Whole Wheat Pumpkin Pancakes

Is there anything better than a stack of pancakes on a Saturday morning? Not in my book! Pancakes are quite possibly my favorite breakfast food. Maybe because there were the first thing I learned to cook by myself as a kid (from a mix, of course).

But as I have grown up, I have loved experimenting with different flavors of pancakes to dress them up a bit. And for Fall, there is nothing better than a big stack of these whole wheat pumpkin pancakes.

Why whole wheat? Well, in addition to being a bit healthier, I find that the whole wheat flour adds a little nuttiness to the taste of the pancakes, which perfectly compliments the pumpkin.

If you don’t have whole wheat flour, you can just use all purpose and get a very similar result.

How to Make Them

The best part about pancakes is that no matter how sophisticated the flavors, they are all equally easy to make!

First, whisk together the dry ingredients - flours, sugar, baking powder, spices, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients - milk, pumpkin, butter, and eggs. Then mix the two together.

My extra trick to getting super light and fluffy pancakes is to mix in a bit of clear soda at the end. This reacts with the baking powder to create lots of little air bubbles in the batter.

Then heat up a griddle and start cooking up some pancakes!

In my opinion, the best part of the pancakes is the toppings! Typically I’m good with just a little butter and maybe some maple syrup. But for these pumpkin pancakes, I just piled it on!

I recommend adding a few pecans or walnuts for a bit of a crunch, and maybe a small (or heaping) dollop of whipped cream.

Doesn’t get any better than that!

Recipe

Prep Time: 10 min     Cook Time: 20 min    Total Time: 30 min

Makes 8-10 pancakes

INGREDIENTS

• 2/3 cup whole wheat flour

• 1/3 cup all purpose flour

• 2 1/2 tbsp granulated sugar

• 2 tsp baking powder

• 1 tsp cinnamon

• 1/2 tsp nutmeg

• 1/4 tsp clove

• 1/4 tsp ginger

• punch of all spice

• pinch of salt

• 1/2 cup milk

• 1/2 tsp vinegar (apple cider or white)

• 1/4 cup pureed pumpkin

• 1 egg

• 1 tbsp butter, melted

• 1/2 tsp vanilla

• 1/4 cup clear soda

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Into a large bowl, whisk the flours, sugar, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

2. In a separate bowl or large measuring cup, mix together the milk and vinegar and let sit for 2 minutes to curdle. Stir in the pumpkin, butter, vanilla, and egg and whisk together until smooth.

3. Pour the milk mixture into the flour mixture and stir until just barely combined. Pour the soda into the batter and stir until they are no large clumps of flour, being careful not to over mix. Let the batter sit on the counter for 10 minutes to rise.

4. Meanwhile, heat a pan over medium heat. Pour or spoon about 1/4 cup of batter onto the pan. Cook for about 3-4 minutes on one side, or until the top begins to bubble. Then flip and cook for 2-3 minutes on the other side.

5. Remove the pancake from the pan and repeat with remaining batter.

6. Serve warm with your choice of toppings.

NOTES

Substitute milk and vinegar for buttermilk.

Soda options: seltzer water, La Croix (plain or lemon are preferred), 7-Up, Sprite, or any other clear carbonated beverage.