“It was a chilly fall day, and I wanted something to warm my tummy. Since I had a little leftover pumpkin purée in the fridge, I decided to make Pumpkin-Oat Pancakes. We actually had these for dinner, but they would make a great Thanksgiving morning breakfast too!
One problem I always have are splotchy pancakes. I did a little research and learned a technique for avoiding this (or at least minimizing it) from America’s Test Kitchen. I heated a skillet for about 1 minute, added some oil, then carefully wiped out the excess. This leaves a thin film of hot oil on the pan so the pancake surface can cook evenly.
Using 1/3 cup of batter per pancake, I poured 3 pancakes in my hot pan. After flipping them over they definitely were more evenly browned. Just make sure you keep the temperature low enough to cook these gently. That requires a little patience!
Served with some butter and maple syrup, these pancakes really hit the spot! I’m looking forward to having the leftovers for breakfast tomorrow!” ~ Bobbi
| Prep Time | |
| 20 minutes |
| Cook Time | Passive Time |
| 3-4 minutes, per batch | 5-10 minutes |
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Moderate
Moderate
Serves:4people
Serving Size:3 (4-inch) pancakes
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We love pumpkin anytime of year, but even more so around the holidays. These pancakes work well made with whole wheat flour, but you can always substitute some or all of it with white flour for a lighter (but less healthful) version. Stir in some dried cranberries for a special holiday treat, goji berries for a superfood boost, chocolate chips because everything’s better with chocolate, and/or nuts for a nice nutty crunch. We love them so much that we often double the recipe, and freeze the leftovers. They can be reheated in a toaster or microwave.
Tools:measuring cups and spoons, medium and large bowls, large (10-inch) skillet
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- 1 cup water *See step 1 for alternatives.
- 1/4 cup yogurt (regular or Greek, unsweetened )
- 1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats (not quick or instant oats)
- 1-1/4 cup whole wheat flour *See Chef’s Tip
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup pumpkin purée
- 1 tablespoon high heat cooking oil
- oil, or butter for cooking
- Measure 1 cup of water in a 2-cup liquid measuring cup. Add yogurt and mix well. (*Alternatively, use 1-1/4 cups kefir or buttermilk, or 1-1/4 cups milk with 1 tablespoon lemon juice.)
- Stir in the oats and set aside to soften while you continue.
- Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl and stir.
- Lightly beat the eggs in a medium bowl. Mix in pumpkin and oil. Add the oat mixture and stir.
- Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour milk mixture into it. Stir gently with a whisk or large spoon, just until the flour is incorporated. It’s okay if there are some small lumps. Don't overmix, or you’ll end up with tough, chewy pancakes.
- Let stand about 10 minutes. (This is a good time to start cleaning up!)
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat.* Spray lightly with oil, or add about 1/2 teaspoon of oil.
- Optional step: Heat oil a few seconds, then remove skillet from stovetop and carefully wipe out the excess oil with a paper towel, leaving a thin film. This will help the pancakes brown evenly, with no dark splotches.
- Return skillet to stovetop and turn heat to medium-low. Pour 1/3 cup of the batter per pancake into the skillet, to make three pancakes at a time. When a few bubbles begin to pop on the top and the underside is golden brown (about 1 to 2 minutes), turn over with a food turner. Cook another 30 to 60 seconds on the other side. (Adjust heat as needed.)
- Repeat until all pancakes are done, adding a little oil to skillet with every two or three batches, wiping up excess oil, as described earlier. Keep warm until ready to serve.*
*Tip: To determine if the skillet is ready, sprinkle a drop of water onto the hot skillet. If it stays in a round shape and bounces, the pan is hot enough. If the drop of water explodes and splatters, remove from heat and cool a few seconds. Always heat the empty skillet first, then add fat so it doesn’t burn.
*Technique: You can simply cover the pancakes lightly with a piece of foil to keep warm, but they tend to become somewhat soggy if left too long. To prevent this, turn oven to low. If you have a cooling rack (used for cakes and cookies), set it on the oven rack and place the pancakes in one layer on top of it. If you don’t have a cooling rack, place the pancakes directly onto the oven racks, but make sure the pancakes don’t fall through. This keeps the pancakes from getting soggy on the bottom. To prevent drying out, turn the heat off once the oven is adequately warm, and serve pancakes as soon as possible.
SERVING SUGGESTION:
- Add a dollop of butter and some pure maple syrup on top of pancakes. You can also sprinkle nuts, granola, and/or uncooked rolled oats over them.
VARIATIONS:
- Gluten-free: Substitute 1 cup Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 Baking Flour for the whole wheat flour, or 1 cup Pamela’s Pancake Mix for the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Add 2 tablespoons ground flaxseeds to the dry ingredients, and reduce flour by 2 tablespoons.
- Fold 1/2 cup finely chopped nuts or granola into the batter, and/or sprinkle on top as a garnish.
- Fold 1/3 cup chocolate chips, raisins, dried cranberries, or goji berries into the batter.
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