This pumpkin pancakes recipe makes light, fluffy pancakes with real pumpkin flavor and warm spice in every bite. Simple ingredients, no dense middles, tested until it was just right. Top with homemade whipped cream and warm maple syrup for a cozy fall breakfast any day of the week.
Finally, a pumpkin pancake that is light, fluffy, and cooked in the middle. Every fall I go through the same thing. I get all excited to make pumpkin pancakes, make a batch, and end up with pancakes that are dense and doughy in the middle. Not this recipe. These are genuinely fluffy and light - the sort of recipe that you want to make on repeat every chilly fall morning.
The trick is having the right amount of pumpkin puree in the batter and then giving the batter a short, five minute rest. When I tested this recipe, I started with only ¾ cup of pumpkin puree. The texture was great, but the pumpkin flavor wasn't quite there. I increased the amount of pumpkin with each test batch until I landed on the amount of pumpkin that adds serious pumpkin flavor without weighing the pancakes down and making them dense. The five minute rest allows the batter to fully hydrate and gives you a chance to assess and be sure that you have enough milk in your batter.
I've been making pancakes since I could first see over the edge of the stove, and those same instincts - reading the batter, knowing when to stop mixing, and trusting the rest time, are exactly what I used to land on this version. It took a few rounds of testing to get right.
My family thought these pumpkin spice pancakes were as yummy as pumpkin pie topped with a dollop of homemade whipped cream and a drizzle of maple syrup. They even went back for seconds. If pumpkin pancakes have let you down in the past, I think this will be the recipe that fixes it. If you're looking for more fall baking recipes, we have plenty here on the blog.
Quick Look: Pumpkin Pancakes
- Ready In: about 25 minutes
- Serves: 4 people
- Calories:
- Add to Your Shopping List: pumpkin puree and pumpkin spice
- Dietary Info: contains eggs, dairy and gluten but can easily be make gluten free
- Baker's Note: The amount of pumpkin makes or breaks these pancakes - too little and the flavor disappears, too much and they turn dense. We tested until we landed on 1.5 cups which is just right.
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Key Ingredients
Make our easy pumpkin pancake recipe in less than 15 minutes with simple pantry ingredients.
Pumpkin puree - Use pure pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling which already has spice mixed in.
Milk - I tested the recipe using 2% milk but any milk or plant based milk will work well in this pancake recipe. Start with 1 ¼ cups and add more as needed until you have a nice, pourable batter.
Brown sugar - Adds extra flavor and moisture to the pancake batter.
Pumpkin pie spice - This is where the warm, nostalgic fall flavor comes from. If you don't have a pre-mixed blend in the cabinet, use a mix of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves.
How To Make Pumpkin Pancakes
- Combine the dry ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients.
- Melt the butter and warm the milk. Add the pumpkin, eggs and vanilla to the milk and butter. Whisk until smooth.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Mix until just combined. Add milk as needed so that your batter is smooth and pourable.
- Warm the pan. Heat a nonstick skillet or griddle over medium heat, then reduce to medium-low. Because this is a thicker pancake batter, the lower heat gives the inside time to cook through.
- Cook the pancakes. Pour about ¼ cup of batter per pancake onto the warm pan. Cook until bubbles begin to form across the entire surface of the pancakes, not just on the edges.
- Flip and finish. Flip and cook the second side for another 1-2 minutes.
- Serve. Serve warm, topped with homemade whipped cream and a drizzle of warm maple syrup.
Substitutions and Variations
Pumpkin Pie Spice Substitution
No pumpkin pie spice on hand? This recipe calls for 2 teaspoons - you can mix your own with 1 ¼ teaspoons cinnamon, ½ teaspoon ginger, ¼ teaspoon nutmeg, and ⅛ teaspoon cloves.
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Pancakes
Fold 1 cup of mini chocolate chips into the batter right after combining the wet and dry ingredients. Mini chips distribute more evenly through the batter than regular-size chips, so you get more chocolate in every bite.
Pumpkin Pecan Pancakes
Toast 1 cup of chopped pecans in the oven at 300°F for 8-10 minutes. Allow pecans to cool completely before adding them to the pancake batter. Toasting the nuts brings out more flavor than adding the pecans raw. This is a great combo - be sure to check out our Pumpkin Pecan Waffles too!
Gluten-Free Pumpkin Pancakes
Swap the all-purpose flour for a 1:1 gluten free flour blend and make this pumpkin pancake recipe gluten free. I've always had good luck using Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free 1:1 Baking Flour and King Arthur Measure for Measure when I'm making pancakes.
What to Serve with Pumpkin Pancakes
One of my favorite things about this recipe is how well it pairs with fall toppings. You can make a stack and they will pair well with any toppings and sides that you are in the mood for. Here are some of my favorites:
Homemade whipped cream - a simple whipped cream comes together in minutes and takes these pancakes from weekday breakfast to something special. You can flavor with vanilla or add 1 teaspoon of pumpkin spice and make a pumpkin latte flavored whipped cream.
Crispy bacon or breakfast sausage - if you love that sweet and savory combination, a side of bacon, sausage or veggie sausage is always a fan favorite in our house.
Sautéed apples or pears - cook sliced apples or pears in a little bit of butter and brown sugar until soft and caramelized. Serve over warm pancakes with whipped cream and maple syrup.
Storage
Leftover Pancake Batter:
Store leftover pancake batter in an airtight container in the refrigerator. I often use empty jelly jars to store the leftover pancake batter. You can give the batter a quick stir and pour it directly onto your hot pan from the jelly jar. Otherwise any airtight container works well. Store leftover pancake batter for 1-2 days in the refrigerator.
Leftover Pancakes:
Refrigerator: Leftover pancakes can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-4 days.
Freezer: You can also freeze the leftover pancakes. To do this, arrange the pancakes in a single layer on a parchment lined baking pan. Freeze the pancakes for 1-2 hours. Move the frozen pancakes to a ziplock bag.
How to Reheat Pumpkin Pancakes
Toaster or Toaster Oven: Warm pancakes in the toaster/toaster oven for 3-4 minutes - use a medium level of heat.
Oven: Warm at 350° for 3-4 minutes. I like to just place them on the open rack so that they warm and get a little crispy on all of the surfaces.
Microwave: Place pancakes in a single layer on a paper towel lined plate. Warm pancakes for 15-20 seconds. Check and add an additional 5-10 seconds until pancakes are warmed through.
Frozen Pancakes in Air Fryer: Use the reheat setting to warm your pancakes for 1-3 minutes. Check after 1 minute and add more time as needed.
Pumpkin Pancakes FAQs
This usually comes down to one of two things. Either your batter is too thick or your heat is turned up too high. The pumpkin puree makes this batter thicker than a classic pancake batter, so you may have to turn the heat down just a bit on your cooking pan. The lower temperature will give the pancakes time to cook all the way through. If your batter is too thick, add milk and thin it out. You want it to pour slowly off of your spoon or from your cookie scoop and it should spread a bit when it hits the pan, not stay in one thick circle.
Absolutely! The batter is best used within a few hours of mixing, since the baking powder starts losing its lift the longer it sits. I have made this pancake batter at night and used it in the morning multiple times without having any issues. You can also prep the wet and dry ingredients separately and then mix them together in the morning.
Yes! Let the pancakes cool completely, then freeze in a single layer on a baking sheet before moving them to a freezer bag. They'll keep for up to 2 months. Reheat straight form frozen in the toaster or a 350°F oven until warmed through. You can wrap them in aluminum foil if you want to retain some of the moisture.
You can use a combo of spices instead of the pumpkin spice. To replace the 2 teaspoons in this recipe, use 1 ¼ teaspoons cinnamon, ½ teaspoon ginger, ¼ teaspoon nutmeg, and ⅛ teaspoon cloves.
More Homemade Pancake Recipes
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Light and Fluffy Pumpkin Pancakes
Equipment
- Large mixing bowl (for dry ingredients)
- Large measuring cup (for melting butter and warming milk)
- whisk
- Rubber spatula or wooden spoon (for folding wet and dry ingredients together)
- Nonstick skillet or griddle
- ¼ cup measuring cup or cookie scoop (for portioning batter)
- Thin spatula (for flipping)
Ingredients
- 2 cups (260g) all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup (45g) brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 4 tablespoons butter melted
- 1 ¼ cups milk warmed
- 1½ cups pumpkin puree
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Combine the dry ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, and salt.
- Melt the butter and warm the milk. In a large measuring cup, melt the butter and warm the milk. The butter should be melted but not so hot that it cooks the eggs.
- Whisk the wet ingredients. Add the pumpkin puree, eggs, and vanilla to the milk and butter. Whisk until smooth.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Add more milk as needed so the batter is smooth and pourable.
- Warm the pan. Heat a nonstick skillet or griddle over medium heat, then reduce to medium-low. Because this is a thicker pancake batter, the lower heat gives the inside time to cook through.
- Cook the pancakes. Pour about ¼ cup of batter per pancake onto the warm pan. Cook until bubbles form across the surface and start to pop, not just appear at the edges.
- Flip and finish. Flip and cook the second side for another 1-2 minutes.
- Serve. Serve warm, topped with homemade whipped cream and a drizzle of warm maple syrup.
Notes
- Milk amount may vary. Start with 1¼ cups of milk and add more as needed. The pumpkin puree can vary in moisture from can to can, so the batter should end up smooth and pourable, not thick.
- Don't skip the rest. Letting the batter sit for 5 minutes before cooking gives the leavening time to activate, which is what keeps these pancakes fluffy instead of dense in the middle.
- Keep the heat at medium-low. This batter is thicker than a classic pancake batter, so a gentler heat gives the inside time to cook through before the outside overcooks.
Amanda Smallwood says
My whole family loved these pumpkin pancakes. The sprinkle of cinnamon and sugar adds a sweet crunch and some extra fall flavor. This recipe was easy to follow and turned out great!