Fluffy Pumpkin Pancakes Recipe

Use up your canned pumpkin by making a batch of these incredible pancakes that taste glorious.

Jump to:

• Pumpkin Pancake Ingredients
• How to Make Pumpkin Pancakes
• Ultimate Pumpkin Pancakes

Pumpkin Pancake Ingredients

The ingredients to make Pumpkin Pancakes are simple and consist of basic staples from your fridge and pantry. For this recipe, you’ll need:

• All-purpose flour: the base for this recipe. Alternatively, use this gluten-free pumpkin pancake recipe.
• Brown sugar: for a little sweetness, you can also use white sugar.
• Baking powder: helps the batter rise and results in a fluffy pancake.
• Salt: enhances the other flavors.
• Pumpkin pie spice: infuses the pancake with warm fall spice! Don’t have it? Use cinnamon instead.
• Milk: or your favorite non-dairy alternative -I love using oat milk for pancakes.
• Pumpkin puree: for the beloved pumpkin flavor and moisture.
• Egg: provides structure and helps bind the ingredients. You can use an egg substitute for this recipe.
• Butter: adds moisture and softness to every bite.

The brown sugar and pumpkin pie spice add a new dimension, but if you don’t have pumpkin spice, swap it for cinnamon instead. You can also up the protein in this pumpkin pancake recipe by adding cottage cheese.

How to Make Pumpkin Pancakes

These pumpkin pancakes are just as easy to make as my classic pancake recipe. Here’s what to do:

1. Measure and mix:
   This pancake recipe requires the wet ingredients to me measured separately in a bowl before adding them to the flour mixture. This ensures that the batter doesn’t get overmixed and the pancakes end up with a chewy texture.
2. Cook on the first side:
   One way to ensure success is to heat your non-stick pan or griddle first over medium-high heat. Once hot, grease it well -with oil or butter. Then pour the pancake batter onto the hot surface and cook the pancakes for approx. 2 minutes.
3. Flip:
   You know that pancakes are ready to flip when the edges look defined and bubbles form throughout. Once you flip them, cook them for one more minute and remove them from the pan. After you flip them, that’s when pancakes rise by being exposed to heat.
4. Serve
   Keep the pancakes warm while you cook the rest of the batter. Then, grab your fork and stack them high with a little drizzle of syrup on top.

First time making these? Watch this quick video:

While some people prefer to make pancakes on a pan, I like a large non-stick griddle. It gives me a lot of room to make more pancakes at once, which means I can serve them hot and please a crowd (or my kids).

If you don’t have a pancake griddle, use a non-stick pan instead, but don’t skip the butter or spray, it’s essential.

Can You Make Pumpkin Pancakes from Pancake Mix 

More than once, I’ve taken the shortcut of making pancakes with a pancake mix and turning them into pumpkin pancakes. You can do this with 1 ¼ cup pancake mix, ⅔ cup milk, 1 tablespoon melted butter, 1 egg, ½ cup canned pumpkin, and 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice. If I want them to be extra fluffy, I’ll add ½ teaspoon of baking powder to the dry ingredients.

Keeping them Fluffy

Baking powder is the ingredient that gives pancakes their fluffy texture, usually after you flip them when it reacts with heat. While it’s possible to make pancakes without baking powder, I have not tried making pumpkin ones without it.

Batter Texture Changes

The pumpkin puree will add moisture to the pancake batter, making these pancakes super moist. The batter is also quite thick, similar to my Sweet Potato Pancakes, Pumpkin Spice Pancakes, and the epic Fluffy Pancake Recipe.

How to Freeze Pancakes

I typically double the recipe and freeze the cooked pancakes for a quick grab-and-go breakfast option. In a zip bag, they last up to 3 months in the freezer, and all you have to do is take them out, microwave them for 30 seconds, or heat them in the toaster or toaster oven.

You can also double the batch or freeze the pancake batter and in the future, just take it out, thaw, and use it to cook fresh pancakes on the griddle. Now, that’s a solid, time-saving idea.

Best Toppings for Pumpkin Pancakes

These pumpkin pancakes are filled with plenty of spice, and I love keeping things simple by drizzling maple syrup and maybe a dollop of whipped cream. While there are tons of pancake toppings that pair great with these, my favorites include a drizzle of almond butter, cinnamon syrup, a little brown cinnamon and sugar, toasted pecans, and banana slices.