Pancakes are a classic breakfast favorite! But what if I tell you there’s a better way of cooking your usual pancakes that will double the nutrients and reduce the sugar and carb content? That’s what my pumpkin pancakes recipe is – high protein and fiber, high antioxidant content, and lower in sugar and carb! What a perfect combo! And best of all, it’s so easy to make. In fact, even kids can help prepare this tasty, nutritious, and hearty breakfast dish.
So, if you want to give your family something different but loaded with great flavor and nutritional value, pumpkin pancakes are the way to do it. Let’s get our ingredients ready and whip up this fantastic dish.
Pumpkin Pancakes Nutrition and Health Benefits
Before I cook something, I first make sure it answers basic and important questions: Is it healthy? What kind of nutrients does it provide my body? And guess what – pumpkin pancakes are a big YES to both!
As an illustration, let’s take a look at the nutritional profile of pumpkins:
A cup or 245 grams of cooked pumpkin has:
49 Calories
2 grams of protein
3 grams of fiber
245% Vitamin A of the RDI
19% Vitamin C of the RDI
… And a good amount of potassium, manganese, copper, Vitamin E and B vitamins. It’s a powerhouse of nutrition that your body needs!
Pumpkins Help Improve Your Eyesight
Pumpkins are rich in beta carotene. Your body turns this carotenoid into Vitamin A, which helps protect and improve your eyesight. As your eyesight deteriorates over time, it is important to consume Vitamin A-rich foods to combat this health issue. And pumpkins are perfect for that! Aside from Vitamin A, pumpkins also contain a notable amount of zeaxanthin and lutein. These two compounds reduce your risks of cataracts and age-related macular degeneration. By eating more pumpkins, you are taking in the right nutrients that can boost your eye health naturally.
Pumpkins Boost Your Immune System
Vitamin A is not just good for your eyes. They do wonders to your immune system, too! A strong immune system is like an armor that protects you from infections and diseases. Isn’t it great if you can have a natural shield that limits your chances of getting sick? Here’s more – the vitamin C and E level in pumpkins are very impressive, too. These antioxidants may help prevent free radical damage to your eye cells. So, clear eyes, strong immune system, better resistance to infections… What’s not to love about pumpkins? It’s truly amazing that God has given us natural medicines through his wonderful creations. And it’s only up to us to go ahead and choose these God-given foods for our health and wellness.
Nutrition-Boosted Pumpkin Pancakes
I’ve eaten and made plenty of pancakes in the past… But they’re not as healthy or as tasty as these pumpkin pancakes! So I’m very excited to share with you this recipe, which was inspired by Chef John on Allrecipes.com. I altered the ingredients to improve the nutritive value, and I have to admit that it also enhanced the flavor even more. I selected better flours and added in some spices to increase the fiber, protein, and vitamin content. And of course, the pumpkin puree just takes this pancake recipe to the next level – flavor and nutrition-wise!
I use pumpkin puree for this recipe, which is surprisingly easy to make. You don’t even have to buy those canned, store-bought pumpkin purees in the store. Just make it yourself, so it’s fresher, more nutritious, and tastier!
Check out my other pumpkin recipe for Pumpkin Bread that walks you through the easy steps on how to make rich and creamy pumpkin puree… And maybe you can whip up this nutritious bread, too, after you make this pumpkin pancakes recipe!
Perfectly Delicious Pumpkin Pancakes
Ingredients
- 2 Cups whole wheat flour kamut or spelt flour
- ⅓ Cup sucanat
- 2 Teaspoons baking powder
- 1 Teaspoon baking soda
- ½ Teaspoon salt
- 1 Cup pumpkin puree
- 1 Teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ Teaspoon all spice
- 1 egg
- 1 ½ Cup milk almond, oatmeal, soy or your favorite
- 2 Tablespoon organic olive oil
- 2 Tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 Teaspoon lemon zest
Instructions
- Combine flour, sucanat, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large mixing bowl, and whisk together for two minutes to aerate.
- In a separate bowl, combine pumpkin puree, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, egg, milk, 2 tablespoons of oil, lemon juice and lemon zest. Mix in the flour mixture and stir just until moistened. Do not over mix.
- Coat griddle with 1 teaspoon oil over medium heat.
- Pour batter into skillet ¼ cup at a time, and cook the pancakes until golden brown, about 3 minutes per side.
It is a complete natural dried sugar cane. The original sucanat is hard to find. Most in Walmart are a processed sucanat. Yes, you can always go without.
Pumpkin Puree
Pumpkin puree can be made in your own kitchen; no longer the need to buy canned pumpkin. The fresh taste will delight your senses. Find a pie pumpkin since it is typically sweeter and a finer texture than the Jack-O-Lantern variety.
Two different methods for cooking your pumpkin:
1. Hard way: Cut the pumpkin in half and remove the seeds and strings. Then cut the pumpkin in large chunks and place on a baking sheet with one inch of water in the pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes to one hour. Add more water if necessary to prevent drying out. The pumpkin needs to be fork tender. Remove from oven, allow to cool. When cool to touch remove the outer skins and place pumpkin in blender. Blend until smooth. Freeze in 2 cups containers or freezer bags lying flat. This method will require straining
the puree before using in a recipe since water will be absorbed into the puree.
2. Super easy! Place the whole pumpkin, uncut on a foil-lined baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 90 minutes or until tender. Remove from oven, and cool.
Next peel the pumpkin. You should be able to remove the peel with little effort. Clean the pumpkin by removing the seeds and stringy pulp with a large spoon. Then process the flesh in a food processor, Bosch mixer bowl with whips or a VitaMix blender until smooth.
Freezing the Pumpkin: Measure pumpkin in 1 or 2 cups
and put in zip lock bags, small glass bowls or plastic bowls. If using zip- lock freezer bags lay the bags flat in the freezer – don’t just throw them in or you will have to defrost the freezer to get them out of the metal shelving. Lay them flat and it saves space and makes it easy to remove one at a time.
When using a small glass bowl put them in the freezer to flash freeze – freeze till firm. Then let them warm slightly- only enough to
remove from bowl and then pop them out of the bowl and put several together in a large freezer bag.
How do you make your own pumpkin purée