Vegan Pumpkin Spiced Pancakes - No Sugar Added!

Pumpkin is the most beloved fall vegetable. The pumpkin craze hit American grocery stores to the extreme. From cookies to bagels to bread mix, pumpkins are a serious cash cow. 

Ironically, most of the boxed products are laden with sugar and other junk ingredients. America is one of the only countries (if not the only, but not sure about our friends up north) that sells canned pumpkin. When I lived in Germany, I bought whole pumpkins and had to hack and steam the "meat" in order to make pumpkin puree. 

With that being said, making pumpkin pancakes is really easy. 

Pumpkin derives from the Greek word, Pepõn, which means large melon. The word changed throughout the French and German language, but the Americans coined the term, "pumpkin." 

I believe that understanding where our food comes us allows us to better appreciate food. When we respect food for what our land gives us, I believe this gratitude is the gateway to a strong metabolism.

Pumpkins have such deep roots to the American soil, Native Americans and the exchange of knowledge between the natives and pilgrims. Pumpkins, along with squash and beans thrive in cultivation with one another. Together, they are known as the Three Sisters.  

Nutritionally, pumpkins set a high bar. Pumpkin is most known for its high Vitamin A and potassium content. In a 100 gram serving, pumpkin contains 246% (7384 IU) of the recommended daily value of Vitamin A and 340 mg (7%) of potassium. 

Copper, iron, calcium, manganese, magnesium, selenium and zinc (and even 1 gram of sodium) are other notable minerals found in pumpkin. Ask yourself this, "Why drink Gatorade, when nature provides all the electrolytes you need in pumpkin. 

Now pumpkin pancakes isn't exactly nature's Gatorade, but hopefully this inspires you to add a wee-bit more of this orange veggie in your diet. But, at least these pancakes are sugar free! I added a couple tablespoons of maple syrup to the pancakes to sweeten the batter, but overall the batter is not sweet. I believe the syrup added on top of the cooked pancakes makes the dish sweet enough. 

Vegan Pumpkin Spiced Pancakes
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time 20-25 minutes
Makes: 13 pancakes

Dry Ingredients:
2 cups of all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 1/8 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp all spice
Pinch of clove

Wet Ingredients:
2 cups of nondairy milk (used almond)
1 tsp lemon juice
2 tbsp maple syrup
1 cup pumpkin puree
1/4 cup coconut oil (or canola/grapeseed)
Splash of vanilla extract

Vegan butter, oil or cooking spray for cooking

Directions:
Place all the dry ingredients into a bowl and mix until combined. Next, place all the wet ingredients into a separate bowl and mix until combined. Gradually add the dry ingredients into the wet. Mix until combined. If the batter is too thick, add a bit more milk to the batter. The batter should be able to pour off a ladle (if its too sticky, it'll need more milk). 

Heat a skillet with your choice of cooking spray, oil or vegan butter. Once hot, use a 1/4 scant cup or ladle and pour the batter in (counter) clockwise direction (either direction) to form a circle. Once the batter bubbles on top, flip the pancake, using a spatula.

From here, you may need to turn down the heat. Respray or oil the heat and repeat until all the batter is used. Top with maple syrup and enjoy!

Do you love pumpkin pancakes? Is there a certain version or ingredient addition (like chocolate) that you love most? Let us know! I'm always looking for new experiments! 

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