I am always on the hunt for healthy and delicious food.   It seems like most pumpkin dishes have the delicious part but not the healthy part.  This is not the case with these pancakes.  They are loaded with pumpkin, uses half wheat and half white flour and has only two tablespoons of oil.  ( I usually like to sub out the oil for applesauce.  I feel that it doesn’t make that big of a difference but if you feel it does then don’t do it:))  Serve each pancake with a dollop of cream cheese topping and a drizzle of maple syrup.  While I was making these I decided to add chocolate chips to half the batch and they turned out great.  So really you could do either the cream cheese or the chocolate chips or both:)

Ingredients

• 3/4 cups all purpose flour
• 3/4 cups whole wheat flour
• 4 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon table salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoons ground cloves
• 3/4 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 1/2 cups buttermilk
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 2 eggs
• 2/3 cup pumpkin puree

Cream Cheese Whipped Cream

• 4 ounces cream cheese (low fat is fine, no fat free)
• 4 tablespoons powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup whipping cream (heavy or regular) whipped until medium peaks form
• Pure maple syrup for serving

Directions

Prepare whipped cream by beating cream cheese, powdered sugar and vanilla until smooth and creamy.  Take 1/2 of the whipped cream (that you already whipped) and beat it in until smooth.  Add the rest of the whipped cream and use a spatula to gently fold in (do not beat).  Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

Prepare pancakes.  Whisk together flours, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and ginger.  Make sure to break up any clumps of brown sugar.  In a separate bowl, whisk together buttermilk, vanilla, oil, eggs and pumpkin.  Combine wet ingredients with dry and gently combine until mixed.  Do not overmix.

Heat a nonstick griddle to medium heat.  When hot, use butter or nonstick spray to coat the pan.  Drop 1/4 cup pancake batter to form each pancake and cook until edges set (if you wait until they bubble, it might be just a bit too long).  Flip pancakes and cook remaining side.
Serve warm pancakes with a dollop of cream cheese topping and a drizzle of maple syrup.

Makes 12-14 large pancakes.

Recipe from Our Best Bites and change slightly by Family Favorites