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.

How to Roast a Pumpkin & Make Homemade Pumpkin Puree

This is the time of year when pumpkins are in season, why not make your own pumpkin puree?  It really is easy to make!  It may take a little more time than it takes to open a can, but it's worth it.  To me, fresh is always better and it tastes better too.  

How to Roast a Pumpkin & Make Homemade Pumpkin Puree

Step-by-step directions for roasting a pumpkin and making pumpkin puree.

Equipment: Sharp Knife, Cutting Board, Roasting/Baking Pan (I use a stoneware Large Bar Pan), Food Processor

• 1 small pumpkin (Sugar Pie pumpkins are the most common)
• 1 tablespoon ghee, pasture butter or coconut oil, optional* (See Resources)

• 1-2 tablespoons filtered water (optional)

Roasting a Pumpkin

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. 

2. Wash the pumpkin (I wash mine in a white vinegar-water mixture).

3. Prep pumpkin.  With a very sharp knife, carefully cut out the top of the pumpkin around the stem, just as you would carving a Jack-o-Lantern.  Next, cut the pumpkin in half on a cutting board.  Then cut pieces in half again, quartering the pumpkin.  

4. Remove the seeds and membranes with a metal spoon, discard.  NOTE: Save the seeds if you like to roast pumpkin seeds.

5. Using your fingers, lightly coat the flesh of each pumpkin quarter with fat of choice.  Lay pumpkin quarters face side down on a large roasting pan/baking pan.  *Edit Note: I now roast pumpkins without any fat.  It turns out perfect, so coating the pumpkin with a fat is completely optional.

6. Place in oven and bake for about 45-60 minutes or until fork tender.  Cooking time will depend on the size, if you have a very small pumpkin, check it around 35 minutes to gage how much longer it will need. 

7. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.  At this point, you can store pumpkin quarters in an air-tight container in the refrigerator until ready to use (keeps for about 5 days refrigerated).          

Making Pumpkin Puree

1. Prep food processor with steel blade. 

2. Peel cooled pumpkin quarters (remove pumpkin skin with a spoon, discard skin).  Break pumpkin flesh into chunks and place into food processor.  

3. Pulse over and over, stopping occasionally to scrape down the sides of the food processor.  Add 1-2 tablespoon water if needed (start with 1 tablespoon, then add more if necessary), this will help it puree faster.  This process will take several minutes.  Continue pulsing until you reach the consistency of puree.  

4. Store pumpkin puree in an air-tight container in the refrigerator.  

Yield: Makes about 2 1/2 - 3 cups pumpkin puree. 

Storage: Keeps in the refrigerator for 5 days.  If you don't plan on using it right away, freeze pumpkin puree for later use.  

Serving Suggestions: Use pumpkin puree in pumpkin pie, pumpkin muffins, pumpkin bread, pumpkin soup, pumpkin pancakes, etc.

Turkey Brine

Using a Brine is the perfect way to give yourself a little more room for error when roasting a turkey.  The Brine will help keep the turkey moist.  

Turkey Brine

This Brine works for a 14 to 16 pound turkey.  Add more (or less) liquid if needed.

Equipment: Brine Bag or VERY Large Bucket, Large Stockpot

• 1 gallon homemade vegetable stock 
• 1 cup Celtic sea salt or Himalayan pink salt (See Resources)
• 1 cup honey
• 4-5 garlic cloves, smashed
• 2 inch ginger chunk, peeled and cut into small pieces
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
• 10 sprigs fresh thyme
• 2 fresh bay leaves (or dried)
• 1 sprig fresh marjoram
• 2 cups fresh apple juice
• 1 tablespoon organic apple cider vinegar 
• 2 lemons, quartered and squeeze juice
• 1 orange, quartered and squeeze juice (optional)
• 1 gallon cold iced water

1. 2-3 days before roasting a Turkey (preferably pastured), prep Brine.  NOTE: If you have a frozen turkey, begin thawing the turkey in the refrigerator.  
2. Combine stock or broth, salt, honey, garlic, ginger, cinnamon stick and fresh herbs in a large stockpot over medium-high heat.  Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally to help dissolve the salt and honey.  As soon as brine boils, remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature.  Once cooled, add the fresh apple juice, apple cider vinegar, lemon and orange quarters to the brine (make sure to squeeze the juice of the lemons and oranges into the brine).  Refrigerate the brine.    
3. The night before you want to eat the roasted turkey, combine the brine, water and ice in a Brine Bag (my preference) or a VERY large CLEAN bucket.  Very carefully, place the thawed turkey breast-side down in the brine.  Make sure the turkey is fully immersed (weigh it down with something heavy if necessary).  Close the Brine Bag or cover the bucket and refrigerate for up to 16 hours, making sure to turn the turkey once half way through brining process.  NOTE: Brine 1 hour for every pound of turkey, do not go over that time frame.  
4. When you are ready to roast the turkey, remove the turkey from the brine and thoroughly rinse the turkey inside and out with cold water, try to remove as much water as possible with your hands (if it's too damp, pat dry with washable clean towels or paper towels).  
5. Place the turkey on a roasting rack.  It's ready to roast at this point.  Add aromatics to the cavity of the turkey if you'd like.  My favorite aromatics are fresh herbs like rosemary and thyme, lemon quarters, garlic and cinnamon stick. NOTE: When using aromatics or filling the cavity with stuffing, the cooking time increases.  

Happy Holidays!