Whole Grain Gluten-Free Pumpkin Pancakes

I’m always surprised at what my kids will and won’t eat. Pumpkin cookies, muffins, cakes, waffles and pancakes are things they can’t get enough of. As the mornings before school become chilly, there’s nothing better to fill up their little bellies than with these Whole Grain Gluten-Free Pumpkin Pancakes. They simply love them.  And so do I.

When I first got married, I wanted to show my husband how well I could take care of him.  Every morning I made a hot breakfast for us.  He never was a fan of pancakes much until he ate the ones I made.  He says that’s when his waistline started to grow.  They were thick, hearty, fluffy and stick-to-your-ribs (or waist) good.  It made me happy to feed him before sending him off to school or work.  One of my fondest pancake memories is the morning when I was nine months pregnant with my oldest daughter and my water broke as I was flipping Blueberry Buttermilk Pancakes.  Good memories. :)

I have always enjoyed a stack of pancakes.  I think I always will.  Growing up, we only ate them on the weekends.  It was a special treat.  Now that I’m a grown-up and can do whatever I want, I like them on weekdays too. Being gluten-free used to make me think I couldn’t enjoy pancakes anymore.  BUT that changed once I started doing some experimenting.  Pancakes made with just brown rice flour and a few other flours to mimic wheat flour doesn’t cut it for me.  I crave the thick, hearty whole wheat pancakes I make for my family.  I miss them.  I need something whole grain and substantial.  So, I started cooking more with buckwheat.  Buckwheat is one of my favorite gluten-free flours.  I also like to use ground GF oats and cornmeal for more texture.  I feel like I’ve finally come as about as close as I can to the pancakes I crave with this recipe.  We like them loaded with warm spices and topped with maple syrup.  My youngest prefers hers slathered with a little butter and a good smattering of her favorite jam.  (This week it’s strawberry.  Last week it was fig.  Before that it was blueberry.)  I imagine these would be good with Buttermilk Caramel Syrup too.

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Whole Grain Gluten-Free Pumpkin Pancakes

Hearty whole grain gluten-free pumpkin pancakes that are also dairy-free and vegan.

  • Total Time: 20 mins
  • Yield: 8 1x

Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 1 cup gluten-free rolled oats
  • 1/2 cup buckwheat flour
  • 1/2 cup stoneground cornmeal
  • 1/2 cup tapioca starch
  • 1/2 cup brown rice flour
  • 1 Tablespoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/4 teaspoon each: cloves, cardamom, nutmeg and allspice
  • 2 1/2 cups almond milk mixed with 2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • 23 Tablespoons sweetener of choice (cane juice, sugar, agave, honey, maple syrup, etc.)
  • 2 Tablespoons ground flax seed mixed with 6 Tablespoons water (or 2 large eggs)
  • 1 cup pumpkin puree
  • 1/4 cup canola or melted coconut oil
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

  1. Place the oats and all other dry ingredients into a blender. Cover and pulse until finely ground and mixed well.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk together almond milk, sweetener, flax seed (or eggs), pumpkin, oil and vanilla extract. Add the dry ingredients and fold together using a large silicone spatula or wooden spoon. If the batter is too thick, add a little more almond milk.
  3. Heat a griddle and lightly oil. Ladle scant 1/2 cups of batter onto the griddle. Cook for about 2-3 minutes or until the edges are set and there are large bubbles on top. Flip and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes on the other side. Repeat with all of the batter.
  4. Serve with butter or non-dairy butter and maple syrup. Makes about 16 six-inch pancakes.

Notes

Note: If you aren’t gluten-free, you can use wheat flour for the tapioca starch and brown rice flour and omit the xanthan gum. If you aren’t vegan, use dairy milk and eggs for the almond milk and flax seed.

  • Author: Lindsey Johnson
  • Prep Time: 10 mins
  • Cook Time: 10 mins
  • Category: Breakfast
  • Cuisine: American

 

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9 Comments

  1. I just made these and am SO happy to have found this recipe. I have also been wishing (dreaming) for a deeply flavorful and fluffy pancake since passing on traditional wheat as a base and I just LOVE this recipe! The pancakes are so thick and tasty! I added the juice and zest of an orange in place of the pumpkin, and what a terrific combination with the spice. These will be my standard now. Thank you!!

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