Chris' Gluten Free Organic Pumpkin Pancakes
A "Pumpkin Something": Iconically Expected, Deliciously Unexpected.
When I was ideating on this October's recipe blog, I honestly wasn't thinking "pumpkin something," let alone breakfast. I was tossing around a festive Oktoberfest meal (back to my German roots!), or perhaps my awesome version of an Ina Garten-inspired comfort food lasagna that I recently made for John & Luisa to support the food train as they acclimate to life with a beautiful new baby boy (so much love for my first precious human grand baby! 🩵).
When I was sharing my ideas with my daughter-in-law, Maria, she inspired me right back to "pumpkin something," because, well, it IS so iconic. From my health lens, it's delicious and nutritious, to boot! Here's the fun part: pumpkin in October is completely expected. But pumpkin pancakes for breakfast that are both indulgent AND nutrient-rich? That's the delicious surprise.
That's when my Gluten Free Organic Pumpkin Pancakes entered the chat. I LOVE a good, thick pancake, and the moment Maria said "pumpkin something," I knew exactly which recipe to share. It's my go-to pumpkin recipe! It's become a family favorite, though I originally created these for my friend, Ginny, a healthy eater overall who adores a sweet (ahem, not the healthiest) breakfast: pancakes, waffles, breakfast cakes. She's been open to my friendly, love-inspired "healthifying" encouragement along the way, and fully game for a "test and learn" experience where I upgraded some of her staples with more nutrient-rich versions. Her philosophy about food: it has to fit into her lifestyle, it has to taste good ("something John would like"), "and if you can make it healthier, great!" Breakfast was first on the list!
Why Pumpkin? (And Skyr, And Applesauce...)
I started with the recipe on the back of my gluten-free baking mix package (which called for just mix, milk, eggs, and oil), and honestly, it didn't appeal to me. It needed some good nutrients! So I asked myself which ingredients could add the right texture, nutrients, and depth without sacrificing the cozy, comforting, genuinely indulgent pancake experience. Three made the shortlist right away: skyr, applesauce, and pumpkin. And they work splendidly together. Skyr has a tender, tangy richness (not to mention lots of protein!), applesauce brings natural sweetness and tenderness, and pumpkin provides body, gorgeous color (love those orange phytonutrients!), and that thick, decadent texture I adore. Here's the fun part: behind-the-scenes, each one brings something extra to the party for your health, too. I'll break down exactly what (and, in the spirit of honesty, where these pancakes fall a little short) in just a bit.
These pancakes kept all the cozy flavor and efficient preparation Ginny craved while upgrading the nutrition behind the scenes. She loved them so much that whenever she's in town, I make her a batch of batter to keep in the fridge. She pours just what she needs into her waffle maker on busy mornings, so breakfast is ready before she's even fully awake and she can enjoy a healthier version of her fave breakfast foods before her first meeting. Full disclosure: I made these pancakes for myself a few times in the past week and a half. Kicking off my October newsletter got me thinking pumpkin, and, well, I just had to! Whether fresh or leftover, each time they were thick, fresh, decadent—and delicious, with that gorgeous pumpkin-inspired color.
Everyone who has tried them, including my husband and my daughter, is a fan. And Maria's "pumpkin something" nudge gave me the perfect excuse to finally share them with you. Funny enough, Matt and Maria who are my "go to" recipe testers—and always up for a new food adventure as long as it's healthyish—haven't even tried them yet! Matt, who loves a good, thick pancake, mentioned recently he is looking forward to them, so they're on the menu for the next time they're here for breakfast or brunch.
Let's Talk Texture.
These are not light-and-fluffy diner pancakes. Think bread pudding meets pancake (or baked French toast in pancake form): thick, rich, and wonderfully substantial, with a golden, perfectly pancakey outside and a dense, decadent center that stops just short of gooey. Rich rather than wet or soggy, a bit like the center of a really good brownie, and it melts in your mouth. (I know "gooey" can sound underdone. These are fully cooked, just wonderfully rich and dense. Not sure? Cut one open: the center should look set and rich, never raw.)
Honestly? I can't give you the food-science reason for this texture. I played around a bit in the kitchen and was so pleasantly surprised when the very first batch turned out this good (only tiny tweaks since!). My best guess is that it's the combination: all those rich, nutrient-dense ingredients (skyr, pumpkin, applesauce) working alongside the more classic pancake staples. Whatever the magic is, it works. That's the fun of "test and learn"!
Another full disclosure: One of my sisters made them and was not the biggest fan of the texture... but I can't vouch for the result or what she may have subbed because I wasn't there—next time I have the opportunity I will make her a batch in my kitchen!
The Recipe for Chris' Gluten Free Organic Pumpkin Pancakes.
Pro Tip: To optimize recipe deliciousness, your health, and feeling your best, ALWAYS use the freshest, highest-quality ingredients. Organic whenever possible.
Ingredients.
2 cups GF baking/biscuit mix (I use Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Biscuit & Baking Mix, or build your own with GF flour, baking powder, baking soda; feel free to sub an organic mix if you find one you love!)
¾ cup organic unsweetened applesauce (just apples!)
1½ cups water
½ cup plain, unsweetened organic skyr or sheep yogurt
½ cup organic pumpkin purée (just pumpkin! I always use a very generous ½ cup...wouldn't be surprised if some might call it 3/4 cup lol)
2 eggs
¼ tsp pink salt
1 tsp good vanilla (liquid, powder, or a mix of both)
½ tsp organic Ceylon cinnamon
Organic ghee, for the skillet (I used just a small bit per pancake)
How many does this recipe make? Depends on the size! In the above photo, since I was in a rush (naturally) and wanted to go more quickly, I created two larger pancakes; usually I make them about half the size. My estimate is this batter will make roughly 12 to 16 small-to-medium pancakes (about ¼ cup batter each).
Instructions.
Whisk all ingredients together until smooth (better yet, I pop them all into the Vitamix and have a beautiful, smooth batter in no time flat!).
Heat a skillet over medium-low heat with a bit of ghee.
Pour batter in your desired pancake size (I use about ¼ cup for small-to-medium) and cook about 3 minutes per side, until golden and cooked through.
Serve warm.
Leftover batter? Follow Ginny's lead which I recently adopted: refrigerate it in an airtight container and use it within a few days (see the storage note below), ready whenever breakfast (or dessert!) calls.
Deconstructing the "Healthification": What Each Ingredient Brings (and What It Doesn't).
Are these pancakes PERFECT from an optimal nutrition standpoint? No, and I'd never pretend otherwise. But they are really good for pancakes! Here's the honest breakdown:
Organic pumpkin. The star! Pure pumpkin is a good source of beta-carotene (which is a phytonutrient in the carotenoid family that gives fruits and vegetables their red, orange, and yellow color, and which your body converts to vitamin A), plus fiber and potassium, for roughly 40 calories per half cup. It adds body and richness, so the batter needs no added oil or butter. Honest note: spread across a whole batch of pancakes, the per-pancake amounts are a nice bonus, not a vegetable serving.
Plain, unsweetened organic skyr. Strained dairy with roughly two to three times the protein of regular yogurt, and no added sugar when you choose the plain, unsweetened variety. It makes the pancakes tender and rich and offers great protein to balance the carbs. Very Combos Matter! (Sheep yogurt—or any other yogurt YOU like that's plain and unsweetened—works beautifully, too.)
Organic unsweetened applesauce. Natural sweetness, moisture, and tenderness, so there's no added sugar and no need for oil. It brings a little fiber, though not as much as a whole apple, so I'm calling it a smart swap, not a superfood.
Organic eggs. They bind and lift the batter, but they're also nutrient-dense: complete protein plus choline and B vitamins. Organic, pasture-raised whenever possible (I adore New Barn Organics brand!).
Gluten-free baking mix. Here's the deal: gluten-free doesn't automatically mean healthier. I use Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Biscuit & Baking Mix for convenience. It includes whole grain brown rice and sorghum flours (a plus!), but also refined starches, only about 1 gram of fiber per serving, and even a little added sugar (about 1 gram per serving, one of the last ingredients on the label). I haven't found an organic version, so it's the least "pure" ingredient in the bowl. But it works beautifully, it makes real, homemade breakfast suuuper easy, and the pumpkin, skyr, and eggs help balance it out. In a pinch, I've used brown rice flour or other GF flours, too, in the spirit of keeping it even cleaner.
Organic Ceylon cinnamon. Warm, cozy flavor with a little something extra: Ceylon, or "true" cinnamon, is milder than the cassia in most grocery stores and contains far less coumarin, a natural compound best not to overdo day after day (gotta' love your liver, baby!). A half teaspoon is small either way, so this one is more about a good everyday habit than a big health win. (And while cinnamon and blood sugar get plenty of buzz, the research is mixed, so I think of it as flavor first, bonus second.)
Organic vanilla and pink salt. These are flavor enhancers. Good vanilla gives that bakery-style, dessert-like impression without adding sugar, and a pinch of salt makes the natural sweetness pop. (Pink salt's trace minerals are tiny, so this one's also about taste, not nutrition, but better to have some trace minerals than opt for something devoid of any nutrition at all!)
Organic ghee. The milk solids are removed, so it's very low in lactose and casein, and it handles skillet heat beautifully. It's still a fat, so a little goes a long way.
What You Eat Them With Matters.
Remember my "Healthy Eating-Happy YOU!" Power Principle 3: COMBOS MATTER! Enjoy some fiber-rich "Good Guys" first, then pair your pancakes with quality protein and healthy fat, like the plain skyr already in the batter or an extra dollop on top, to help mitigate any potential glucose spike from the carb-rich sweetness. When I do enjoy these pancakes, I am always sure to pair them with whole, fresh fruit (sometimes I'll even enjoy some fresh veggies first), plain unsweetened skyr, and some of the leftover organic pumpkin puree. This is really important if you want to "have your cake and eat it, too"... and feel your best without depriving yourself! Speaking of...
It's Not About Giving Things Up.
This is the heart of my No Deprivation Zone™ philosophy: healthy eating isn't about taking foods away. It's about having it all, and crowding out the "Bad Guys" with more "Good Guys." For me, these are an occasional indulgence, not an everyday breakfast: maybe once or twice a month, for family gatherings or I'm really craving a Sunday morning pancake. (Ginny, on the other hand, keeps them in regular rotation. Hi, Ginny!) That's the beauty of it: you decide where a treat like this fits in your life, and it always fits even better when it's made with real, nutrient-rich ingredients and paired with some "Good Guys". Nothing taken away. A whole lot added.
A Few Notes Worth Knowing.
A batch on a Sunday can mean easy, homemade breakfasts later in the week for the pancake lovers in your house. In my experience, the batter holds up beautifully in the fridge. A friendly food-safety note from your health coach: batters made with eggs and dairy are best refrigerated and used within about 2 to 4 days. Another option for leftovers is to cook the whole batch and freeze the pancakes to reheat later.
Here's to Pumpkin Season, Done Right.
Whether you're making these for a slow Sunday or stocking the fridge for a busy week ahead, here's to a recipe that proves "healthified" doesn't mean giving up the foods you love. No Deprivation Zone, baby!
Here's to Your Healthiest Happiest YOU! ☀️
P.S. Happy first anniversary to Matt and Maria on October 11! ♥️ Love you guys so much and am smiling ear-to-ear thinking about all those awesome wedding memories!
Chris
NBC-HWC | FMCHC | Founder, BrandCraftYOU
Ready to Embrace YOUR Healthiest Happiest YOU? Work with Me!
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