Pumpkin Spice Pancakes

These pancakes make for a great way to celebrate fall. Using pumpkin gives these pancakes a beautiful orange color, replace the need for eggs, and give a healthy dose of vitamins and antioxidants to support your eyesight, immune system, and even help repair your muscles from a workout! Whole wheat flour provides extra protein and fiber while also preventing a steep blood sugar spike, and ground flax seeds give you some omega-3 fatty acids, which are important for brain and heart health. Above all, these pancakes are delicious!

Makes 6 pancakes

WET                                                                              

1 to 1-1/4 cup milk of choice (dairy or non-dairy) 
1 T lemon juice or vinegar

1/2 cup pumpkin puree

1 T oil

1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

1/4 cup sweetener of choice (coconut sugar, brown sugar, maple syrup, honey, etc.)

DRY

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

pinch of salt

1 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/4 cup ground flax seeds

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour

Combine the dry ingredients in a small bowl and set aside. In a separate, larger bowl, combine milk and lemon juice or vinegar and let rest for five minutes to curdle. This will help with the "buttermilk" type of consistency.  Then, mix together the wet ingredients. Finally, mix the wet and dry ingredients together, being careful NOT to overmix.

Heat up your griddle or skillet and spray with non-stick cooking spray or rub with oil. Add about a quarter cup of the batter and flip the pancake once you see bubbles appear. Cook for several more minutes and serve. Top with maple syrup or butter/vegan butter if desired.

This recipe is adapted from the Minimalist Baker. You can read her original post here. 

Cooking Up a Change

Hello! Welcome to the blog Easy Eats for Kids! This blog will give recipes and instruction techniques to help get kids or students involved in the cooking process and learn about nutrition in a fun and engaging way!

As part of a grant that I won from the Acure "Show the World" contest, I am leading an after school program at AlWood Middle-High School, where I teach, to help students learn about how to cook a variety of sustainable, healthy, and delicious meals. On this blog, there will also be helpful resources and toolkits that other teachers (or even parents) can use to easily replicate the workshops that I am hosting at my school or with any group. The cost of these items and nutritional information will also be provided.

The goal of this program is to help students understand fundamental nutrition skills and concepts that support their health and well-being, while also giving them the tools, skills, and experience to actually apply this knowledge and learn how to prepare delicious and healthy meals. I think a program like this is so essential in a world where we are constantly surrounded by highly processed meals, fast food restaurants, and foods packed with salt, saturated fats, and sugars. It is often the healthiest items that people stay away from, such as vegetables or grains, mostly because they do not know how to prepare them. It is no wonder that so many students and adults alike suffer from diseases like obesity and diabetes.

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you find some of the recipes and content beneficial!