Pumpkin Pancakes with Cinnamon Whipped Coconut Cream

This Pumpkin Pancakes with Cinnamon Whipped Coconut Cream recipe is gluten free, has vegan and nut free options, so you can make it to please any crowd or dietary need!

Pumpkin Pancakes Recipe

I may have a San Diego mailing address, but I am a New England girl by birth and to the bone. Meaning, fall is likely my most loved season. I may not get to enjoy the sight of  the foliage changing to shades of crimson and vermillion here in southern California, but I make a point of enjoying the seasonal foods that come with fall.

So expect to see a lot of pumpkin and apple goods littering the blog in the next few months.

At the farmer’s market last weekend, my daughter caught sight of a display of bright orange pumpkins. Orange, hands down, is Alice’s favorite color and she simply had to bring home one of those gorgeous pumpkins. For a few days, we enjoyed the sight of it as the center piece of our dining room table.

However, as the prolonged heatwave that has hit San Diego county these past few weeks raged on, I became concerned that our lovely orange pumpkin was going to suddenly liquify itself all over my table. It was time to get baking and turn that pumpkin into puree to enjoy in many meals to come.

I don’t have anything against canned organic pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling, but pure pumpkin), so if you don’t have the time to make your own pumpkin for this recipe, please feel free to sub in some of the premade stuff.

But I will be honest, homemade pumpkin puree is easy to make and a couple small pumpkins can stock your freezer with enough puree that you can pretend it is fall all year long (for a fraction of the cost). 

So let’s divide the whole process into two parts: Homemade Roasted Pumpkin Puree and Cinnamon Whipped Coconut Cream.

Homemade Roasted Pumpkin Puree

First, when making homemade roasted pumpkin puree, I suggest using smaller pumpkins. The larger the are, the more likely they are to hold a bizzarre taste or texture. At least, this is my experience. Plus, smaller pumpkins seem to be easier to get cut up and seeded. 

Once you have your pumpkin(s) all washed and ready on the cutting board, preheat your oven to 375. Then get to chopping. Cut off the top portion of your pumpkin first and discard.

Cut the pumpkin

Then cut the pumpkin in half. And then in quarters. If you are using a bigger pumpkin, you may have to cut it into 1/8’s. 

Remove pumpkin guts

The next step was Alice’s favorite part, and an excellent time to bring in your resident preschool sous chef (assuming you have one, like I do). The removal of the pumpkin guts! There is no way to gracefully remove those stringy bad boys, just scrape and scoop those suckers out until there are little to no remains left (a little pumpkin pulp never hurt anything, so don’t feel like you have to be perfect). Get gross and gooey. It’s good for the soul. 

Place the pumpkin slices on a baking sheet (or sheets, depending on how many pieces you have) face down so that they are not touching.  You can throw a little olive or coconut oil on them if you want, but I like the way pure pumpkin tastes so I opt not to do that.

Roast the pumpkin

Roast in the oven for 45-50 minutes..or until you can easily jab it with a fork.  

Let it cool a bit so you aren’t burning your fingerprints off and then the skin should easily peel right off (the pumpkin skin, that is).  

Use a food processor or blender

Throw the meat of the pumpkin into a food processor and run it through the machine until its smooth and creamy.  If your pumpkin seems a bit dry, go ahead and add a bit of water to make it a smoother texture.

Don’t have a food processor? That’s fine, use your blender (though you will definately need to add a bit of water for that method) or just use some elbow grease and some angry music and mash it with a potato masher (again, with a bit of water). All techniques will end in pumpkin puree goodness.

You can store the pumpkin puree in the fridge up to a week in an air tight container or freeze (in 1-2 cup portions) for up to 6 months. 

Cinnamon Whipped Cooked Cream

My family simply loves the flavor of coconut and since I try to cut out as much animal product from our diets as possible, I have taken to subbing whipped coconut cream for all whipped cream in our house.

Ta-da! 

Other healthy pancake recipes that you will adore…

• Healthy Apple Carrot Pancakes
• Blender Banana Spinach Pancakes
• Veggie-Loaded Chocolate Pancakes {gluten free}
• Golden Paleo Pumpkin Pancakes {nut-free}

Loving these pumpkin pancakes with cinnamon whipped coconut cream and hungry for more?

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