Pumpkin Pancakes
Updated Sep 11, 2026
Pumpkin pancakes made with real pumpkin and fall spice that stay light and fluffy instead of dense. An easy weekend breakfast that isn't overly sweet.
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Whenever I see pumpkin pancakes on a fall menu, I’m tempted to order them because they just sound so good. Unfortunately, sounding good and tasting good are two different things, because more often than not I’d get served pumpkin pancakes that were too sweet, gummy, and dense for me. So these pumpkin spice pancakes are the version I actually wanted all those times. They taste like real pumpkin with plenty of fall spice, without being overly sweet, and they stay light and fluffy instead of turning dense like restaurant pancakes sometimes do.
Recipe testing notes
For the past 10 years, I’ve tested every recipe multiple times before sharing it! These notes give you a peek into my process of developing and testing.
The amount of pumpkin is what keeps these pancakes from going gummy and dense, which was the exact thing I didn’t like about the restaurant ones. Pumpkin is heavy and holds a lot of water, so when I used too much, the middles wouldn’t cook through. Just a third of a cup turned out to be the sweet spot, enough to really taste it without weighing them down.
Don’t overmix the batter. Same as any classic pancake recipe, a few lumps are fine, and if you whisk it smooth, they come out tough instead of fluffy.
Cook them a little lower and slower than you’d think. The batter’s thicker than a plain pancake, and there’s some sugar in there, so on high heat the outside browns before the inside is done. Medium-low heat gives the pancakes time to cook through, and I wait for the bubbles to form and the edges to set before I flip.
Happy Cooking!
– Yumna
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Pumpkin Pancakes Ingredients
- Pumpkin puree: Use pure, canned pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling, which contains extra sugar and spices. You can also make your own homemade pumpkin puree! Just make sure to strain off any water.
- Dry Ingredients: All-purpose flour, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, and salt. You can also use whole wheat flour or a gluten-free all-purpose blend. Spoon the flour into the measuring cup and level it off so you don’t pack in too much. And make sure to use fresh, aluminum-free baking powder, because regular may give your pumpkin pancakes a metallic taste.
- Wet Ingredients: Eggs, maple syrup, melted butter, vanilla extract, and milk. I prefer almond milk, but whole milk, oat, or soy milk will work, too. Use room-temperature eggs and milk to keep the butter from hardening into little clumps. And let the melted butter cool slightly before using it.
How to Make Pumpkin Pancakes
These step-by-step photos walk you through how to make Pumpkin Pancakes. For the full ingredient list and detailed instructions, head to the recipe card below, or skip straight to the → Homemade Pumpkin Pancakes recipe below
1. Gather the wet ingredients
Add the milk, pumpkin puree, egg, maple syrup, melted butter, and vanilla to a large mixing bowl.
2. Whisk until blended
The mixture should look evenly orange, with no streaks of egg or clumps of pumpkin remaining.
3. Add the dry ingredients
Combine the flour, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, and salt in a separate bowl, then pour them into the wet mixture.
4. Gently stir the batter
Stir until the dry ingredients are completely incorporated. Stop once the flour is incorporated. A few small lumps are fine; there’s no need to keep stirring until the batter is smooth.
5. Cook the first side
Heat a nonstick griddle or pan. Pour the batter onto the hot griddle. Cook until small bubbles start to form on the top and the edges firm up.
6. Flip and finish cooking
Slide a spatula underneath each pancake and turn it over. Cook until the bottom is golden and the center is cooked through.
Full From Scratch Pumpkin Pancakes Recipe
Pumpkin Pancake Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cup all–purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder aluminium-free
- 1 ½ teaspoon pumpkin spice blend homemade blend
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup milk
- ⅓ cup pumpkin purée
- 1 large egg
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 2 tablespoon butter melted plus more for cooking
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- In a medium mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice blend, and salt. Stir until blended.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the milk, pumpkin purée, egg, maple syrup, melted butter, and vanilla extract. Whisk until completely blended.
- Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and stir until the dry ingredients are completely incorporated.
- Heat a nonstick griddle or pan over medium-low heat. Melt butter on the surface, if desired. Pour ⅓ cup of the batter into the hot griddle. Cook for 2–3 minutes, until small bubbles start to form on the top and the edges firm up. Flip the pancake and cook for another 1–2 minutes until the pancake is cooked through. Makes 8 pancakes.
- Serve immediately with maple syrup.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.
Recipe Variations
- Chocolate chips: Fold ¼ cup of mini chocolate chips into the finished batter, or sprinkle them onto individual pancakes right after pouring. That way, you can leave some plain.
- Chopped pecans: Fold ¼ cup of finely chopped pecans into the batter. Keep the pieces small so they spread evenly through the pancakes.
Recipe Tips
- Don’t over-mix your pancake batter. You can stop mixing your ingredients once all of the flour has disappeared! It’s fine if there are still lumps in the batter, but over-mixing can lead to flat and dense pancakes.
- Keep the heat at medium-low. The pumpkin makes the batter moist, so the centers need time to cook before the outsides get too dark. Lower the heat if later batches brown faster than the first.
- Don’t press after flipping. Let the pancakes finish cooking without pushing down on them with the spatula, which can flatten them.
Serving Ideas
- Serve with your favorite toppings. My kids and I love to top our pancakes with more maple syrup, butter, and a sprinkle of cinnamon. But you can also top them with whipped cream, fresh fruit, or even yogurt.
- Pair with savory breakfast foods. These are a great sweet pairing with my hashbrown egg nests or cottage cheese scrambled eggs.
Troubleshooting
The pan is probably too hot. Reduce the heat and give the pancakes a little longer to cook. Keep each portion to ⅓ cup, since larger pancakes take longer to cook through.
The flour may have been packed into the measuring cup, or your pumpkin puree may be especially thick. The batter should be thick but still pourable. If it falls off the spoon in a solid clump, gently stir in milk, 1 tablespoon at a time, until it pours.
Overmixing can make pancakes chewy. Once the wet and dry ingredients come together, stir just until there are no dry patches of flour. Don’t try to beat out every lump.
Comments
Just the right amount of pumpkin and the right amount of spice. super easy to cook on the griddle with some left over for the freezer
So nice to hear the proportions were spot on! Thanks, Christine!
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