These Grain Free, Paleo Pumpkin Pancakes are made with coconut flour. They have a bright note of citrus which beautifully compliments the earthy pumpkin and spices.

I don’t make a lot of paleo baked goods. When I first began eating grain-free, I went a little crazy baking with almond flour, and quickly developed a nut allergy. In a way, I’m kind of glad that I can’t eat nuts now, because I know I would not have changed my eating habits. I would have replaced bread with “grain free” bread, and I would have told myself that eating six “paleo” chocolate chip cookies was okay because they were “grain free”. Now when I eat a baked good, I acknowledge that it as a treat and I count it towards my 20%, (I eat 80% clean and 20% I don’t worry).

That said, sometimes I really miss having a big traditional breakfast with all the fixins, especially when we are skiing in Vermont. I mean… Vermont… maple syrup…pancakes… who can resist? While you don’t have to be on a ski vacation to enjoy these pancakes, I developed this recipe with my ski house in mind because they feed a big crowd, they can be made in advance, and they reheat beautifully. They’re also really yummy!

These Paleo, Pumpkin Pancakes are much more filling that wheat pancakes. They are also much lower on the glycemic index, so they don’t give me a sugar crash, thirty minutes after eating them. I usually eat two pancakes with a tiny drizzle of maple syrup, an egg and a slice of bacon. With this breakfast I can ski until lunchtime without getting hungry.

I made several versions until I found the right combination of ingredients. I really wanted to be able to use the whole can of pumpkin puree. So many recipes call for just a portion of the can, and then I end up wasting the rest. If you are like me and you are feeding and army (14 people at our table is not unusual), you can follow the recipe that makes 51 pancakes. Otherwise, follow the recipe that makes 17 pancakes.

I make the pancakes at home in Connecticut, then wrap them in aluminum foil and stick them in a cooler for the drive to Vermont. When we’re ready for breakfast, I microwave the pancakes on a plate covered with a damp paper towel. On our latest ski trip, we only had 8 people up, so we ate some pancakes every morning. They lasted well in the fridge, for 4 days.

I added the juice and zest of clementines to my batter. You could also use orange juice and zest, but it’s January and the clementines looked better at the store. Orange and pumpkin work beautifully together, if you have never tried the combination you’re in for a treat!

This batter is thicker than wheat pancake batter; it is more like the consistency of cornbread batter. A note about coconut flour, its absorbency can really vary from brand to brand. I used Trader Joes Organic Coconut flour. If you are using a different brand, start with 2/3 of what is called for, let it rest a few minutes, and then check your consistency before adding the full amount.

It also behaves differently than wheat batter. It will not spread on the pan, so you have to smear it into the shape that you want it to be. They also take longer to cook in the middle. You have to be careful to not make them too big or they will burn on the bottom before they are done in the middle, and when you flip them, the uncooked middle will goop out the sides. Here is a shot of some I made with ¼ cup of batter. See the side goop? I had to cook them on low, they took FOREVER!

After some trial and error, I had the best results with two tablespoons of batter, spread into 3 &1/2” diameter pancakes, cooked over medium-low heat, for about a minute on each side. Make sure the pan is pre-heated and buttered before you add the batter. I like using a metal spatula because it is thin and easy to get under the pancakes, I also found it helpful to wipe batter off the spatula frequently so that it slides nicely.

If you try this recipe, please comment to let me know how you like them!

