Pumpkin Pancakes
Pumpkin Pancakes are exactly what they sound like: soft, lightly spiced pancakes with real pumpkin purée mixed right into the batter. No fuss, no hype. They’re cozy without being heavy, sweet without being sugary, and they cook up like any good pancake should. Below you’ll find a simple, reliable recipe you can make on a weekday morning or a slow weekend, with a couple of helpful tweaks if you need them.
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 cup pumpkin purée
- 1 large egg
- 3/4 cup milk, plus 1 to 2 tablespoons if needed
- 2 tablespoons melted butter or neutral oil, plus more for the pan
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Optional but great:
- A pinch of ground cloves or allspice
- Handful of chocolate chips or chopped pecans
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg. Set aside.
- In another bowl, whisk the pumpkin purée, egg, milk, melted butter or oil, and vanilla until smooth.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry. Stir gently until just combined. A few small lumps are fine. If it looks very thick, add 1 to 2 tablespoons more milk. Let the batter rest 5 to 10 minutes. This quick pause gives you fluffier pancakes.
- Heat a nonstick skillet or griddle over medium heat. Lightly oil the surface.
- Scoop about 1/4 cup batter per pancake. Cook until the edges look set and small bubbles appear and start to hold, 2 to 3 minutes. Flip and cook 1 to 2 minutes more, until golden and cooked through.
- Keep finished pancakes warm in a low oven while you cook the rest.
- Serve with butter and maple syrup. Also, very good with toasted pecans, a dollop of yogurt, or a drizzle of honey. Steam curling up, coffee in hand… you get the picture.