Healthy Pumpkin Pancakes

4.64

62

Save to FavoritesPrintJump to Recipe

This post may include affiliate links. Thank you for your support.

Healthy pumpkin pancakes made with oats and cottage cheese. Full of pumpkin spice flavor and packed with protein and fiber, these pancakes are the perfect way to fuel a fall morning!

Few things are better than a nourishing, filling, fall breakfast! These healthy pumpkin pancakes are our new go-to! They’re simple enough to whip up for a weekday morning but also fancy enough for a weekend brunch. I based this recipe off of my healthy apple pancake recipe, but we’re using pumpkin instead of apples for another fall spin!

Stack of healthy pumpkin pancakes drizzled with peanut butter. A jar of maple syrup is beside the pancakes.

I think a lot of people consider pancakes an indulgent breakfast option, but you can upgrade a few ingredients and have a healthy, powerhouse breakfast to start your day. These pumpkin pancakes have oatmeal and pumpkin puree, which are both high in fiber. And the cottage cheese and egg whites offer a major protein boost. Top with a little nut butter or coconut oil for some healthy fat and voila — you’ve got yourself a complete breakfast that will keep you full for hours!

Blender with ingredients for pumpkin pancake batter.

Ingredients in Healthy Pumpkin Pancakes

  • old fashioned oats – – my fave brand is Bob’s Red Mill gluten-free old fashioned rolled oats. 
  • egg whites â€“ acts as a binding ingredient, keeps the pancakes light and fluffy, and really amps up the protein!
  • cottage cheese â€“ another protein booster, cottage cheese also helps to keep these pancakes moist.
  • pumpkin puree – make your own pumpkin puree or pick up canned pumpkin. Just be sure it’s not pumpkin pie filling!
  • pumpkin pie spice – this tasty spice blend is used in pumpkin pie. You can use store-bought or make it yourself with my pumpkin pie spice recipe.
  • cinnamon – pairs perfectly with pumpkin for the ultimate fall flavor!
  • maple syrup – drizzle over your pancakes for a boost of sweetness.
Stack of pumpkin pancakes, drizzled with peanut butter and maple syrup, with a bite taken out of the stack.

How to Make Healthy Pumpkin Pancakes

If you usually make pancakes by taking a pancake mix and adding water, you definitely need to try making a homemade version! They taste so much better and they’re healthier for you.

These pancakes are made in a blender which makes mixing and clean up a breeze! Add the oats, egg whites, cottage cheese, pumpkin puree, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice and cinnamon to the blender and process until the batter is relatively smooth.

Heat a pan or griddle to low-medium heat and spray with non-stick spray. Scoop a quarter cup of batter onto the pan and cook until little bubbles form and the edges of the pancakes are solid enough to put a spatula underneath. Flip and cook for an additional one to two minutes. This recipe should make about 8 small pancakes. To serve, stack four on a plate and drizzle with maple syrup and/or nut butter.

Fork with a slice of the stack of pumpkin pancakes.

More Healthy Pancake Recipes

Be sure to check out all of the pumpkin recipes as well as the full collection of breakfast recipes on EBF!

Want to save this recipe? Enter your email below and we’ll send the recipe to your inbox. Plus you’ll get great new recipes every week!
4.64 from 41 votes

Healthy Pumpkin Pancakes

Healthy pumpkin pancakes made with oats and cottage cheese. Full of pumpkin spice flavor and packed with protein and fiber, these pancakes are the perfect way to fuel a fall morning!
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 8 minutes
Total Time: 18 minutes
Servings: 2

Ingredients  

  • â…” cup old fashioned oats
  • ½ cup egg whites
  • ½ cup cottage cheese
  • ¼ cup pumpkin
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
  • ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
  • nonstick cooking spray
  • maple syrup, for topping

Instructions 

  • Add oats, egg whites, cottage cheese, pumpkin, baking powder pumpkin pie spice and cinnamon into a blender and process until the batter is relatively smooth. 
  • Heat pan or griddle to low-medium heat and spray with nonstick cooking spray.
  • Once hot, scoop out about a quarter cup of batter at a time and pour onto pan. (You should be able to make about 8 small pancakes.)
  • Cook until little bubbles form and the edges of the pancakes are solid enough to put a spatula underneath, about 4-6 minutes. Flip the pancakes and cook for one to two additional minutes.
  • For serving, place four pancakes on each plate and drizzle with maple syrup and/or nut butter.

Video

Nutrition

Serving: 1/2 of recipe (4 small pancakes) | Calories: 242kcal | Carbohydrates: 38g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 3g | Sodium: 577mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 16g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Keyword: healthy pumpkin pancakes
Did you make this recipe?Mention @eatingbirdfood and tag #eatingbirdfood!

About Brittany

Hey there, I’m Brittany, the creator of Eating Bird Food, cookbook author, health coach and mama of two littles. Here you’ll find quick and easy recipes that make healthy fun and enjoyable for you and your family!

More about Brittany
Chicken fajita filling on a sheet pan with a wooden spoon. Tortillas are resting on the bottom of the sheet pan.
Get Your FREE High-Protein Meal Plan
Struggling to eat enough protein? Subscribe to my email list and I’ll send you a 3-Day High-Protein Meal Plan with a Shopping List!

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




62 Comments

  1. Can I substitute cottage cheese with whole milk kefir? Would it be a 1 to 1 substitution?

    1. Hey Jennifer, I haven’t tried it so I’m not 100% sure but I bet that would be fine to sub the cottage cheese with the kefier 1:1 ratio. Let me know how it turns out if you try it!

  2. 5 stars
    I was craving pumpkin pancakes and decided to give these a try. Seriously just as delicious as my favorite brunch hangout’s version but so much healthier.

    1. Yay! I love hearing this, Ava. So pumped these pumpkin pancakes were a hit. Thanks so much for trying them out and coming back to leave a review. I really appreciate it!

  3. Can you taste the cottage cheese in the pancakes? (I dislike cottage cheese).
    Could I substitute the cottage cheese for ricotta cheese?

    1. I don’t think you can, but I also love cottage cheese. 🙂 Ricotta cheese might change the flavor, the closest sub I would say would be Greek yogurt. 🙂

  4. 5 stars
    These pancakes were fabulous. I hesitated to make them because I just like pumpkin… I don’t love pumpkin like others do. I did not have cottage cheese but used regular vanilla yogurt, not Greek and they were delicious. Thank you for the recipe.

    1. Woo!! So glad you enjoyed this recipe, Paula! Thanks for giving it a try and for the review. I so appreciate it!

    1. Woo! Love to hear that, Joleen. Thanks for making them and coming back to leave a review, I really appreciate it 🙂

  5. 5 stars
    I look forward to making these every Autumn! Today I added hemp seeds and they turned out wonderfully. Thank you for this recipe!!

    1. Ah! What a great addition, Hillary. I am excited to hear that this recipe is a hit! Thank you for sharing your review & star rating, I so appreciate it.

  6. I would love to try these. I’m wondering what syrup do you have drizzled on your pancakes. it doesn’t look like maple syrup but all I found on this post was maple…

    1. Hi Silvia – In the photos I have served these with maple syrup and drippy peanut butter. My favorite! Hope you love this recipe. 🙂

See More Comments