Y’all have been asking me for a vegan pancake recipe for ages, and I’m proud to report that these Vegan Pumpkin Pancakes are guaranteed to be a new favorite!
Made with whole wheat pastry flour and clocking in with 5 grams of protein and fiber per pancake, but no one will ever know because they are fluffy and buttery, just like your classic diner pancake!
These pancakes are delicious on their own with some maple syrup, but for a full-on weekend brunch, serve them alongside tofu scramble and a fresh fruit plate, or with my Tempeh Bacon, sliced avocado, and roasted potatoes. And if it’s not pumpkin season, make my classic diner-style Vegan Pancakes!
In this post:
1. Why you’ll love this recipe
2. Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
3. Step-by-Step Instructions
4. Tips for making this recipe
5. Frequently Asked Questions
6. Recipe Card
And for more delicious vegan breakfast ideas, check out my round-up of 40 fantastic vegan breakfast recipes!
Why you’ll love this recipe
Lots of pumpkin flavor. Much like in my vegan pumpkin bread and pumpkin ricotta stuffed shells, homemade pumpkin spice provides a real depth of pumpkin flavor alongside the pumpkin puree.
Wholesome but indulgent. I love using the whole wheat pastry flour for a bit of a protein and fiber boost. In fact, each pancake has about 5 grams of protein and fiber (using whole wheat pastry flour and Oatly milk). That said, these do not taste like “healthy pancakes” at all. They taste like classically indulgent Sunday morning pancakes.
Perfect pancake texture. Thanks to the vegan buttermilk (oat milk mixed with apple cider vinegar) and a generous amount of baking powder, these pancakes are fluffy central. I was honestly shocked the first time I sliced into them! They’re light and fluffy but feel substantial, thanks to the earlier-mentioned protein and fiber count.
Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
Pumpkin Puree. Simply a must when it comes to making pumpkin pancakes. I prefer these pumpkin pancakes with non-organic canned pumpkin puree, like Libby’s, as the texture is slightly better than the organic versions.
Homemade Pumpkin Spice Blend. Resist the urge to buy a pre-bought pumpkin spice blend! This recipe calls for freshly ground cinnamon and nutmeg. It takes two seconds to to do this but it makes a massive difference in the final result.
Whole Wheat Pastry Flour. Healthier than all purpose flour but soft enough for pancakes baked goods like cookies. All-purpose flour also works here. And see the FAQ section for even more options.
Oatmilk + Vinegar. Together, these form our vegan buttermilk, which gives the pancakes a fluffy but tender texture. I love using full-fat oat milk in my pancakes because it brings a creamy richness and oat milk browns really well when baked or cooked. That said, soy milk should work well too. I wouldn’t use a thin plant-based milk like almond milk; the batter might end up a tad thin.
Vegan Butter. Vegan butter enhances the pumpkin flavor in my experience. You can substitute with coconut oil but (1) the pumpkin flavor may be a bit muted and (2) the pancakes may spread out a bit more while cooking. Still, a very good pancake, but my recommendation would be vegan butter.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Make the vegan buttermilk: combine the oat milk and apple cider vinegar. Set aside for 5-10 minutes to slightly curdle.
Add the pumpkin puree and vanilla. Whisk together until well combined. Drizzle in the melted vegan butter and stir until just combined.
Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, brown sugar, and homemade pumpkin pie spice blend in a large bowl.
Pour the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients.
Fold the batter with a wooden spoon until just combined. Do not overmix – lots of lumps are fine. Allow the batter to rest for 10 minutes.
Heat a nonstick frying pan over medium heat for several minutes. Add a touch of oil. Ladle ½ cup pancake batter into the pan.
Cook until bubbles become rather uniform in the center and the edges start to dry out and brown, 1 ½ to 2 minutes. Flip and cook 1 ½ to 2 minutes on the second side.
Tips for making this recipe
Follow these tips for the best possible vegan pumpkin pancakes.
Mix the batter by hand and don’t over mix.
All you need is a wooden spoon (no electric mixer) to combine the wet and dry ingredients. Once the flour pockets are gone, stop mixing. The batter will be lumpy – that’s fine! Overmixing yields rubbery and/or tough pancakes (no fun!).
Keep an eye on the heat level.
I like to pre-heat my pan to medium (4 out of 7 on my burner), but usually after the first or second pancake, I need to reduce the heat to medium-low (3 out of 7). I don’t have a pancake griddle, but most sources say 375ºF is the sweet spot for an electric griddle.
Add a touch of vegan butter or oil to cook the pancakes.
If you’ve got a new nonstick skillet, you probably don’t need to add more oil between pancake rounds. If you’re using a different kind of skillet, you will likely need to add a touch more oil between pancakes.
For the best texture, while you’re making each pancake, store the cooked pancakes on a tray or plate, each pancake separated by a sheet of parchment paper.
Frequently Asked Questions
If you can’t find whole wheat pastry flour, all-purpose flour works just great (same measurements in cups and grams). You honestly can’t even tell the difference between the two.
I haven’t tried these pancakes with regular whole wheat flour, but they should work – they will just be a bit more nutty and toothsome.
Or, if you can find white whole wheat flour (made with hard white wheat instead of hard red wheat), it will yield a milder, less detectable whole wheat flavor.
You could also try using half whole wheat flour and half all-purpose flour. I believe spelt flour would also work well.
We tested these pancakes with oat flour, and the results were okay. As you can see, the texture is very thin and flat, not like the fluffy pancakes you see in the other photos. But, the taste is still really nice. So, if you have a gluten allergy, oat flour makes a decent substitute.
We also tried these with Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 gluten-free all-purpose flour and the results were bad (super gummy and the baking powder doesn’t get fully incorporated, and you can taste it). Do not recommend!
If you’re not allergic to gluten, I highly recommend sticking to whole wheat or all-purpose flours for a true pancake experience. 
I’d recommend not using store-bought pumpkin spice blends. Spices lose some of their potency shortly after being ground, so any store-bought spice is going to be less flavorful than its freshly ground counterpart. And when you combine several pre-ground spices into one pumpkin spice blend, the flavor will always be lackluster. On top of that, there’s no way to tell how fresh (or not fresh) the pre-ground spices are when the commercial manufacturer bottles that pumpkin spice blend.
Sure! Vegan chocolate chips would be amazing!
Yes, you can make the pancake batter the night before with pretty decent results. This pancake batter has baking powder and baking soda. Baking soda starts to react as soon as it’s mixed with the liquid ingredients, so if baking soda were the only source of leavener, I wouldn’t recommend this.
But since there’s a generous amount of baking powder (1 1/2 tablespoons) and since baking powder is double-acting (it reactivates when it makes contact with the hot pan), you’ll still get a decent amount of rise when you cook these.
Once you start cooking your first pancake, if it looks a bit too flat, you can try adding a bit of baking soda (1/4 teaspoon) to the batter before making the next pancakes. Thanks to the FoodsGuy for this tip!
You can store leftover pancakes, wrapped or in an airtight container, in the fridge for 3 days. I like to reheat them in a skillet for a few minutes, or the oven (350ºF/175ºC for 10-15 minutes) so they don’t get soggy.
You can also freeze them in freezer bags or airtight containers, separated by a layer of parchment paper, for a couple months. Thaw in the microwave, wrapped in paper towels.
More Stellar Pumpkin Recipes
That’s all you need to know about these vegan pumpkin pancakes. If you love the recipe, please be sure to rate and review it below and tag me with your remakes on Instagram!
Vegan Pumpkin Pancakes
Ingredients
- 2 cups (480) mL full-fat oat milk*
- 1 ½ tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 cups (250g) whole wheat pastry flour**
- 1 tablespoon organic brown sugar
- 1 1/2 tablespoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 cup (120g) canned pumpkin puree***
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 tablespoons vegan butter melted, plus more for serving****
- Neutral-flavored oil of choice for cooking pancakes
- Pure maple syrup for serving
Homemade Pumpkin Spice*****
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
Instructions
- Combine the milk and vinegar in a medium bowl, stir, and set aside for 5-10 minutes to slightly curdle.
- In a large bowl, add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, sugar, pumpkin pie spice, and whisk to combine.
- To the buttermilk, add the pumpkin puree and vanilla. Whisk together until well combined. Drizzle in the melted vegan butter and stir until just combined.
- Pour the wet ingredients over the flour mixture and fold with a wooden spoon until just combined. Do not overmix – lots of lumps are fine. Allow the batter to rest for 10 minutes.
- Heat a nonstick frying pan over medium-low to medium heat for several minutes. To test if the pan is hot enough, throw a couple drops of water into the pan – if they sizzle as soon as they hit the pan, the pan is ready. Add a touch of cooking oil and distribute evenly with a paper towel so there’s just a thin film of oil.
- Ladle ½ cup pancake batter into the pan. Cook until the bubbles become rather uniform in the center and the edges of the pancakes start to dry out and brown, about 1 ½ to 2 minutes.
- Carefully flip and cook on the second side until golden brown, 1 ½ to 2 minutes. Store cooked pancakes on a heatproof tray or plate, each pancake separated by a sheet of parchment paper. If desired, keep warm in the oven at 200ºF while you make the rest of the pancakes.
- Repeat with the remaining batter, adding a touch more oil to the pan as needed to cook the pancakes.
- Serve pancakes warm with a pat of vegan butter, if desired, and maple syrup.
Notes
Sounds delicious. Can I use almond flour? Will definitely be making these. Thanks Kathy
Hi Kathy, we haven’t tried this ourselves but we think you could. They’ll likely turn out more dense and gummy, though.
If you’re asking because you want to make them GF, We tested these pancakes with oat flour, and the results were okay. The texture is very thin and flat, not like the fluffy pancakes in the original recipe. But, the taste is still really nice. So, if you have a gluten allergy, oat flour makes a decent substitute.
We also tried these with Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 gluten-free all-purpose flour and the results were bad (super gummy and the baking powder doesn’t get fully incorporated, and you can taste it). Do not recommend!
I’m honestly not the greatest fan of American pancakes, but these ones are so yummy – my very favourite pancake recipe. I wanted to see if I could do a version without the pumpkin so I could use the same recipe for different variations as it works so well: So I subbed the pumpkin puree for unsweetened apple sauce and left out the pumpkin spice. They turned out just as delicious and are much more subtle, thus leaving a bit more room for experimenting with add ins or toppings. So if are from somewhere where you can’t get pumpkin puree at every store (like here in Germany) or you just want to switch it up a little you could definitely try using apple sauce.
Glad you enjoyed the pancakes, Danna!
Can I use coconut sugar instead of brown sugar?
Hi Jan! Yep! It’s a bit less moist than brown sugar but shouldn’t make a big difference.
These were really great! So fluffy and tasty… This recipe is certainly is a keeper
That’s so great to hear, Ieva! Next time, would you mind leaving a rating alongside your review? Star ratings are big help to readers who are thinking of making the recipe. Thanks!
These turned out delicious and perfectly fluffy! I’m not vegan but I think these taste better than regular pancakes!!
Awesome, Ray. Thanks for your comment and for taking the time to review!
Absolutely delicious! I’ve made them 3 times now and this is definitely my new go to pancake recipe!
Thanks for sharing, Yvonne!
I can’t wait to try this recipe. I can have a moment with this. Thank you for sharing.
We hope you love it, Kathy!
They were so amazing! I don’t live in the US so I didn’t have access to canned pumpkin puree and just made it myself instead. worked out just fine!:)
thanks for the great recipe! a good way to sneak a little extra veg into your breakfast (makes it easier to not feel bad about having sweet buttery, fluffy pancakes for breakfast :P)
I also love that you use less sugar than other recipes :)
Elke, So glad to hear you loved this recipe!
Made those and they were absolutely delicious! Added to my staples. Thank you
That’s so great to hear! Next time, would you mind leaving a rating alongside your review? Star ratings are big help to readers who are thinking of making the recipe. Thanks!
Nisha,
We made these on Sunday and they were amazing. Maybe best pancakes I have ever tasted!!!!! Delicioso!!!
So glad you loved them, Bob! Thanks for sharing :)
Another amazing recipe! So delicious and fluffy! Thanks Nisha!
These were delicious!!! So fluffy and dense. Will be our go to recipe from now on!
These are the best vegan pancakes I tried so far. I will definitely make these again.
Thanks for the lovely feedback, Andrea!
Is there an alternative milk I can use? I’ve discovered that oatmilk is full of added sugar. It’s a shame as it was my fave.
Hi Jane, you can choose an oat milk that has no added sugar. But feel free to try it with soy milk, as it has a creamy consistency as well.
For all those who asked if they could substitute a gluten free flour….I halved the recipe, and used 1/2 c. buckwheat flour and 1/2 c. Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 baking mix, and it worked out really well. For me, it worked better using a coconut oil cooking spray vs. plant based butter to cook them with….less sticking for whatever reason. But I really loved this recipe and will definitely make it again!
And I used soy milk instead of oat milk.
Thanks for sharing your tips, Melissa! Glad to hear you had some luck with gluten-free flour.
Hi Nisha
We are also gluten free. Please can you let us know what the options are to accommodate this? So many people are waking up to the fact now that gluten is not well tolerated even if it is not an actual ‘intolerance’.
Many thanks.
Hi Emma, Nisha just tested these with oat flour and they make a decent substitute. The texture is flat and not at all fluffy, but the flavors are still nice. We recommend making the recipe as written, but of course, feel free to make it with oat flour if it better suits your dietary needs. The FAQ section has been updated to reflect that as well!
Can buckwheat flour work in this recipe instead of the whole-wheat pastry flour? Can organic applesauce be substituted for the vegan butter in the recipe. Thank you.
I’m allergic to apple cider vinegar. Any substitutes?Also, am out of pumpkin puree. Will carrot puree, (we have this for my baby boy) work. And I’m trying to get in more potassium. Can I add a banana? Or avocado? Thanks, love!
Hi Janeece, you can use lemon juice instead of the vinegar and yes carrot puree should work pretty well! I don’t typically use avocados in applications like this, so I don’t think so. For the bananas, I might just serve them on top of the pancakes as a topping (the sweetness means you’ll need less maple syrup on top). :)
Hi Summer, Nisha just tested these with oat flour and they make a decent substitute. The texture is flat and not at all fluffy, but the flavors are still nice. We recommend making the recipe as written, but of course, feel free to make it with oat flour if it better suits your dietary needs. The FAQ section has been updated to reflect that as well! & Unfortunately applesauce cannot be substituted for the butter.
Gluten free options for the flour would be helpful. It appears the recipe uses all of the pumpkin spice. Am I correct?
Hi Sharon, I haven’t been able to test this out with GF flour myself, though I will try to fit it into my schedule soon. I don’t like offering gluten-free alternatives unless I’ve been able to personally test them myself (I’ve seen many blogs offer standard GF alternatives without clearly testing them, and it often doesn’t work, especially in vegan baking or baking-type recipes). Yes, you are correct, the recipe uses all the pumpkin spice listed.
What type of flour can I use if white and wheat irritate my stomach.
Hi Karen, Nisha just tested these with oat flour and they make a decent substitute. The texture is flat and not at all fluffy, but the flavors are still nice. We recommend making the recipe as written, but of course, feel free to make it with oat flour if it better suits your dietary needs. The FAQ section has been updated to reflect that as well!
Will oat flour work (to make it gf?)
Hi Ace, Nisha just tested these with oat flour and they make a decent substitute. The texture is flat and not at all fluffy, but the flavors are still nice. We recommend making the recipe as written, but of course, feel free to make it with oat flour if it better suits your dietary needs. The FAQ section has been updated to reflect that as well!