Paleo Pumpkin Pancakes with Coconut Flour

You can make the batter for these pumpkin pancakes with coconut flour in a bowl or in a blender, and this post shares all my tested tips to ensure your paleo breakfast turns out great!

Paleo-Approved Pumpkin Pancakes

After the birth of my third child, I followed a paleo diet for nearly six years, and one of the things I set out to recreate, I think it was the second year, was a paleo-approved version of my epic pumpkin spice pancakes recipe.

I had already created a healthy pumpkin pancake recipe, but those are made with oats, which makes them gluten-free pumpkin pancakes but not paleo-approved.

While I could have made these pumpkin pancakes with almond flour; after the success of creating my coconut flour pumpkin bread, I took it on to make these paleo pancakes.

Paleo Pumpkin Pancake Ingredients

You’ll find the measurements to the recipe further down; but before you make any ingredient swaps and then your recipe doesn’t turn out, here are the substitutions I’ve been able to make without messing up the recipe:

• Pumpkin: I use canned pumpkin or pumpkin puree for this recipe.
• Milk: I use unsweetened vanilla almond milk. You can use cashew milk or coconut milk (not cream).
• Maple syrup: a touch to add sweetness, you can swap it for a few drops of stevia or a tablespoon of coconut palm sugar.
• Eggs: essential binder for coconut flour recipes. Don’t skip or try to swap for an egg substitute for pancakes. This recipe won’t work without eggs.
• Coconut oil: swap for ghee or unsalted butter if you can have it.
• Vanilla: adds a nice touch.
• Coconut flour: it’s highly absorbent, hence the need for so many eggs and additional liquid. Read more on using a paleo mix or almond flour below.
• Spices: what’s a pumpkin recipe without cinnamon or pumpkin spice?
• Salt: a little to enhance the flavor.
• Baking soda: helps give these pancakes a little lift. This is different than paleo baking powder, which you can use instead.

Can I use a Paleo Flour Mix for these?

I’ve tested this recipe using this paleo pancake flour mix, which contains both almond and coconut flour so it can’t be swapped 1 to 1. You’ll need to use 2 cups of the mix, 4 eggs, ½ cup pumpkin puree, ⅓ cup almond milk, 2 teaspoons spice, 2 tablespoons of oil, and omit the rest. You can keep the vanilla.

How to Make Healthy Paleo Pumpkin Pancakes

Whether you follow my blender or bowl method there are some simple tips I’ll add to the steps that ensure your paleo pumpkin pancakes turn out great every time. They are:

1. Mix the wet ingredients
   In the blender or the bowl, combining the wet ingredients first is essential for an easy-to-mix batter.
2. Add the dry ingredients
   Add the coconut flour and the remaining ingredients to the pumpkin mixture. It will be thick. Wait 10 minutes before cooking for the coconut flour to absorb all the liquid.
3. Cook the pancakes
   You’ll want to start with a hot non-stick surface. Once it’s hot, grease it and add the batter using a scoop or spoon. I also use the back of the spoon to spread it a little. Smaller pancakes will cook better. When you flip them over, don’t press them down, the batter will ooze on the sides and remain uncooked.
4. Serve
   Keep the pancakes warm while you cook the rest of the batter or serve them with your favorite healthy pancake toppings.

Paleo Pumpkin Pancake Batter

Coconut flour recipes often get a bad rep because they don’t turn out as expected. Personally, I never share recipes on my website without testing them many times for errors and only after I’ve made them for a while for my family.

That said, there are some tips to ensure your paleo pancake batter makes great pancakes:

Wait to cook
Coconut flour is very absorbent and it’s not like traditional flour. It can take up to 10 minutes for it to absorb the moisture from the recipe so I recommend waiting before cooking.

Avoid wet pancakes
Another common issue is when the coconut flour pancakes feel wet and undercooked. This is because the coconut flour didn’t have enough time to absorb all the moisture –it could also be the recipe that’s why I test and share my tips in mine.

Tastes eggy
Compared to traditional recipes, coconut flour recipes have a lot of eggs. That’s because the flour needs liquid to expand and something to bind it -the eggs are used for both. Make sure to add pumpkin spice or cinnamon to the batter.

Pancakes fall apart
If the pumpkin coconut flour pancakes fall apart when flipped over, it’s probably because they were too big. Stick to smaller pancakes that can hold together.

Freezing Paleo Pumpkin Pancakes

Leftover coconut flour pumpkin pancakes can be kept in the fridge for up to 3 days but they don’t hold up well in the freezer! When frozen and reheated, they take on a spongy and unpleasant texture.

Paleo Toppings for Pumpkin Pancakes

Think of your paleo pumpkin pancakes as the foundation for incredible toppings! I love baked cinnamon apples, a drizzle of maple syrup, chopped nuts, or cinnamon syrup for pancakes, which you can make paleo-approved by using coconut palm sugar.