These pumpkin pancakes are light and fluffy buttermilk hotcakes flavored with pumpkin puree and spices. The perfect easy breakfast for the colder weather months!
When it’s pumpkin season, I’m constantly preparing our fall breakfast favorites such as pumpkin muffins, pumpkin churro French toast sticks and these delicious pumpkin pancakes.
My kids request more elaborate breakfasts on the weekends such as French toast, waffles, and other items that we typically don’t have time to make on busy school mornings. These pumpkin pancakes are a family favorite, filled with plenty of pumpkin spice flavor.
There’s nothing better in fall than to enjoy pumpkin treats. These pancakes always put me in the mood for fall treats like pumpkin gooey butter cake, pumpkin bars, pumpkin pie cheesecake, pumpkin cookies, pumpkin cupcakes and pumpkin pie cheesecake.
Pumpkin Pancake Ingredients
To make these fantastic pumpkin pancakes make sure you have flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, salt, buttermilk, pumpkin puree, an egg, butter and vanilla extract. You may want some maple syrup or whipped cream to top your pancakes.
How Do You Make Pumpkin Pancakes?
This pumpkin pancake recipe is a typical buttermilk pancake batter with the addition of pumpkin puree and pumpkin pie spice. Make the batter by whisking together the dry ingredients, flour, brown sugar, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice and salt in a large bowl. Next mix in the wet ingredients, buttermilk, pumpkin puree, egg, butter and vanilla extract. Pour the batter onto a hot griddle to make light and fluffy pancakes. Serve up a stack of pancakes with maple syrup on top. If it’s a special occasion, you can even add a little whipped cream!
Tips For The Perfect Pancakes
- These pumpkin pancakes can be made as big or as small as you like. Sometimes I make restaurant style giant pancakes, other times I spoon out 1-2 tablespoons of batter to make silver dollar sized pancakes.
- No buttermilk on hand? You can make your own by adding 2 tablespoons of lemon juice to 2 cups of milk, then let the mixture stand for 10 minutes before use.
- If you are trying to figure out when to first flip your pancakes look for bubbles starting to form in the cooking pancake and check with the edge of a spatula to see if the cooking side has firmed up.
- You can cook your pumpkin pancakes on a griddle on your stove, on an electric griddle or in a large skillet or pan.
- The batter can be prepared the night before and stored in the refrigerator until you’re ready to use it in the morning.
- For pancakes that are perfectly round, try using a pancake ring. A pancake ring is a metal ring with a handle. The batter is poured into the ring, then the ring is removed when the batter is partially cooked for picture perfect pancakes.
Quick Tip
Be sure to use pumpkin puree and not pumpkin pie filling. The pie filling contains added ingredients and won’t work in this recipe.
Recipe FAQs
I like to make a double batch of pancakes to freeze some for later use. I typically put individual servings of pancakes into resealable freezer bags, then freeze for up to 2 months. To serve, defrost the pancakes in the microwave. If you prefer a crispier pancake, you can toast it in the toaster oven.
Pumpkin pancakes are pancakes that are made with a traditional pancake batter that has been modified with pumpkin puree and pumpkin pie spice. The best pumpkin pancakes are light and fluffy with a rich and satisfying pumpkin flavor.
The trick to fluffy pancakes is having the right batter with the correct amounts of baking soda and baking powder. Too little of these leavening agents and the pancakes come out flat. Too much of the leavening agents gives the pancakes a bitter taste. The right amount makes perfectly fluffy and flavorful pancakes. For extra fluffy pancakes, mix up the batter and let it sit for five minutes. You will see bubbles form in the batter which results in very fluffy cakes.
Yes, you can used canned pumpkin puree instead of fresh pureed pumpkin. Just make sure you don’t use canned pumpkin pie filling for this recipe.
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Pumpkin Pancake Variations
I happen to love these pancakes as-is, but you can change up the recipe to suit your taste.
- Chocolate Chips: Add 1/2 cup mini or regular sized semisweet chocolate chips to the batter.
- Cinnamon Roll: Mix together 4 tablespoons of melted butter with 1/3 cup brown sugar and 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon. Place the cinnamon filling in a piping bag or resealable freezer bag with the tip snipped off. Pour the pancake batter onto your griddle, then pipe a swirl of the cinnamon filling onto each pancake. Cook as directed in the recipe.
- Streusel: Make a cinnamon streusel by combining 1/2 cup flour, 1/4 cup brown sugar, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon and 4 tablespoons melted butter. Sprinkle a tablespoon of streusel over each pancake before you flip it over.
- Spice: For more of a spiced cake flavor add a half teaspoon of ground cinnamon, half teaspoon of ground ginger and a quarter teaspoon of ground nutmeg or just double your pumpkin pie spice.
- Whole Wheat: For a little extra nutrition you can substitute half of your regular flour with whole wheat flour.
These pumpkin pancakes are a must-have for breakfast, they always get rave reviews from kids and adults alike!
More Pumpkin Recipes You’ll Enjoy
Pumpkin Pancakes Video
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Pumpkin Pancakes
Ingredients
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups buttermilk
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- 1 egg
- 2 tablespoons butter melted
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- cooking spray
- maple syrup and whipped cream for serving optional
Instructions
- Place the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice and salt in a large bowl; stir to combine.
- Add the buttermilk, pumpkin puree, egg, butter and vanilla extract to the bowl. Mix until just blended and a batter forms.
- Heat a griddle over medium heat. Coat the griddle with cooking spray.
- Place 1/4 cup scoops of batter onto the griddle 3 inches apart from each other.
- Cook for 2-3 minutes per side or until pancakes are golden brown.
- Serve, topped with maple syrup and whipped cream if desired.
Notes
- These pancakes can be made as big or as small as you like. Sometimes I make restaurant style giant pancakes, other times I spoon out 1-2 tablespoons of batter to make silver dollar sized pancakes.
- Be sure to use pumpkin puree and not pumpkin pie filling. The pie filling contains added ingredients and won’t work in this recipe.
- No buttermilk on hand? You can make your own by adding 2 tablespoons of lemon juice to 2 cups of milk, then let the mixture stand for 10 minutes before use.
Can the batter be made the night before?
Yes that’s fine!
These pancakes are the best fall breakfast ever!! They’re fluffy and light, and packed with pumpkin flavor. Our whole family loved them!
These pumpkin pancakes were a weekend morning win! The texture was spot-on and the flavors hit just the right autumnal notes. You nailed it with the spice blend; it’s like fall in a flapjack. Already thinking about making another batch next weekend.
As soon as the clock strikes September I break out all the pumpkin recipes and this one shot straight to the top of my list! Delicious!