And yes, I’m about to tell you how to make pumpkin pancakes AND caramel sauce in a Paleo-friendly way!
These pancakes are super simple – easier than regular pancakes, I think, because there are fewer ingredients. And, they only use a small bit or almond flour (perfectly paleo itself) because the pumpkin puree needs just a bit of flour to help it come together as a pancake. As an added benefit, these pancakes will never be icky and dry like some regular pancakes. They are always moist and chewy because of the pumpkin puree.
Now don’t get me wrong. These pancakes are perfectly yummy all on their own. But if you want to have an extra special treat, you absolutely have to try this Paleo caramel sauce.
Regular caramel is usually made from sugar, cream, butter, and vanilla, but the first three ingredients on that list are generally Paleo on-nos. But when you get used to cooking Paleo style, you begin to be able to see where you can replace certain non-Paleo items with more Paleo-friendly things. And this is an easy recipe to do that with.
First, we use honey instead of sugar. Honey metabolizes slower than sugar, meaning that it won’t spike your blood sugar in same way sugar does, even though it lends sweetness to your recipe, just the same. Honey is also reported to have antibiotic properties and oftentimes has nutrients that sugar doesn’t. So honey is a great replacement for sugar in just about any recipe.
Instead of butter, we used coconut oil. Some Paleo eaters are fine with butter, or its clarified cousin, ghee, and you could use ghee for this recipe. But, coconut oil adds flavor and is, in fact, better for you than butter, so why not use the fat that’s healthier with more flavor? That’s an easy choice.
Finally, although coconut isn’t dairy, it substitutes just perfectly for the cream, and, just like the coconut oil, adds flavor to your caramel, while still being Paleo friendly.
So dig in and enjoy this Paleo meal for breakfast…or breakfast for dinner (or breakfast for midday snack…or dessert…or….)
Ingredients
- For the pancakes
- ½ cup well drained pumpkin puree
- 1 egg
- 2 tbsp almond flour
- ¼ tsp ground cinnamon (optional)
- For the caramel sauce
- 1 ½ tbsp honey
- 1 tsp coconut oil
- 1/8 cup coconut milk
- ½ tbsp chopped walnuts
Directions
- In a small bowl beat the egg. Add in pumpkin puree and mix well. Add in the almond flour and mix until all ingredients are combined.
- Heat a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Lightly grease the skillet with a small amount (about 1/4 tsp) of coconut oil. Spoon 1 tablespoon of the batter onto skillet fro each pancakes. Cook until surface of pancakes have some bubbles and sides of the pancake firm up, about 2 minutes. Carefully flip the pancakes with a spatula, and cook the underside, for another 45 seconds. Transfer the pancakes to a warm platter and set aside.
- To make the caramel, in a small cast iron or heavy bottom skillet place all the ingredients except walnuts. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat, stirring frequently. Once boiling, turn the heat to low and let the mixture boil slowly for the next 3-4 minutes or until caramel has reduced and thickened. Add in the walnuts and mix well.
- Drizzle the caramel sauce over the pancakes and serve.
I love this! I’ll be making these gir breakfast tomorrow
Can’t wait to make these today! Thanks for sharing!
How do you feel about coconut sugar? Would it be okay to substitute it for the honey in the caramel sauce? I’m a paleo newbie and would love to hear your thoughts. Thanks!
Alayna,
Substituting another sweetener shouldn’t be a problem, just be sure to add an extra dash of coconut milk.
I love this recipe! My hubby and my girls loved it too. So easy to make and so yummy.