The great pumpkin drought seems to be past us, for now. Despite rising prices and nearly bare shelves, I still managed to find pumpkin for $1 a can – at Whole Foods no less. And since one cannot live on dairy-free pumpkin pie alone, I thought I would revive this dairy-free pumpkin pancakes recipe.
Pumpkin Pancakes (or Waffles) that are Better than Martha’s
I originally adapted this recipe from a classic Martha Stewart recipe back in 2008. They turned out surprisingly fluffy for pumpkin pancakes thanks to the thicker-than-usual batter. But you can make them even more light and fluffy by adding just a couple of whipped egg whites (don’t worry, the recipe has an egg-free option too!).
This recipe also worked very well as waffles, and they freeze well. Plus, it’s a great way to enjoy even more flavors of the season. I’ve topped them with leftover cranberry sauce, pumpkin butter, and even gingerbread-flavored maple syrup!
Special Diet Notes: Pumpkin Pancakes or Waffles
By ingredients, this recipe is dairy-free / non-dairy, nut-free, peanut-free, soy-free, and vegetarian. An egg-free and vegan option is included.
For gluten-free and dairy-free pumpkin pancakes, you can substitute your favorite grain-based, gluten-free flour blend for the flour. Just gluten-free oat flour will also work well. But I recommend using the egg and not an egg substitute.
- 1¼ cups all-purpose or whole-wheat pastry flour (or a combination of the two)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg or allspice
- ½ teaspoon salt
- Pinch cloves
- ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons pumpkin puree
- 1 egg, room temperature (see Vegan Option below for egg-free)
- 2 tablespoons oil, plus additional for cooking
- 2 tablespoons firmly packed brown sugar
- 1 cup unsweetened plain or vanilla dairy-free milk beverage, room temperature
- 2 egg whites, room temperature (optional)
- Cranberry sauce, pumpkin butter, and/or maple syrup, for topping
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg or allspice, salt, and cloves.
- In a large glass measuring cup, whisk together the pumpkin, egg, oil, and sugar until well combined. Whisk in the milk beverage, until combined.
- For even fluffier pancakes, place the egg whites in a mixing bowl and whisk or beat with a hand mixer just until soft peaks form.
- Pour the liquid pumpkin mixture into the flour mixture, and whisk until just combined; some floury spots and lumps are all good. If using, gently but quickly fold in the whipped egg whites.
- Heat a little oil in a skillet over medium or medium-low heat. Scoop a scant ¼ cup of batter per pancake into the skillet and cook for roughly 2 to 3 minutes per side, or until golden. The tops of the pancake will have bubbles breaking at the surface when it is time to flip.
- Serve topped with leftover cranberry sauce, pumpkin butter, or the traditional maple syrup.
Pumpkin Note: This amount of pumpkin keeps them light and fluffy, but offers a very mild pumpkin flavor. For more pumpkin goodness, you can increase it to ½ cup, but the pancakes will be more moist and less fluffy.
Vegan Option: Omit the egg and egg whites. Beat ¼ cup aquafaba with a hand mixer until soft peaks form. Gently but quickly fold the aquafaba into your pancake batter per the egg white step. Optionally increase the baking powder to 2⅛ teaspoon for a little extra lift.
More Dairy-Free Pumpkin Breakfast Recipes
No Rise Pumpkin Spice Cinnamon Rolls
Pumpkin Spice Protein Shake
Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal
