These Pumpkin Protein Pancakes are easy, healthy fall pancakes packed with 16 grams of proteins. Plus, they are plant-based, made without eggs or dairy, and vegan-friendly.
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.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk all-purpose flour, oat flour, baking powder, pumpkin spices, sugar, salt, and vanilla protein powder (photo 1). Set aside.
- In another large mixing bowl, whisk pumpkin puree, oil, unsweetened almond milk, vanilla extract, and water.
- Finally, whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until they form a thick pancake batter (photo 2).
If you like it, feel free to stir in 1/4 cup of dark chocolate chips or finally chopped pecans or walnuts in the pancake batter.
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.
- Warm a non-stick pancake griddle with cooking oil spray.
- Pour three tablespoons of pancake batter into the pan and use the back of a spoon to help spread the batter into a larger round pancake.
- Cook the pancakes for 2 to 3 minutes on medium heat on one side.
- Flip and cook for an extra 1 to 2 minutes on the other side.
- Let the pancakes cool down on a wire rack, so they steam out their extra moisture.
Meanwhile, keep cooking the remaining batter.
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)
Frequently Asked Questions
Below are my answers to your most common questions about this protein pumpkin pancake recipe.
Homemade protein pancakes made from simple ingredients like oats, fruit puree, and unprocessed plant-based protein powder are the best. They are made with clean ingredients to keep you energize and full for longer.
If you add too much pumpkin puree or wet ingredients to the batter, the pancakes are too moist and won’t cook well in the center. Make sure you measure ingredients precisely to make your pancake’s texture right.
Store the leftover pumpkin pancakes in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
You can also place the pancakes in zip-lock bags in the freezer for up to one month. Thaw in the fridge the day before and reheat them in the microwave or toaster oven.
More Pancakes Recipes
Below are my other healthy pancake recipes for you to try.
Did You Like This Recipe?
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Pumpkin Protein Pancakes
Ingredients
Wet Ingredients
- ¾ cup Canned Pumpkin Puree - (note 1)
- 1 tablespoon Avocado Oil
- ¾ cup Unsweetened Almond Milk
- ½ cup Water
- 1 teaspoon Apple Cider Vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
Dry Ingredients
- 1 cup All-Purpose Flour - (note 3 for options)
- ½ cup Oat Flour
- 2 tablespoons Coconut Sugar - (note 2)
- ⅓ cup Vanilla Protein Powder
- 1 tablespoon Baking Powder
- 2 ½ teaspoons Pumpkin Pie Spices - or ground cinnamon
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk all the wet ingredients: pumpkin puree, oil, almond milk, water, apple cider vinegar, and vanilla extract. Whisk until smooth.
- In another bowl, whisk the dry ingredients: flour, oat flour, protein powder, coconut sugar, pumpkin spices, and baking powder.
- Stir the dry ingredients into the wet until the batter is thick and consistent.
- Warm a non-stick pancake griddle over medium heat and grease generously with oil. Pumpkin pancakes tend to stick more to the pan, so oil is a must.
- Scoop out three tablespoons of batter per pancake, use the back of a spoon to spread the batter, and make the pancake thinner. Cook for 2-3 minutes on one side or until the sides are dry and set so you can easily slide a spatula under the pancake to flip it over.
- Flip and cook for an extra 1-2 minutes on the other side.
- Serve with maple syrup, banana slices, or almond butter for a boost of proteins.
Storage
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days or freeze for up to one month in zip-lock bags for later.
- Rewarm in the microwave or toaster oven.
The weather was so bad last weekend that I felt like it was fall. Luckily, these pancakes made it acceptable because they are so YUM!
Thank you!
Very tasty, easy to make, thank you!
I loved them, my kids loved them, it was a hit