These Pumpkin Pancakes are thick, fluffy, and perfectly spiced! The ideal fall breakfast food, my recipe takes less than 20 minutes to make and just a few simple ingredients. Be sure to check out the how-to video below!
Perfect Pumpkin Pancakes – No Box Mix Required!
After many requests, I’m finally sharing a pumpkin pancake recipe. As many of you know, pumpkin is not one of my favorite ingredients, which can make taste-testing pumpkin recipes a challenge.
Luckily I have Zach, who loves anything pumpkin and takes his job as taste tester very seriously. So seriously, in fact, that he’s eaten these pancakes pretty much every morning this month! If you’re a pumpkin lover like he is, I think you’ll love them too!
This recipe takes a few notes from my well-loved buttermilk pancakes. They’re equally thick and fluffy, slightly more dense, and of course, sprinkled with just enough spice to be perfectly festive.
Pumpkin pancakes take only 20 minutes to make, which means you can simultaneously bake a batch of bacon in the oven while you’re flipping for one hearty, fall flavored breakfast.
Let’s get cooking!
What You Need to Make Pumpkin Pancakes
Besides pumpkin, this pancake recipe uses common ingredients you should already have on hand:
- Butter. Use unsalted, and melt it before you start anything else, that way it has time to cool.
- Flour. Plain, all-purpose flour works best here. Don’t use self-rising flour, since we add our own leavening agents.
- Sugar. I use light brown sugar, which has a subtle flavor that complements the pumpkin and spices really well. If you don’t have it, you can follow my instructions for how to make brown sugar.
- Baking powder and baking soda. The combination of both leaveners makes these pumpkin pancakes both thick and fluffy!
- Spices. I use the same blend of spices that I used in my pumpkin spice recipe to give this pumpkin pancake recipe a warm, cozy, and distinctly fall flavor.
- Milk. Unlike my regular pancake recipe, I don’t use buttermilk in my pumpkin pancakes, because I found it made them to be too dense and heavy (plus we didn’t need the added flavor, we’re getting plenty from the pumpkin spice!). If you want to use buttermilk, you can, but I prefer the results from using just regular whole milk.
- Pumpkin. Use canned pumpkin and make sure it is 100% pumpkin puree (check the ingredients!) and that it is not “pumpkin pie filling”. Besides flavor, pumpkin provides a ton of moisture. To compensate, we use a reduced amount of liquids compared to what would normally be in pancakes.
SAM’S TIP: Do not over-mix your pancake batter! Be gentle when combining your wet and dry ingredients, and only mix until just combined. If you still see a few flour streaks in your batter, that’s fine!
Not too sweet, my pumpkin pancakes pair just as well with whipped cream as they do maple syrup, and they can handle a handful of nuts or chocolate chips tossed in the batter, too. For an extra-indulgent twist, you could even drizzle them with salted caramel sauce before serving!
How to Make Pumpkin Pancakes
- I like to melt my butter first so that it has some time to cool, so this is always my first step. Once you’ve done that, whisk together dry ingredients and set these aside.
- Combine wet ingredients in separate bowl or measuring cup. Drizzle in cooled melted butter, whisking until incorporated (it may curdle somewhat–keep whisking). Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients.
- Gently fold the wet ingredients and dry ingredients together, being very careful not to over-mix.
- Scoop batter onto a warmed skillet, flipping when the edges look cooked through and bubbles in the pancakes begin to burst. Cook until golden brown.
SAM’S TIP: Because this batter is thick, it can tend to form a dome in the center of the pancake when added to the pan. Make sure to use your spatula or the back of a spoon to smooth that dome out so the pancake cooks evenly; otherwise, you may end up with raw centers.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! Toasted pecans, chocolate chips, or even white chocolate chips pair well with pumpkin pancakes. You can add about ¾ cup of add-ins while you’re incorporating your wet and dry ingredients. Don’t add them after everything is combined or you risk over-mixing your pancake batter.
No. Pumpkin pie mix contains extra ingredients like sugar, spices, and other additives, while pumpkin puree is 100% pumpkin. You need pumpkin puree for this pumpkin pancake recipe. Always double-check the ingredients on the label to make sure you have the right one, because they’re usually sold side by side and they do look similar!
It sounds like you may have over-mixed your batter. Be very gentle when combining your wet and dry ingredients together, and stop mixing once everything looks mostly combined.
Enjoy!
More Recipes You Might Like
Let’s bake together! I’ll be walking you through all the steps in my written recipe and video below! If you try this recipe, be sure to tag me on Instagram, and you can also find me on YouTube and Facebook
Pumpkin Pancakes
Ingredients
- 4 Tablespoons (56 g) unsalted butter melted
- 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour
- ⅓ cup (65 g) light brown sugar firmly packed
- 1 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon table salt
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon ground allspice
- 1 ½ cups (355 ml) whole milk
- 1 cup (225 g) canned pumpkin puree this should be 100% pumpkin puree and not “pumpkin pie filling”
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Baking spray cooking oil, or butter for greasing the pan
Recommended Equipment
- Small skillet
Instructions
- Melt butter first and set aside so it has time to cool.4 Tablespoons (56 g) unsalted butter
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and allspice until well-combined and any clumps from the brown sugar are broken up.2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour, ⅓ cup (65 g) light brown sugar, 1 teaspoons baking powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon table salt, 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, ½ teaspoon ground ginger, ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg, ½ teaspoon ground allspice
- In a separate bowl, whisk together milk, pumpkin puree, eggs, and vanilla extract until thoroughly combined.1 ½ cups (355 ml) whole milk, 1 cup (225 g) canned pumpkin puree, 2 large eggs, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Drizzle the melted, slightly cooled butter into the milk mixture, whisking to combine.
- Pour the milk mixture into the dry ingredients and use a spatula to gently fold the ingredients together until just combined (don’t over-mix or pancakes will be dense and rubbery).
- Set batter aside and lightly spray a skillet with cooking spray or lightly brush the pan with a bit of canola or vegetable oil (or you may use about half a tablespoon of butter). Turn stovetop heat to medium and allow the skillet to heat for several minutes or until you can feel the heat radiating from the pan when you hover your hand several inches above the surface.Baking spray
- Scoop pancake batter (I do about ½ -⅔ cup but you can make the pancakes any size you’d like!) into the center of the skillet and, if it’s forming a mound in the center, use a spoon to gently spread the batter so you have an even layer (this helps the pancake to cook evenly, otherwise you’ll have a thick center that will be slightly underbaked).
- Cook until the edges begin to appear cooked through and bubbles that form in the batter begin to burst. Carefully flip the pancake and continue to cook until the other side is golden brown and pancake is cooked through (you can use a knife to check that the center of the pancake is dry).
- Remove to a plate and repeat until all batter is used — Re-spray or brush the pan with oil between each pancake.
- Serve pancakes fresh and warm, topped with butter, whipped cream, and maple syrup!
Notes
Leftover batter
Leftover pancake batter may be stored, covered, in the refrigerator for up to two days. Pancakes generally cook up a bit flatter after 24 hours, and please note that the pumpkin spice flavors intensify as the batter sits in the fridge.Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.
Sára
This recipe was amazing!!! Delicious and so easy!
I have never eaten anything this fluffy before!
(I also made some pieces with chocolate chips and they elevated it perfectly.
Sadly I didn’t have any maple syrup at home, will try them with it sometime, but we just got gifted some chestnut cream and it was the perfect spread on it)
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed them so much, Sara! 🙂
Allie
Delicious and easy! These taste better than regular pancakes. Thanks for making my breakfast time so yummy.
I did half white flour and half whole wheat flour, and also Pumpkin Pie Spice instead of Allspice (using the same measurements for all), and it turned out great!
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed them so much, ALlie! Thank you for your feedback using the whole wheat flour. 🙂
Sheila
We are a pumpkin pancake all-year-round type of family. I make them frequently on weekends. We have a few favorite recipes we go back to (never before commented on any recipes) and today decided to try yours. We love them! It’s become our new fav. The pancakes have great flavor, are thick without being dense, not too sweet, and have this nice little crunch on the outside edge. Recipe bookmarked.
Sam
I’m so glad everyone enjoyed them so much, Sheila! 🙂
Jeff Barker
These poured out really thick but they tasted delicious! Thanks for the recipe.
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
It’s a decently thick batter, so that sounds about right! We’re so happy you enjoyed them, Jeff 😊
Kerri
I made these this morning for my kids because they love pumpkin flavored foods. I doubled the recipe and added chocolate chips. They turned out perfectly fluffy and delicious.
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Sounds delicious, Kerri! We’re so happy everyone liked them 😊
Christina
I love the season of pumpkin, so when i saw this recipe it was a must try. My kids are my critics they tell me if it’s a make again, or not to. This was a winner. Made it for them for breakfast this morning and they definitely want me to make it again. Thank you for the recipe. Despite you not likely pumpkin. 😃
Sam
I’m so happy to hear this, Christina! Thank you so much for letting me know how the pancakes turned out for everyone, I really appreciate it! 🙂
Andrea
I followed the recipe/ mixing steps to a T and so had a runny batter immediately. I double checked all my measurements- they were correct- so I cooked them up anyway. They were very thin and not fluffy at all like yours. I’m no stranger to making pancakes (or baking in general), but I’m stumped why they’re so thin. Would home-canned pumpkin have anything to do with it? I strain it well before mashing it, but I know many commercial ones are very thick. What type do you use? I’m guessing store bought from the description?
Sam
Hi Andrea! That is frustrating! I would think it may be the home-canned pumpkin, I have used generic 100% pumpkin puree (shown in the photo in the post) and Libby’s with success, and yes it is quite thick.