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Soft and fluffy pumpkin pancakes for babies, kids and adults too of course! Full of pumpkin flavour this recipe is gluten and refined sugar free.

A pumpkin waffle, 3 baby pancakes and a bowl of fruit on a bench top.

Why This Recipe Works

Soft and fluffy texture
Full of pumpkin spice flavours
Source of protein

Ingredients you will need

buckwheat flour
cinnamon
teaspoon nutmeg
ground ginger
baking soda
cooked pumpkin
cottage cheese
milk
eggs
maple syrup
vanilla extract
vinegar

The ingredients to make pumpkin pancakes laid out on a bench top with text overlay labels.

Ingredient Notes and Substitutes

Buckwheat flour: I use gluten-free buckwheat flour for this recipe as I have a child with coeliac disease. This recipe also works with oat flour and plain flour.
Spices: I use a combination of cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger as these are traditional pumpkin spice flavours, however the recipe works just as well with just one of those spices.cinnamon
Cooked pumpkin: This recipe will also work with cooked butternut squash and sweet potato/kūmara.
Cottage cheese: I love using cottage cheese in my recipe as it is economical and a rich source of protein This recipe will also work with plain or greek yogurt.
Maple syrup: This can be substituted for honey
Vinegar: The vinegar helps activate the baking soda, any vinegar is fine to use, white, balsamic or red wine vinegar all work fine.

Step-by-step instructions

Below are illustrated step-by-step instructions to make my gluten free pumpkin pancakes recipe, if you prefer just the written instructions then head straight to the printable recipe card below.

Step one: Place all the dry ingredients; buckwheat flour, baking soda, and spices into a mixing bowl, whisk with a fork or whisk until well combined.

A glass mixing bowl of dry ingredients with a brass handles whisk resting on the side.

Step two: In a blender combine the wet ingredients; cooked pumpkin, maple syrup, cottage cheese, vinegar, and vanilla extract, whizz until smooth. (you can also do this with a masher and then a whisk in a mixing bowl)

eggs, milk, cottage cheese and pumpkin in a blender jug.

A glass blender jug filled with a thick pale orange smoothie.

Step three: Add the wet ingredient to the dry, combine with a wooden spoon until you have a smooth pumpkin pancake batter.

A glass mixing bowl of smooth pumpkin pancake batter being stored with a spatula.

Step four Heat a heavy based frypan on a medium to low heat, lightly grease with butter, oil or coconut oil. Drop spoonfuls of the mixture into the pan.

A small pumpkin pancake cooking on a cast iron skillet.

Step five: Wait for bubbles to appear on the surface and then flip. Cook until golden on both sides.

Enjoy!

A stack of pancakes on a plate with a triangular wedge removed from the stack to show the fluffy inside of the pancakes.

Tips & FAQs

Here is how you can make these baby pumpkin pancakes perfectly every time!

Cook low and slow. These pancakes have a tendency to catch/caramelise on the outside if you have your pan temperature set too hot.
Resist the urge to flip the pancakes too early. Leave them to cook long and slow on one side for at least five minutes before flipping. The pancakes will not need as long to cook on the second side.
I use leftover roast pumpkin to make this recipe.
If you have leftover pumpkin or butternut puree it works very well in this recipe, you will need around ½ a cup to ¾ of a cup.
Try making pumpkin waffles! This pumpkin pancake batter also works well as a waffle.
This batter can be used to make large or small pancakes.

A stack of 5 orange coloured pancakes on a plate topped with fruit salad and drizzled with syrup.

How To Make This Recipe Suitable For Baby-Led-Weaning

Make small pancakes by dropping tablespoon full of the mix onto your greased skillet.
Use maple syrup not honey as the sweetener if these pancakes are to be served to children under one year of age.
Serve with yogurt for dipping and soft fruits for colour.