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Pumpkin Oat Pancakes Recipe
Ash Tyrrell

Pumpkin Oat Pancakes Recipe

The first time I made pumpkin oat pancakes, I wasn't expecting them to become a weekly thing in my kitchen. I blended everything in one go, poured the batter onto a hot griddle, and within fifteen minutes I had a stack of warm, spiced pancakes that tasted like fall in every bite
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Servings: 3
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • ¾ cup pumpkin puree – use plain canned pumpkin not pumpkin pie filling, so the pancakes aren't overly sweet
  • 2 large eggs – help bind the batter and give the pancakes a soft custardy texture
  • ⅔ cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk – or any milk you have on hand works fine here
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract – rounds out the pumpkin spice flavor
  • 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup – adds just a touch of natural sweetness
  • 1½ cups old-fashioned rolled oats – blends into the batter to replace flour entirely
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder – gives the pancakes their lift and fluffiness
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon – the backbone of that warm pumpkin spice taste
  • ½ teaspoon allspice – adds a little extra depth to the spice blend
  • ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg – brings a cozy slightly nutty warmth
  • ½ teaspoon ground ginger – gives a gentle spicy kick
  • ¼ teaspoon salt – balances the sweetness and sharpens the other flavors
  • Olive oil for cooking – keeps the pancakes from sticking to the griddle

Method
 

  1. Add the pumpkin puree, eggs, almond milk, vanilla extract, maple syrup, oats, baking powder, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, ginger, and salt to your blender. Blend on high for about 30 to 60 seconds, until the mixture looks completely smooth with no visible oat flecks. The batter will be noticeably thick, closer to a muffin batter than a traditional pancake batter, and it will continue thickening the longer it sits.
  2. Lightly coat a griddle or non-stick skillet with olive oil and place it over medium heat. Give the pan a minute or two to heat through evenly before adding any batter, since a griddle that's too cool will leave your pancakes pale and a little gummy in the middle. You'll know it's ready when a drop of water sizzles on contact.
  3. Scoop about ⅓ cup of batter onto the griddle for each pancake, then use the back of your spatula to gently spread it out, since the thick batter won't pour or spread on its own. Cook for 2 to 4 minutes, watching for the edges to look set and a few small bubbles to form across the surface. That's your cue that the underside is ready.
  4. Slide your spatula underneath and flip each pancake, then cook for another 2 to 3 minutes until the second side turns a deep golden brown. If pancakes are browning faster than the centers are cooking, lower the heat slightly; I usually start on medium and drop to medium-low halfway through the batch.
  5. Move the finished pancakes to a plate and repeat with the remaining batter, adding a little more oil to the griddle between batches if needed. Serve them right away while they're still warm and slightly soft in the center.

Notes

  • I always let my eggs and milk come to room temperature before blending, since cold ingredients make for denser pancakes
  • I never walk away once the batter is blended; it thickens fast, so I cook it immediately rather than letting it sit
  • I like to blend just until smooth and stop there, because over-blending seems to make my pancakes gummier instead of fluffier
  • I keep my first pancake as a test round to check heat and thickness before committing the rest of the batter
  • I've found a light hand with the oil between batches keeps the edges crisp without the pancakes tasting greasy