Cranberry Pecan Pumpkin Pancakes

My son Justin is a HUGE fan of pancakes, so over the years we have developed a pretty extensive menu of pancake options. This morning as I was making one of our favorites, I thought it would be the perfect recipe to share for this time of year. The cranberries and pecans are optional, but I like the sweetness and crunch they add. You could also substitute white chocolate or semi sweet chocolate chips for either the cranberries or the pecans to make them even sweeter—or just add them in for even more flavors! I am all about modifying recipes to suit our tastes…and dietary restrictions. While Justin likes to skip the cranberries and the pecans and just go with the pumpkin and oats, I tend to like my food with a lot of flavors and a bit of crunch, so I add them to the batter after I have scooped out and started cooking his. These are certainly not a light and fluffy pancake, but a hearty, get you ready for any kind of day, pancake. A bit dense and slightly crispy on the outside, they are also great left over—just pop them in the toaster to heat them up for another breakfast or a quick snack.
 

Ingredients:

1 cup of milk
2 eggs
1/2 cup of canned pumpkin
1 tsp cinnamon
1-1/2 cups of pancake mix*
1 cup of oats*
1/2 cup of dried cranberries
1/2 cup of chopped pecans
 

Directions:

Wisk together milk, eggs and pumpkin. Add in cinnamon and pancake mix and wisk until blended. Mix in oats, cranberries and pecans until blended. Empty one ladle of batter on a griddle heated to 325˚. Cook until brown on the bottom, then flip and cook the second side until brown. Remove from the griddle and top with whipped butter and maple syrup and ENJOY!

Makes approx. 8 medium size pancakes.
 

*I am on a gluten free diet, so I use Pamela’s Baking and Pancake Mix which adds to the denseness of the pancakes. Using a mix like Bisquick may make a slightly fluffier pancake. I also uses Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free Rolled Oats. And I also have to check the labels on the cranberries and pecans I purchase as many are processed in a facility that also processes wheat.