Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Pancakes

Pumpkin coffee, pumpkin cookies, pumpkin ice cream, pumpkin muffins....does fall not scream pumpkin EVERYTHING?! Add these pumpkin pancakes to you fall must-make list because they are GOOD! 

Remember the diner you used to go to as a kid and get plain, blueberry, or chocolate chip pancakes and just fall in love? I don't know about you but I used to LOVE getting buttermilk pancakes wherever I went as a kid.  Really hate to say I have not had much luck finding dairy free pancakes on a brunch menu! I'm still searching so please let me know if you know of anything in the Boston area!

Back to these pancakes...

They will satisfy your inner childhood craving without all the added nonsense! AND they're dairy and gluten free! If you don't have pumpkin on hand mashed banana would also work great - uh, banana chocolate chip pancakes??? One comment to make about the batter; it can be fairly thick depending on the protein powder you use so you may need to add additional almond milk to thin it out.  Start with two tablespoons and add one tablespoon at a time until you have a pancake batter like thickness.  The best part is you can customize these to your liking when it comes to toppings - I drizzled mine with almond butter and then topped with sliced banana.  If you'd prefer yogurt, syrup, or fruit..throw it on there! If you're trying to watch your sugar intake, skip the syrup/fruit and use any nut butter and/or melted coconut oil.  If you're cooking for more than one person, you can double or even triple the recipe.  

Dairy free, gluten free

Yield: 3 medium sized pancakes

Ingredients

·       2 tablespoons oat flour (if you don't have any, simply blend oats in a blender = oat flour!)

·       1 scoop vanilla protein powder

·       ½ scoop Vital Proteins Collagen

·       ½ teaspoon baking powder

·       ¼ teaspoon cinnamon

·       ½ teaspoon pumpkin spice

·       1 tsp chia seeds

·       1 tsp ground flaxseed

·       ½ tablespoon cacao nibs

·       1 tbsp chocolate chips (I used Lilly's because they're only sweetened with stevia) 

·       2 egg whites

·       ¼ cup pumpkin (or mashed banana)

·       ½ teaspoon vanilla

·       3 tablespoons unsweetened almond milk (may need more than this)

Directions

1. In a medium sized mixing bowl, mix all dry ingredients (oat flour, collagen, protein powder, baking powder, cinnamon/pumpkin spice, chia/flax seeds, cacao nibs & chocolate chips)

2. In a separate small mixing bowl, whisk 2 egg whites with vanilla and pumpkin (or banana)

3. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix, careful not to overmix

4. Add 2 tablespoons almond milk and stir

5. If batter is still too thick, add more almond milk one tablespoon at a time

6. Spray coconut oil onto a pan at medium heat

7. Once hot, pour ¼ cup pancake mixture onto the pan per pancake (you may need to add more oil or spray to the pan if making more than this recipe or the pan starts to burn)

8. Flip when you see the bottom turn to a golden brown (or longer if you like them well done)

9. Top with your favorites! I drizzled almond butter and then topped with sliced banana