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Jack O Lantern Pancakes

Jack O Lantern Pancakes

Light and fluffy pumpkin pancakes perfect for any fall breakfast – or dinner!

Halloween party recipe via @tspcurry

My idea began with this creative everyday take on pancakes: Trix Pancakes from Shawn @ I Wash You Dry

But we don’t routinely have brightly colored cereal in our cupboard. So I tried to arrange Cheerios to make my pumpkin pancakes look like Jack-O-Lanterns:

Kids friendly pumpkin pancakes fail via @tspcurry

#Fail

Then I tried using Crisped Rice; but the pancake Jack-O-Lantern came out looking more like a scary skeleton:

Pumpkin pancake Pinterest fail via @tspcurry

 (Not really the look I was going for.)

So I tried raisins with a little green stem – and the third time was a charm:

These kid friendly PUMPKIN PANCAKES are perfect for Halloween. Use natural green-pea-dye for the stems | @tspcurry - For more fall time recipes click: TeaspoonOfSpice.com

To make the green stem,  I started with regular food coloring in a bit of pumpkin pancake batter. Now my kids eat very few food dyes. (Here’s a great article by fellow dietitian Sally @ Real Mom Nutrition if you have concerns about dyes.) But I do keep store-bought food coloring on-hand for birthday cakes and holidays.

However, by this time, my pumpkin pancake creative juices were running pretty high – so I tried doing a natural green food coloring for the stem. Frozen green peas ==> whizzed into a little batter provided the perfect hue. The peas were sweet enough that you couldn’t taste them. The trick to keeping them bright green is not to cook them – just defrost.

Lastly, because I was really having fun in the kitchen – and because not everyone wants peas in their pancakes – AND because I thought there might still be something to the cereal pancakes idea – I created Granola Pumpkin Pancakes.

Granola topped pumpkin pancakes via @tspcurry

Oh man – now this was #Winning

Cinnamon-spiced granola in slightly sweet pumpkin pancakes: My kids gobbled up the smiling Jack O Lantern Pancakes, while I did the same to the granola studded ones.

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Halloween party recipe via @tspcurry

Jack O Lantern Pancakes + Granola Pumpkin Pancakes


5 from 1 review

  • Author: by Serena Ball, RD
  • Yield: About 25 pancakes - I sorta lost count! 1x

Description

Light and fluffy pumpkin pancakes studded with granola and raisins for breakfast – or dinner!


Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 cup cake flour (or all purpose)
  • 1 cup whole-wheat flour
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup pumpkin puree
  • 2 cups + 1 tablespoon low-fat buttermilk, divided
  • 1 egg
  • 3 tablespoons canola oil
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2 tablespoons frozen peas
  • 1/2 cup raisins
  • 1/23/4 cup homemade or packaged granola

Instructions

  1. In a large bowl, combine flours, baking powder, cinnamon, sugar, salt; set aside.
  2. In a medium bowl, combine pumpkin, 2 cups buttermilk, egg, oil and vanilla; whisk together.
  3. Pour the wet ingredients into flour mixture; mix well with a fork or wooden spoon until you have a smooth batter, but don’t over mix.
  4. To make green batter, remove 1/2 cup batter to a smaller bowl. Whiz peas and remaining buttermilk in mini-food processor or blender; stir into smaller bowl of batter.
  5. Heat large non-stick griddle or frying pan over medium heat; drop about 1/8 cup batter onto pan. Drop small spoonful of green batter on one edge for stem; arrange raisins into ‘face.’ Flip after all bubbles in batter pop – about 3 minutes. Cook about another 2 minutes and remove to plate or keep warm.
  6. Variation: For Granola Pumpkin Pancakes, fold in granola into medium bowl of orange batter after combining wet and dry ingredients. Can also make them Granola Jack O Lantern Pancakes!

Do you add cereal to recipes? Everyone HAS to make them once a season: Pumpkin Pancakes – have you made them yet this year?

Some of our favorite pumpkin recipes that you may also like:

Pumpkin Waffles

Pumpkin Pecan Waffles | Teaspoonofspice.com

Whole Pumpkin Cheddar Gratin

Whole Pumpkin Cheddar Gratin | TeaspoonofSpice.com

How to Cook Pumpkin Seeds in 15 Minutes

How to Cook Pumpkin Seeds in 15 minutes | Teaspoonofspice.com

Rita. C

Saturday 2nd of November 2019

Hi serena,

We all love lantern pancakes. I will apply your presentation tomorrow. What can i use instead of canola oil. Thanks for excellent sharing.

Serena Ball, MS, RD

Monday 4th of November 2019

You can use olive oil or melted butter in place of canola oil. Thanks for stopping by!

Sara @sarahaasrdn.com

Friday 7th of October 2016

I mean, could these be any cuter!!! Great idea!

Serena Ball

Sunday 9th of October 2016

Are you talking about the flops - or the funny, pretty good ones? (: Thanks Sara!

Jessica

Friday 7th of October 2016

What an awesome idea! Love the use of peas!

Serena Ball

Sunday 9th of October 2016

Thanks Jessica! They are a surprisingly great dye for the pumpkin stem!

Tara | Treble in the Kitchen

Friday 7th of October 2016

These are so cute!! :)

Serena Ball

Sunday 9th of October 2016

Thanks Tara. Happy pumpkin-everything month Tara!

Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine

Wednesday 7th of October 2015

So great! Perfect for Halloween breakfast since Halloween is also a Saturday this year! Wooooo!

Serena Ball

Thursday 8th of October 2015

Good point Rebecca...and I can't believe none of my 4 kids pointed that out yet...since ALL they've been talking about for weeks and weeks is Halloween...and which costume they will be!

Comments are closed.