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If you are looking for pumpkin pancakes that remind you of pumpkin bread, pumpkin muffins, and all your other favorite pumpkin treats, look no further. I made this recipe repeatedly until it hit just right, like pumpkin bread in pancake form.
I started with my wildly-popular Homemade Pancakes recipe and added pure pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix) and enough leaveners for a super tall, fluffy pancake.
Whether you serve them with butter and maple syrup or whipped cream and toasted pecans, this is fall-on-a-plate like you’ve never had it, and you’re going to love every bite. Let me show you how easy it is!
Table of Contents
Pumpkin Pancake Ingredients
At a Glance: Here is a quick snapshot of what ingredients are in this recipe.
Please see the recipe card below for specific quantities.
- Baking powder: This chemical leavener generates bubbles in the pancake batter to help make the pancakes light and fluffy.
- Milk: Cow’s milk or any milk alternative, such as cashew, almond, oat, or soy. From skim to whole, any fat level will do.
- Pumpkin purée: Seek out canned pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling). Or, make your own Pumpkin Purée from a fresh pumpkin.
How to make Pumpkin Pancakes
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. In a second medium bowl, whisk together milk, pumpkin, brown sugar, and egg until smooth. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients, add the wet ingredients, and stir mixture gently until combined. Gently fold in melted butter.
- Heat a griddle or frying pan over medium-high heat, greasing if desired (see note 4). Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using approximately ¼ cup for each pancake.
- When bubbles start to form on the first side, carefully flip and brown the second side. Repeat with remaining batter (you should have about 8 pancakes).
- Serve hot with butter and maple syrup or whipped cream and toasted pecans.
Do I need a pancake dispenser?
Although a pancake dispenser isn’t completely necessary for making delicious pancakes at home, after testing a bunch, I loved how easy the Norpro Batter Dispenser made making breakfast. It has an even pour and was way less messy getting my batter into the pan, and I am now a pancake dispenser convert! You can get it for $20.66 at Amazon, and you can use it for dispensing cupcake batter and sauces, too.
Tips for the Best Pumpkin Pancakes
- Yield: This recipe makes about four servings, 2 (4-inch) Pumpkin Pancakes each. Feel free to multiply the recipe as desired; it doubles and triples beautifully.
- Oiling the skillet: If you love crispy edges on your pancakes, you’ll want to lightly grease your skillet with oil or butter before adding the batter. If using a non-stick skillet, you can skip the fat and cook the flapjacks in a dry skillet for a smooth, brown surface.
- Keep them warm: To keep pancakes warm while preparing them, or to store them for an imminent brunch, preheat the oven to 200 degrees. Set a rack over a baking sheet and place in the oven, then transfer cooked pancakes to the rack until serving time.
- Spice up your pancakes: Add warming spices such as allspice, nutmeg, or pumpkin pie spice for added fall flavor. A dash of vanilla extract will enhance the flavor even more. Top with a dollop of homemade whipped cream and mini chocolate chips, too.
How to serve this Recipe for Pumpkin Pancakes
Serve pumpkin pancakes with butter and pure maple syrup, whipped cream and toasted pecans, or your favorite fresh fruit. They are also delicious with a drizzle of sweetened condensed milk or just a dusting of powdered sugar.
Storing the Best Pumpkin Pancakes
Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Can I freeze leftovers of this Pumpkin Pancake Recipe?
Arrange cooled pancakes in a single layer, not touching, on a small baking sheet or plate. Freeze until the pancakes are individually frozen, then transfer to a freezer-safe bag. Freeze up to 2 months. Reheat in the microwave or toaster from frozen (yes, you can pop them in the toaster!).
FAQs
Keep an eye on your flapjacks. When small bubbles start to appear around the edges of the top of the pancake and the outside portion starts to appear a little “dryer” than the center, use a spatula to carefully lift up and peek under an edge. These are two telltale signs that your pancake is likely ready to flip.
Canned pumpkin and pumpkin puree are, or can be, nearly identical products and are used interchangeably in many recipes. Both are made primarily from Dickinson pumpkins but may also contain other winter squash.
Libby, the popular canned pumpkin company, uses a proprietary strain of pumpkin that is derived from the Dickinson pumpkin, and their website says their canned product contains 100% pure pumpkin.
Pancakes and flapjacks are interchangeable terms used to describe a thin, flat cake made from batter that is cooked on a hot surface. Usage varies by region, with Northerners favoring “pancake” and Southerners saying “flapjack” more often. The same food item may also be referred to as a “hot cake” or “griddle cake.”
More pumpkin recipes
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Best Recipe for Pumpkin Pancakes
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder (see note 1)
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon Salt
- 1 cups milk (see note 2)
- 1 cup pumpkin purée (see note 3)
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- 3 tablespoons butter melted
- butter and maple syrup, for serving
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. In a second medium bowl, whisk together milk, pumpkin, brown sugar, and egg until smooth. Make a well in the center of the flour ingredients, add the wet, and stir gently until combined. Gently fold in melted butter.
- Heat a griddle or frying pan over medium high heat, greasing if desired (see note 4). Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using approximately ¼ cup for each pancake.
- When bubbles start to form on the first side, carefully flip and brown the second side. Repeat with remaining batter (you should have about 8 pancakes). Serve hot with butter and maple syrup.
Recipe Video
Notes
- Baking powder: This chemical leavener generates bubbles in the pancake batter to help make them light and fluffy. (Not baking soda.)
- Milk: Cow’s milk or any milk alternative, such as cashew, almond, oat, or soy. From skim to whole, any fat level will do.
- Pumpkin purée: Seek out canned pumpkin pureé (not pumpkin pie filling). Or, make your own Pumpkin Pureé from a fresh pumpkin.
- Oiling the skillet: If you love crispy edges on your pancakes, you’ll want to lightly grease your skillet with oil or butter before adding the batter. If using a non-stick skillet, you can skip the fat and cook the flapjacks in a dry skillet for a smooth, brown surface.
- Yield: This recipe makes about four servings, 2 (4-inch) Pumpkin Pancakes each. Feel free to multiply the recipe as desired; it doubles and triples beautifully.
- Storage: Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Nutrition
Meggan Hill is a classically-trained chef and professional writer. Her meticulously-tested recipes and detailed tutorials bring confidence and success to home cooks everywhere. Meggan has been featured on NPR, HuffPost, FoxNews, LA Times, and more.
You send me way too emails. Please send less! Just one a week would be more than adequate, otherwise I will have to suspend this subscription.
Thank you
Hi Linda, I’m sorry that the emails are a bit too much. I have bumped down your frequency to once a week! It may take a little while to go into effect, so please stick with me a few more days until it is corrected. ๐ -Meggan
Excellent. Used pumpkin pie spice for cinnamon.
I’m so glad you liked them! Thanks Mary! -Meggan
When do you put in the butter? It isn’t in the recipe.
Hi Nicole, thank you for your comment! It’s folded into the batter in step one after adding in the wet pumpkin mixture to the dry. Please write back after trying them out! – Meggan