How to Make Pumpkin Spice Sourdough Pancakes--Use Pumpkin or Kabocha Squash (Diabetic Friendly)

These are great pancakes for a weekend morning, and you can mix them up the night before and refrigerate the batter until the next morning. Yes, you'll need pumpkin or kabocha squash (my preference, because that's often what I have) to make the pancakes, not just pumpkin spice. With the pumpkin/squash, white whole-wheat flour, and Greek yogurt in the batter, the pancakes are hearty and "healthy." You'll get plenty of vitamins, fiber, and some protein in the pancakes. How do they taste? The pancakes are light, have a bit of sourdough tang, and taste of pumpkin and spice. They're good! I like to serve the pancakes with chicken sausages for a nice weekend treat, but the pancakes also are good smeared with almond or peanut butter for a quick, nutritious weekday breakfast. Enjoy!

How to Make Pumpkin Spice Sourdough Pancakes--Use Pumpkin or Kabocha Squash (Diabetic Friendly)

Pumpkin Spice Sourdough Pancakes -- Serves 4+

1 cup of sourdough starter/discard

1 cup of pumpkin puree or mashed Kabocha squash (butternut squash will work, too)

2 tablespoons of canola oil

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon of vanilla

1/4 cup of plain Greek yogurt (fat free is fine)

3/4 cup of white whole-wheat flour

1 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder

1/2 teaspoon of salt

1 teaspoon of pumpkin spice (use an extra teaspoon if you really, really like the spice)

In a large bowl mix the starter/discard, pumpkin puree (or mashed squash), oil, eggs, vanilla, and yogurt thoroughly. Add the flour, baking powder, salt, and spice and stir them into the wet ingredients until completely combined. Cover the mixture and refrigerate it until the next morning, if you'd like. Or make the pancakes immediately. When you're ready to cook heat a large non-stick pan over medium heat. Spritz the pan well with canola oil (or brush the pan with oil). Stir the batter and drop portions of batter onto the hot pan to make whatever sized pancakes you like (about 1/4 of batter per pancake generally works well for me, but I also vary the sizes a bit). With a spatula or the back of a spoon, spread the batter out a little until the pancakes are about 1/3-inch thick (the batter will be quite thick, and it will puff as the pancakes cook). Let the pancakes cook until the edges are set and the centers have a matte, not shiny, look. Flip the pancakes and let them cook another minute or two on their second side. Repeat the cooking process until you've used up the remaining batter.

How to Make Pumpkin Spice Sourdough Pancakes--Use Pumpkin or Kabocha Squash (Diabetic Friendly)