Pumpkin Pancakes & Sautéed Apples // Hello, Autumn!

Hello my lovely readers! Fancy seeing you here on a Sunday... As luck would have it today is the first day of autumn and I just so happen to have a fabulous new pumpkin recipe for you. Week three of 12 Weeks of Pumpkin starts now!

In my opinion, the start of autumn deserves a celebratory brunch, centered around pumpkin. It is my favorite season and my favorite ingredient to cook with after all. For this particular brunch, I decided pumpkin pancakes would be perfect. Pumpkin is the epitome of the fall season! Autumn can not exist without pumpkins. Period, end of story. So it's only natural that we start off the first day of the season with this incredible dish. Having pumpkin pancakes on the first day of autumn is actually a tradition I have had in place for the past four years, so to be honest, it was a no brainer. However each year I like to switch them up a bit. This year I decided to incorporate another fall favorite... apples, sautéed apples to be exact!

End results... fabulously fluffy pumpkin pancakes (made from scratch), topped with roasted walnuts, sautéed apples, cinnamon apple syrup, and a side of crispy bacon... A-MAZING! As I write this, at 7pm I can honestly tell you, my tummy is still fully satisfied! Keep reading below for details on how to recreate this delicious meal...

Ingredients: (serves 2, serving size 3 medium pancakes)

Pumpkin Pancakes... (slight changes to this recipe to make them even more pumpkin flavored)

1 1/2 cup almond milk
1 1/3 cup organic canned pumpkin
1 egg
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
2 cups all purpose flour
2 Tbsp brown sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 Tbsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt

Sautéed Apples... (via allrecipes.com)

1 green apple (peeled, cored, and sliced)
1 Tbsp earth balance (or you can use regular butter)
1/2 tsp cornstarch
2 Tbsp water
2 Tbsp brown sugar
1/8 tsp cinnamon

Optional...

1/2 chopped walnuts
Stonewall Cinnamon Apple Syrup

Directions:

Mix together almond milk, pumpkin, egg, and oil; in a separate bowl combine flour, brown sugar, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Slowly add the pumpkin mixture and stir until well mixed
Heat a lightly oil or non stick griddle over medium high heat; Scoop approx. 1/4 cup batter for each pancake. Brown on both sides
Meanwhile, in a medium skillet, melt the earth balance (butter) over medium heat
Add apples, stirring constantly, cook until apples are almost tender (approx. 7 min.)
Heat over to 350 degrees; place 1/2 walnuts on baking dish and bake for approx 5-8 min until lightly browned; set aside
Dissolve cornstarch in cold water and add to skillet
Stir in brown sugar and cinnamon
Cover and boil for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally
Remove from heat and serve on top of warm pancakes;
Make it sparkle by adding roasted walnuts and cinnamon apple syrup with a side of crispy bacon. Enjoy!