I wanted to share two favorites at my house: pumpkin pancakes and pumpkin-carrot muffins. Pancakes and muffins are notoriously nutrient void, but these recipes amp them up with a dose of vegetables, whole grains, vitamins and minerals. They are also versatile. We pack both in school lunch boxes and use them for a snack, in addition to breakfast.
Pumpkin pancakes make a smart breakfast, providing a serving of vegetables, whole grains, fiber, vitamins and minerals as opposed to eating buttermilk pancakes, which are basically a wad of refined flour. Pumpkin pancakes are so tasty you can skip the syrup or use a lot less because they don’t soak up syrup the way a buttermilk dough wad does. In addition, they are easily stored in the refrigerator for up to a week, wrapped in foil because they stay moist. Flour pancakes dry out and become stale. Pumpkin pancakes are perfect for school lunch, snack time or tea time. Make sure to make them small enough to fit in a plastic baggie. It not only makes them easier to eat by hand, but also ensures that they cook through in the center. If the diameter is too large, I find the outside will burn by the time the center bakes through. Because pumpkin pancakes are nutritionally denser, you will find that you will be full sooner than if you were eating a glucose disk (buttermilk pancakes), so the small size is better for this reason too.
Pumpkin Pancakes
1 ½ cup flour
½ cup whole wheat flour
¾ cup brown sugar
4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp nutmeg
¼ tsp allspice
1/8 cups canned pumpkin
1 cup milk
¼ cup canola oil
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
In a large bowl, whisk together dry ingredients, then add wet ingredients and stir. Pour batter in 4 inch diameter cakes on a griddle pan. You can handle it from here. J
Pumpkin – Carrot Muffins (or Cake)
½ cup flour
½ cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
1 egg
1 egg white
½ cup brown sugar
½ cup canned pumpkin
2 Tbs canola oil
2 Tbs melted butter
1 Tbs grated orange
¾ cup raisins
½ cup grated carrot
1/3 cup dried cranberries
2 Tbs chopped walnuts
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Whisk dry ingredients together in a medium bowl. Beat eggs with a mixer in a large bowl for 30 seconds. Add brown sugar, pumpkin, oil, butter and orange rind and beat. Add flour mixture to wet ingredients, stir until moist. Stir in raisins, carrots and cranberries. Spoon batter into muffin cups. Sprinkle walnuts on top. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 -25 minutes.
This same recipe makes an 8 inch square cake. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes and frost with a light cream cheese frosting. I made this cake for my husband’s birthday last year and he loved it. We always end up throwing away birthday cake that is just a block of refined sugar with sugar on top. This is a cake worth eating!
Buy canned pumpkin now, to enjoy it this fall. Although it is available all year-long, grocery stores take canned pumpkin off the shelves in October just to put is back on in November on sale. Stock up on canned pumpkin when it is on sale and use it any time of year. Check out additional pumpkin recipes under the recipes tab.
Posted by Dani 
