It’s that time of year again and I LOVE it! Some people may get sick of all the pumpkin spice ads and products, but I NEVER do. I also have been wanting to create my own homemade pancake mix so I don’t have to rely on the less than healthy boxed versions. You are going to LOVE these homemade Healthy Vegan Pumpkin Pancakes!

My kids go through tons of pancakes every week and finding a good tasting, 100% whole food plant based brand has proven to be next to impossible. They are either vegan, but not 100% whole grain or 100% whole grain but not vegan, or vegan and 100% whole grain, but tastes like CARDBOARD. It was finally time to do some research and create my own GREAT tasting, whole food plant-based pumpkin pancakes recipe.

My obsession with Pumpkin Spice and Everything Nice

My obsession with pumpkin spice started with the coffee a few years ago. The smell is just so warm and inviting! And being that they really only sell it during the fall, I’m always ready and waiting to get stocked up.

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I was very excited to find Starbucks Keurig Pumpkin Spice Coffee Pods on sale at Sam’s just yesterday! I had been keeping an eye out at Kroger and Walmart but hadn’t seen any yet. Then as I was passing by the coffee aisle in Sam’s Club, I saw them! A huge 72 count box for $7 off! That put the price per pod to about .40 cents each. Heck yeah. I’m set for the fall season.

Seeing the pumpkin coffee in the stores motivated me to get a move on making this Pumpkin Pancake Recipe!

I couldn’t find any other 100% WFPB pumpkin pancake recipes

In my research for healthy vegan pumpkin pancake recipes, I did find a few with good ratings, but none that were completely WFPB compliant. They either had lots of added sugar or oil. The only oil in this is the light spraying of the pan or griddle with cooking spray so the pancakes don’t stick. I haven’t get learned how to not use a tiny bit of cooking spray for my pancakes – if anyone has any tips or a special pan they use to cook pancakes without any oil, please let me know!

To add a little sweetness to these pumpkin pancakes, I used 1/2 cup of unsweetened applesauce. I reduced the amount of unsweetened almond milk to only a cup so that they weren’t too runny.

You can use whole wheat pastry flour or oat flour. In the pancakes pictured, I used whole wheat pastry flour and they turned out great. You can use regular whole wheat flour (not pastry) but they will be a little thicker because the flour is not quite as fine.

Make your own gluten free oat flour

If you don’t have oat flour, but want an easy way to make these gluten free then you can just grind your own oats in a blender. It’s really fast! Use Old-Fashioned Oats and blend to a powder in your blender. I do have a Vitamix so it’s really quick and easy. You’ll want to put in a little more of the oats to create the full 1 1/4 of oat flour.

This recipe makes about 8 small pumpkin pancakes, so if you have a family I recommend you double or triple it to save time. We go through a lot of pancakes daily, especially with my youngest son, who gets very upset on the days that I’m out! So, I will triple the recipe so that I have plenty for the week. These keep really well in the refrigerator. I put them in a large airtight storage container, like these Rubbermaid Premier, and then heat them up 2-3 at a time on a plate in the microwave for 30 seconds. Super fast WFPB breakfast!

More breakfast recipes you might like:

• 5 Easy Chia Seed Pudding Recipes
• Tofu Scramble Breakfast Burritos
• Dragon Fruit Smoothie Recipe
• Everything Bagel Avocado Toast

Create your own dry vegan pancake mix to keep in your pantry

You can create your own “boxed” vegan pancake mix to have waiting for you ready to make! Just fill a large gallon storage bag with the dry ingredients only (whole wheat flour, baking powder, spices, and salt) – multiply by 3-4 – close and shake well. I leave out the ground flax seed until I’m ready to make the pancakes. Ground flax seed is best kept in the refrigerator so it stays fresh.

Then when you want to make some pancakes, scoop out a heaping 1 1/4 cup and mix in the wet ingredients!

You can also use this basic recipe to make plain vegan pancakes. Just leave out the pumpkin spice, cinnamon, and canned pumpkin puree. You might need to add a little more milk, to make up for the lack of wet pumpkin if you like your pancakes thinner. Add 1/2 cup – 1 cup of fresh blueberries to make blueberry pancakes!

Pure Pumpkin & Pure Vanilla Extract

Make sure you buy pure pumpkin, not pumpkin pie mix. It should say 100% pure pumpkin in the ingredients and nothing else! Also, use pure vanilla extract, NOT imitation. It costs a little more, but is better flavor and WFPB. The alcohol free versions are the best if you can find them!

What about pure maple syrup?

This is another controversial topic in the whole food plant-based world as to the place of pure maple syrup. It is technically a whole food that comes from the maple tree, however it is very calorically dense. Dr. Fuhrman does not recommend using maple syrup as a sweetener because it is not nutrient dense and high in sugar. Other doctors and plans use it sparingly in recipes, like Forks Over Knives.

I have purposefully left out the maple syrup. It’s your choice if you use a small amount to top your pancakes with, but I would recommend being VERY judicious, maybe just 1-2 teaspoons, because that would be a lot of added calories without fiber or nutrients to slow the absorption.

Berries are a great topping for added sweetness. You can use frozen blueberries, thaw them in the microwave for 30 seconds, and then pour them on your pancakes, juices and all. This can act as a great syrup substitute!

Healthy Vegan Pumpkin Pancakes Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 cups whole wheat pastry flour or oat flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 tablespoon ground flax seed
• 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon salt optional
• 1/2 cup canned pumpkin puree
• 1 cup unsweentened almond or soy milk
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce

Directions:

• Preheat a non-stick pan or griddle over medium heat.
• Mix the dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Then add all the wet ingredients and mix until the batter doesn’t have any lumps. Add more milk if you like thinner pancakes.
• Lightly spray the skillet with non-stick cooking spray. Pour 1/4 cup of batter increments onto your pan. Flip the pancakes when the edges look dry – I don’t use the bubble method because mine tend to burn. Cook for another 2-3 minutes and then remove from the pan.

Learn How to Make Delicious Plant Based Recipes that are Quick, Easy, & Cheap!

Are new to a whole food plant based diet and a little overwhelmed? Not sure what you should and shouldn’t eat? Need help transitioning slowly with delicious & simple recipes your whole family will love that take 30 minutes or less? Let me help you with my Quick & Easy Plant Based Power Pack! I’ll give you the WFPB basics in simple to understand terms and tips on transitioning in a way that works for you. Learn more about my Quick & Easy Plant Based Power Pack HERE