Tasty Bites: Pumpkin Pancakes with Cinnamon Syrup

By Beth

I don’t know about you, but when fall comes, I cannot get enough of pumpkin! Last year, I posted about how to roast a pumpkin and create pumpkin puree. I shared a recipe for Pumpkin, Apple and Bacon Soup and these deliciously moist Pumpkin Doughnut Muffins. Today, I am going to share with you one of my most favorite pumpkin recipes over the last several years - Pumpkin Pancakes with Cinnamon Syrup.

These warm, autumn-spiced pancakes are so fluffy and moist. They are made with a combination of all-purpose flour and white, whole- wheat flour. These do not taste remotely “wheaty,” but rest assured, there is a little hit of extra fiber from the whole wheat flour plus all of the wonderful added nutrition from the pumpkin puree.  You can find white, whole-wheat flour, sometimes called whole-wheat pastry flour, at most grocery stores. 

This flour is made from soft, white wheat, which contains the same nutritional benefits as regular whole-wheat flour, but can be used in most recipes that call for all-purpose flour. It yields more delicate texture and more mild flavor than traditional whole wheat flour, which is milled from hard, red wheat.  I often add some white whole-wheat flour into my pizza dough, pancakes, muffins and quick breads, and, of course, it makes a very mild and soft loaf of whole-wheat bread. 

First, we are going to combine all of the liquid ingredients in a large bowl - pumpkin puree, milk, egg, vegetable oil and vinegar. Vinegar, you ask? Vinegar or lemon juice combines with the milk and basically “sours” the milk and turns it into buttermilk. This ingredient helps yield a lighter, fluffier pancake and you will not taste it at all in the finished product…just a necessary ingredient in the chemistry of fluffy pancakes.

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Tasty Bites: Susan's Healthy Oat Pancake Mix

By Beth

I don’t know about you, but my kids LOVE pancakes! So do their parents. There is not much more comforting than a fresh, warm, fluffy pancake, especially a pancake made from scratch. I rarely have time to make pancakes in the morning, so they are often saved for a breakfast-for-dinner nights. Well, a friend recently shared a recipe that might help us actually have pancakes for breakfast more often. It is a made-from-scratch mix that can be kept on hand to quickly whip up a hot batch. Not only is this recipe convenient, it is actually quite a bit healthier than your run-of-the-mill pancake. Made with whole wheat flour, oats, and optional chopped walnuts, this recipe packs a nutritional punch of fiber, protein and healthy fats. You can make a tiny batch of 4-6 pancakes, or simply double or triple the recipe to feed a hungrier bunch.

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