What better way to celebrate a fall morning than by mixing up a batch of Buttermilk Pumpkin Spice Pancakes? These from-scratch pancakes come together with easy pantry ingredients and some extra spices and pumpkin puree to really make them shine! Learn how to make the best homemade pancakes, too. Makes 4 servings.
Love pumpkin for breakfast? Don’t miss Easy Pumpkin Muffins with Cream Cheese Nutella Swirl, Gluten Free Pumpkin Bread with Chocolate Chips and Vegan Pumpkin Biscuits with Maple Butter!
The photos and recipe for these Buttermilk Pumpkin Pancakes were originally published on October 7, 2011. The photographs, the recipe and the text of this blog post were updated in October 2020.
Hey y’all. I’m Michelle. I blog over here, and I also have an addiction to pancakes. And it’s fall, so pumpkin is ubiquitous.
So the obvious thing to do was to combine the two. (I also have an addiction to coffee. So I combined coffee and pumpkin with a recipe for pumpkin spice syrup on my own blog today, too.)
My favorite recipe for buttermilk pancakes is a slight adaptation from The Joy of Baking. And as far as I’m concerned, pancakes ought to be buttermilk. The tang and thickness that you get from using buttermilk in pancakes takes them from “oh, yeah. I like pancakes” to “mmmmm, pancakes.”
Other breakfast items that pair beautifully with Buttermilk Pumpkin Spice Pancakes: Vegan Breakfast Apple Crisp / Twice-Glazed Pumpkin Scones / Sage Browned Butter Homemade Home Fries / Vegan Pumpkin Spice Latte
Looking for breakfast, but don’t know where to begin? My Breakfast Recipe Index is a great place for inspiration!
What you’ll need to make Pumpkin Spice Pancakes
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- Two large mixing bowls
- A liquid measuring cup
- A pancake griddle or a large skillet
- Stainless steel spatula for flipping on the griddle (please do not use metal if you’re using a nonstick skillet for cooking your pancakes)
As far as ingredients you need to have on hand, most of these should be “pantry staples,” like flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, etc. There are only a few specialty ingredients, and they are as follows:
- Pumpkin puree—please use this instead of pumpkin pie filling, which is spiced and already sweetened.
- Ground cinnamon—to give some spiciness to these beautiful buttermilk pancakes
- Buttermilk—an essential ingredient, obviously!
How to make Pumpkin Spice Pancakes
First and foremost, melt your butter in either a pan or a microwave-safe bowl in the microwave. You want to let it cool as the other ingredients are mixed because if it’s too hot, it could cook the eggs, and that is NOT OK.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the dry ingredients. These are the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, sugar and salt. Whisk ’em together until combined. We do this so that the ingredients are evenly distributed inside the pancakes.
In another mixing bowl, combine the wet ingredients. These are the melted butter, buttermilk, pumpkin puree, eggs and vanilla extract. Stir with a spatula until well combined.
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, and gently stir them together. Be careful not to overmix because if you do this, your pancakes won’t rise as well!
Once the batter has been mixed together, let it rest for a few minutes. It will be thick, and that’s totally OK!
As it rests, preheat your griddle or frying pan on the stovetop over medium heat, per Michelle’s instructions.
After 5-10 minutes, use a 1/3 cup measure to scoop the pancake batter onto the griddle or frying pan that has been brushed with additional melted butter. Sprinkle walnuts on top of the batter.
When edges are firm, flip the pancakes and cook through before removing and serving with pure maple syrup and extra walnuts.
Frequently Asked Questions
I don’t have buttermilk at my house, but I want to make these Pumpkin Pancakes. Can I use regular milk?
If you don’t have buttermilk on hand, you can simple add a tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice to your regular cow’s milk to make a faux buttermilk. Let it sit out for 5 or so minutes, and you’ll notice the milk will begin to curdle.
This will give you a buttermilk tang without you needing to run out to the store to purchase buttermilk.
Can I double or triple the recipe for a crowd?
Of course! Use simple math to make that happen in the recipe below. 🙂
How do you store leftover pancakes?
I won’t lie: It’s rare for us to have leftover pancakes on pancake days, BUT if we do, you can keep them in a food-safe storage container in the refrigerator for a few days.
We have also placed pancakes on a wax paper-lined baking sheet in a single layer and popped the whole thing into the freezer. After a few hours, the pancakes are frozen, and then we transfer them to a freezer baggie. When we have a pancake hankering, we simply remove them from the freezer bag and warm them up directly on the rack of the toaster oven!
Quick Tips and Tricks for the Best Pancakes
- Don’t overmix your batter! This means you want to mix the batter until it has just combined. Lumps are OK. If you whisk/mix until it’s completely smooth, the pancakes won’t become as fluffy.
- When do you know how to flip? When big ‘ol bubbles start to form in the batter. Lift up the edge a little bit with a spatula to confirm the color on the other side before committing… because when you flip them, you won’t flip them again. (Yep. We only need to flip our pancakes once.)
- Once you’ve flipped your pancakes, don’t press down on them! This will deflate them. Obviously, we want them to puff up and be as light and airy as possible.
- Leftover pancakes? Freeze ’em! Line a baking sheet with wax paper, and pop them in the freezer for 4-6 hours. When the pancakes are fully frozen, transfer them to a freezer baggie. Reheat in the toaster oven, toaster or the oven until warm.
Buttermilk Pumpkin Spice Pancakes
What better way to celebrate a fall morning than by mixing up a batch of Buttermilk Pumpkin Spice Pancakes? These from-scratch pancakes come together with easy pantry ingredients and some extra spices and pumpkin puree to really make them shine!
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled (plus more for the pan)
- 1 ¾ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- A handful of pecans, for serving
Instructions
- Melt the butter in the microwave or in a saucepan first. Let it cool while you mix everything else.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, sugar and salt. Whisk until combined.
- In another mixing bowl, combine the melted butter, buttermilk, pumpkin puree, eggs and vanilla extract. Stir with a spatula until combined.
- Pour the wet ingredients into your dry ingredients, gently folding them together and being careful not to overmix. (If you overmix, your batter won't rise as well.) The batter will be thick.
- Let the pancake batter rest for 5 minutes. Preheat a frying pan or a griddle over medium heat. You'll know it's warm enough when you can drop a sprinkle of water on it, and it sizzles immediately.
- Using a 2 tablespoon cookie scoop (or your measuring spoon!), scoop the pancake batter onto the preheated griddle.
- When edges are firm and bubbles begin to form on the top of the pancake, flip and cook through.
- Repeat the process until you've made all 26 of your pancakes.
- Serve warm with pecans or walnuts and maple syrup!
Notes
Quick Tips and Tricks for the BEST Pancakes
- Don't overmix your batter! This means you want to mix the batter until it has just combined. Lumps are OK. If you whisk/mix until it's completely smooth, the pancakes won't become as fluffy.
- Only flip the pancakes once.
- When you've flipped your pancakes, don't press down on them! This will deflate them.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
26 pancakesServing Size:
1 (2 tablespoon) pancakeAmount Per Serving: Calories: 489Total Fat: 22gSaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 13gCholesterol: 118mgSodium: 701mgCarbohydrates: 62gFiber: 4gSugar: 15gProtein: 14g
Nutrition facts are an estimate and not guaranteed to be accurate.
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Erin says
Michelle, I simple cannot wait to give these pancakes a shot! And I’m thinking that I might make them on Sunday for our house guests. (We’ve got lots of friends/family coming in town for this weekend’s LSU game, so we have a packed house!)
Thanks, again, for sharing your recipe!
Michelle says
I hope your guests like them! They’re a big hit over here!
Erin says
We all LOVED them, and these will definitely be made in the future because they were delightful! Not too sweet and mouthwatering with maple syrup!