top of page

Fluffy Pumpkin Pancakes

Prep Time:

15 Minutes

Cook Time:

10 Minutes

Serves:

8 Medium Pancakes

Level:

Beginner

About the Recipe

Ingredients

  • 2 cups buttermilk (or 2 tablespoons vinegar + enough whole milk, 2% milk, or unsweetened almond milk to equal 2 cups)

  • 1 cup pumpkin puree

  • 2 each eggs

  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter (melted and cooled slightly + more for cooking, if desired (can sub vegan butter or coconut oil))

  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

  • 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

  • 1/3 cup granulated sugar

  • 1 tablespoon baking powder

  • ½ teaspoon baking soda

  • 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice blend*

  • 1/2 teaspoon fine-grain sea salt or table salt

  • Butter and maple syrup for serving

Preparation

Here’s a cozy breakfast idea to make at least once every fall: this cozy pumpkin pancakes recipe! It’s hard to put into words just how good these are, but we’ll try. Adding pumpkin puree gives the pancakes a fluffy, hearty texture and satisfying mouthfeel. They’re seasoned with a hefty dose of warm pumpkin spices. Drizzled with pure maple syrup, each bite is lusciously sweet and spiced. Our son took one bite of these and immediately wanted the entire stack! They’ve become an autumn tradition (that, and pumpkin French toast).


Ingredients in pumpkin pancakes


This pumpkin pancakes recipe makes flapjacks with just the right fluffy, tender crumb and spiced interior. Pumpkin puree makes that fluffy texture, pumpkin pie spices pumpkin pie spice brings warmth to the flavor, and brown sugar adds a rich depth of sweetness. Otherwise, the ingredients are similar to a classic pancake recipe. Here’s what you’ll need:


  • All purpose flour

  • Brown sugar

  • Baking powder

  • Cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice

  • Salt

  • Eggs

  • Pumpkin puree

  • Milk

  • Neutral oil like grapeseed or organic vegetable or canola oil


Pumpkin pie spice substitute

Pumpkin pie spice is a nice shortcut for the warming spices in pumpkin pie. You’ll notice this recipe also uses cinnamon, which ups the cozy factor even more (yes, use both!). If you don’t have pie spice, substitute ½ teaspoon ground ginger, ¼ teaspoon cinnamon, and ¼ teaspoon cloves or nutmeg.


Tips for cooking pumpkin pancakes


Cooking pumpkin pancakes is similar to the traditional method. The batter is slightly thicker than a standard pancake, so it will take slightly longer to cook. Make sure the heat is not too high, or the pancake might not cook through before it’s browned. Here’s what to note when cooking:


  • Use a large griddle: non-stick is helpful. Some griddles are uneven with their heating, so find a quality pan. A non-stick surface is helpful.

  • Experiment to find the right heat level. Medium low heat is ideal, but it’s different on every stovetop. It should take a few minutes to get the pan up to heat.

  • When you flip, the pancake may ooze at the edges. The batter may ooze out a bit at the sides, which is expected. Just keep cooking until it’s cooked through, adjusting the heat as necessary so it doesn’t brown too fast on the outside before it’s cooked on the inside.


Pumpkin pancake toppings


This pumpkin pancakes recipe is perfect with butter and pure maple syrup, in our opinion! But want to get even fancier? Here are a few fun ideas for pumpkin pancake toppings:


  • Powdered sugar

  • Chopped pecans or walnuts

  • Chopped candied pecans or candied walnuts

  • Whipped cream

  • Brown sugar syrup or vanilla syrup


And that’s it! Let us know if you try these pumpkin pancakes and what you plan to use for toppings.


bottom of page