Easy Gluten-Free Pumpkin Pancakes (Dairy-Free)
There’s nothing quite like a stack of warm gluten-free pumpkin pancakes to make a crisp fall morning feel extra cozy. Soft, fluffy, and filled with the comforting flavors of pumpkin puree and warm spices, these easy pumpkin pancakes are perfect for breakfast, weekend brunch, meal prep, or even a Thanksgiving breakfast. Dairy-free too.
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Perfect Pumpkin Pancakes for Fall
As fall starts rolling around, and pumpkins begin appearing slowly at first, then everywhere all at once, it means that pumpkin season has officially begun!
And that’s where we start making our favorite crustless pumpkin pie, moist pumpkin bread, pumpkin scones and everything pumpkin!
And because we’re big on pancakes in my house, we can’t possibly leave out making a big stack of pumpkin pancakes, for good measure!
Why You’ll Love this Recipe:
- Simple Ingredients: The main ingredients required for making these gluten-free pumpkin pancakes are easily accessible at the local grocery store (nothing fancy required!).
- Easy to Make: Preparing the pancake batter is just a matter of mixing the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients, and then cooking the batter in a skillet until ready.
- Totally Gluten-Free & Dairy-Free: The best part is that these pancakes are 100% gluten-free and dairy-free, which means that even those with Celiac disease or gluten or lactose intolerances can enjoy them without issues!
Ingredients You’ll Need:
Here’s a visual overview of the ingredients required for making this gluten-free pumpkin pancakes recipe.
(For exact measurements, please scroll down to the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post!)
Recipe Notes + Substitutions:
- Gluten-Free Flour: I recommend using a gluten-free 1:1 flour blend (a 1:1 gluten-free substitute for regular all-purpose flour) that is made up of lighter flours and starches (such as rice flour, tapioca starch, corn starch) for a lighter texture. I do NOT recommend using a gluten-free flour blend that is made up of heavier flours (such as garbanzo bean flour) as that will result in a denser final texture.
- Xanthan Gum: Xanthan gum is the replacement for gluten in gluten-free flours, and helps to better bind the ingredients together. If you are allergic to xanthan gum, you can replace it with the same amount of psyllium husk powder.
- Baking Powder: Baking powder is the only leavening agent used in this recipe to help the pumpkin pancake batter rise, and I recommend using aluminum-free baking powder. If you are Celiac or gluten-intolerant, go ahead and use certified gluten-free baking powder.
- Pumpkin Pie Spice: Pumpkin pie spice adds the characteristically fall flavors, so definitely add it in. You can either use storebought, or make your own homemade pumpkin pie spice.
- Sugar: I used white sugar, but you can also use cane sugar, light brown sugar, or dark brown sugar instead.
- Egg: The egg is necessary for binding the ingredients together, so make sure you don’t leave it out.
- Almond Milk: I like using an unsweetened version of my homemade almond milk, but you can also use another type of unsweetened dairy-free milk (such as rice milk, cashew milk, oat milk, etc.)
- Vegetable Oil: I used sunflower oil, but you can also use another type of vegetable oil that you prefer.
- Pumpkin Puree: Pumpkin puree is not the same as pumpkin pie filling (which is sweetened). You can either use canned pumpkin puree or make your own homemade pumpkin puree.
- Vanilla Extract: I like adding a bit of vanilla extract for extra flavor, so I recommend adding that to it.
How to Make Gluten-Free Pumpkin Pancakes:
Whisk Dry Ingredients:Â In a large mixing bowl, combine the gluten-free 1:1 flour, xanthan gum (if using), baking powder, salt, pumpkin pie spice and sugar.
Whisk Wet Ingredients:Â In a separate bowl, combine the egg, unsweetened almond milk, vegetable oil, pumpkin puree and vanilla bean paste. Whisk the wet ingredients thoroughly until smooth.
Combine Wet & Dry Ingredients to Get Batter:Â Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and gently start folding together. Mix until you have a thick pancake batter, then let it rest for 10 minutes.
Cook Pancake on One Side: Lightly grease a nonstick pan with vegetable oil for frying, and heat it up over medium heat. Spoon small portions of batter onto the skillet, about 2-3 tablespoons per pancake. Cook for 3-4 minutes on the first side.
Flip to the Other Side:Â Flip the pancake and cook for another 3-4 minutes on the other side, covering the skillet with a lid. Repeat until the batter is all used up.
Garnish & Serve:Â Stack the finished gluten free pumpkin pancakes or arrange them on a plate. Serve with a drizzle of maple syrup or honey, along with berries, almond flakes and other toppings of your choice.
Dish by Dish Tips for the Best Pumpkin Pancakes:
- Use Pumpkin Puree: Note that you’ll need pumpkin puree for these pancakes and NOT pumpkin pie filling (which tends to be have added sugar and spices that may throw the flavor of the pancakes off).
- For Fluffy Pancakes: Make sure you add the baking powder to help the batter rise to get light, fluffy pancakes.
- When to Flip Pancakes: The best way to tell when the pancakes are ready for flipping is to let bubbles rise to the surface of the pancake batter before flipping – this ensures that the insides of the pancakes are cooked through.
- Don’t Cook Over High Heat: Because the pumpkin puree adds moisture to the pumpkin pancake batter, the inside will take a longer while to cook through than the outside. Make sure not to heat the skillet on too high heat, or that will make the outside of the pancakes burn before the inside is cooked.
- Keeping Cooked Pancakes Warm: I recommend keeping the cooked pancakes in a warm oven at 200F (95C) while the other pancakes are still cooking.
- Freezing: You can always make a large batch of these gluten-free dairy-free pumpkin pancakes and then freeze them (separating each pancake with a plastic sheet or wax paper to prevent them from sticking to each other), and then freeze for up to 2 months. To reheat, you can either warm the pancakes up in an oven, or toast them in a toaster.
Other Gluten-Free Pancakes to Make:
- Fluffy Gluten-Free Pancakes (Dairy-Free)
- Gluten-Free Banana Pancakes (Dairy-Free)
- Gluten-Free Buttermilk Pancakes (Dairy-Free)
- Cottage Cheese Pancakes (Gluten-Free)
Other Gluten-Free Pumpkin Recipes to Make for Fall:
P.S. If you try this recipe, I’d love for you to leave a star rating below, and/or a review in the comment section further down the page. I always appreciate your feedback. Be sure to check out my entire Recipe Index for all the recipes on the blog. You can also follow me on Pinterest, Facebook or Instagram! Sign up for my Email List to get fresh recipes in your inbox each week!
Gluten-Free Pumpkin Pancakes (Dairy-Free)
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Diet: Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free
Description
There’s nothing quite like a stack of warm gluten-free pumpkin pancakes to make a crisp fall morning feel extra cozy. Soft, fluffy, and filled with the comforting flavors of pumpkin puree and warm spices, these easy pumpkin pancakes are perfect for breakfast, weekend brunch, meal prep, or even a special Thanksgiving breakfast. Dairy-free too.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups gluten-free 1:1 flour
- 1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum (omit if your gluten-free flour blend already includes it)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 3/4 cup pumpkin puree
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Oil for frying
Instructions
- Whisk Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, pumpkin pie spice and sugar.
- Whisk Wet Ingredients: In a separate bowl, combine the egg, unsweetened almond milk, vegetable oil, pumpkin puree and vanilla bean paste. Whisk the wet ingredients thoroughly until smooth.
- Combine Wet & Dry Ingredients to Get Batter: Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and gently start folding together. Mix until you have a thick pancake batter, then let it rest for 10 minutes.
- Cook Pancake on One Side: Lightly grease a nonstick skillet with oil for frying. Spoon small portions of batter onto the skillet, about 2-3 tablespoons per pancake. Cook for 3-4 minutes on the first side.
- Flip to the Other Side: Flip the pancake and cook for another 3-4 minutes on the other side, covering the skillet with a lid.
- Repeat: Repeat until the batter is all used up.
- Garnish & Serve: Stack the finished pancakes or arrange them on a plate. Serve with maple syrup, honey or other syrups, along with berries, almond flakes and other toppings of your choice.
Notes
Gluten-Free Flour: I recommend using a gluten-free 1:1 flour blend (a 1:1 gluten-free substitute for regular all-purpose flour) that is made up of lighter flours and starches (such as rice flour, tapioca starch, corn starch) for a lighter texture. I do NOT recommend using a gluten-free flour blend that is made up of heavier flours (such as garbanzo bean flour) as that will result in a denser final texture.
Xanthan Gum: Xanthan gum is the replacement for gluten in gluten-free flours, and helps to better bind the ingredients together. If you are allergic to xanthan gum, you can replace it with the same amount of psyllium husk powder.
Baking Powder: Baking powder is the only leavening agent used in this recipe to help the pumpkin pancake batter rise. If you are Celiac or gluten-intolerant, go ahead and use certified gluten-free baking powder.
Pumpkin Pie Spice: Pumpkin pie spice adds the characteristically fall flavor, so definitely add it in. You can either use storebought, or make your own homemade pumpkin pie spice.
Sugar: I used white sugar, but you can also use cane sugar, light brown sugar, or dark brown sugar instead.
Egg: The egg is necessary for binding the ingredients together, so make sure you don’t leave it out.
Almond Milk: I like using an unsweetened version of my homemade almond milk, but you can also use another type of unsweetened dairy-free milk (such as rice milk, cashew milk, oat milk, etc.)
Vegetable Oil: I used sunflower oil, but you can also use another type of vegetable oil that you prefer.
Pumpkin Puree: Pumpkin puree is not the same as pumpkin pie filling (which is sweetened). You can either use canned pumpkin puree or make your own homemade pumpkin puree.
Vanilla Extract: I like adding a bit of vanilla extract for extra flavor, so I recommend adding that to it.
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 15 mins
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American