Description
Enjoy a cozy breakfast with these fluffy pumpkin pancakes, perfect for fall or any time you crave a sweet, spiced start to your day. Made with creamy buttermilk, rich pumpkin puree, and warming pumpkin pie spices, these pancakes are light, tender, and bursting with autumn flavor.
Ingredients
Wet Ingredients
- 2 cups buttermilk (see Recipe Notes for homemade option)
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- 2 large eggs
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly (+ more for cooking if desired)
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Dry Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice (or substitute with ground cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves)
- 1/2 teaspoon fine-grain sea salt or table salt
For Serving
- Butter
- Maple syrup
Instructions
- Prepare Buttermilk: In a large bowl, add the buttermilk. If you are making buttermilk by combining milk and vinegar, let the mixture sit for about 10 minutes until it thickens and curdles to resemble buttermilk.
- Combine Wet Ingredients: To the buttermilk, add the pumpkin puree, eggs, melted butter, and vanilla extract. Whisk vigorously until everything is well combined and smooth.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, and salt until evenly blended.
- Incorporate Dry into Wet: Pour the dry ingredients over the wet ingredients. Gently fold and stir just until the flour mixture is moistened. Avoid overmixing to keep your pancakes light and fluffy; some lumps are fine.
- Rest the Batter: Let the batter rest at room temperature for about 5 minutes. This helps the dry ingredients absorb moisture and results in tender pancakes.
- Heat and Prepare Cooking Surface: Heat a non-stick griddle or large frying pan over medium heat (around 325°F). Add a small amount of butter and spread evenly to prevent sticking, although non-stick surfaces may not require butter.
- Cook the Pancakes: Using a 1/3 cup measure or a trigger-handled ice cream scoop, pour batter onto the hot griddle or pan. Cook until bubbles form on the surface and the edges look set, about 1 to 2 minutes. Flip carefully and cook the other side until golden brown and cooked through, about 1 to 2 more minutes.
- Serve: Serve warm topped with butter and maple syrup, or your favorite pancake toppings.
Notes
- To make homemade buttermilk, combine 2 tablespoons white vinegar or lemon juice with 2 cups milk. Let sit for 10 minutes until slightly thickened and curdled.
- If you don’t have pumpkin pie spice, substitute with 1 teaspoon cinnamon plus 1/2 teaspoon each of ground ginger and nutmeg, and a pinch of cloves.
- Melted butter in the batter and on the cooking surface adds richness and prevents sticking.
- Do not overmix the batter to keep pancakes fluffy rather than tough.
- Letting the batter rest before cooking improves texture and tenderness.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Frying
- Cuisine: American
