Pumpkin Pancakes and Funnel Cakes

by Blessed Beyond Crazy

Pumpkin Pancakes and Funnel Cakes are perfect for the upcoming fall season!

Fall is almost here! And that means pumpkins! And pecans!

Recently my family and I went to our local fair. Naturally, you could buy all kinds of delicious treats, but very few were gluten-free. Since several of my immediate family members are gluten intolerant, I decided to make my own homemade gluten-free funnel cakes. I made them pumpkin flavored… because pumpkin is delicious! They turned out amazing!

After my family and I ate our fill of funnel cakes I still had batter left over. I didn’t want to waste any so I decided to pour it onto a hot griddle to make a batch of pumpkin pancakes; these also turned out delicious and amazing!

I decided to give you both versions because it is the exact same recipe, it just depends on how you cook it. The funnel cakes are a special treat for anyone on a gluten-free diet because you are probably NOT going to find a gluten free funnel cake anywhere unless you make a homemade version in your own kitchen.

I realize that funnel cakes are probably more of a special treat, whereas pancakes are easier to make. Therefore I give you: 1 recipe, 2 amazing outcomes!

Other options for toppings:

Sprinkle with powdered sugar
Maple Syrup
Chopped Pecans
Cinnamon and sugar

Or several combinations mentioned!

Ingredients

1 cup pumpkin puree
2 eggs
1 3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 cup flour *
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp cinnamon
* For a gluten-free version use:
1 cup white rice flour
1/4 cup potato starch
1/4 cup brown rice flour
2 Tbsp flax seed
1/2 tsp xanthan gum

Directions

*For a gluten-free version: mix rice flours, potato starch, flax, and xanthan gum together in a bowl and set aside.

Mix pumpkin puree, eggs, milk, sugar, and spices together.
Mix in 1 cup of flour*, mix well.
Add several tablespoons of flour and keep mixing well and adding in more flour little by little until batter is correct “pancake” like consistency. If batter becomes too thick add a few tablespoons of milk until it becomes thin again.
Mix in baking powder.
For pancakes: cook on hot griddle.

How to Cook Funnel Cakes

For funnel cakes:

Use a cast iron skillet and fill with coconut oil* until it is about 1 1/2 inches deep.
Heat oil to 350 degrees F. (A candy thermometer is helpful for this!)
Pour batter into a funnel or pancake dispenser.
Zig-zag back and forth over the oil releasing the batter, making sure the batter overlaps on itself.
After about 2 minutes use tongs, a slotted spoon, or both to carefully flip the funnel cake over to the other side.
Cook additional 2 minutes until golden brown.
Remove from oil and place on paper towels

*This recipe will work with any type of frying oil (vegetable, corn, etc). I LOVE and highly recommend frying food in coconut oil! Coconut oil actually has many health benefits and it doesn’t give you that sick-to-your-stomach feeling if you over-indulge in your fried food. Surprisingly, frying foods in coconut oil will NOT result in a coconut-y taste.

Icing and Toppings

The wonderful thing about cooking with pumpkin is that it goes so well with a variety of flavors! You can completely customize your pumpkin pancake/funnel cake experience to your own taste preference!

My personal favorite is saturating it with cream cheese sauce and pecans! Here is how to make it:

4 Tbsp Cream Cheese softened
2 Tbsp butter softened
1 C powdered sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
5-6 Tbsp milk
Mix well with either a blender or hand mixer until smooth.