Light and Fluffy Pumpkin Pancakes
Soft, fluffy pumpkin pancakes with real pumpkin and fall spices in every bite. No dense middles, just a cozy fall recipe that you'll want to make on repeat.
Servings: 4 people
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.