Pumpkin Sourdough Pancakes: Eating Seasonally

Pumpkin is one of my favorite frugal foods. At a quality local farm, you should be able to find pie pumpkins for less than $2 each. When roasted and made into puree, depending on the size, it should yield around 2-4 cups of pumpkin, which can easily be frozen for future use. If cured properly, they should last most of autumn and winter in a cool place, like a drafty basement or a root cellar. Not only that, but pumpkin is a great way to bulk up your autumn and winter meals. Pumpkin puree can be added in soups, casseroles, and in baked goods. Pumpkin is particularly great for baking because it can replace eggs and oil. In times of scarcity, this is good knowledge to have.

While I am all for eggs and good quality butter, the reason why this pancake recipe is so great is because it’s cost-effective and has minimal ingredients. Not to mention super easy to make, and egg-allergy friendly. These are sourdough pancakes where the gluten is properly fermented, making it easy to digest and the nutrients more readily available. To learn more about how I choose ingredients and why I prepare food the way I do, check out my ebook: Traditional Eating.

What you need:

Overnight batter:

• 3/4 cup of bubbly, active sourdough starter

• 1 cup of organic grass-fed milk or buttermilk

• 3/4 cup of organic pumpkin puree

• 1 tablespoon of organic cane sugar

• 1 teaspoon of organic vanilla extract

• Dash of organic pumpkin pie spice

• 2 cups of organic unbleached, unbromated flour

The morning of:

• 1 teaspoon of baking soda

• 1 teaspoon of aluminum-free, non-GMO baking powder

• 1 teaspoon of sea salt

To prepare:

Step 1:

The evening before, prepare the overnight batter by whisking together the active sourdough starter, milk, pumpkin puree, sugar, and vanilla until smooth. Slowly stir in the flour until pancake batter forms. Depending on how hydrated your sourdough starter and pumpkin puree are, you may need more milk. Because of the sourdough starter, the batter will be slightly more gluten-ous, however the batter should still be about the thickness of regular pancakes.

Step 2:

Cover the bowl and place in the refrigerator overnight for at least 12 hours.

Step 3:

The next morning, remove your batter from the fridge. I like to let mine sit on the counter for an hour or so after removing from the fridge, but if you need to make them right away this is not necessary.

Step 4:

Stir in the baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Heat up your griddle or cast iron pan with butter or coconut oil.

Step 5:

Once heated, and with the heat on medium-low, pour about 1/4 cup of batter onto your griddle and allow to cook. When the pancake has air bubbles throughout and the edges have lost their sheen, it’s time to flip. Once golden brown on both sides, transfer to a plate and continue the process until all the batter is used.

Step 6:

Serve with a generous amount of butter, a dredge of maple syrup, or even whipped cream, chocolate chips, or powdered sugar if you prefer. Enjoy!

For more seasonal recipes like this one…

Harvest and Home is a collection of recipes for autumn and winter. Warming, nourishing, and traditional— this ebook is like taking a look at Kaetlyn’s personal recipe box.

In 40+ pages, Kaetlyn shares recipes and food ideas that celebrate harvest and home. This ebook will equip you to eat seasonally in autumn and winter with various recipes such as: Craisin Sourdough Loaf, Butternut Sage Soup, Pumpkin French Toast, Harvest Salsa, Sourdough Sausage Stuffing, and more! Collected, created, tweaked, passed down— these are now yours to make and master. Let us return to real food and true nourishment together this season.