Pumpkin Pancakes w/ Ginger Honey Butter

These are my absolute favorite pancakes!  They are incredibly rich, scrumptious and always a crowd pleaser.  Their texture is great … fluffy (yes a fluffy gluten-free pancake, YAY!) with a slight crisp to the outside and a soft inside.  They are truly delectable.   

Pumpkin Pancakes with Ginger Honey Butter make a wonderful holiday breakfast.  They are perfect for company too because the pancake batter can be made a day ahead.  

Pumpkin Pancakes w/ Ginger Honey Butter

Make up a batch of these and store some in the refrigerator for leftovers (a quick snack or fast breakfast).

Equipment: 2 Medium-Size Mixing Bowls, Whisk, Pancake Griddle/Large Saucepan or Skillet, Turner Spatula

• 1 cup sprouted brown rice flour (See Resources)
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon Celtic sea salt (See Resources)
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon powdered ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg or ground nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
• 2 tablespoons pasture butter or ghee, melted
• 2 tablespoons honey 
• 3/4 cup pumpkin puree
• 3/4 cup organic milk or fresh raw milk
• 1/2 cup cultured sour cream [See Edit Note]
• 1 pastured egg or organic egg

1. Preheat griddle/saucepan/skillet over medium-low heat.  

2. Melt butter and honey, set aside.  [Note: I use a small ramekin/small oven-safe dish and melt the butter and honey in the oven.  I prefer this because I like to keep the pancakes warm in the oven while I make all of them, so this preheats the oven for me.  You can also melt the butter and honey on the stove-top.]  

2. In a mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and clove.  Whisk/stir to combine.  [Note: I use a Microplane to grate the fresh nutmeg.]

3. In another mixing bowl, combine pumpkin puree, milk, sour cream [or extra pumpkin puree, See Edit Note] and melted butter and honey.  Whisk to combine.   Add cracked egg and and whisk to combine.  Batter is ready.  At this point you can store the batter in the refrigerator or begin making pancakes. 

4. Melt fat of choice on griddle or in saucepan/skillet, increase heat to medium.  Using a small ladle, scoop batter and drop onto griddle or saucepan/skillet (my small ladle is about 2 heaping tablespoons).  Cook until first side of pancake is "set" and golden brown "crust" has formed, about 3-4 minutes.  Flip with turner-spatula and cook for another 1-2 minutes, until golden brown.  [See Note Below]

5. Serve immediately, place in a warm oven to keep hot until all pancakes are made, or store in the refrigerator to eat later.  

6. Top with Ginger Honey Butter and organic maple syrup grade B.  I also love these topped with Elderberry & Rose Hip Syrup instead of maple syrup.       

Yield: Makes about 12-14 small pancakes.

Edit Note: I have started making these pancakes without the sour cream.  I replace the sour cream with extra pumpkin puree.  This makes the batter thicker and makes fluffier pancakes.  The pancakes are great either way, but I think I prefer them this way.  I figured this out by mistake when I was out of sour cream.


Note: The pancake batter can be made up the day before you want to make the pancakes and refrigerated until ready to use.  I find that the cold pancake batter cooks better as well.

Storage: Leftover pancakes keep well in the refrigerator.  Reheat in a skillet over medium-low heat or on a baking pan in the oven at a low-warming temperature.  

Vegan-Option: I used to make these all the time during my vegan years.  At that time I was still eating soy, so I used organic silken tofu as the egg replacer.  To make these vegan, use coconut oil instead of butter, use maple sugar or organic grade B maple syrup instead of honey, non-dairy milk like coconut milk instead of milk (make sure to use a thicker non-dairy milk like coconut or hemp), coconut yogurt or extra pumpkin puree instead of sour cream, and vegan egg replacer of choice like chia gel (if you eat soy/consume tofu, make sure to find a organic non-GMO soft tofu).

This post is part of Melt in Your Mouth Monday Blog Hop @ Make Ahead Meals for Busy Moms,  Homestead Barn Hop @ The Prairie Homestead, Real Food 101 @ Ruth's Real Food, Fat Tuesday @ Real Food Forager, Make Your Own Monday Link-Up @ Nourishing Treasures, Slightly Indulgent Tuesday @ Simply Sugar and Gluten-Free, Hearth and Soul Hop @ Mom's Sunday Cafe, Gluten-Free Wednesdays @ The Gluten-Free Homemaker, What's Cooking Wednesday @ The King's Court IV, Real Food Wednesday @ Kelly the Kitchen Kop, Fresh Bites Friday @ Real Food Whole Health, Freaky Friday @ Real Food Freaks, Fight Back Friday @ Food Renegade, and What's Cooking Wednesday @ The Kings Court IV.