pancake batter
In a high-speed blender or food processor, add all your ingredients and pulse until a thick batter remains. If your batter is a little too thick, add some extra milk. Let your batter sit for 5 minutes, to thicken.
Step 2- Cook the pancakes
Heat a non-stick pan on medium heat, and once hot, pour 1/4 cup portions of the batter onto it. Cook the pancakes for 2-3 minutes, before flipping and cooking for a further 3 minutes. Repeat the process until all the pancake batter is used up.
Tips to make the best recipe
- The pancake batter will be thick and smooth, but it wouldn’t be overly pourable. We expect this and if you want thinner pancakes, you can add more milk.
- You’ll notice that this recipe includes a full tablespoon of baking powder. This isn’t a mistake, as it helps the pancakes become super fluffy. Be sure to use a good quality baking powder, as some leave a metallic aftertaste.
- If you don’t have vinegar, you can also use lemon juice or orange juice.
- Fold through some chocolate chips or even nuts or seeds, to give it some added texture and flavor!
Storage instructions
- To store: This recipe makes 3-4 servings. Place leftovers in a ziplock bag or 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.
- To reheat: Either reheat pancakes in the microwave (30-40 seconds) or in a frying pan.
More pancake recipes to try
- Applesauce pancakes
- Sweet potato pancakes
- Cinnamon roll pancakes
- Protein pancakes
- Banana protein pancakes
Frequently Asked Questions
If you can’t tolerate oats, quinoa flakes or standard all purpose flour can be used.
Yes, use this exact batter to make healthy pumpkin waffles.
Either make almond flour pancakes (and add pumpkin puree) or turn them into muffins.
Healthy Pumpkin Pancakes (Flourless)
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
- 1/4 cup chocolate chips Optional
Instructions
- Combine all the ingredients 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 nonstick pan over medium heat. Once hot, use a 1/4 cup and pour pancake batter on 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.
Came out sooper
Thx dani
These are wonderful. Fluffy too.
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.