Pumpkin Pancakes

Light & fluffy pumpkin pancakes that are perfectly spiced and lightly sweetened with brown sugar. An easy, flavorful recipe made in under 15 minutes! 

A precise recipe for pumpkin pancakes that will give you the fattest, fluffiest pumpkin pancakes ever! They have the texture of buttermilk pancakes but with all the pumpkin spice flavor you crave! 

I make these pumpkin pancakes all year round and I keep leftovers frozen alongside sourdough pancakes for easy breakfasts. Not everyday can be a homemade pumpkin donuts kind of day!

Ingredients & Substitutions

• All-Purpose Flour
• Light Brown Sugar: I use light brown sugar but you can also use dark brown sugar, granulated sugar, or coconut sugar. You can use maple syrup but I would reduce the milk by the same amount. 
• Pumpkin Spice: You can use store bought pumpkin pie spice, but I tested this recipe with my pumpkin spice recipe, which has the perfect blend of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves & allspice. I keep it in an OXO pop container in my spice cabinet for convenience. 
• Pumpkin Purée: Use any brand that you enjoy or you can use homemade pumpkin puree. It only uses 1/3 cup of pumpkin puree so save the rest for pumpkin snickerdoodles, pumpkin pie ice cream, or no bake pumpkin cheesecake. 
• Milk: Whole fat dairy milk will produce the lightest, fluffiest and most moist pumpkin pancakes, but you can use any milk or milk substitute that you have.  I have used unsweetened almond milk in a pinch. You can use low fat buttermilk but you might want to add a tablespoon or two of water in addition. 
• Unsalted Butter: I love the flavor of melted butter in pancakes but coconut oil (melted) will also work well. 

See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.

Variations

• Change up the spices: Pumpkin goes with more than just pumpkin spice! You can use chai seasoning like in these gingerbread pancakes or a little apple pie spice. 
• Add a mix-in to the batter: There is no wrong way to flavor pancakes: you can either fold add-ins into the batter or sprinkle them on the pancake in the pan before flipping. My favorite pumpkin pairings are blueberries, raspberries, chocolate chips (like these oatmeal chocolate chip pancakes), chopped apples or pears, and sliced bananas. You can also pile them on top! 
• Squeeze the batter into shapes using a squeeze bottle. I am more of the scoop batter, cook, flip, eat pancake type; but if you are creative and cool, then you can absolutely have fun with the batter. Take inspiration from these turkey pancakes or bunny butt pancakes! Try pumpkins, maple leaves, or whatever else your child’s imagination can conjure! 

Pro Tips for Making Fluffy Pumpkin Pancakes

• A thicker pancake batter, makes a taller, fluffier pancake. Typical pancake recipes call for a variable amount of liquid, but this one is very specific. Additional milk (or another milk substitute) will result in gummy pancakes that are dense. They will have the same delightful flavor but they will not have that desired fluffiness or height. 
• Don’t rush preheating the pan. It is a small but important detail. Preheating the pan over medium-high or high heat will lead to burned pancakes that are gooey inside! It takes longer for the pan to cool than it does to heat up – this is doubly true for cast iron!
• Make the first pancake a small tester pancake! I make a small, 2 inch pancake, when I think the pan is ready but I’m not quite sure. This gives you time to make adjustments to the pan temperature. My Dad taught me this valuable lesson at a young age. 

How to Make Tall, Fluffy Pumpkin Pancakes

Use these instructions to make perfect pumpkin pancakes in under 15 minutes! Further details and measurements can be found in the recipe card below.

Step 1: Mix dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, light brown sugar, pumpkin spice, ground cinnamon, and kosher salt. Set aside. 

Step 2: Whisk wet ingredients. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the egg, pumpkin puree, milk, vanilla extract and unsalted butter. 

Step 3: Combine gently. Whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined (photo 1).

You can make this same recipe by combining all the wet ingredients in a blender or using an immersion blender and blending until smooth, then add the flour mixture and blend just until smooth. 

Step 4: Heat a large sauté pan over medium heat with a small pat of butter or a generous spray of ghee cooking spray. 

Step 5 – Cook a tester pancake first: When the pan is warm but not hot, scoop or pour using a ½ cup measure or a ladle into the center of the pan. Cook until bubbles appear and pop in the center, flip with a flat spatula and continue cooking another 1-2 minutes, or until the pancake springs back when touched lightly. You will most likely need to adjust your heat as you go: lower the heat if the pancake browns or burns before bubbles pop, slightly increase the heat if the pancake is still batter after 3 minutes. Part of the tester pancake process is allowing the pan to heat evenly and then reducing to maintain a consistent heat (photo 2). 

Step 6: Make the main batch. Spray or add additional butter, if desired, then scoop about ½ cup onto the pan in 3 places. This is for a 12 inch sauté pan, if you are using a medium skillet (8-10 inches), you will only be able to cook 1-2 at a time (photo 3). Alternatively, you can use a countertop griddle. I don’t have one, but I’m jealous that you do. 

Step 7: Cook this next round in the same fashion as the tester, but they will cook faster because the pan is fully preheated. Flip when bubbles appear and pop in the center of the pancake. Cook an additional 1-2 minutes on the second side. The pancakes should be a lovely golden brown on both sides. 

You can serve them as they come out of the pan, or you can keep them warm in a warm oven on a rimmed baking sheet with a wire rack set inside. The wire rack isn’t essential, but it helps keep them from getting soggy. 

Step 8: Serve warm in a giant stack with maple syrup and cinnamon butter. Ok, or just regular butter (photo 4)! 

Recipe FAQs

Before You Go

I hope you enjoyed this pumpkin breakfast recipe. Check out all our breakfast & brunch recipes, or get into the pumpkin spice spirit with all our fall dessert recipes!