Made with whole wheat pastry flour and clocking in with 5 grams of protein and fiber per pancake, but no one will ever know because they are fluffy and buttery, just like your classic diner pancake! These pancakes are delicious on their own with some maple syrup, but for a full-on weekend brunch, serve them alongside tofu scramble and a fresh fruit plate, or with my Tempeh Bacon, sliced avocado, and roasted potatoes. And if it’s not pumpkin season, make my classic diner-style Vegan Pancakes! And for more delicious vegan breakfast ideas, check out my round-up of 40 fantastic vegan breakfast recipes!
Why you’ll love this recipe
Lots of pumpkin flavor. Much like in my vegan pumpkin bread and pumpkin ricotta stuffed shells, homemade pumpkin spice provides a real depth of pumpkin flavor alongside the pumpkin puree. Wholesome but indulgent. I love using the whole wheat pastry flour for a bit of a protein and fiber boost. In fact, each pancake has about 5 grams of protein and fiber (using whole wheat pastry flour and Oatly milk). That said, these do not taste like “healthy pancakes” at all. They taste like classically indulgent Sunday morning pancakes. Perfect pancake texture. Thanks to the vegan buttermilk (oat milk mixed with apple cider vinegar) and a generous amount of baking powder, these pancakes are fluffy central. I was honestly shocked the first time I sliced into them! They’re light and fluffy but feel substantial, thanks to the earlier-mentioned protein and fiber count.
Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
Pumpkin Puree. Simply a must when it comes to making pumpkin pancakes. I prefer these pumpkin pancakes with non-organic canned pumpkin puree, like Libby’s, as the texture is slightly better than the organic versions. Homemade Pumpkin Spice Blend. Resist the urge to buy a pre-bought pumpkin spice blend! This recipe calls for freshly ground cinnamon and nutmeg. It takes two seconds to to do this but it makes a massive difference in the final result. Oatmilk + Vinegar. Together, these form our vegan buttermilk, which gives the pancakes a fluffy but tender texture. I love using full-fat oat milk in my pancakes because it brings a creamy richness and oat milk browns really well when baked or cooked. That said, soy milk should work well too. I wouldn’t use a thin plant-based milk like almond milk; the batter might end up a tad thin. Vegan Butter. Vegan butter enhances the pumpkin flavor in my experience. You can substitute with coconut oil but (1) the pumpkin flavor may be a bit muted and (2) the pancakes may spread out a bit more while cooking. Still, a very good pancake, but my recommendation would be vegan butter.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Make the vegan buttermilk: combine the oat milk and apple cider vinegar. Set aside for 5-10 minutes to slightly curdle. Add the pumpkin puree and vanilla. Whisk together until well combined. Drizzle in the melted vegan butter and stir until just combined. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, brown sugar, and homemade pumpkin pie spice blend in a large bowl. Pour the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients. Fold the batter with a wooden spoon until just combined. Do not overmix – lots of lumps are fine. Allow the batter to rest for 10 minutes. Heat a nonstick frying pan over medium heat for several minutes. Add a touch of oil. Ladle ½ cup pancake batter into the pan. Cook until bubbles become rather uniform in the center and the edges start to dry out and brown, 1 ½ to 2 minutes. Flip and cook 1 ½ to 2 minutes on the second side.
Tips for making this recipe
Follow these tips for the best possible vegan pumpkin pancakes.
Mix the batter by hand and don’t over mix.
All you need is a wooden spoon (no electric mixer) to combine the wet and dry ingredients. Once the flour pockets are gone, stop mixing. The batter will be lumpy – that’s fine! Overmixing yields rubbery and/or tough pancakes (no fun!).
Keep an eye on the heat level.
I like to pre-heat my pan to medium (4 out of 7 on my burner), but usually after the first or second pancake, I need to reduce the heat to medium-low (3 out of 7). I don’t have a pancake griddle, but most sources say 375ºF is the sweet spot for an electric griddle.
Add a touch of vegan butter or oil to cook the pancakes.
If you’ve got a new nonstick skillet, you probably don’t need to add more oil between pancake rounds. If you’re using a different kind of skillet, you will likely need to add a touch more oil between pancakes. For the best texture, while you’re making each pancake, store the cooked pancakes on a tray or plate, each pancake separated by a sheet of parchment paper.
More Stellar Pumpkin Recipes
Roasted Pumpkin Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette Pumpkin Ricotta Stuffed Shells Vegan Pumpkin Bread
That’s all you need to know about these vegan pumpkin pancakes. If you love the recipe, please be sure to rate and review it below and tag me with your remakes on Instagram!
Big Vegan Flavor
Techniques and 150 recipes to master vegan cooking.
