Healthier pumpkin spice pancakes are made gluten free and lightened up a bit by using better-for-you ingredients.
Now that we’re waist deep in pumpkin recipes, I figured it would be about time to share my first pumpkin recipe of the season. Don’t hate me, but I don’t always get the whole I NEED PUMPKIN EVERYTHING craze. Actually, it hardly happens to me. It happens mostly when I see a pumpkin cheesecake and that’s it.
My sister, however...she could be the ringleader for the pumpkin spice loving crew. Pumpkin tea and PSLs and pumpkin spice bread mix are probably all the things you would find in her pantry. I don’t have anything against pumpkin, it’s that I just don’t crave it nearly as often as other people do this time of year.
This past weekend we (my sister and her boyfriend & the fiance and I) went apple picking. The orchard also has an area for pumpkin picking, but recently I’ve been a little underwhelmed with our pumpkins. We do this thing where we carve them and then Mother Nature says it’s going to be a scorching 80 degrees in the middle of October. Friends, this does not bode well for pumpkins. They get...funky.
Even the mini pumpkins that I used as decorations also turned creepy quicker than anticipated. I have a sole surviving white mini pumpkin and it isn’t even the week of Halloween yet. What is happening to you, pumpkins?! Needless to say, we picked apples. We snapped a few photos of each other and went on our merry way with a full bag of apples.
But back to pumpkin talk! I don’t ever crave with a deep and burning desire all the pumpkin things like “normal” people do this time of year. Until it was a weekend and I wanted pancakes. Pumpkin spice pancakes. Regular pancakes just wouldn’t do. Since I’m always on a quest to make regular foods less guilt-inducing, I made my greatest attempt to lighten these babies up a bit.
So, I whipped together a batch of healthier pumpkin spice pancakes, trying my darndest to not use things like butter, cream, buttermilk or regular processed flour.
Ergo, these pancakes were born. A decent dollop of pumpkin puree is folded into a ½ cup of old fashioned oats, ground down into an oat flour. I added an egg for fluff and baking powder to make these babies rise a bit. No pumpkin spice recipe could be complete without a healthy dose of pumpkin pie spice, straight from the TJ jar that I adore so much.
Finished off with a little sprinkling of pecans and a wonderful drizzle of maple syrup, these warm pumpkin spice pancakes were everything my healthier-food-hunting self could ask for. They aren't really fluffy like a traditional pancake, but they still quashed my pumpkin and pancake craving like a charm.
Maybe next week I’ll venture down the path of a PSL, just for old time’s sake. I think I prefer them iced over hot - anyone else with me?
What’s your favorite fall time food to make?

Healthier Pumpkin Spice Pancakes
Healthier pumpkin pancakes are made gluten free and lightened up a bit by using better-for-you ingredients.
Ingredients
- ½ cup oats, ground to a flour
- ¼ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ packet stevia
- ¼ cup pumpkin puree
- 1 egg
- 4 tablespoons milk
- pecans, optional
- maple syrup, optional
Instructions
- Combine ground oat flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder and stevia in a small bowl and whisk until combined.
- Add in pumpkin puree, egg and milk. Stir until combined.
- Preheat a frying pan to medium heat. Spray with cooking spray or grease with butter.
- Cook each pancake for 2 minutes per side, or until desired doneness is reached.
- Garish with toasted pecans and maple syrup.
- **This recipe makes 2 pancakes, but can easily be doubled.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 1 Serving Size: 1 gramsAmount Per Serving: Calories: 268Unsaturated Fat: 0g
Love pumpkin? Check out my pumpkin archives!
Jess
These pancakes look incredible! I love pumpkin spice everything!
Jessica
Thank you!
Megan - The Emotional Baker
I love pumpkin pancakes! This looks like a great recipe 🙂 & warmer temps are good and bad 😉 Maybe you can carve some more pumpkins this weekend!
Jessica
Thanks, Megan!! I keep thinking it's going to stay cold and it gets warm again!
Stacey | The Sugar Coated Cottage
I hear you on the pumpkin thing, I have to wait for the obsession to hit each fall, it lasts about 2 weeks and then I'm over it until next year and agreed, lately I've been liking iced better which is odd considering the cold weather. Now onto these pancakes, they look really delicious and I like that they are healthy and pecans are the perfect nut choice! Take care.
Jessica
Thank you, Stacey! This is exactly how I feel about pumpkin stuff - I usually get sick of it before Thanksgiving and don't even want pumpkin pie then 🙁
Dawn @ Words Of Deliciousness
Wow! I love pumpkin pancakes. I think it's great that you made these healthier than the average pancake. They look delicious. When fall rolls around I love to make soup. Just about any soup will do.
Jessica
Thank you, Dawn!! I love soup too - it's perfect for when it's chilly 🙂
David @ Spiced
You know, I totally get your point about the pumpkin craze. I love (love!!) it when it first starts to come around each year, but I start to get tired of it after a while. It's still quite a delicious combo of flavors, though. And I'm not over the pumpkin spice yet...which is good because I now have a strange craving for pumpkin spice pancakes! Is it Saturday morning yet? I need some pancakes and cartoons! 🙂
Jessica
Thanks, David! I usually try to hold off for as long as possible so I can enjoy a solid two weeks of pumpkin stuff before I move on to the next flavor craze 🙂 It's not Saturday morning yet, but soon!!!!
Amanda
I don't go that crazy for pumpkin either. It took me forever to like pumpkin pie! I make an exception for pumpkin scones and pumpkin pancakes like these delicious ones. I could eat pancakes every day if I didn't control myself. I love that these are healthier!
Jessica
Thanks, Amanda! Pumpkin scones are fabulous also - although I could eat just about any scone and be content. But pancakes are easier and that's why I usually choose them 🙂
Nicoletta @sugarlovespices
Love so much the idea of pumpkin spice pancakes! We love pancakes for breakfast and we'll give this a try. They look fabulous!
Jessica
Thanks so much, Nicoletta! Pancakes are one of my favorite weekend breakfasts, too 🙂
Dawn - Girl Heart Food
I must admit, I do love pumpkin. And, then again, maybe it's because I love fall and pumpkin is such an iconic fall thing. Who knows? I can definitely say, though, that it is not that warm around here. The weather is getting cooler so we don't have any funky issues with our pumpkins. Must have been fun picking apples, though! Apple recipe soon? These pancakes look delicious! Love that you've healthified them a bit, but I bet when you eat 'em they still taste scrumptious and indulgent! Especially love the pecans on there! This would be a perfect Saturday morning brekky with a huge cup of coffee, of course 😉
Jessica
I always say I don't like pumpkin that much, and then I fall down the metaphorical pumpkin rabbit hole. I should have an apple recipe soon! There's still a big bowl of apples sitting on the counter here. They are perfect on Saturday mornings with a huge barrel of coffee 🙂
Danielle
Jesica, those pancakes look delicious and I love the pecans on top!!!!
Danielle | http://www.FollowMyGut.com <3
Jessica
Thanks so much, Danielle! Pecans may just be my favorite nut...right along with almonds!
Pamela @ Brooklyn Farm Girl
I'm obsessed with these! Going to be a breakfast for dinner night!
Jessica
Thanks, Pamela!! Breakfast for dinner is one of my personal favorites 😀