These easy pumpkin pancakes have an amazing texture! Unlike a lot of other healthy pumpkin pancakes recipes, these aren’t at all bready and don’t taste healthy. With whole wheat and gluten-free options.
I just love pancakes on a fall morning – what about you? They give me something to roll out of bed for. ;)
Bonus points if they have pumpkin or pumpkin pie spice! This recipe definitely fits the bill.
These pancakes could also easily be called pumpkin protein pancakes because they have something of a special addition – but don’t let it turn you off!
This recipe calls for 3/4 cup cottage cheese but I promise you can’t taste it. All it does is make these easy pumpkin pancakes taste less healthy.
It sounds ridiculous, I know, but really. It makes them less bready, something I dislike in pancakes, and less eggy. You whip these up in the food processor and so nobody will be able to tell that there’s cottage cheese and all that protein in there.
I love that there’s so much protein in there because it means a few of these don’t leave me in a carb coma the way most pancake recipes do. They fill me up and I can go about my day rather than wanting to mosey back to bed.
These pancakes are also great reheated. I love making a big batch and eating one for breakfast every workday. It just makes mornings so much cheerier!
There’s quite a bit of spice in these which yields an awesomely fall-flavored breakfast. Not just a hint of spice. It’s right there in your face!
To make these healthy pumpkin pancakes, you just blend everything in a high-speed blender or food processor.
I’m not sure how well these pancakes would come out without using one. You could use oat flour in place of the oats but the cottage cheese is the issue. I’m guessing the pancakes would be lumpy and strange, but it’s just a guess.
I don’t know of a good vegan sub for cottage cheese and so I haven’t tried making these vegan. Which also means I didn’t bother trying them with an egg sub.
But I’m almost positive that egg subs wouldn’t work here. Four eggs are just too much to replace!
For the flour, you can whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour or more rolled oats (or oat flour). If you use the latter, these easy pumpkin pancakes are gluten-free.
Just make sure you use gluten-free oats / oat flour! And don’t worry – these pancakes don’t taste at all gluten-free! Just pumpkiny delicious.
If you try them out, I’d love to hear how you like them!
Easy Pumpkin Pancakes
- Prep Time:
- Cook Time:
- Ready in:
- Yield: 10-12 5" pancakes
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup (22 grams) rolled oats or oat flour
- 1/4 cup (32 grams) whole wheat flour or 1/4 cup (22 grams) additional rolled oats or oat flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 3 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice1
- 4 large eggs (50 grams each, out of shell) eggs
- 3/4 cup (155 grams) cottage cheese
- 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons (204 grams) pumpkin puree
- 2 tablespoons oil (coconut oil, canola, olive, whatever you want)
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup (honey would also work)
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Directions
- Pour the oats in the food processor or high-speed processor and give it a few pulses. You want them to be a little finer is all. Then add all the other ingredients and mix until thoroughly combined. There definitely shouldn't be any lumps. Because we're using cottage cheese here, I don't recommend making these without the help of a food processor or a good blender.
- Cook in a medium pan over medium heat. For me, it took about 1-2 minutes before I flipped them, and then another minute on the next side. They were really easy to flip, but if you normally use cooking spray, go ahead and use it here.
Notes
Join over 12,400 readers and sweeten up
your inbox with new posts for free!
This subscription is free of charge and can be canceled at any time.
64 comments on “Easy Pumpkin Pancakes (gluten-free option)” — Add one!
2 comments are awaiting moderation!
I’m never tired of pumpkin either! I wish there was a vegan sub for cottage cheese. My mom use to make pancakes with it when I was growing up and I remember it being so good. Any ideas on substitutions? I’m thinking maybe vegan yogurt or soft tofu.
I really don’t think there is one. The texture is so different from everything else. :/
I love pumpkin pancakes! These look amazing for the season ♥
Thanks! :)
Can Greek yogurt be substituted for cottage cheese?
I haven’t tried it but I don’t think it’d work. I really don’t think there’s a good sub for cottage cheese.
This is like the fifth time i visit the website to make these pancakes. They don’t last because i can’t stop eating then. perfect 👌🏽. sometimes i use oat four.
Do you use the same amount of oat flour? Sounds good! Thanks for the tip. :) I’m so happy that you like them and keep making them! Thanks a bunch for your feedback.
here i am again making them. yes. same amount of oat flour.
Great to know! Thanks a ton for the reply. :)
Instead of pumpkin puree , carrot puree works well too. yummm.
Sounds great! Thanks for the tip. :)
Loved these pancakes! I made a couple changes. Used oat flour instead of wheat flour(just used regular oats puréed into flour) and the only spice I added was cinnamon. Delicious and guilt free!
I’ve been meaning to try them with just oat flour! Thanks for the tip. :) So happy you liked the pancakes!
These were great I was looking for a healthy pankcake to make my 9 month old and I finally found one. She loved them and so did I.
I’m so happy that you both liked them! Thanks so much for the feedback. :)
Made these for supper tonight. LOVED THEM!!! My 22 month old daughter ate 2. I didnt have whole wheat flour, so used white. We love toppings on our pancakes so added, greek yogurt, hemp seeds, apples and honey. YUMMY!!!!
Aww, I want pancakes for dinner! :) Your toppings sound great. So happy that you and your little one liked them! Thanks a ton for the feedback and the rating. :)
I LOVE PUMPKIN!!! Cant wait to make these pancakes, my 3 year old will LOVE!! I try to stay away from wheat though so I was wonder what else would be a healthy choice of flour to use in this and still come out delish??
Thanks :)
I do a lot of gluten-free and grain-free baking but I’m afraid that it wouldn’t work with this recipe. There’s no really good way to replace all the wheat flour with something else. Perhaps a gluten-free all-purpose mix? I’m sorry I couldn’t help more! Good luck and I hope you’ll like them. :) (you could also use whole spelt flour if you’re just avoiding wheat and not gluten!)
Just discovered this recipe on your list of 100 pumpkin recipes. This is definitely going on my list of things to make. I love the idea of getting to eat pumpkin pie and not having to pay a high [caloric] price for doing so.
These are a real favorite of mine! I hope you’ll like them as much as I do, Susan. :) To me, they’re just as or even more satisfying than pie! And I’m so happy that you explored around the recipes of my pumpkin roundup. Thank you!
I made these pancakes and wrote about it here. Thank you so much for sharing the recipe. My family loved them, even though they hate cottage cheese! Thanks again!
Yay! I'm happy to hear that you all liked them. Thanks for linking to your post. I'll go check it out now! Thanks again for the feedback. :)
Burnt out on pumpkin?! Noooo! At least I'm not. I started a little later than everyone else, but I still have more pumpkin recipes to come! I better get sharing… Anywho… Your pancakes look wonderful! I wanted to make some pumpkin pancakes to share but I never got around to it. I will be trying yours at some point though. I love that there are no weird ingredients :D
I hope you do! And there are so many things I never get around to sharing. It's sad. Like Thanksgiving stuff. I think next year all of November will be Thanksgiving month! I haven't even started posting and it's almost here. :(
100% Whole Grain Pumpkin Protein Pancakes delicious!and healthy
Thanks!
These look soo yummy! Very interesting to use cottage cheese.
Oh man, German weather eh? I am quite certain that never in my life-time will I ever miss it.
It's awful, isn't it? I just bought a light therapy light. I hope that'll help me cope with the German grayness! I guess it could be worse. It could be dark and humid!
I can NEVER get enough pumpkin! I have yet to make pumpkin pancakes this season, but when I do (maybe this weekend?!) I want them to be just as healthy as these. Or wait, I want them to be these lol! The cottage cheese, oats, pumpkin – these are right up my alley Erin!
Oh yes! Do make them! I'd be so giddy if you did. And it's good that you can't get enough pumpkin because more is coming. :)
Oh my, these look amazing. I have a bunch of homemade pumpkin puree in the freezer and I am looking for new inspirations. And I know what I'll be making next… :-D Thank you for sharing this!
I hope you'll like them! Let me know how they turn out. :)
Another pancake recipe? I love it. Your pancakes are the best looking ones. You are going to have to give me a tutorial on making these some day!! I am yet to try your other pancake recipes.
On another note, I am going to make those apple chips you made the other day is a little bit since I have so many apples :-) I hope they turn out ok.
I don't have *that* many. :) And we will absolutely make pancakes if I can stop by for a visit! And let me know how the apple chips come out. Somebody has already made them with good results so I'm sure you'll be fine. I hope you like them!
These are absolutely incredible! My 3 year old daughter is a picky eater and she inhaled 3 of these and that makes me very happy:) We ate the entire batch! My husband said they taste like pumpkin pie and he's right! I detest cottage cheese. I think its the texture that turns me of, but like you said, you would never know its in there, and like you I don't really like the bready part of pancakes and it does improve the texture and taste of the pancakes. Love how its an all in one meal because of the protein, because that's another thing I don't like about pancakes, how you normally get hungry soon afterwards. These have staying power and I didn't feel the need to put any butter or maple syrup on them because they're so flavorful as is and moist. I'll be making these the next time my in laws stay with us, so you know they're good if they're in law worthy. Love, love love the pumpkin recipes. So not burnt out on the pumpkin, although I'm quite excited for your ginger recipes as well. Pumpkin and ginger are my favorite!
Hi Heather! Are you the same Heather that made my apple chips and pumpkin chai latte? If so, thanks for leaving all this feedback. And for making all these recipes! :) If not, thanks for leaving the amazing feedback on this recipe! I'm so happy that you and your family enjoyed them. I'm really impressed that you all ate them without any maple syrup. They're SO good with it! But you're right, it's not needed. It's just so hard to resist. And wow, I'm honored that you'll be making these for your in-laws. Yay! And if you're the same Heather that made the pumpkin latte, I've ordered a light therapy lamp (you mentioned SAD) and it should arrive next week. I'll mention in a post at some point if it works or not! Thanks again for the super feedback. I really appreciate that you took the time. :)
Yes its me! I absolutely love your recipes. I initially discovered you when someone posted your grain free peanut butter chocolate chip cookie dough bites on their blog (a frugal living blog) which I thought were heaven on earth and I've been hooked on your blog ever since! As you know, I have a 3 year old who loves to help in the kitchen and I feel much better giving her treats that taste good but that also aren't bad for her. Your blog introduced me to Miryam's Eatgood4Life blog which I also follow and where as she's a busy mom like myself I make many of her recipes for supper (and some desserts like her whole wheat Halloween sugar cookies) and yours for dessert. Pretty equal. I'm hopeful that the light therapy lamp will work for you (yes that's me again) or that something soon will work. Oh, and it was only me that ate the pancakes without maple syrup. My husband isn't as health conscious as myself and there is no way my daughter would eat hers without maple syrup after seeing him put maple syrup on them. Maple syrup is always great, its just that I was trying to be good(lol), plus like I said they really didn't need them. Tommorow, I'll be making the m&m; fudge recipe, but using the Smarties from my daughters Halloween stash instead. I'll let you know how that turns out for me, and thank you, thank you so much for your incredible recipes. They make everyone happier around here!
Oh, I'm so happy to hear that you also make Miryam's recipes! Before I started my own blog and making my own recipes, I was making her recipes. All the time. They're great! I hope you enjoy the fudge recipe. There's another one on here for peanut butter chocolate fudge and this is still my favorite candy. So yummy! I've been adding more and more peanut butter to it and it makes it even yummier. Thanks again for your kinds comments. They really made my day! :) Oh and good for you for resisting the maple syrup! I wish I had that kind of willpower.
Erin, these look super tasty! Now I'm craving pancakes!
Thank you! And I guess pancakes aren't such a bad craving so I don't feel too guilty. :)
holy poly! these do look delicious! and the fact that are also healthy (unusual for pancakes) is definitely a plus. brava!
Thank you! I wish I had some Swedish pancakes, though. I miss those!
Not weird at all, I think these sound wonderful!
Thanks! :)
I definitely love pumpkin, and I also really love the healthy recipes that dont taste like they are healthy. That is always the bonus! These look amazing. I really need to practice making pancakes. Ive only made them a couple times and Ive burned both batches… I guess I just need to make them more often to get better ;)
What?! You definitely need to try pancakes again. I hope to see you post pancakes soon. :)
Sounds like a great recipe.I can't wait to set my breakfast table!
Thanks!
I still have not gotten a chance to try your other pancakes for two recipe. I really need to get on that.
And no, I am not burned out on pumpkin just yet. I've still got two 15 oz. cans in my room waiting to be used. And because I scale back on recipes, I can get at least 4 different recipes out of those two cans :)
But once December hits, I'm done with pumpkin. Pumpkin is an October/November treat. Once December 1st arrives, I'll be stacking up on ginger, molasses, and maple everything for a little while :)
Do you have a food processor? You need one for those and also for these. :( You definitely don't want cottage cheese chunks. Yuck.
I do the same with scaling down. Because of my limited ration, I only make 1/2 or even 1/4 of recipes. And I'm done with pumpkin after Thanksgiving, too. You and I are really similar except for your apple (or is it all fruit?) hatred!
Oh yum! These look so good and they sound like they would be pretty filling too.
They are! Thanks for pointing that out. :)
Such a great idea to have a stack that you re-heat over the next few days, genius! These pancakes look really delicious too :)
Thank you! It really does make it so much easier to get up in the morning. :)
These look fabulous! And that's how i make my pancakes, too – in a biggish batch, then reheated for breakfast/snacks over the next few days. And I'm not burned out on pumpkin yet!
Yay! Good. More is coming. :)
Oh my goodness those look yummy! And seriously, can one ever get too much pumpkin? I actually have a nice white pumpkin sitting in front of me, waiting to be turned into a beautiful spicy Bundt cake. Oh, I can't wait! Especially now that I have seen your pancakes. Craving pumpkin big time!
White pumpkin?! That sounds interesting. :) I can't wait to see your cake! I'm sure it'll be glorious, just as always. And super duper healthy!
Oh my goodness, what a fabulous recipe! I'm in total love with the protein added to these :)
Thanks!
These look delicious! Definitely not burned out of pumpkin yet :) Can't wait to try these!
Thanks! I hope you can try them out. :)