Sunday brunch or a holiday breakfast, these Whole Wheat Gingerbread Pumpkin Pancakes are perfectly spiced and positively addictive! 136 calories and 4 Weight Watchers SmartPoints
Weekend pancake battles are the norm at our house. After long morning runs and walks, my husband and I need to refill our protein and carb reserves. These whole wheat pumpkin pancakes, topped with fresh fruit and raw nuts, always do the trick.
However, we have to be on the ball to get our share, as our boys are often engaged in a heated battle of “who can eat the most pancakes”, spurred on by stories of the epic battles my husband used to have with his brother.
This is often followed by a lecture about “eating just until you feel comfortably full” by me, and a multitude of “Yes, Mum”s, and just as many eye rolls when they think I’m not looking. I suppose if they’re going to have an eating contest, whole wheat pancakes are a better choice than hot dogs or gummy worms.
My family has voted these pumpkin pancakes as the best pancakes we’ve ever made. Perfect for epic battles, I’d say.
WHAT YOU NEED FOR THESE PUMPKIN PANCAKES:
These are the main components need for this recipe (affiliate links included)…
- Flour: For baked goods, I almost exclusively used whole wheat pastry flour. It has a finer and lighter texture than regular whole wheat flour, with the fiber-boosting benefits of a whole grain flour. My favorite is the Bob’s Red Mill brand (not sponsored – just love it).
- Oats: For the oat flour, use regular old-fashioned oats. A quick turn in the food processor will turn the oats into oat flour.
- Pumpkin: I use canned pumpkin for these healthy pancakes. Be sure to buy canned pumpkin, NOT pumpkin pie filling. Pumpkin pie filling is already supplemented with spices and sweeteners.
- Gingerbread flavors: The “gingerbread” part of these pancakes comes from the addition of molasses and spices – cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg. Allspice would be a great addition too, if you have some on hand.
Do I have to use the oat flour?
I boosted the “heart healthy” factor in these pancakes by quickly pureeing some oats in the food processor to form an oat flour of sorts. Don’t shy away from this step. It literally takes one extra minute, and any extra oat flour can be stored in the freezer for future batches of pancakes or scones. See more in How to Make Oat Flour (+ 5 ways to use it).
However, if you are feeling decidedly non-oaty, feel free to substitute an even portion of whole wheat flour for the oat flour.
How many pancakes in a serving?
The serving size for this recipe is 2 pancakes because these fluffy, spiced pancakes are filling. I always make a larger batch because of the aforementioned battle.
Alternatively, you can store the remaining batter in the fridge to use for a quick breakfast during the week. Or, of course, you could just half the recipe. It’s up to you.
Tips for making these easy pumpkin pancakes:
If you’re serving these pumpkin spice pancakes for a holiday breakfast, chances are that you want to stay out of the kitchen as much as possible and spend time with your family. You have a couple of options:
- Make the batter in its entirety the night before and store it in the fridge. Bring the batter to room temperature before cooking the pancakes. The batter will likely be too thick. Whisk in some milk, 1 to 2 tablespoons at a time, until the desired texture is reached.
- Whisk together all of the dry ingredients, cover and store at room temperature. Whisk together the wet ingredients in a separate bowl, cover and refrigerate. Just before cooking the pancakes, stir together the wet and dry ingredients until combined.
- As mentioned above, the oat flour can be made days or even weeks ahead of time and store in the freezer. This will save you some prep and dish cleaning time when holiday cooking reaches a fevered pitch.
Other healthy brunch recipes:
Sweet Potato Hash with Creamy Avocado Sauce {Cookin’ Canuck}
Baked Egg Sausage Casserole with Green Chiles {Cookin’ Canuck}
Shakshuka with Red Chard {Feed Me Phoebe}
Easy Breakfast Egg Muffins {Delicious Meets Healthy}
Whole Wheat Gingerbread Pumpkin Pancake Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups old fashioned oats
- 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour regular ww flour can be used
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 eggs
- 1 1/3 cup canned pumpkin not pumpkin pie mix
- 2 tablespoons molasses
- 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
- 2 cups non-fat milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- fresh fruit, nuts, and/or maple syrup (if desired)
Instructions
- Place the oats in the bowl of a food processor or a heavy-duty blender, and process until finely ground. Scoop 1 cup of the oat flour into a large mixing bowl. Reserve any remaining oat flour for another use.
- To the oat flour, add the whole wheat flour, baking soda, baking powder, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Whisk to combine.
- In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the eggs, pumpkin, molasses, maple syrup, milk and vanilla. Pour the egg mixture into the flour mixture and stir to combine.
- Heat a frying pan over medium heat or heat a griddle to 375 degrees F.
- Using a ¼ cup measuring cup, scoop the batter onto the griddle. When the pancakes start to bubble on top, flip them over and cook until the batter is cooked all the way through.
- Repeat with the remaining batter. Serve the pancakes with fresh fruit, nuts and/or maple syrup, if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
This post was originally posted on January 11, 2013 and was updated on October 28, 2019.
Disclosure: I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for me to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
Katrina @ Warm Vanilla Sugar says
This is such a fabulous breakfast. I loooove the idea of gingerbread and oats. Great recipe!
Dara (Cookin' Canuck) says
Thanks, Katrina! It’s so easy to sneak in some oats for that extra “healthy” factor without anyone noticing.
Barbara @ Barbara Bakes says
Looks like a great way to start the day.
Dara (Cookin' Canuck) says
Thanks, Barbara. Believe me, my kids wish they could start every day with pancakes.
Liz @ The Lemon Bowl says
I love that we were on the same oat-filled pancake page this morning, Dara!! 🙂 These look delish – I love using pumpkin in pancakes and I love that you used molasses. Can’t wait to try these!
Dara (Cookin' Canuck) says
Yes, I chuckled when I saw your post, Liz. Your version looks fantastic!
carrie @ Bakeaholic Mama says
Loving these. I could eat pumpkin pancakes everyday. These look amazing and healthy to boot!
Dara (Cookin' Canuck) says
Thanks, Carrie. Yes, a daily dose would make my family very happy.
RavieNomNoms says
These just look amazing, what a great combination of flavors. I am a sucker for a good pancake too! 😉
Dara (Cookin' Canuck) says
Hear, hear!
Isra {TheFrugalette} says
I love pumpkin in everything, never thought to add gingerbread..sounds like a cozy winter morning breakfast. 🙂
Dara (Cookin' Canuck) says
Thanks, Isra. I adore spiking pancakes with various spices. This really does feel like a cozy meal.
Laura (Tutti Dolci) says
Can I come for breakfast? 🙂 These pancakes look wonderful!
Dara (Cookin' Canuck) says
Anytime, Laura. Anytime!
Carla @ Carlas Confections says
I really need to get to practicing making pancakes. I have not gotten that one down yet. These look so amazing, especially with the bananas on top. So yummy! Wish I was eating these for breakfast this morning!
Dara (Cookin' Canuck) says
Thanks, Carla. I promise that these are as easy as pie. The trick is to wait for the bubbles to appear on top before flipping the pancakes.
[email protected] n Dishes says
Mmmm molasses! Such a yummy pancake Dara.
Dara (Cookin' Canuck) says
Thanks, Kari. The molasses really does add something special.
Noble Pig - Cathy says
I love this so much…I want to make it this weekend!
Dara (Cookin' Canuck) says
Thanks, Cathy! I hope you have a chance to try them.
[email protected] says
I normally put up my pumpkin in 1 cup measures, but since I’ve got a couple pumpkins left in the Strategic Winter Squash Reserve (both my garden and my farm share had great pumpkin crops last year) I believe I’ll roast one up specifically for these pancakes. They look wonderful and the combination of flavors is sure to be pleasing.
I bet I can toss some of the leftover oat flour into muffins . . .
Thank you!
Dara (Cookin' Canuck) says
How wonderful to have a pumpkin reserve! We need to consider adding pumpkins to our garden bounty next year.
Erika @ The Hopeless Housewife says
This would be such a filling breakfast and the flavors are the best!
Dara (Cookin' Canuck) says
Erika, they really are filling (but light at the same time). I find that a serving of two, with some fresh fruit, does the trick for me.
Larissa says
It looks delicious. Do you add any oil to the wet ingredients or oil to the griddle, so the pancakes don’t burn? Mine seem to always burn slightly without any oil or butter in them. I would certainly prefer to do without fat.
Also, I have used quinoa flour made from quinoa grains which I grind together with oats in the blender or my old coffee grinder.
Thanks
Dara (Cookin' Canuck) says
Hi Larissa, I don’t add anything to the griddle because it is nonstick. If you are cooking the pancakes in a regular frying pan, then I would consider adding butter, canola oil or cooking spray. Keep in mind that the first two will add some extra fat to the recipe.
Amanda says
These look just fabulous. I love these healthier options… you just might make me healthier yet! 🙂
Dara (Cookin' Canuck) says
LOL. Thanks, Amanda. With the gorgeous cakes you make, I’d find it hard to resist indulging in sweets!
Minnie(@thelady8home) says
This looks like a real treat. Awesome!
Erin @ Dinners, Dishes and Desserts says
Great tip with the oat flour. These pancakes look heavenly. Love the bananas and walnuts on top, and the flavor just sounds wonderful. Wish I had seen these before breakfast today, guess I will just have to save it for later 🙂
Averie @ Averie Cooks says
The oats/oat flour must add such a lovely amount of texture. When I was strictly GF, I used to grind oats for just about everything! Once you get used to the texture, everything else seems…blah. The pancakes look awesome. Great flavors!
Jeanette says
I love using oat flour in pancakes, cookies and quick breads – these sound and look fantastic Dara!
Diana @ Appetite for China says
These pancakes look fantastic, and a great way to get energy to start off the weekend! Your photos are so beautiful and inspiring too. Glad to have found your site!
kmac says
just made these for dinner (i love breakfast for dinner), and they were fantastic!! i didn’t have any molasses or maple syrup, unfortunately, so i subbed honey and they still turned out delicious! for those of you without nonstick skillets, a spritz of cooking spray does the trick without adding calories/fat. they ARE filling, just two with a fresh sliced banana and a sprinkling of sliced almonds did the trick!
thank you for the recipe- it was a delicious way to use up the rest of my can of pumpkin, and i will certainly be repeating it again in the future!
Laura @ The Rookie Cook says
Oh my goodness these look good! They are definitely on my “must make this week” breakfast list.
Pardon my dumb question, but could I mix these up the night before and set the batter in the fridge for a quick breakfast in the morning?
Dara (Cookin' Canuck) says
Laura, that’s not a dumb question at all! I suggest preparing the dry ingredients in one bowl, the wet ingredients in a separate and storing them, covered, in the fridge until the morning. Just before you are ready to make the pancakes, stir all of the ingredients together. I hope you enjoy them!
KalynsKitchen says
They sound so delicious!
Aanhetstrandvanoostende says
Awesome! I would love to have this Pumpkin pancakes everyday. Thanks for sharing this healthy and delicious recipe.
Meghan | Fox and Briar says
I love these flavors so much! And the healthy boost fro the oat flour is perfection!
Frances says
Loved these pancakes. They turned out very fluffy and nice. Able to freeze some for later too. Great any time of year, but so nice now for winter. I will do these often. Thank you.