Warning: once you try my vegan pumpkin pancakes, you're going to want them every day! They're super moist, bursting with spices, and so perfect with a cup of piping hot coffee on a fall morning. They also cook up in minutes!
Comfort food season is upon us. When is that, you ask? In my opinion it starts in fall and goes through the end of year holidays. It's the time of year for indulgent meals of all kinds, not excluding breakfast! If you wanted to, you could have cake for breakfast. And I'm not saying I'd turn up a slice of my vegan pumpkin cake or vegan spice cake fist thing upon waking, but pancakes are a more socially acceptable form of cake. Vegan pumpkin pancakes are especially perfect!
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Why I Love This Recipe
These pancakes have just the right balance of pumpkin flavor and perfect texture. Cooking with pumpkin puree can be tricky and you need to get the amount just right. Use too much, and you'll end up with rubbery, sad pancakes. Use too little, and the pumpkin flavor might not come through!
This recipe uses just as much pumpkin as you need, and no more. In addition, we're using a heavy dose of spices, giving these pancakes an absolutely magical flavor.
Finally, these pancakes are simple and easy! One of the great advantages of making vegan pancakes is that they can be assembled from pantry staples. That goes for my classic vegan pancakes, vegan buckwheat pancakes, and even vegan crepes. These vegan pumpkin pancakes are no exception! You can keep all the ingredients on hand and whip up a batch any time a craving hits!
Ingredients You'll Need
- Flour. The recipe calls for all-purpose flour, also known as white flour. It should also work with all-purpose gluten-free flour, spelt flour, and whole wheat pastry flour. Use any other type of flour at your own risk.
- Baking powder.
- Spices. You'll need pumpkin pie spice, which is a spice blend that tastes just like, you guessed it, vegan pumpkin pie. It might also just be called pumpkin spice, depending on the brand. We're also using some extra cinnamon, because extra cinnamon makes anything better.
- Salt.
- Non-dairy milk. Use whatever type of non-dairy milk you normally drink and cook with. Soy milk, almond milk, oat milk, and cashew milk are all fine options. My guide to dairy-free milk can help if you have trouble choosing one.
- Pumpkin puree. Make sure you're using pumpkin puree, and not pumpkin pie filling, which has some extra ingredients we don't need. I used Libby's pumpkin puree to develop this recipe, and it's what I recommend using. Organic pumpkin puree tends to be thinner, so you may need extra flour. Check out the note in the recipe card for guidance.
- Brown sugar. Use organic brown sugar, please! Conventional brown sugar is often processed with animal bone char, so it's not always vegan. This is actually true of white and powdered sugar as well! Coconut sugar works as a substitute, if you need one.
- Vegetable oil. If you have a favorite neutral baking oil, feel free to use it. Canola oil, melted coconut oil, corn oil, and avocado oil will all work!
- Vanilla extract.
- Toppings. I'm generally a vegan butter and maple syrup kind of girl when it comes to pancakes, but feel free to get crazy! Fruit, vegan whipped cream, and nuts would all be great on these. Vegan cream cheese frosting would be delicious if you're serious about having dessert for breakfast.
How They're Made
Below is a detailed photo tutorial on how to make this dish. Scroll all the way down if you'd like to skip right to the recipe!
Step 1: Whisk your dry ingredients together in a large bowl: flour, baking powder, spices, and salt.
Step 2: Stir your wet ingredients together in a separate container: milk, pumpkin puree, brown sugar, oil, and vanilla.
Step 3: Pour the liquid ingredients into the bowl with the dry ingredients, then whisk everything together until the ingredients are combined and the batter is relatively smooth.
Step 4: Heat up and lightly oil a skillet. Once it's nice and hot, drop some batter onto the hot cooking surface. Let it cook until you see bubbles forming in the middle.
Step 5: Carefully test out the pancake with a spatula, lifting up a corner to see if it's ready to flip. If it is, go for it. Let it cook for a few more minutes after flipping.
Step 6: Time to enjoy your vegan pumpkin pancakes! Stack up as many as you like on a plate, then pile on the toppings and dig in.
Variations
- Pumpkin chocolate chip pancakes. Stir about a cup of vegan chocolate chips into the batter. I love Enjoy Life mini chips in my pancakes!
- Nutty vegan pumpkin pancakes. Stir a cup of finely chopped nuts into the batter. Pecans and walnuts work great for this recipe!
- Pumpkin apple pancakes. Dice up an apple and add it to the batter.
- Pumpkin gingerbread pancakes. For a hint of gingerbread flavor, add a teaspoon of ground ginger and two tablespoons of unsulfured molasses.
Leftovers & Storage
Store leftover vegan pumpkin pancakes will keep in an airtight container. I like to separate mine with sheets of parchment paper and place the stack in a sealed plastic bag. They'll keep in the refrigerator for about three days, or in the freezer for about three months.
There are a bunch of ways to reheat these pancakes, including in the microwave, or in an oven set to 400°F, but my favorite way is to simply pop them in the toaster. You can do this even if they're frozen. Toast them until they're thawed and heated throughout. They'll get a little crispy on the outside, which is actually really nice!
More Sweet Breakfast Recipes
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📖 Recipe
Vegan Pumpkin Pancakes
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour (Note 1)
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ cups unflavored and unsweetened non-dairy milk
- ½ cup canned pumpkin puree
- 2 tablespoons organic brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, plus more for the pan
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Toppings of choice, such as organic powdered sugar, fresh fruit, vegan butter, and maple syrup
Instructions
- Whisk the flour, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, and salt together in a large mixing bowl.
- In a separate container, stir together the milk, pumpkin puree, brown sugar, oil, and vanilla.
- Add the milk mixture to the bowl with the flour mixture. Whisk the batter until completely combined.
- Lightly oil the bottom of a medium skillet (Note 2). Place it over medium heat. Give the oil a minute to heat up, then drop the batter on the hot skillet, using about â…“ cup per pancake. You can cook multiple pancakes at a time if they'll fit, as long as you avoid crowding the skillet.
- Once you see bubbles forming in the center of a pancake, after about four minutes, you can test it out to see if it's ready to flip. Gently place a spatula under an edge of the pancake. If it feels stable, flip it. Cook each pancake for two or thee more minutes after flipping.
- If possible, serve the pancakes immediately after they come out of the pan. If not, place them on a wire rack until ready to serve.
- Transfer the pancakes to plates and top them with toppings of choice. Serve.
Notes
- I created this recipe using Libby's pumpkin puree. Some types of pumpkin puree, particularly organic ones, are thinner. If your pumpkin puree is on the runny side, consider increasing the amount of flour to 1 ¾ cups. If you're unsure, make the batter according to the recipe, cook one pancake, and if you find it a little flat, add a scant quarter cup of flour to the remaining batter.
- If you're using a nonstick cooking surface you can skip oiling it, if desired. I like to use a light coating of oil anyway, as it helps to get some light crisping on the outside of my pancakes.
- Nutrition information does not include toppings.
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These were just the flavor and texture I wanted the day before Thanksgiving-- A little pre-cooking extravaganza treat. Perfect!
Tried this recipe for breakfast today and was a hit.Made waffles and next time will have to make a double batch they went so quick.
Glad they were a hit!! Thanks Jack!
These are perfect! I’m not a huge fan of pancakes but these are amazing. The spices really come through and the texture is so satisfying. I added a few chocolate chips and popped them in the freezer for on the go breakfasts and it’s been a lifesaver:)
I'm glad you enjoyed them! And chocolate chips sound like a delicious addition! Thanks Annie!
I LOVE THIS RECIPE. I've made these a few times now, and it's easy and yummy.
I used maple syrup instead of molasses, and white whole wheat flour instead of all-purpose. I also added a little water after mixing everything together and used a little less than 1/4 cup of batter per pancake. I've also learned that a good oiled pan is crucial to pretty pancakes.
Yay! Glad you're enjoying this!
Hi Alissa ~ These look and sound luscious ! We "Oldies" plan to rise early, early tomorrow morning to water the gardens, and check on the LACK of veggies. ;) Also, we're planning to make this recipe when we come back indoors. Pumpkin "anything" sound great to us, so pancakes is a fantastic way to begin our day - after the outdoor chores. We prefer moister and more flavor cakes. Many thanks for sharing the recipe with all of us !! Have A Great It's Almost Autumn Day !!
Thanks Nancy! I'm always up for pumpkin anything too. :) I hope you enjoyed the pancakes, and happy almost autumn to you too!!