A toddler demanding “orange circles” for breakfast at nine on a Tuesday morning is exactly what led to this pumpkin pancakes recipe, since arguing with a three-year-old before consuming any coffee felt genuinely offensive.
Every attempt at making a homemade version from scratch used to mean dense, hockey-puck-like discs that tasted vaguely of sadness and squash. Staring at a half-used can of pumpkin puree, wondering whether to toss it now or let it mold in the fridge for three weeks first, describes a familiar kitchen standoff for most people.
This method actually works, saving everyone from both food waste and a morning meltdown. Here is exactly how I do it.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It is incredibly fast. These whip up faster than convincing the family to get out of bed and get dressed.
- The texture is actually good. This batter produces thick fluffy pumpkin pancakes instead of the sad, wet flatbreads that pumpkin puree usually creates.
- It is basically foolproof. The blender handles the heavy lifting, meaning nobody even has to pretend to know how to whisk properly.
- Kids love them. A handful of chocolate chips instantly makes anyone the hero of the morning.
Tools You’ll Need
Nothing fancy, I promise.
- Blender. This forces the heavy pumpkin puree into submission far faster than a whisk.
- Electric Griddle. An electric griddle is amazing for cooking multiple pancakes at once so you aren’t standing at the stove until noon.
- Large mixing bowl with a pour spout. This saves the counter and floor from dripping orange batter.
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour – Do not swap this for whole wheat unless you want to chew on a coaster.
- 2 teaspoons baking powder – Checks out.
- 1 teaspoon baking soda – We need both leaveners to lift the heavy pumpkin puree.
- 1/2 teaspoon salt – Balances the sweetness so it does not taste like dessert.
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon – Because it is fall and we have to.
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice – Making easy pumpkin spice pancakes from scratch means bringing the right spices to the party.
Wet Ingredients
- 1 and 1/4 cups pumpkin puree – Make sure it is pure pumpkin and not pumpkin pie filling. I learned that one the hard way.
- 1/3 cup packed brown sugar – The molasses flavor is a massive upgrade here.
- 1 large egg – Binds the morning chaos together.
- 3 Tablespoons vegetable oil – Adds the moisture we desperately need.
- 1 and 1/2 cups whole milk – Whole milk makes them tender. Skim milk is just water lying about being milk.
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips – Optional, but highly recommended if you want to live your best life.
- Butter or nonstick spray – To keep things from sticking to the pan.
How To Make Pumpkin Pancakes
Making homemade pumpkin pancakes for fall should not require a culinary degree, so let’s keep this as low-stress as possible.
- Whisk the dry ingredients: In a large bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice. If your toddler “helps” and spills flour everywhere, just breathe through it and keep going.
- Blend the wet ingredients: Throw the pumpkin, brown sugar, egg, oil, and whole milk into a blender and blast it on high for 45 seconds. This forces the pumpkin into a smooth liquid, preventing gross clumps of squash in your breakfast.
- Combine the batters: Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and whisk gently. A few lumps are totally fine – overmixing will make them tough, and nobody wants that.
- Cook the pancakes: Heat your griddle to 375°F or medium heat and grease it well. Pour 1/4 cup of batter per pancake. Wait until the bubbles pop and leave little holes on the surface before you flip, usually 2-3 minutes. If you flip too early, you will have a messy orange splatter on your hands.
- Keep them warm: Transfer finished pancakes to a 200°F oven while you cook the rest. Skipping this step means someone is eating cold pancakes, and let’s be honest, it will probably be you.
♥ The Misfit Tips!
- Avoid the heat trap. Cranking the stove to high once burned the outside into a black crust while the inside stayed raw pumpkin mush.
- Measure the pumpkin ratio carefully. Dumping an entire can of pumpkin in once completely ruined the texture instead of using the correct amount.
- Trust whole milk. Almond milk substitutes in a pinch, though whole milk produces noticeably richer and more tender pancakes.
Make it yours
- Nutty crunch version. You fold chopped pecans into the batter alongside the chocolate chips for extra texture.
- Cream cheese drizzle version. You whisk softened cream cheese with milk and powdered sugar for a tangy topping over these thick fluffy pumpkin pancakes.
Perfect Pairings
These fall breakfast pancakes suit two specific pairings particularly well.
- Strong, hot coffee rounds out the plate for anyone making breakfast like an actual adult.
- Thick-cut bacon on a lazy Sunday morning makes the salty-sweet combination basically mandatory.
How to Store Pumpkin Pancakes
❤
- Fridge. Up to five days in an airtight container, though they soften slightly.
- Freezer. Up to three months frozen flat on a baking sheet before transferring to a freezer bag.
- Reheat. The toaster brings back slightly crispy edges better than the microwave ever could.
- Storage note. Chocolate chip pancakes need careful toaster reheating to avoid a melted chocolate mess inside the appliance.
Pumpkin Pancakes
This pumpkin pancakes recipe proves that a demanding toddler and a half-used can of pumpkin puree can turn into a genuinely impressive fall breakfast with almost no effort. This easy pumpkin spice pancakes from scratch method blends the batter smooth and doubles up on leaveners, delivering exactly the thick fluffy pumpkin pancakes everyone hopes for. Whether topped with maple syrup or loaded with chocolate chips, these homemade pumpkin pancakes for fall earn a permanent spot in the weekend breakfast rotation.
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- In a large bowl, preferably with a pour spout, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice together until combined. Set aside.
- For this step, I like to use a blender. I use my Ninja blender. A blender guarantees an incredibly smooth batter and also breaks down the heavy pumpkin in the process. This is especially necessary if you are using fresh pumpkin puree.
- Add the pumpkin, brown sugar, egg, oil, and whole milk to a blender and blend on high for 45 seconds until combined. Alternatively, you may whisk by hand or use a hand mixer.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and whisk gently to combine. Make sure there are no patches of dry flour at the bottom of the bowl. The batter is very thick and a few lumps are fine. Fold in the chocolate chips, if using.
- Heat a griddle or large flat skillet over medium heat. (If using an electric griddle, preheat it to 375°F (190°C).) Coat generously with butter or nonstick cooking spray. Once it’s hot, drop/pour a heaping 1/4 cup of batter on the griddle.
- Cook until the edges look set and you notice holes in the pancake’s surface around the border, about 2–3 minutes. Flip and cook the other side until cooked through, about 1–2 more minutes. Coat griddle/skillet with butter or nonstick spray again, if needed, for each batch of pancakes.
- Keep pancakes warm in a preheated 200°F (93°C) oven until all pancakes are cooked. Serve pancakes immediately with toppings of choice like butter and pure maple syrup. I also really like serving these with the maple pecan topping from this pumpkin waffles recipe.
- Cover and store leftover pancakes in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.