Pumpkin Pancakes
intro
Light, fluffy spiced pumpkin pancakes with crisp golden edges, warm fall spice notes, and a tender moist crumb—perfect for cozy autumn weekend mornings.
Ingredients
Steps
Whisk Dry Ingredients
In the medium brushed stainless steel mixing bowl, combine all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, kosher salt, and light brown sugar. Use the stainless steel wire whisk to stir for 30 seconds until fully combined, breaking up any hard clumps of brown sugar. The finished dry blend will be a uniform pale tan color with no visible streaks of spice.
Mix Wet Ingredients
In the small clear glass prep bowl, combine pumpkin puree, the large egg, whole milk, cooled melted butter, and vanilla extract. Use the wire whisk to stir for 45 seconds until completely smooth, with no streaks of unincorporated egg or separated butter visible. The finished wet mixture will be a thick, uniform deep orange color.
Fold Batter Gently
Pour the entire wet ingredient mixture into the mixing bowl with the dry ingredients. Use the matte burnt orange silicone spatula to gently fold the ingredients together, scraping the bottom and sides of the bowl as you go, until just combined. Stop mixing as soon as no dry flour streaks remain; the batter will be thick and slightly lumpy. Do not overmix, as this will create tough, dense pancakes. Let the batter rest for 5 minutes before cooking to allow leavening to activate.
Preheat the Griddle
Set the 12-inch matte black nonstick electric griddle on the natural tan wicker trivet, and preheat to 350°F (175°C). Lightly grease the cooking surface with a thin pat of butter, wiping off excess with a corner of the burnt orange linen towel. The griddle is ready when a single drop of water sizzles and dances across the surface immediately, after about 3 minutes of preheating.
Cook First Side
Use the 1/4 cup stainless steel measuring cup to scoop batter, pouring 4 separate pools of batter onto the preheated griddle, leaving 2 inches of space between each pool to allow for spreading. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until small bubbles form and pop across the entire surface of each pancake, and the edges look set and light matte gold.
Flip and Finish Cooking
Slide the beech-handled stainless steel pancake turner under each pancake in one smooth, quick motion to flip. Cook for an additional 1 to 2 minutes on the second side, until the surface is deep golden brown and the center of each pancake springs back immediately when lightly pressed (no wet batter should ooze from the center). Transfer cooked pancakes to a temporary clean surface, and repeat with remaining batter to make 8 total pancakes, greasing the griddle lightly between batches if needed.
Plate and Garnish
Stack 2 pancakes per serving on the matte cream ceramic dinner plate, slightly offset for visual appeal. Top with a 1-tablespoon pat of salted butter, a light dusting of ground cinnamon, a sprinkle of toasted pecan halves, and a drizzle of warm maple syrup. Serve immediately while hot, before the butter fully melts.
Tips
2.Do not overmix the batter: a few small lumps are completely normal and desirable. Overmixing develops gluten in the flour, which results in dense, tough pancakes instead of the light, fluffy texture you want. Stop folding as soon as no dry flour streaks are visible.
3.Wait until bubbles form and pop across the entire pancake surface before flipping: flipping too early causes pancakes to deflate, leading to flat, unevenly cooked cakes with raw, doughy centers. The set, matte golden edge is your most reliable visual cue that they are ready to turn.
OMG these are SO good!!! I’ve been searching for a pumpkin pancake recipe that doesn’t come out dense and soggy, and this one is a total game changer. The spice blend is perfect—not too much cinnamon, just enough nutmeg and clove to feel cozy. My 7 year old asked for seconds before she even finished her first stack! Drizzled with a little maple syrup and some toasted pecans, 10/10. Will be making these every Sunday all fall long.
Super easy recipe! I swapped the all purpose flour for a 1:1 gluten free baking blend and they still came out perfectly fluffy, no weird gritty texture at all. Cooked them up for my roommate’s birthday breakfast and she had no idea they were GF. Only thing I added was a tiny dash of ginger, personal preference. Will absolutely be adding these to my weekly meal prep rotation!
As someone who burns toast 50% of the time, I was shocked how easy these were to make! 20 minute cook time is no joke, I whipped these up between morning classes and didn’t even run late. Used canned pumpkin puree I had leftover from Halloween, threw in some chocolate chips because why not. Absolute chef’s kiss, no notes.
Wait, quick question—my first batch came out a little darker on the outside than I wanted, but the inside was still raw? Did I have the heat too high? Flavor was insane though, even with the slightly charred edges my roommate ate three of them lmao.
Made these for our neighborhood fall potluck last weekend and they were gone in 10 minutes flat! People kept asking me for the recipe, I sent them all straight here. I topped them with a little cream cheese glaze instead of just syrup and it was *chef’s kiss*. So easy to make a double batch too, didn’t take any extra time really.
Great high carb breakfast before my long run on Saturday mornings! I make a big batch on Sunday, pop them in the toaster during the week, and they hold up perfectly. Not too sweet, which I love, so I can add a little peanut butter on top for extra protein. Will be a staple this fall for sure.
I made these vegan by swapping the egg for a flax egg and using oat milk instead of regular milk, and they came out so fluffy I could barely believe it! Didn’t change the spice or pumpkin amounts at all, flavor was perfect. My non-vegan boyfriend said they’re better than the regular pumpkin pancakes he gets at our local diner. Win!
My kids are so picky about breakfast foods, they usually turn their nose up at anything that’s not frozen waffles with sprinkles. I made these yesterday morning and BOTH of them asked for thirds? I almost fell over. The fluff is no joke, they’re so light even with the pumpkin added. 10/10, will be making these at least once a week from now on.
The spice balance in this is insane! I’ve tried so many pumpkin pancake recipes that are just cinnamon overload, but this one has just the right amount of allspice and nutmeg to make it taste like fall in a bite. I added a handful of white chocolate chips and it was next level. Highly recommend!
Perfect for quick weekday breakfasts! I made a double batch on Sunday, stored them in an airtight container in the fridge, and they heated up perfectly in the microwave all week. No sogginess, no weird texture, still tasted just as fluffy as the day I made them. Saved me so much time on chaotic school mornings!
Made these on our annual fall cabin trip last weekend for our whole group of 8 friends. We cooked them on the cast iron griddle over the fire and they were unreal. Everyone kept raving about how fluffy they were, even when we were cooking a little unevenly over the campfire. So easy, even for camp cooking!
Alright, I’m a pancake purist. I usually think pumpkin pancakes are a gimmick that ruins perfectly good pancakes, but my wife made these last weekend and I have to eat my words. They’re actually fluffy, not dense like every other pumpkin pancake I’ve ever tried, and the spice isn’t overpowering. I ate 4 stacks. Don’t tell my regular pancake recipe I said that.