In Praise of Pumpkin, Part 4: Gluten Free Pumpkin Pancakes

Pumpkin week continues! Have you carved your pumpkins yet? A while ago one of my friends and I were doing this low-carb diet, and she found a recipe for protein pancakes that were gluten free. We shared it with another friend who loves to cook but really doesn't need to eat low-carb, and I think she has perfected it and made it a little more nutritional with the addition of canned pumpkin. She calls them the "Every Food Group Pancake" and boasts that you can feed these to your kids in the morning and never have to feed them again during the day, because they get all the nutrition they need in these pancakes. (Kidding, of course, she feeds her kids three times a day. I think.)

So this morning I got out the old blender and pureed myself up a batch of these pancakes with pumpkin. I've never tried this ingredient in these pancakes before, but I've gotta say, I'll be adding it from now on. These pancakes turn out a bit more like a crepe than a pancake. They are rather flat, and they take a lot longer to cook than a regular pancake because there's so much going on in there. So you have to be a little bit patient, but it is definitely worth the wait.

Gluten Free Pumpkin Pancakes

1 cup cottage cheese

1 cup GF oatmeal (I prefer Blue Chip Baker Brand)

1 cup milk

1 tsp baking powder or baking soda (I used powder today, but I usually use soda. I think the powder is better.)

1/2 cup applesauce

1/2 cup pumpkin

1 egg

Place all ingredients in a blender and puree/liquefy until it makes a thick batter. Set the blender bowl on the counter for at least five minutes to let the ingredients puff up and make a light batter.

Pour batter out onto a hot, greased griddle, about 325 degrees. Let cook on one side for 4-5 minutes before trying to flip them. The edges should be completely dry. Use a large spatula to help flip the heavy pancakes over. They will look very done on each side when they are finished. Enjoy the view of flowers from husband from yesterday's anniversary.

Flip pancakes and allow to cook for another 4-5 minutes. Feel the middle of the pancake to see if it's firm to know that it's done. Serve with your favorite jam, whipped cream, or powdered sugar.

Tune in tomorrow for another great gluten free pumpkin recipe!

Happy eating!