Recipe

Follow this recipe to make a hearty stack of healthy pumpkin pancakes for breakfast.

These healthy pumpkin pancakes are fluffy, hearty, and packed with 15g of protein without using protein powder. Pumpkin, Greek yogurt, and oats make a satisfying stack with plenty of fall flavor using simple ingredients you probably already have.

front view of a stack of healthy pumpkin pancakes sliced on a plate topped with butter and syrup. they're fluffy and great looking.

Simple Healthy Pancakes with Pumpkin

Laura fuentes holding a skillet of food standing in front of a blue door

This is the pumpkin pancake recipe I make after a weekend run where I need a filling breakfast. They have the fluffy texture of traditional pumpkin pancakes but more protein than my pumpkin oatmeal pancakes. For me, this recipe has it all: a hearty texture, 15g of protein per 3-pancake serving, and made with simple pantry-staple ingredients.

Ingredients

Eggs and Greek yogurt add protein, while milk and pumpkin puree add moisture. Old-fashioned oats are a healthy whole grain that makes these hearty, and some all-purpose flour keeps the texture closer to what you’re used to. Baking powder gives them lift. Cinnamon, pumpkin spice, and a pinch of salt add plenty of fall flavor.

How to Make Healthy Pumpkin Pancakes

Mix the wet ingredients.
Whisk the eggs, milk, pumpkin, Greek yogurt, and spices until smooth, then stir in the oats.
Let the oats soak in the liquid for 10 minutes.
The oats have to soak in the liquid first to form a batter. If you skip this step, the batter will be too runny.
Add the remaining ingredients to the batter.
Stir in the flour, baking powder, and salt, then let the batter rest another 5 minutes so everything has time to hydrate.
Cook the pancakes.
Scoop the batter from the bottom of the bowl each time to get oats that settle, and pour it onto a greased non-stick pan. Cook them for 2 minutes per side.
Serve.
Serve these warm, topped with butter, brown sugar syrup, or cinnamon syrup.

front view of a fluffy stack of healthy pumpkin pancakes topped with butter and syrup

Other Healthy Pancakes

If delicious pancake recipes that don’t taste “healthy” are your thing, try these banana oatmeal pancakes, protein pumpkin pancakes made with cottage cheese, or these butternut squash pancakes next.

Healthy Pumpkin Pancakes (15g Protein)

Servings: 4

Prep Time: 5

Cook Time: 10

Total Time: 15

Follow this recipe to make a hearty stack of healthy pumpkin pancakes for breakfast.

5 from 16 votes

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Ingredients

2 large eggs
1 cup milk, any
½ cup pumpkin puree
½ cup Greek yogurt, plain or vanilla
1 teaspoon cinnamon, optional
½ teaspoon pumpkin spice
1 cup old-fashioned oats
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
Pinch salt

Instructions

Make the batter:

In a large bowl, whisk the eggs. Then, add the milk, pumpkin puree, Greek yogurt, cinnamon, and pumpkin spice. Mix until the liquid is smooth. Add the oats to the bowl and mix well.
Let them sit in the bowl for 10 minutes to absorb the liquid. You can't skip this step.
Give the oats in the bowl a quick mix. Add the flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix to combine the batter, then let it sit for 5 more minutes.

Cook:

Heat a non-stick pan or griddle over medium heat. Once hot, grease it and immediately pour up to ¼ cup batter per pancake. Always fill the scoop from the bottom of the batter up to pick up the oats that settle.
Cook the first side for 2 minutes, until the edges begin to look defined and bubbles form on the pancake. Flip the pancakes over and cook the second side for another 2 minutes. Transfer to a plate or a 200F oven to keep warm while you cook the rest.

Serve & Store:

Serve warm, topped with your favorite pancake toppings.
Refrigerate leftover pancakes in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat pancakes in the microwave for 30 seconds to 1 minute or in the toaster.

Notes

If using quick-cooking (instant) oats, you’ll need to add 1 to 2 tablespoons more into the blender.
Use the right baking powder: Since pancake batter naturally has a mild, neutral flavor, it’s important to use aluminum-free baking powder. The metallic flavor will ruin the taste, especially in fluffy pancake recipes that call for 2 or more teaspoons. Trust me on this one.

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