Nadia Lim: Pumpkin Pie Pancakes with Apple and Walnuts

I ate these in a café once and thought the inclusion of pumpkin was genius; I had to try recreating the recipe as soon as I got home. These are light and fluffy, with the perfect amount of warming spice. I’ve thrown a banana in for extra sweetness, which also results in the edges of the pancakes becoming a little caramelised and crispy as they cook.

Serves 4
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes (+ 40 minutes to pre-cook pumpkin)
DF (use DF milk + coconut oil) | GF (use mix of buckwheat + GF flour) 

PANCAKES
¾ cup pumpkin (or butternut), roasted and mashed
1 large banana (ripe)
3 free-range eggs
1 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla essence or extract
Pinch of salt
2 Tbsp brown sugar
1 cup self-raising flour (or a mix of buckwheat and GF flour + 1 tsp baking powder)
1 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp ground ginger
½ tsp mixed spice
1 tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground nutmeg
Coconut oil or butter to cook 

APPLE AND WALNUTS
¼ cup walnuts, chopped (optional)
1 Tbsp coconut oil or butter
3 apples, peeled and diced
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
2 tsp brown sugar

TO SERVE
Yoghurt (dairy or coconut)

Maple syrup

1. Preheat oven to 50°C . Place pumpkin, banana, eggs, milk, vanilla, salt and sugar in a blender and blend until smooth and there are no lumps.

2. Sift flour, baking powder and spices into a large mixing bowl. Make a well in the centre and pour in pumpkin mixture. Whisk together until a smooth, uniform batter forms.

3. Heat about 2 teaspoons of coconut oil or butter in a large non-stick fry pan on medium heat. Pour half ladlesful of pancake batter into the fry pan. Cook for about 2 minutes on one side until little bubbles start to appear on the surface, then carefully flip with a fish slice and cook for about 2 minutes on the other side, or until pancakes are golden brown and just cooked through. You should be able to cook about three at a time. Keep pancakes warm on a plate in the oven while you cook the remaining batter.

4. Once you have cooked all the pancakes, wipe out fry pan with paper towels. Place walnuts in the fry pan and toast on medium heat for a few minutes, tossing frequently to avoid burning. Set aside. Melt coconut oil or butter in the fry pan. Add apples and cinnamon and cook for a few minutes, then add sugar and walnuts, and toss to coat and caramelise.

5. To serve, stack a few pancakes on each plate and top with apple and walnuts. Serve with yoghurt and a drizzle of maple syrup. 

TIP
⭐ To cook pumpkin or butternut, toss 600–700g (peeled and chopped) with a drizzle of oil and maple syrup on an oven tray lined with baking paper. Roast at 180°C for 40–45 minutes or until soft and slightly caramelised.

Energy 1878kj / 449kcal     Carbs 62.5g    Protein 15.1g    Fat 13.7g    Sat Fat 5.3g    Sugars 35.6g

Edited extract from Let’s Eat, written and published by Nadia Lim, RRP$49.99, nadialim.com