If you’re doing THM then these Trim Healthy Mama Pumpkin Pancakes are for you this fall season! I know I am on a bit of a pumpkin kick right now, but who isn’t?!  I just LOVE this season.  The smells, the views, the trees, the cool, crisp air, sweaters, long sleeves, scarves, blankets, etc.  I just adore it.

This morning my kids woke up and asked for a special breakfast, and, honestly, I really wanted to make one for them.  Since pancakes are a treat around here (simply because I usually have to make such a huge amount to please the masses), I figured a delicious pumpkin pancake breakfast would be the perfect order of the day!

But, I wanted to make it friendly for all of my kids, which meant gluten-free, and I wanted it to be friendly enough for me to have a few (i.e. THM-friendly).  This is what I came up with.  And boy were they delicious! Mmmmmm….

Trim Healthy Mama Pumpkin Pancakes

What I love about this recipe is that it was a total throw-together of ingredients I had on the shelf anyway (yes, I buy a few extra cans of pumpkin this time of year for spontaneous pumpkin-flavored treats).  It was a quick and easy pancake frenzy to enjoy with the kids before we started our school hours.  And, truly, I enjoyed it immensely.

This recipe works so wonderfully I think because there is a great liquid-to-dry ingredient ratio.  It allows the pancakes to not be super thick and dry, which I have found to be common with Gluten-free pancakes.  I hope you enjoy them as much as I did!

Trim Healthy Mama Pumpkin Pancakes (E-Style)

Ingredients:

• 2 cups flour (I used a homemade gluten-free mix that included xantham gum, but a whole grain flour mix or other preferred THM-friendly flour would also be just fine here)
• a nice shake of pure stevia extract powder (this is the one I LOVE…and I need to buy more)
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 1/2 cups unsweetened almond milk (I used my homemade version which worked beautifully)
• 1 cup canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)
• 1/4 cup applesauce
• 1 large egg
• 5 egg whites (or 2/3 cup egg white liquid)

Directions:

1. Combine all dry ingredients (2 cups flour, stevia, 1 tsp salt, 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon, 1/2 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp baking soda) in a large bowl.
2. In a smaller bowl, mix the rest of the ingredients together thoroughly (I recommend putting the whole egg into the bowl first, mixing thoroughly, and then adding everything else so that the egg gets good and mixed).
3. Make a well into the dry mixture and pour the wet mixture into it, stirring until mixed well.
4. Heat up a pan on the stove, or prepare a griddle as desired, at medium-high heat.  Grease with spray, oil, or your preferred method.
5. Spoon batter into desired-sized pancakes (I made mine about 3 inches across because I knew the kids would enjoy them that way…plus they felt like they had WAY more food when I told them they could each have 8 pancakes, lol).
6. Let the pancake cook well on one side until it begins to bubble on top, or look like the sides are cooking.  Flip.
7. Cook another few minutes to allow the bottom to cook through and then remove pancakes to repeat the process.
8. For THM followers, this should be enjoyed with a low-fat/fat-free topping.  Stevia-sweetened syrups are nice, as is homemade berry compote, or a little stevia-sweetened 0% fat Greek yogurt.

*For more Pumpkin delights made Trim Healthy Mama style, check out Pumpkin Pie Cake, Baked Oatmeal, and Pumpkin Cake in a Bowl.*