I couldn’t wait to start getting my Christmas decorations up early this year. I fully admit to being one of those people who take the Halloween decorations down and immediately take out the Christmas stuff! Anyone else right there with me?? My reasoning is totally related to the fact we always travel out of town to see family over Thanksgiving and Christmas. The time we spend in our own home, enjoying our decorations, is actually pretty minimal. I maximize that time by getting everything out in November, so that it doesn’t feel like I’m taking it all back down only two or three weeks later.
We’ve been lighting up our tree every night and enjoying the ambiance, but that doesn’t mean I’m completely over all the Fall things! I’ve been in the kitchen using up my stash of homemade pumpkin puree to whip up all things pumpkin spice, and today I have an amazing Pumpkin Pancake recipe to share with you. I started making vegan pancakes on the regular, back when I learned hubs was allergic to dairy and realized one of our daughters is allergic to dairy as well as egg. I also have to admit, I love eating plant-based as much as possible. I’ve perfected the recipe over the years and can promise you – you won’t even notice egg and dairy are missing!
Fluffy Vegan Pumpkin Pancakes are ULTRA thick and fluffy, and super delicious! Dairy happens to be one of the most inflammatory foods out there and while you won’t notice any difference in flavor in this recipe, you will notice you don’t feel overstuffed and weighed down. Another essential ingredient for feeling good, is using sprouted whole wheat flour. If you haven’t tried it yet, I sure hope you do! Sprouted flour is easier to digest, higher in several nutrients and totally worth the swap.* When you click on my favorite product links, I may earn a tiny commission from qualifying purchases, at no cost to you. Thank you for supporting Big Little Bites blog*
I have a couple of tricks up my sleeve for substituting egg and dairy in pancake recipes, that never fail me. The best part is, these tricks lead to the fluffiest pancakes EVER! Keep reading to learn more!
The Ultimate Guide to Fluffy Vegan Pancakes
For pancakes to be vegan, the egg, milk and butter all need to be avoided. Instead of cutting out one or all of these ingredients completely, I simply substitute them with alternatives that result in the fluffiest pancakes around!
I replace eggs with “flax eggs.” If you’ve never made a flax egg before don’t be intimidated – it’s easy and is an excellent egg replacer in any baking recipe that calls for 1 or 2 eggs. You’ll only need ground flax seed (the one I linked is my favorite, and one bag of it lasts forever in my fridge!) and water. Scroll down for easy directions on how to make flax eggs.
Another secret to ultra-fluffy pancakes, is the addition of vegan yogurt! I’ve linked my favorite clean-ingredient one to use, and I always make sure to buy the “unsweetened.” I love that this recipe uses minimal sugar and that the pancakes are only sweetened by applesauce and coconut sugar, which is low on the glycemic index.
How to Make a Flax Egg for Baking:
- 1 tablespoon of ground flax seed
- 3 tablespoons of water
In a small ramekin or bowl, stir together flax seed and water. Leave undisturbed for at least 10 minutes before using in a recipe. The mixture will be thickened and resemble the consistency of egg white.
The bowl on the left shows the pumpkin puree and flax eggs being stirred together. The bowl on the right, shows all of the ingredients mixed together.
Once everything is mixed together, I heat my griddle to 325 degrees and grease it with a smear of coconut oil just before I’m ready to cook. I use a 1/4 c measurement to scoop batter onto my hot griddle, and flip the pancakes when they appear to be bubbling slightly on top.
While the pancakes are cooking, make the quick candied pecans to top your pancakes with. They don’t take long to come together, and in my opinion, are an essential topping for Fluffy Vegan Pumpkin Pancakes!
But don’t forget the maple syrup! Artificial “pancake syrup” is made mostly of corn syrup and food dye to resemble the real stuff, which is sap from a tree. Real maple syrup is rich in caramelized flavor and provides manganese, zinc and even calcium, among other nutrients and antioxidants. Every Fall, I keep my eyes open at the grocer, for bourbon, barrel-aged maple syrup – it’s one of my favorite flavor finds and the packaging is usually so chic! I also think a bottle of bourbon barrel-aged maple syrup makes a really great, unique and special holiday gift for all of the important service people in our lives. Imagine surprising your postman with a beautiful bottle tagged with a thank you note, inside your mailbox!
Fluffy Vegan Pumpkin Pancakes
Equipment
- Griddle or skillet
Ingredients
- 1.5 c sprouted whole wheat flour
- 1/4 c golden coconut sugar
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 4 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 3/4 c pumpkin puree
- 1/2 c unsweetened coconut milk yogurt
- 2 flax eggs see post for easy instructions!
- 1/4 c applesauce, unsweetened
- 1/4 c water
- 2 tbsp expeller pressed, virgin coconut oil
- 1 tbsp vanilla
Quick Candied Pecans
- 2 tsp expeller pressed, virgin coconut oil
- 1 tbsp coconut sugar
- 1/2 c pecans
Instructions
Fluffy Vegan Pumpkin Pancakes
- Preheat griddle to 325 degrees.
- In a large bowl, whisk all of the dry ingredients together.
- In a medium bowl, combine all of the wet ingredients.
- Add half of the dry ingredient mixture, to the wet mix and stir to loosely combine. Add the remaining half and stir well. The mixture will be thick.
- Immediately before cooking, grease griddle with a brush of coconut oil. Using a 1/4 c measuring cup, scoop batter onto hot griddle.
- Cook the pancakes for about 4 minutes per side, or until you being to see air bubbles (or pockets) on the top side.
- While the pancakes are cooking, begin working on the Quick Candied Pecans (directions below).
- Remove hot pancakes to a plate. Top with Quick Candied Pecans.
Quick Candied Pecans
- In a small skillet over medium-low heat, melt coconut oil.
- Add coconut sugar to the oil, and stir every few minutes until it's mostly dissolved. About 5 minutes.
- Stir in pecans, making sure to coat evenly. Cook for another 5 minutes, being careful not to let the sugar burn.
