This was an out-of-the-ordinary morning. We didn’t get up until 10:30 a.m. Then, we laid on the couch for another half hour and talked about the weird dreams of making pancakes I had last night and how I was going to give up meat for a while. In my crazy pancake dreams, I was trying to cook in someone else’s kitchen for a group of people I barely know. I was attempting to cook on a griddle heated by a tea light candle and trying (and failing) to chop walnuts with a plastic butter knife. Finally, someone came in and in a rage threw the “griddle” at the wall, destroying what little progress I had made. I threw my hands up, walked into the room where the people for whom I was cooking were watching the same movie on about three or four different laptops (because there wasn’t a TV big enough for them all to crowd around). I told them that if they wanted to eat, we’d have to order out or just go out. One of them, the woman whose kitchen I was cooking in, got up and said, “Oh, I can come help.” So, I was doomed to keep attempting these blueberry walnut pancakes.

Fortunately, the pumpkin pancakes I made this morning were a success. I prepared them in my own kitchen and only for myself and Andrew. When he ran out to get some maple syrup and soy milk, I brewed some coffee in the French press and whipped up some orange nutmeg “butter” with Earth Balance, orange zest and freshly grated nutmeg.

Although I tend to drool over quiches and omelets, I was really happy with how these guys turned out. They were a little soft in the middle, sort of like pumpkin pie filling (which we love), but not so much that they seemed raw (which we don’t love). A pat of that orange “butter” and a drizzle of maple syrup made them just sweet enough.

Vegan Pumpkin Pancakes

Combine in a medium bowl
3/4 cup canned pumpkin
Juice of half an orange
1 Tbsp oil
1 1/2 - 2 cups unsweetened soy milk

In a separate, larger bowl whisk together:
1 cup whole-wheat flour
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 - 1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
1 3/4 tsp baking powder
3 Tbsp sugar

Make a well in the dry ingredients into which you’ll pour the wet ingredients. Whisk together until blended, adding more soy milk as needed.

Ladle desired amount of batter onto a lightly oiled griddle. Cook pancakes until edges begin to brown and bubbles form on top. Flip and allow to cook for 3 to 4 more minutes. Serve hot with the orange nutmeg butter and maple syrup. They’re great with a side of sliced apples.

Note: These pancakes are not very sweet. If you’d like them sweeter, add more sugar to the dry ingredients or just use more maple syrup.