Pumpkin Pancakes

Christine Gallary
Christine GallarySenior Recipe Editor at The Kitchn
I grew up in a Chinese food-loving family, eating my first restaurant meals in Oakland's vibrant Chinatown. My love of food but lack of cooking experience led to me Le Cordon Bleu in Paris, where I graduated with a Diplôme de Cuisine in French cooking. After culinary school, I learned how to test and edit recipes in test kitchens at Cook's Illustrated and CHOW, falling in love with the process of rigorously testing recipes to make sure they were foolproof for the home cook. I've worked with thousands of recipes over the past 15 years, including developing recipes for the James Beard-award winning Mister Jiu's in Chinatown cookbook. Living in the delicious diversity of San Francisco, I never get tired of finding new ingredients or cuisines to try. My favorite type is Cantonese home cooking — I'm on a quest to recreate the dishes my grandmother used to make. All the food I test at home is eagerly tasted and enjoyed by my husband, Hayden, and daughter, Sophie, while our little dog, Mochi, looks wistfully on.
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updated Nov 13, 2023
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These extra-fluffy pancakes are loaded with real pumpkin, buttermilk, and sweet spices. Bonus points if you serve them with pumpkin spice syrup.

Serves4 to 6

Makes18 (3-inch) pancakes

Prep10 minutes to 15 minutes

Cook12 minutes to 42 minutes

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Adding pumpkin purée is one of the easiest ways to take classic pancakes up a notch. It adds a lovely, autumnal orange hue and keeps the pancakes very moist. And complementing its flavor with brown sugar and warm pumpkin pie spices (like cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg) makes these tall, fluffy buttermilk pancakes a breakfast worth waking up for.

How to Make Perfect Pumpkin Pancakes

Make perfect pumpkin pancakes in 4 easy steps:

  1. Mix the dry ingredients. Whisk flour, salt, baking soda, and spices together.
  2. Mix the wet ingredients. Whisk melted butter, buttermilk, pumpkin purée, eggs, brown sugar, and salt together.
  3. Make the batter and let it rest. Fold the wet ingredients with the dry ingredients. Let the batter rest for 10 minutes so the batter can thicken and the flour can hydrate.
  4. Cook the pancakes. Cook 1/4-cup portions of the batter in a nonstick pan or griddle. Make sure to let them cook at least 2 1/2 minutes on each side (lower the heat if you need to) so they cook all the way through.
Credit: Kelli Foster

The 3 Key Ingredients in Pumpkin Pancakes

  • Canned pumpkin: Make sure you get canned pumpkin that doesn’t contain sugar or spices (i.e., not pumpkin pie mix) so you can control the sweetness and spice levels. If you’re feeling ambitious, you can also make your own pumpkin purée.
  • Buttermilk: You can use low-fat or whole buttermilk.
  • Spices: If you have an actual pumpkin pie spice blend on hand, use 2 3/4 teaspoons of the blend and skip the cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg.

How to Freeze Pumpkin Pancakes

One of the best parts of these pancakes is that they freeze really well. After they cool off, place them in a single layer on a baking sheet and freeze until solid. Transfer to a zip top bag and stash in the freezer for up to two months.

Warming them up just takes less than a minute in the microwave or just a few minutes in the oven when you want to have a cozy, pumpkin-y breakfast.

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Pumpkin Pancakes Recipe

These extra-fluffy pancakes are loaded with real pumpkin, buttermilk, and sweet spices. Bonus points if you serve them with pumpkin spice syrup.

Prep time 10 minutes to 15 minutes

Cook time 12 minutes to 42 minutes

Makes 18 (3-inch) pancakes

Serves 4 to 6

Nutritional Info

Ingredients

  • 2 cups

    all-purpose flour

  • 2 teaspoons

    ground cinnamon

  • 1 3/4 teaspoons

    baking powder

  • 3/4 teaspoon

    baking soda

  • 1/2 teaspoon

    ground ginger

  • 1/4 teaspoon

    ground nutmeg

  • 4 tablespoons

    (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, plus more for serving

  • 1 1/2 cups

    buttermilk

  • 1 cup

    canned or homemade pumpkin purée (not pumpkin pie mix)

  • 2

    large eggs

  • 1/3 cup

    packed light or dark brown sugar

  • 1 1/2 teaspoons

    kosher salt

  • Vegetable or canola oil, or cooking spray

  • Maple syrup or Pumpkin Spice Syrup, for serving

Instructions

  1. Place 2 cups all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, 1 3/4 teaspoons baking powder, 3/4 teaspoon baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger, and 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg in a large bowl and whisk to combine.

  2. Cut 4 tablespoons unsalted butter into 4 pieces and place in a medium microwave-safe bowl. Microwave until melted, 40 to 50 seconds. (Alternatively, melt in a small saucepan over medium heat, then transfer to a medium bowl.) Add 1 1/2 cups buttermilk, 1 cup pumpkin purée, 2 large eggs, 1/3 cup packed brown sugar, and 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, and whisk until the sugar and salt are dissolved.

  3. Add to the flour mixture and fold until just combined with no streaks of flour. Let sit for 10 minutes, it will be thick and fluffy (this is a good time to make the Pumpkin Spice Syrup).

  4. Five minutes before the batter is ready, heat a large seasoned cast-iron skillet, nonstick frying pan, or griddle over medium heat. Test to see if the pan is hot enough by sprinkling in a couple drops of cold water: If the water bounces and sputters, the pan is ready to use; if it evaporates instantly, the pan is too hot. Add 1 to 1/2 teaspoons vegetable oil and brush over the pan or spread it around with a paper towel, or coat the pan with cooking spray.

  5. Drop 1/4-cup portions of the batter into the pan (scrape it out with a flexible spatula if needed), 3 for a 12-inch pan, and gently flatten each one out the spatula until about 3 inches wide if needed. Cook until the bottoms are golden brown and a few small bubbles appear on the top, 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 minutes per side. Reduce the heat to medium low if the pancakes are browning too quickly, they should cook for at least 2 1/2 minutes on each side to cook all the way through.

  6. Transfer the pancakes to a baking sheet and place in a 200ºF oven to keep warm if desired. Repeat cooking the remaining batter, adding more oil to the pan as needed. Serve with more butter and maple or pumpkin spice syrup.

Recipe Notes

Pumpkin spice blend: If you have an actual pumpkin pie spice blend on hand, use 2 3/4 teaspoons of the blend and skip the cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg.

Storage: The pancakes can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 5 days. To freeze pancakes, freeze in a single layer, then transfer to a zip top bag and freeze for up to 2 months. Reheat in a 325ºF oven until warmed through, 7 to 15 minutes.

Filed in:
Breakfast
Vegetables
dairy
winter
autumn
Main Dish