I am passionate about healthy breakfast recipes, especially those packed with protein, to keep me full for hours. It’s time to bake some delicious high-protein pumpkin recipes with fall approaching. If you haven’t tried my protein pumpkin energy balls or pumpkin protein bars, you should. But let’s go back to these easy pumpkin protein pancakes first.
What Are Pumpkin Protein Pancakes?
Pumpkin protein pancakes are made with pumpkin puree and added protein powder to boost their protein per serving. They are packed with pumpkin flavors from pumpkin spices and are slightly moist in the center due to the pumpkin puree. They are healthy pancakes to celebrate fall, rich in fiber from rolled oats and proteins from plant-based protein powder.
Ingredients and Substitutions
All you need to start this pancake recipe are:
Canned Pumpkin Puree – This is not the same as pumpkin pie filling. Canned pumpkin puree is made just from pumpkin. It contains a blend of cooked, mashed pumpkin that deliver a 100% natural vegetable puree packed with flavors. You can also use homemade pumpkin puree for this recipe. Oil of Choice – Like avocado oil, coconut oil, or olive oil. I didn’t try the recipe oil-free, but in my experience, pumpkin pancakes stick to the pan without oil, and I do recommend using oil. However, try oil-free swaps like non-dairy yogurt or unsweetened apple sauce. Apple Cider Vinegar or lemon juice. All-Purpose Flour or white spelt flour. Oat Flour – The combination of flour and oat flour makes the pancake texture perfect. It prevents gummy pancakes, and they cook faster, while oats add proteins and fiber. Vanilla Extract Baking Powder Coconut Sugar or any crystal sweetener like unrefined cane sugar or simply sugar. Avoid liquid sweeteners that make the batter gummy and difficult to cook in the center. You can skip the sweetener in the batter if sugar-free. Pumpkin Pie Spices or simply use cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg. Vanilla Protein Powder – I use pea protein powder made with just three natural ingredients, no additives. Unsweetened Almond Milk – Or any plant-based milk you love including coconut milk or soy milk, or oat milk. For a nut-free version, replace the almond milk with any nut-free plant-based milk, like oat milk, coconut milk, or soy milk for a boost of proteins. Water – Cold water from the tap.
How To Make Pumpkin Protein Pancakes
You need a few simple, wholesome ingredients to make pumpkin pancakes with protein powder. Pumpkin pancakes contain more moisture than regular pancakes, and therefore they take a little longer to cook in the center, so be patient. They are also a bit more chewy and moist in the center, and that’s what you should expect from a protein pancake recipe with pumpkin puree. They are not as light and fluffy as my fluffy vegan pancakes.
Serving
Serve the pumpkin pancakes with any topping you love like:
Almond Butter or peanut butter Plant-Based Greek Yogurt, like coconut yogurt, oat yogurt, or soy yogurt. Banana Slices Whipped Cream like my Vegan Whipped Cream Nuts like chopped pecans, walnuts, or almonds Chocolate Chips A pinch of extra cinnamon or pumpkin spices to boost the fall flavors of your stack. Maple Syrup or coconut nectar Jam like my 2-Ingredient Chia Seed Jam Recipe (No Sugar)
Below are my answers to your most common questions about this protein pumpkin pancake recipe.
