Healthy Pumpkin Pancakes with their fluffy texture, signature orange hue, and autumn spices have special powers to make life feel delightfully, deliciously fall.
Or autumn. I think it sounds very fancy to call it autumn, don’t you?
Today is the first day of fall (or autumn—you do you), a season that I don’t mark so much with a date on the calendar as I do a certain, telltale feeling in the air.
I’m not one to rush into pumpkin season (after all, we still have the scrumptious Every Day Apple Cinnamon Pancakes in my cookbook to make), but I will admit to feeling a prickle of excitement the first time I leave my house and think I could use a chunky sweater right about now.
Whether you’re a PSL holdout or you’ve been making Healthy Pumpkin Bread since August 1, healthy pumpkin pancakes will start your season on a joyful note.
The Best Healthy Pumpkin Pancakes
These perfect pumpkin pancakes are:
- Spiced-So-Nice. Pumpkin is pretty bland on its own. It’s the spices that bring it to life, and these pancakes do not skimp.
- PACKED with Actual Pumpkin. While spices are important, I am of the mind that it’s cheating just to add them to something and dub it “pumpkin” (that’s pumpkin spice. Not the same!). You need ACTUAL pumpkin, and with a full 3/4 cup of pumpkin puree, these deliver.
- Healthy. Whole grains, Greek yogurt, and just the lightest touch of maple syrup to sweeten make them a nutritious way to begin your morning.
- Use Pantry Staples. Yes, I love buttermilk pancakes, but I don’t always have it around. These easy pumpkin pancakes use regular milk and the yogurt instead to help them become tender, tall, and fluffy.
How to Make Healthy Pumpkin Pancakes
Ready or not, fall has arrived, so let’s embrace it with tender pumpkin pancakes!
You’ll love the way these pancakes fill your kitchen with the scent of cinnamon and maple.
They bring everyone into the kitchen (just like these truly classic Fluffy Pancakes!).
Tip!
If you are making pumpkin pancakes for two, you’ll be happy to know that they are just as yummy reheated.
- Warm them in a toaster oven to lightly crisp the outsides (my fave) or in a skillet with a bit of butter.
- For a faster option with good results, reheat pancakes in the microwave.
The Ingredients
- Pumpkin Puree. Pumpkin puree helps make these low calorie pumpkin pancakes. Pumpkin brings the flavor and moisture we need without breaking the calorie bank. Plus, it’s rich in vitamins and antioxidants.
- White Whole Wheat Flour. I love using white whole wheat flour in my recipes, because it bumps the nutritional content while keeping a light and fluffy texture.
- Nonfat Greek Yogurt + Milk. Instead of using buttermilk in this recipe, I opted to use nonfat Greek yogurt and milk in its place. The combination mimics buttermilk, giving the pancakes that classic, perfect texture.
- Baking Powder + Baking Soda. For light and fluffy pancakes.
- Spices. The ultimate fall spice trio! Cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg make pumpkin taste like pumpkin.
- Eggs. Eggs give the pancakes structure.
- Pure Maple Syrup. For natural sweetness that perfectly complements the pumpkin.
- Vanilla. A must-have for cozy pancake goodness!
The Directions
- Whisk the yogurt and milk together. Let rest for 5 minutes. Melt the butter. Whisk the dry ingredients together in a separate bowl.
- Whisk the remaining wet ingredients into the yogurt and milk mixture. Add the butter.
- Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Don’t overmix!
- Drop batter onto a buttered skillet. Cook for about 4 minutes, then flip.
- Repeat until the batter is gone. DIG IN!
Storage Tips
- To Store. Refrigerate pancakes in an airtight storage container for up to 4 days.
- To Reheat. Rewarm leftover pancakes in a toaster oven, in a skillet with butter on the stovetop over medium-low heat, or in the microwave.
- To Freeze. Healthy pumpkin pancakes can be frozen for up to 3 months. Reheat from frozen. (To avoid a pancake clump, make sure to freeze pancakes fully before transferring them to a storage container. See below for tips.)
Storage Tips
Place pancakes in a single layer on a baking sheet and freeze until solid. Transfer frozen pancakes to an airtight freezer-safe storage container or ziptop bag.
What to Serve with Pumpkin Pancakes
Recommended Tools to Make this Recipe
- Nonstick Skillet. Make cleanup a breeze with a nonstick skillet.
- Mixing Bowls. This set of mixing bowls works well for preparing pancake batter.
- Whisk. This small whisk is the perfect size.
The Best Nonstick Skillet
A nonstick skillet is ideal for making recipes that tend to stick to the pan. This one is also oven-safe!
These healthy pumpkin pancakes give me all the fall feels! I hope they bring cozy, sweater weather feelings to your morning soon.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can make vegan pumpkin pancakes by adding a little pumpkin puree and pumpkin spice to my Vegan Pancakes recipe.
Healthy pumpkin pancakes are delicious on their own, but toppings take things to another level. The best toppings for healthy pumpkin pancakes are maple syrup, butter, toasted pecans, vanilla Greek yogurt, whipped cream, granola, or pumpkin butter. Almond or peanut butter is yummy with pumpkin too.
While this isn’t a recipe for healthy pumpkin pancakes oatmeal, you can easily add a little pumpkin puree and pumpkin spice to my Oatmeal Pancakes, or swap some pumpkin for the banana in my Banana Oatmeal Pancakes.
Healthy Pumpkin Pancakes
Ingredients
FOR THE PUMPKIN PANCAKES:
- 3/4 cup nonfat Greek yogurt
- 3/4 cup milk (I used 1%)
- 2 tablespoons butter plus additional for cooking the pancakes
- 1 ½ cups white whole wheat flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon*
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger*
- 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg*
- 3/4 cup pumpkin purée pure pumpkin; NOT pumpkin pie filling
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup or granulated sugar or honey
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
FOR SERVING (Optional):
- Pure maple syrup
- Butter
- Chopped toasted pecans
- Vanilla greek yogurt
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the Greek yogurt and milk. Set aside and let rest for 5 minutes.
- In a small bowl or saucepan, melt the butter. Set aside to cool.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the white whole wheat flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg until evenly combined.
- To the bowl with the rested milk and yogurt, add the pumpkin puree, eggs, maple syrup, and vanilla. Whisk until well blended. Whisk in the melted, cooled butter.
- Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients. Carefully pour in the wet ingredients. With a wooden spoon or rubber spatula, stir very gently, just until the flour disappears. The mixture will look lumpy. Let rest while the skillet preheats.
- To cook: If you’d like to keep the pancakes warm between batches, preheat the oven to 200 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Preheat an electric griddle to 350 degrees F, or heat a large, nonstick skillet or cast iron skillet over medium low. Wait several minutes to allow the skillet fully preheat.
- Melt a little butter on the skillet, or coat with nonstick spray (some nonstick surfaces may not need any butter/spray at all). Scoop the batter by scant 1/4 cupfuls, leaving room for the pancakes to spread. Let cook on the first side until bubbles form on top and the edges of the pancakes look dry, about 4 minutes. Flip and cook on the other side, until the pancakes are golden and cooked through, about 2 to 3 minutes more. Adjust the heat as you go if the outsides begin to darken too quickly, before the insides are cooked through.
- Repeat with remaining pancakes, adding more butter or nonstick spray to the skillet as needed and keeping the pancakes warm in the oven between batches as desired. Serve hot, with desired toppings.
Notes
- *If you prefer, you can swap the spices in this recipe for 1 ¼ teaspoons pumpkin pie spice.
- TO STORE: Refrigerate pancakes in an airtight storage container for up to 4 days.
- TO REHEAT: Rewarm leftover pancakes in a toaster oven, in a skillet with butter on the stovetop over medium-low heat, or in the microwave.
- TO FREEZE: Place pancakes in a single layer on a baking sheet and freeze until solid. Transfer frozen pancakes to an airtight freezer-safe storage container or ziptop bag for up to 3 months. Reheat from frozen.
Nutrition
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Can this recipe be used as written to make sheet pan pancakes? I’ve never managed to perfect the art of pancake flipping so I prefer to bake them.
Hi Carolena! I’ve only tested the recipe as written and haven’t tried it out as a sheet pan version. If you decide to experiment, let me know how it goes!
This was a wonderful way to celebrate the first day of fall! I doubled the recipe and baked in a sheet pan at 450 for 14 minutes and they were perfect! I also added chocolate chips to half of the batter and my kids requested these pancakes to be on a regular rotation 😊.
Hi Carolena! Thank you so much for your feedback about making the sheet pan version! So glad you enjoyed it!!
This looks delicious! Could almond flour be substituted for the whole wheat flour?
Hi Leyla! I’ve only tested the recipe as written, so I can’t say for sure. If you decide to use almond flour, I don’t believe you can do a one to one substitute. Let me know how it goes!
I made these for my family this morning and they were delicious — enjoyed by parents and toddlers alike. I definitely recommend adding toasted pecans on top!! Looking forward to trying your pumpkin turkey chili for dinner tonight.
Hi Jessica! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Made these with my 10 and 12 year old daughters for Sunday morning breakfast. They loved them just as much as I did! Great flavor with it being too strong and I love that they’re a healthier version. Gave us all the Fall feels! Delicious!!
Hi Kathleen! So glad you all enjoyed the pancakes! Thank you for this kind review!
Wow. These were not only beautiful but absolutely delicious. Gobbled up by my pancake loving four kids and even loved by my somewhat pancake averse husband. Doubled the recipe and added walnuts and chocolate chips while cooking. Perfect breakfast for dinner recipe!
Hi Leann! So glad you enjoyed the pancakes! Thank you for this kind review!
I love so many Well Plated recipes but this one just didn’t land for us. Didn’t seem very flavorful or pumpkin-y. Maybe we should have added more spices.
Hi Jessica! I’m sorry to hear it wasn’t a hit for you. I truly wish you would’ve enjoyed it!
Great tasty and healthy,Whats not to like.definitely will make these again.
Hi Veronica! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Made these this morning, as expected they’re wonderful. They came out super fluffy with those great fall flavors. Can you substitute buttermilk for the milk/ yogurt mixture? Find myself having some leftover buttermilk now and then, always looking for ways to use it up.
Hi Christine! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
I have to admit I made a small adjustment to the recipe. I had about a full cup of leftover canned pumpkin, and I didn’t want to throw it out. So, I adjusted by leaving out the maple syrup and just adding a touch of sugar. Otherwise followed the directions. After 9 pancakes, I put the rest of the batter, mixed with chopped pecans and chocolate chips, in a small pan and baked it at 350 for about 25 minutes. The pancakes were delicious, but I will have to let you know about the leftover bake as it is still cooling. I do think I will add a bit more spice next time as we like pumpkin things spicy. But, definitely will make again.
Hi Barbara! So glad you enjoyed the pancakes! Thank you for your feedback on adjustments!
Just a note on using the leftover batter – omg. As I said, I added pecans and chocolate chips, turned it into a small square pan, maybe 6×6, and baked it at 350 for 25 minutes in our air fryer/toaster oven. Cooled and topped with cream cheese frosting. My husband went crazy for it. So did I. Obviously, you have a great, flexible recipe, Erin. Thank you!
Hi Barbara! So glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for your feedback on the leftover batter.
Thanks so much! I made these this morning and they were great!
I’m so happy that you enjoyed them, Susie! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
why did mine come out salty?????? I used oat milk and Greek yoghurt as a mixture.
Hi Zana, did you use kosher salt or table salt?
hi Erin! Thank you for the reply and I apologize for the delayed response. I used sea salt but I also think I switched the measurements for the baking soda and baking powder by accident. I’m definitely going to try to make it again though.
Unfortunately the full nutrition info was not posted. When this happens I am usually disgruntled because then I cannot try what looks like a yummy recipe. This was missing sodium info.
Hi Kathy! I stopped including sodium info because it can vary so much depending upon what products you used, and I found a lot of conflicting info online, so ultimately I didn’t feel comfortable publishing it because sometimes it wasn’t even in the ballpark. If you’d like to calculate it yourself, there are lots of free tools online (myfitnesspal.com is popular). I hope that helps!
I think this should have tasted a lot better and it was probably my own fault.
#1). The only yogurt I had was a delicious honey lemon flavor, but I tried it anyway… Not so delicious with pumpkin!
#2). The automatic increasing of recipes just does not always work. Cooking chemistry is not simple math. I doubled it, and there was too much puffiness. The outside burned while the inside was still trying to cook. I should have used 3 instead of 4 large eggs and only increased the baking powder and soda by half.
That said, thank you for the recipe and next time they should be much better!
Thanks for the feedback Marcy!