I’m ready for the change of seasons. I happily welcome Fall… and all its wonderful seasonal produce! Not to mention the color of the leaves… the crisp autumn air… the promise of gathering with family… even just the idea of an enticing aroma being emitted from a warm kitchen on a chilly day fills me with – for lack of better words – the spirit of the season!
Today is October 1… also known as World Vegetarian Day. Celebrate all walks of life by eating a meatless meal tonight, whatever it may be! (Earn extra good karma points by having a vegan meal!)
If you haven’t noticed, my family likes breakfast foods a lot! Pancakes aren’t just considered a breakfast food in our home… sometimes we even eat them for dinner. I usually throw some tempeh or soy-sage on the side for some added goodness. Pancakes are one of those meals that I can count on my kids more or less cleaning their plates, so anything I can mix into the batter to give some added nutrients is a plus. (That reminds me – I recently read somewhere that recommended making pancakes using fresh carrot juice instead of milk. I want to try that!)
October always puts me in the mood for cooking with pumpkin. Maybe because they are orange, or because of Halloween, or maybe cause I know we’ll be watching ‘It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown’ soon. And since we’re talking about it, I don’t blame Linus at all for believing in the Great Pumpkin. After all, pumpkins are full of vitamins that help healthy vision, bone growth, reduce the risk of cancer & signs of aging, and offer protection against heart disease. They are loaded with vitamin A and antioxidants; they are also a good source of vitamins B, C, K, and E, and lots of minerals, including magnesium, potassium, and iron. According to The World’s Healthiest Foods, pumpkins were found to be so prized by Native Americans for their nutritional value that pumpkins were often buried with the dead to provide them with sustenance in the next world. So… what’s not to believe in? Come to think of it, maybe they should’ve named that movie “It IS the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown – and don’t you forget it!”
These pumpkin pancakes are so creamy they literally melt in your mouth. I like to use almond milk and top the pancakes with chopped pecans. They are best cooked silver-dollar size… and eaten immediately, of coarse!
Creamy Pumpkin Pancakes
- 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 3 Tbsp sugar or liquid sweetener
- 1 Tbsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- < 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- 1 1/2 cup almond milk (or any non-dairy milk)
- 1/2 cup or more pumpkin puree… I like to use 1/2 can of pumpkin (one can = about 2 cups)
- 1 Tbsp canola oil
- 1/4 cup water
- pecans for topping (optional)
Mix dry ingredients together in large bowl. Mix wet (including pumpkin) in small bowl. Mix wet into dry. Cook silver dollar size pancakes on a hot griddle. Top with chopped pecans & maple syrup! Devour!
It’s easy to turn a simple pumpkin pancake into a Halloween-inspired breakfast if so desired!
(To make a super easy pumpkin face, you could draw curved lines down the pumpkin from top to bottom using a chocolate chip. I threw these “pumpkins” together in a real jiffy, hence the simple banana jack-o-lantern face… You could also easily make a face using chopped nuts or cut pieces of dried fruit – like apricots or mangos – or even small triangles of dark chocolate! Mmmm!)
If you are more of a waffle person, try these delicious pumpkin waffles!
Your Vegan Neighbor 