Welcome to Flawed yet Functional! I just love fall with all its beautiful colors and flavors! I know many people tire of pumpkin everything in the fall, but this lady loves it! I took the time this fall to develop a Paleo pumpkin pancake recipe so I (and my family!) can fully embrace pumpkin spice deliciousness every Saturday for our pancake tradition! If you need gluten-free, dairy-free, and egg-free pancakes, these are for you!
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Healthy Pumpkin Pancakes
All of my recipes this month (pumpkin pie, coconut whipped cream) are focused on baked goods that in my family we consider treats. Pancakes are the one item that we do eat weekly. My husband and I had established a Saturday morning pancake tradition prior to going Paleo/AIP. While my husband was willing to let it go, I desperately wanted to keep that tradition alive for my children. The mother in me just couldn’t let go. 🙂
It took me an unbelievable amount of failures to figure out a good recipe for dairy-free, egg-free, and gluten-free pancakes that weren’t loaded with carbs (Egg-Free Pancakes #1, The Best Egg-Free Pancakes). These Paleo pumpkin pancakes are a spin-off of my most recent pancake recipe.
While I’m not sure you can call any pancake recipe “healthy”, these are at least allergen-friendly. I hope this recipe helps your family enjoy a seasonal treat!
How to Make Egg-Free Pancakes Stick Together
The biggest problem I’ve run into with egg-free baked goods is getting them to stick together. From cookies to pancakes to cake, baking without eggs is hard! The key I have found for pancakes is to use a mashed fruit or vegetable to bind it together. My basic pancake recipe uses applesauce, and this Paleo pumpkin pancake uses pureed pumpkin.
In addition to pureed fruit/vegetables, the combination of flours is also important to hold the pancakes together. I use almond flour for the base as it is reasonably priced, provides good volume, and flavor. Almond flour does not have any elastic qualities though which means it needs help sticking together. That’s where the coconut flour and arrowroot powder come in. Coconut flour helps absorb the liquid and arrowroot powder lends the stickiness to the dough.
These four ingredients work together to create a pancake batter that holds together similar to a traditional pancake batter.
Cooking Tip: It is important to point out the long cook time for these pancakes. I time my pancakes at 7 minutes per side to get them completely cooked through in the middle. Arrowroot powder is notorious for not cooking completely. It often leaves a gummy/uncooked texture in the middle of baked goods. Put the pan on low heat (low heat on a power burner, possibly higher for your stovetop) and set a timer for 7 minutes for each side. Make sure to use a timer so you don’t burn or undercook the pancakes!
Recipe Alternatives
Okay, let’s dive into the alternatives. Do you want to make these delicious pumpkin spice pancakes today? Let’s see if you’ve got things in your cupboard that will work!
Gluten-Free Flours
Substituting other flours is tricky. I did not do any test batches with different flours, because this method works! The only other flour I have on hand is cassava flour
Do not use tapioca flour
Do not skip any of the three flours called for in this recipe. All three are needed for their own particular qualities.
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I am not particular when it comes to oil in my recipes. I will substitute any oil for another as long as the flavor is not overly strong. Olive oil is my top choice for pancakes because it does not seize up when the cold almond milk is added. Avocado oil is another good mild oil that will not harden in the batter.
Coconut oil works well too, but you need to stir the melted coconut oil into the dry ingredients first before adding any of the liquid ingredients. If you add the melted coconut oil with the liquid ingredients it will seize up into balls. No one likes a ball of coconut oil in their mouth!
Dairy-Free Milk
Unsweetened almond milk
Do not use canned coconut milk though. It is too thick. If this is all you have on hand, use half canned coconut milk (thoroughly stirred) and half water.
Leavening Ingredients
I choose to use baking powder for these pancakes as it not only allows the batter to rise but it adds a slight sourdough flavor to the batter. Baking powder can have gluten in it though, so read the label carefully. If it does not have gluten, it will have cornstarch. I have found that small amounts of corn products are okay in my system, so I choose to continue using baking powder.
If you are avoiding all corn products you can use 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda plus one teaspoon of cream of tartar.
You can enjoy easy pumpkin pancakes this season even when on the Paleo diet! Allergy-friendly and husband and kid-approved these are sure to be a new family favorite. In fact, when I made these last Saturday morning, my boys ate more pancakes than they ever have. We barely had any leftovers! They are that good! Give these paleo pumpkin pancakes a try this weekend!
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Paleo Pumpkin Spice Pancakes
Try these egg-free, dairy-free, and gluten-free pumpkin spice pancakes to welcome the flavors of fall into your home! Allergies or dietary restrictions are no reason not to enjoy pancakes!
Ingredients
- 150 g almond flour ~1.5 cups
- 25 g coconut flour ~3 Tbsp.
- 3 Tbsp. arrowroot powder
- 2 tsp. baking powder
- 1/2 tsp. sea salt
- 2 tsp. cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp. ground ginger
- 1/4 tsp. ground cloves
- 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
- 2 tsp. vanilla
- 1.5 cups unsweetened almond milk
- 2-4 dashes Stevia
Instructions
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Using a kitchen scale, measure 150 grams of almond flour and 25 grams of coconut flour into a medium mixing bowl. I like the scale for consistency in my recipes. If you don't have a scale, use 1.5 cups of almond flour and 3 tablespoons of coconut flour.
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Add the remaining dry ingredients to the mixing bowl: arrowroot powder, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves. Use a whisk to thoroughly mix together.
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Now add the wet ingredients to the dry: pumpkin puree, olive oil, apple cider vinegar, vanilla, and almond milk. Whisk to completely mix.
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Add a few dashes of powdered stevia, mix, then taste. Stevia is very powerful and has a distinct aftertaste, go light on it until you find the level you prefer.
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Allow the batter to rest for at least 5 minutes before beginning to cook. The coconut flour needs time to do its thing!
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While the batter rests, warm a griddle pan over low heat (for a power burner, medium-low for a standard burner). Add 1 tablespoon of oil to the pan just before adding the batter.
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To make the best looking pancakes, use a 1/4 cup measuring cup to scoop the batter onto the pan. I fill the cup about half full, pour it on the pan, then use the back of the cup to spread the batter into an even circle. Repeat until pan is full then start a timer for 7 minutes.
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Flip pancakes and cook for an additional 7 minutes. Repeat until all the batter is cooked. This recipe makes about 18-20 3" pancakes.
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Serve warm with maple syrup and sausage patties or bacon. Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
Two pancakes contains 4.5 grams of fiber and 19.1 grams of total carbohydrate for a net carb load of 14.6 grams.
I appreciate the thought out recipe, but I followed it exactly-gram for gram- and it was a complete fail. I typically don’t leave reviews but I’m feeling compelled, because I have been searching for a pancake recipe for my daughter. She has multiple allergies and I have yet to find a pancake recipe that doesn’t use oats or banana, or eggs or dairy or gluten. (Tall order, I know!) but that’s why I attempted this recipe against my better judgement. Every recipe has been a fail, producing uncooked middles, and paper thin pancakes. I really wanted this to work, I was SO hopeful. But I’m sad that I wasted my ingredients and time.. I am so sorry for coming off harsh because I’m sure you are a wonderful cook/baker! but, I think this recipe is definitely not going to work for probably most if not all of the people who try. Is there a mistake in the ingredients or instructions? Thanks-
Hi Michele! Thank you for taking the time to comment. What you’ve said is honest not harsh, and I appreciate it. It has been awhile since I’ve made this recipe, so I will make it soon to verify the ingredients. Perhaps I made a mistake. I have a couple other thoughts. 1. I get gummy pancakes too at times. I need to update my pancake recipes with this note because something, perhaps relative humidity?, does affect the outcome of mine too. 2. It could be the temperature of your stove top versus mine. I’ve noticed if the heat isn’t just right I either burn them with very gooey inside or they cook forever without perfect interior results. All that too say, I will put a disclaimer about my results and I’ll verify the recipe soon. Thanks again for trying and commenting!