Pumpkin Spice Pancakes
Natasha was in the mood for pancakes this morning. Of course, that wasn't on our weekly menu, but I'm always up for something like that. After having Simply in Season's "Nutty Sweet Potato Waffles" on Sunday, I was up for another fall comfort food. To me, there are few things better than pumpkin in the fall and winter months. Pumpkins are coming to the end of their season in Nova Scotia, so I bought up several at the market last Saturday. (As we speak, I'm preparing pumpkin puree for other pumpkin recipes in the weeks to come.) You can understand, then, why I was determined to combine Natasha's pancake craving with my pumpkin craving.
I Googled "pumpkin pancakes" and found several good ideas. (Google, as we all know, is the answer to many quick-fix needs in the kitchen.) Unfortunately, none of these good ideas really "hit the spot" for me. I wanted something hardy, filling, and nourishing. I didn't want them to be heavy, though, nor did I want them to be too sweet (pumpkin is pretty sweet on its own!). Ideally, we would've found something gluten-free, lactose-free, and refined sugar-free. I found nothing that fit that description. I found one decent recipe that called for nuts, which always makes for a good source of protein. However, the recipe still called for some cheats, which I was unwilling to do. So, I did what any self-respecting amateur cook would do in this situation: I made my own recipe.
First, you'll notice I use spelt. If you're gluten-free or celiac, you know that spelt has some gluten in it. We're wheat-free, not gluten-free, so when we can't find something specific for gluten-free flours, we use spelt because it's easiest. Also, I want to experiment with things like agave nectar or maple syrup in the future, but I chose to go with evaporated cane juice because it's not as sweet. Finally, I pulled in the nut idea and several spices that we're in most of the recipes I found, but I love my pumpkin spicy! Honestly, though these are not overly sweet, there's a pumpkin pie quality to the flavor here that can only be a good thing. :)
Pumpkin Spice Pancakes
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes (for the entire batch)
Serves: 4-5, depending on if you're a big eater :)
1 1/2 cups whole spelt flour
1/2 cup rolled oats
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
1/8 tsp ground allspice
2 free-range eggs
1 cup almond or soy milk
3/4 cup pumpkin puree
3/4 cup plain yogurt (you can find lactose-free in the right store, but regular will work fine if you can have it)
2 tsp vanilla
1/3 cup evaporated cane juice crystals
1/2 tsp sea salt
3/4 cup finely chopped walnuts, pecans, or hazelnuts
1) In a large bowl whisk together the spelt, oats, baking powder, and spices until well blended.
2) In a separate, medium bowl beat your eggs until canary yellow and a little fluffy. Add milk, pumpkin, yogurt, vanilla, cane juice, and sea salt. Whisk together until well blended.
3) Pour the egg mixture into the spelt mixture, combining until just blended. Fold in nuts. (Do not overmix, or the batter will become runny.)
4) Pour batter onto hot griddle (medium-high heat) or frying pan, 1/4 cup at a time. If you're not used to cooking pancakes, watch for small bubbles to form in the cooking batter, particularly around the edges. When the bubbles pop, but their shape remains, you know it's safe to flip them and continue cooking till they are golden brown on the other side.
5) You can serve these alone, but for most people, they'll want butter or margarine and syrup. Please avoid fake syrup, and if you use maple, look for the darkest maple available to you. We also served this with fresh pear slices on the side because they fit the fall comfort food theme we had going. :)
I Googled "pumpkin pancakes" and found several good ideas. (Google, as we all know, is the answer to many quick-fix needs in the kitchen.) Unfortunately, none of these good ideas really "hit the spot" for me. I wanted something hardy, filling, and nourishing. I didn't want them to be heavy, though, nor did I want them to be too sweet (pumpkin is pretty sweet on its own!). Ideally, we would've found something gluten-free, lactose-free, and refined sugar-free. I found nothing that fit that description. I found one decent recipe that called for nuts, which always makes for a good source of protein. However, the recipe still called for some cheats, which I was unwilling to do. So, I did what any self-respecting amateur cook would do in this situation: I made my own recipe.
First, you'll notice I use spelt. If you're gluten-free or celiac, you know that spelt has some gluten in it. We're wheat-free, not gluten-free, so when we can't find something specific for gluten-free flours, we use spelt because it's easiest. Also, I want to experiment with things like agave nectar or maple syrup in the future, but I chose to go with evaporated cane juice because it's not as sweet. Finally, I pulled in the nut idea and several spices that we're in most of the recipes I found, but I love my pumpkin spicy! Honestly, though these are not overly sweet, there's a pumpkin pie quality to the flavor here that can only be a good thing. :)
Pumpkin Spice Pancakes
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes (for the entire batch)
Serves: 4-5, depending on if you're a big eater :)
1 1/2 cups whole spelt flour
1/2 cup rolled oats
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
1/8 tsp ground allspice
2 free-range eggs
1 cup almond or soy milk
3/4 cup pumpkin puree
3/4 cup plain yogurt (you can find lactose-free in the right store, but regular will work fine if you can have it)
2 tsp vanilla
1/3 cup evaporated cane juice crystals
1/2 tsp sea salt
3/4 cup finely chopped walnuts, pecans, or hazelnuts
1) In a large bowl whisk together the spelt, oats, baking powder, and spices until well blended.
2) In a separate, medium bowl beat your eggs until canary yellow and a little fluffy. Add milk, pumpkin, yogurt, vanilla, cane juice, and sea salt. Whisk together until well blended.
3) Pour the egg mixture into the spelt mixture, combining until just blended. Fold in nuts. (Do not overmix, or the batter will become runny.)
4) Pour batter onto hot griddle (medium-high heat) or frying pan, 1/4 cup at a time. If you're not used to cooking pancakes, watch for small bubbles to form in the cooking batter, particularly around the edges. When the bubbles pop, but their shape remains, you know it's safe to flip them and continue cooking till they are golden brown on the other side.
5) You can serve these alone, but for most people, they'll want butter or margarine and syrup. Please avoid fake syrup, and if you use maple, look for the darkest maple available to you. We also served this with fresh pear slices on the side because they fit the fall comfort food theme we had going. :)
posted by Erskine at
11:22 AM
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2 comments
