Perfect Pumpkin Pancakes
These Perfect Pumpkin Pancakes are light, fluffy, and so full of pure pumpkin and spices. Drizzle some pure maple syrup and a scoop of my heavenly Brown Sugar Cinnamon Butter, as the ultimate toppings for these delicious griddle cakes! Pumpkin purée gives these fall flavored flapjacks a moist and tender texture, and a secret ingredient makes them extra fluffy.
This fall recipe can be made any time of year, but it feels extra festive during autumn. This recipe can also be made gluten free and dairy free! To learn how to make this amazing pancake recipe, see the printable recipe card below. Take a look at the recipe video, or get Step by Step Instructions for a more detailed explanation of this recipe. For other recipe variations including dairy free and gluten free, visit the Pimp My Recipe section in this recipe’s Blog Comments & Tips.
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RECIPE
(Check out our Step by Step Instructions below the recipe card.)
PERFECT PUMPKIN PANCAKES
Ingredients
Instructions
- Add milk and vinegar to a measuring cup. Stir and set aside for about 10 minutes. Heat a large nonstick griddle pan over medium heat.
- Melt unsalted butter in a microwave, and allow to cool slightly.
- Place a fine mesh strainer on top of a medium mixing bowl. To the strainer, add all purpose flour, whole wheat flour, brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice, ginger, baking powder, baking soda, and sea salt, and sift ingredients into the bowl. Whisk well to combine, and set aside.
- To a large mixing bowl, add pumpkin, melted butter, and eggs, and whisk well to combine. Give a quick stir to the milk mixture, add it to the egg mixture, and whisk until well combined. Add dry ingredients, and gently fold and stir until just combined.
- Carefully grease the hot griddle with a little oil (vegetable or canola oil - see Note #2), and remove excess (leaving no visible oil spots). Ladle ⅓ cup batter per pancake onto the hot griddle. Spread batter a little (to 3 ½ to 4 inches in diameter). Cook until the edges start to dry (about 2 minutes) and the bottom is golden brown (see Note #3). Then flip, and cook until the bottom is golden brown. Serve immediately, and top with optional garnishes.
Notes
- If you don’t have any whole wheat flour on hand, you can use 2 cups all purpose flour instead. Using a combination of all purpose and whole wheat flours gives these pancakes a nutty flavor, and makes them a bit healthier, too. For recipe variations, see the Pimp My Recipe section in the Blog Comments & Tips for this recipe on the website.
- Fold up a paper towel, and wet with vegetable oil. Using the oiled paper towel, carefully grease the hot griddle, and remove any excess oil (do not leave any visible oil spots).
- Before flipping the pancake, test by lifting one edge with a spatula, and peeking underneath to see if it’s golden brown.
- Makes about 12 pancakes (4 servings - 3 pancakes each).
Nutrition Facts
Calories
389.88Fat (grams)
10.73Sat. Fat (grams)
5.65Carbs (grams)
61.97Fiber (grams)
4.36Net carbs
57.62Sugar (grams)
14.42Protein (grams)
13.31Sodium (milligrams)
854.86Cholesterol (grams)
103.97Nutritional information provided is strictly an estimate and will vary based on ingredient brands and cooking methods. Optional garnishes are not included in the nutritional calculations.
Step by Step Instructions
PREPARATION
Organize all your tools and ingredients before you begin. Getting all your ingredients in one place at the beginning will shorten your prep time.
STEP 1
Add 1 ½ cups reduced fat milk (2%, or almond milk), and 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar, to a measuring cup. Stir, and set aside for about 10 minutes. Heat a large nonstick griddle pan over medium heat.
STEP 2
Melt 2 tablespoons unsalted butter in a microwave, and cool slightly.
STEP 3
Place a fine mesh strainer on top of a medium mixing bowl. To the strainer, add 1 cup all purpose flour, 1 cup whole wheat flour (see Note #1), 3 tablespoons packed light brown sugar, 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice, ¼ teaspoon ground ginger, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1 teaspoon baking soda, and ½ teaspoon sea salt, and sift ingredients into the bowl. Whisk well to combine, and set aside.
Note: It’s important to sift your dry ingredients, especially because you are using brown sugar. You can break up any lumps using a spoon. If you don’t have any whole wheat flour on hand, you can use 2 cups all purpose flour instead.
STEP 4
To a large mixing bowl, add 1 cup organic pure pumpkin (about ⅔ of 1 can), melted butter, and 2 room temperature eggs, and whisk well to combine. Give a quick stir to the milk mixture, add to egg mixture, and whisk until well combined. Add dry ingredients, and gently fold and stir until just combined.
STEP 5a
Carefully grease the hot griddle with a little vegetable or canola oil (see Note below), and remove excess (leaving no visible oil spots).
Note: Fold up a paper towel, and wet with vegetable oil. Using the oiled paper towel, carefully grease the hot griddle, and remove any excess oil (do not leave any visible oil spots).
STEP 5b
Ladle ⅓ cup batter per pancake onto the hot griddle. Batter will be thick, so spread it a little (to about 3 ½ to 4 inch diameter). Cook until the edges start to dry (about 2 minutes) and the bottom is golden brown (see Note below). Then flip, and cook until the bottom is golden brown.
Note: Before flipping the pancake, test by lifting one edge with a spatula, and peeking underneath to see if it’s golden brown.
SERVING SUGGESTION
Serve immediately, and top with optional garnishes: Brown Sugar Cinnamon Butter and pure amber maple syrup.
Note: You can use regular butter, but this Brown Sugar Cinnamon Butter is absolutely amazing on these pancakes!! Give this 4 ingredient butter recipe a try.
Notes:
Using a combination of all purpose and whole wheat flours gives these pancakes a nutty flavor, and makes them a bit healthier, too. For recipe variations, see the Pimp My Recipe section in the Blog Comments & Tips below.
Makes about 12 pancakes (4 servings - 3 pancakes each).
VIDEO
How to Make These Perfect Pumpkin Pancakes!
Blog Comments & Tips
Simply Amazing Pancakes!
These griddle cakes are exactly as described…perfect and simply amazing! My Perfect Pumpkin Pancakes are light, fluffy, and so full of pumpkin and spiced flavor. What makes them over the top is my heavenly Brown Sugar Cinnamon Butter. After just one bite, these unique griddle cakes will likely become the topic of conversation during breakfast or brunch. This fall recipe can be made any time of year, but it feels extra festive during autumn.
Pumpkin purée gives these fall flavored flapjacks a moist and tender texture, and a secret ingredient makes them extra fluffy. What is the secret ingredient?
It’s apple cider vinegar! Don’t worry, you won’t taste the vinegar. Apple cider vinegar is used to create a chemical reaction with the milk in order to give it a fluffier texture. Combining these two ingredients creates buttermilk. You are probably wondering why I didn’t use buttermilk? Because like a lot of people, it’s not usually in my fridge. Also, using apple cider vinegar instead of white vinegar adds a touch of something special to this recipe.
These breakfast cakes are full of healthy ingredients, and they are so incredibly delicious. I combined all purpose and whole wheat flours to add more fiber and a nutty taste. Adding whole wheat flour (ww flour) not only gives these pancakes extra flavor, but it makes them healthier. Ww flour has more fiber, protein, magnesium, and B6 vitamins than all purpose flour (ap flour). Ww flour has 47 fewer calories per cup, and contains 13g of fiber in 1 cup of flour, versus only 3.4g in ap flour. To reduce the fat content in these breakfast cakes, I used 2% milk instead of whole milk. Combining all these ingredients resulted in a healthier and perfect pancake recipe with tons of flavor!
If you are dairy free and/or gluten free, you can still enjoy these Perfect Pumpkin Pancakes. Take a look at the Pimp My Recipe section below for details. The gluten free dairy free version of this recipe turned out just as wonderful!
How do you ensure the best results from this recipe?
My 5 tips to making these Perfect Pumpkin Pancakes:
Organic pumpkin purée is best in this recipe. I used canned organic pumpkin to make it easy. You can certainly use homemade pumpkin purée, if it's roasted, puréed, and cooled. Do NOT use pumpkin filling, as it contains other ingredients like added sugars.
Use room temperature eggs and slightly cooled melted butter. The butter will combine better with room temperature eggs and pumpkin purée. Otherwise, the butter will start to solidify when it hits any cold ingredients. Just be sure to whisk thoroughly before adding the milk & vinegar mixture.
Preheat your heavy duty griddle pan (I use this large nonstick griddle pan), and you won’t have hot spots. I like to preheat my griddle pan while I make the recipe (for at least 10 minutes). And, don’t grease your pan until just before you add the batter.
Don’t skip the Brown Sugar Cinnamon Butter. It pairs perfectly with these pancakes. This butter can be made ahead, and refrigerated in an airtight container.
You want these pancakes to have a moist texture, so don’t overcook your pancakes. Every griddle is different, so it’s best to periodically test it for doneness, by peeking under just one pancake. Just use a spatula and lift the edge of a pancake. It should be golden brown, not dark brown.
Have any dietary preferences that won’t quite work with this recipe? It’s time to customize and Pimp My Recipe.
Pimp My Recipe:
Don’t Like Whole Wheat Flour? Replace the whole wheat flour with all purpose flour (i.e., use a total of 2 cups ap flour).
Don’t Have Enough Whole Wheat Flour? My favorite combination is a 50/50 ratio, but you can also use 75% ap flour and 25% ww flour (i.e., 1 ½ cups ap flour and ½ cup ww flour).
Make it Dairy Free: I actually love the non-dairy version of this recipe. I replaced the 2% dairy milk with the same amount of vanilla unsweetened almond milk. Adding the apple cider vinegar creates a solid curdle (which is the chemical reaction we want) in the almond milk, and works well in this recipe.
Make it Gluten Free: Replace the all purpose flour and whole wheat flour with a total of 2 cups of Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour. The pancakes might turn out a touch less fluffy, but just as delicious!
Make it Lux: Chop up some Candied Cinnamon Pecans (an easy make ahead recipe), and sprinkle them on the pancakes when serving. When adding praline pecans, Brown Sugar Cinnamon Butter, and Pure amber maple syrup to these pancakes, the combination of flavors and textures are amazing!
Enjoy and let me know what you think by commenting below, rating my recipes, subscribing, following, and liking Pimp My Recipe on Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok! Don’t forget to subscribe to get updates on new recipes and tips & tricks.
Happy Cooking!
Mich
Footnote: Remember to cool your melted butter slightly, and use room temperature eggs. This will avoid the melted butter from solidifying, and will help it to combine well with the other ingredients.
Adapted from the Pumpkin Pancakes recipe from the Pumpkin It Up! cookbook by Eliza Cross. I used Eliza’s wonderful recipe as a base, and then changed up a few ingredients, along with some of the preparation flow to make these pancakes extra moist and fluffy. A big thank you goes out to my lovely friend Beth, who gave me this delightful book last fall as a birthday gift. I’ve used it as inspiration for a few recipes!
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