• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
The Cozy Apron
  • Home
  • Cozy Recipes
    • Appetizers
    • Soups
    • Salads
    • Entrees
      • Burgers & Sandwiches
    • Desserts
    • Breakfast
  • Videos
  • From the Heart
  • About
    • FAQ
    • Contact
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Home
  • Recipes
    • Appetizers
    • Salads
    • Soups
    • Entrees
      • Burgers & Sandwiches
    • Sides
    • Desserts
    • Breakfast
    • Holidays
  • Videos
  • From the Heart
  • About
    • FAQ
    • Contact
    • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • Home
    • Recipes
      • Appetizers
      • Salads
      • Soups
      • Entrees
        • Burgers & Sandwiches
      • Sides
      • Desserts
      • Breakfast
      • Holidays
    • Videos
    • From the Heart
    • About
      • FAQ
      • Contact
      • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×
    Home / Breakfast / Pumpkin Pancakes

    Pumpkin Pancakes

    Oct 19, 2018 by Ingrid Beer · Leave a Comment

    Thick and fluffy, these warm pumpkin pancakes make for a sweet, comfy-cozy brekky on a fall weekend. Prepared with a homemade pancake batter made with real pumpkin, lots of warming spices such as pumpkin spice and cinnamon, plus brown sugar and a touch of buttermilk, this pumpkin pancakes recipe is an absolutely irresistible autumn-inspired breakfast treat!

    Pumpkin Pancakes

    The coziest kind of fall breakfast

    Each year when the beautiful golden-orange autumn season comes around, I enjoy getting into my cozy little kitchen to play and come up with at least a couple of new “recipe tin” additions to keep on hand to turn to that deliciously incorporate the spicy flavors of fall.

    And because in our household we are big-time fans of pancakes—pancakes for breakfast, and even pancakes for dinner for our beloved Saturday evening “Pancake Nights”—I wanted to create my own sweet and delicious recipe for pumpkin pancakes to have as a go-to in the fall. So delicious!

    Homemade pumpkin pancakes are the best kind of fall comfort food there is, if you ask me. They're a little bit sweet, a little bit spicy, a little bit colorful, and totally warm and cozy for any meal, breakfast or dinner!

    Ingredients for Pumpkin Pancakes | thecozyapron.com

    My recipe for pumpkin pancakes

    I've always felt that pancakes do best when prepared with a little extra TLC—some love and some patience—and some good ingredients.

    Then, they turn out fluffy, light, nice and thick, and, of course, extra tasty!

    Seeing as I already have a scrumptious recipe for my fluffy apple pancakes on the site, I thought I'd keep things simple and use the same pancake batter base for these pancakes, tweaking things just a bit to create this pumpkin pancake recipe.

    One of the ingredients that I often like to reach for when making my pancake batter (pumpkin or any other kind) is buttermilk, because it's thick and creamy, and tenderizing.

    I also love adding in melted butter, because butter gives pancakes a wonderful aroma and flavor, not to mention adds in some much needed richness.

    And because we're talking pumpkin pancakes here, the pumpkin and the spices are an important part of the recipe, of course!

    I like to go the simple route of using a hefty sprinkle of pumpkin spice (a wonderful blend of aromatic, sweet spices) in my pancake recipe, along with an extra little pinch of cinnamon.

    When it comes to the actual pumpkin in this recipe, my choice is to use organic, canned, pure pumpkin to keep things super quick and convenient. It provides moisture, flavor, and that lovely orange-y hue that speaks so much of pumpkin season!

    A great tip here regarding the pancake batter is to allow it to rest for 15 minutes once mixed, to allow the flour to hydrate, the glutens to relax, and the leaving agents to activate, yielding more tender, fluffy pancakes.

    Here's a glance at how I make my pumpkin pancakes recipe: (or just jump to the full recipe...)

    1. To get started, I whisk together all of my dry ingredients for the pancake batter in one bowl. In another bowl, I whisk together all of my wet ingredients, including the pumpkin.
    2. Then, I add the wet ingredients into the dry, and gently fold everything together just until combined, taking care not to over-mix the batter to prevent the pancakes from getting tough or rubbery (it's OK if there are a few streaks of flour, as they will dissipate). I allow the batter to rest for 15 minutes.
    3. Next, I prepare a non-stick skillet (or two), or griddle by lightly coating with cooking spray, and get things nice and hot, then begin adding in my scoops of batter.
    4. After a couple of minutes, I flip the pancake(s) once slightly golden, keeping them in a “warm” oven (200° to 215°) on a wire rack while I prepare the rest of the batch.
    5. I serve the pumpkin pancakes with warm maple syrup and softened butter.
    Pumpkin Pancakes | thecozyapron.com

    Recipe

    Pumpkin Pancakes

    by Ingrid Beer

    Print Friendly, PDF & EmailPrint Recipe
    Pumpkin Pancakes | thecozyapron.com

    These fluffy pumpkin pancakes are filled with the warm spices of fall, prepared with a touch of buttermilk and melted butter in the batter!

    Category: Breakfast
    Cuisine: American

    Yield: 12 pancakes (using a ⅓ cup measurement)

    Nutrition Info: 303 calories (per two pumpkin pancakes)

    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Cook time: 30 minutes (using just 1 pan)
    Total time: 40 minutes

    Ingredients:

    • 2 cups flour
    • 1 tablespoon plus ½ teaspoon baking powder
    • 1 teaspoon baking soda
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • 2 teaspoons pumpkin spice
    • ½ teaspoon cinnamon
    • 3 tablespoons brown sugar
    • ¾ cup organic pumpkin puree (only pumpkin, not pie filling)
    • 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
    • 2 eggs, room temp
    • 2 cups buttermilk, room temp
    • ¼ cup melted, unsalted butter, room temp
    • Maple syrup, for serving
    • Softened butter, for serving
    • Chopped, toasted pecans, as optional garnish
    Preparation:
    1. Begin by gathering and prepping all of your pancake ingredients according to the ingredient list above to have ready and organized for use.
    2. Preheat your oven to a “warm” setting, or to 200°. Place a wire rack over a baking sheet and place into the warm oven, as you will use this to place the finished pancakes onto to keep warm while you prepare the rest.
    3. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, pumpkin spice and cinnamon in a large bowl, and set aside these dry ingredients for a moment.
    4. Next, to a separate bowl add the brown sugar, the pure pumpkin puree, the vanilla, the eggs, the buttermilk and the melted room temp butter, and using a hand mixer (or even a whisk), mix the wet ingredients until very well-blended.
    5. Add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, and switching now to a spatula, fold everything
      together gently just until combined, taking care not to over-mix (it's OK if there are a few little flour streaks). Allow your pancake batter to rest for 15 minutes (the pancake batter will be slightly thick, and that is just as it should be).
    6. Then, heat your pan (or pans) over medium heat, and lightly mist with cooking spray. Using ⅓ cup measurements, scoop batter and add to hot pan(s), and allow the first side to cook for a couple minutes (check and adjust heat to make sure it's not cooking too hot or too cool) until that first side is golden-brown when you lift the edge. Flip the pancake(s) and cook on the other side for another couple of minutes.
    7. Place cooked pancake onto the wire rack in the oven to keep warm, and repeat with remaining batter.
    8. Serve these pumpkin pancakes with softened butter and warm maple syrup on the side, perhaps a sprinkle of toasted pecans, if desired.

    Tips & Tidbits for my pumpkin pancakes recipe:

    • Pure pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling: Make sure to use pure (preferably organic) pumpkin for this recipe, and not pumpkin pie filling, as this has other ingredients in it.
    • Buttermilk for tenderizing richness: Buttermilk imparts wonderful tenderizing qualities to pancakes, plus a hint of tang and richness. But if you do not have buttermilk, or prefer not to use that, you can substitute regular milk.
    • Don't over-mix the pancake batter: When combining the wet ingredients with the dry, take care to not over-mix or overwork the batter, as this will yield rubbery and tough pancakes rather than light, thick and fluffy ones. Instead, use a spatula to fold things together until they are mostly combined. If you see a little streak of flour/dry ingredients, don't worry, as those will dissolve into the batter.
    • A thicker pancake batter: The batter for these pumpkin pancakes will seem a bit thick, but this is as it should be, especially when it comes to buttermilk pancake batter. Use a ⅓ measuring cup to scoop out the batter, then gently “nudge” it out a bit once in the pan to spread it, if you'd like. You will see that it puffs up nicely, and makes for fluffy pancakes!
    • Moderate heat for cooking pancakes: While you do want a nice amount of heat under the pan(s), take care not to go too high as to not burn the pancakes before they're fully cooked through. Medium heat is what I typically use, and give the pancakes a couple of minutes per side.
    • Keep things warm: While pancakes fresh out of the pan taste the best, that's not always ideal when you want to sit down to a meal with others and enjoy the pancakes together. You can prepare them a little ahead of time and keep them on a wire rack in a warm oven, around 200°.
    • How to freeze these pumpkin pancakes: Whenever I have any leftover cooked pancakes, I simply allow them to completely cool at room temp, and then wrap each individually in plastic wrap. Then, I store them in a large ziplock bag in the freezer, and reheat in the toaster oven. (You can make a entire batch this way to have on hand for homemade weekday breakfasts for the kids, or for whenever the craving hits!)
    Pumpkin Pancakes | thecozyapron.com
    Pumpkin Pancakes | thecozyapron.com

    Craving more delicious autumn-inspired breakfasts? Check out these Apple Pancakes, these Pumpkin French Toast Muffins, these Apple Muffins, these Pumpkin Muffins, this Caramel Apple French Toast, this Cinnamon Roll Casserole, this Pumpkin Bread with Pecan Streusel, or this savory Sweet Potato Hash!

    Cook's Note: This recipe was originally published in 2018, and has been updated with even more love!

    More Breakfast

    • Potato Cakes | thecozyapron.com
      Potato Cakes
    • Zucchini Carrot Bread | thecozyapron.com
      Zucchini Carrot Bread
    • Blueberry Rolls | thecozyapron.com
      Blueberry Rolls
    • Vanilla Chai Latte Donuts | thecozyapron.com
      Vanilla Chai Latte Donuts

    About Ingrid Beer

    Ingrid obtained her Culinary Arts degree in 2005 after graduating with honors from the California School of Culinary Arts (Le Cordon Bleu program) in Pasadena, CA.

    She has had the pleasure and privilege of being the Executive Chef for two substance abuse facilities in Malibu, Ca., as well as a personal chef for private clients.

    More about Ingrid →

    Reader Interactions

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    Ingrid Beer bio photo

    Welcome to The Cozy Apron — so glad to have you as a guest at my table! Here's where I share my passion for food, people and life through my culinary creations and my writing; and where my husband shares his love for food photography and all things visual.

    More about Ingrid →

    You might like these...

    • This fall-inspired stuffed delicata squash recipe is filled with ground turkey, sage, apples, wild rice blend, cranberries and pumpkin seeds! | thecozyapron.com #stuffeddelicatasquash #stuffeddelicatasquashrecipeturkey #stuffeddelicatasquashrecipewildrice #wildricestuffeddelicatasquash #delicatastuffedsquash #delicatasquashrecipe #delicatasquashrecipes
      Stuffed Delicata Squash
    • Golden Soup | thecozyapron.com
      Golden Soup
    • Oktoberfest Potato Stacks | thecozyapron.com
      Oktoberfest Potato Stacks
    • Apple Oatmeal Cookies | thecozyapron.com
      Apple Oatmeal Cookies

    In the Press

    Link to Philly Cheesesteak Stew recipe
    Link to Saucy Italian Drunken Noodles recipe
    Link to Gumbo-Laya recipe
    Link to Saucy Red Potato Goulash recipe
    Link to Creamy White Bean Stew recipe

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Ingrid Beer
    • Privacy Policy

    Newsletter

    • Sign up for emails and updates!

    Contact

    • Contact
    • FAQ

    Copyright © 2025 The Cozy Apron