Gluten Free & Vegan Pumpkin Pikelets

Pikelets are a thick mini pancake, usually served with butter and jam. And I have jazzed them up to make them a perfect Autumn treat! Instead of eggs, I've filled these pancakes up with a bunch of pumpkin puree which worked incredibly well as a substitute. I have also added a few spices to make this the perfect brisk autumn morning treat.

What is the difference between pikelets and pancakes?

So, ingredients wise, they are obviously very similar. Depending on your pancake mixture, you may or may not be adding sugar, but other than that it's pretty much the same.

The real difference is in the cooking, consistency of the mixture, and how it's served. Pikelets are defined by their smooth surface, lightly and evenly browned. The way to get that surface is by using a non-stick pan and melting a bit of butter into it, and then using a paper towel to wipe away the excess butter so there are no droplets visible. It's also important to spoon the mixture into the pan in one go to avoid uneven cooking.

The consistency of batter is also slightly thicker than regular pancake batter. Unless, of course, you enjoy thicker pancakes. However, they are only about a palm size in diameter. The most important difference is what they are served with, while they really can go with anything that pancakes can go with, they are traditionally served with jam and butter... preferably raspberry jam, but that's just my personal preference. If you are going to give these a go, do try them with jam and butter. They are not only a great breakfast but also a common afternoon tea item as well.

Is a pikelet a crumpet?

Absolutely not. But upon further research, there are some places in the U.K. where a pikelet refers to something else entirely, which does look a lot like a crumpet. However, these pikelets are not that.

Can these be made vegan?

Absolutely, in fact - they already are! Pumpkin puree works as a nice substitute for eggs, and I used a plant based milk as well. For the toppings I you can use vegan white chocolate. I would love to find a plant based cream cheese, so let me know if you know any because a cream cheese icing would go perfectly with this!

I N G R E D I E N T S

• 1 Tbsp vegan butter alternative/oil (for cooking)

• 150 grams of gluten free flour

• 2 tsp baking powder

• 5 tsp caster sugar

• 1/4 tsp xanthan gum

• 1/4 tsp cinnamon

• Pinch of nutmeg

• 1/4 tsp xanthan gum (omit if flour mixture already contains this)

• 150 grams pumpkin puree

• 150 ml plant based milk

• 1/2 cup vegan white chocolate

M E T H O D

1. Heat a non-stick pan to a medium heat (on my induction stove I keep it at 5 or 6). Add a small dollop of vegan butter alternative and let it melt.

2. In a large bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, caster sugar, xanthan gum, cinnamon, and nutmeg together.

3. Create a well in the dry ingredients and pour the pumpkin puree and milk alternative into the middle.

4. Whisk to combine, but no more. It's important not to over-mix as they could become rubbery.

5. Now back to the pan, with a paper towel wipe away the excess butter. The pan should only be very lightly greased to give the pikelets a very even browning.

6. Place a large dollop of batter into the pan, gently but quickly spreading it out into a circle around 8cm/3.5 inches in diameter. In my pan I can cook 3 or 4 pikelets at a time. They wont spread so fit as many as you like in.

7. After 4-5 minutes, flip the pikelet and continue cooking for another 3-4 minutes.

8. Serve immediately with melted white chocolate and a sprinkle of cinnamon!