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a serving platter with a stack of beautiful pumpkin-colored pancakes with melting butter, toasted chestnuts and covered with maple syrup

Best Fluffy Pumpkin Spice Pancakes for Two (or a Crowd)

Written by Kelly Updated on April 17, 2023
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This homemade pumpkin pancake recipe is without a doubt one of our all-time favorites to eat — super fluffy, crispy buttery-edged, and topped with melted butter, roasted chestnuts, and drizzled with pure maple syrup they’re heaven. These pancakes are perfect for fall (and a great way to use up leftover canned pumpkin from your holiday bake-a-thons), but we love them so much we think they should be eaten year-round. 

Why We Love These Pumpkin Spice Pancakes

  • They’re super soft and fluffy
  • Ready in minutes
  • Full of fall flavors and extra nutrition 
  • They’re perfectly lightly spiced with our homemade pumpkin pie spice 
  • Works with homemade pumpkin purée or canned pumpkin
  • They freeze extremely well (saving you time on busy mornings)
  • Kids and adults love these pancakes
  • Makes an excellent breakfast-for-dinner meal

How Do I Fix Pancake Batter If It’s Too Thick or Too Thin?

We love pancakes around here — 100% whole wheat, with or without oatmeal, as well as the regular classic diner kind. But no matter what type of flour or ingredients you use, pancake batter should always be visibly a little lumpy (without full long streaks of flour) and easy to pour, but never too runny

  • If pancake batter is too thick, add milk or buttermilk 1 tablespoon at a time until it looks about right.
  • If pancake batter looks too runny, you may sprinkle a little flour into the batter until you reach the right consistency.

Easy Pumpkin Spice Pancake Ingredients

Here’s everything you need to make the best homemade pumpkin pancakes.

How to Make the Fluffiest Pumpkin Pancakes from Scratch — Measure, Fold, Scoop, and Griddle. 

  1. Measure the dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
  2. Mix the wet ingredients. Separate the egg yolks from the whites and set aside the whites. Whisk together the pumpkin purée, buttermilk, egg yolks, and vanilla, and set aside. *do not add the melted butter yet
  3. Whip the egg whites to soft peaks (optional step, but recommended). In a clean glass or metal bowl, whip the egg whites until fluffy and set them aside.
  4. Combine the wet & dry ingredients. Add the pumpkin mixture and melted butter to the flour mixture. Using a rubber spatula (or fork) gently fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until no more streaks of flour remain (visible lumps are normal). Gently fold in whipped egg whites until just combined.
  5. Cook the pancakes. Preheat a cast iron griddle/skillet or non-stick pan to medium-high heat, butter it liberally, turn down the heat to medium and add about 1/3 cup pancake batter to the hot (but not smoking) pan. Cook until bubbles form and pancakes are slightly dry around the edges, about 3 minutes. Flip and cook until golden about 2 to 3 minutes more. Repeat with remaining batter, serve hot or keep warm stacked and wrapped in aluminum foil in a preheated 200°F/90°C oven, Enjoy!

Ways to Customize Homemade Fluffy Pumpkin Pancakes

Although these pumpkin spice pancakes don’t need anything but a little maple syrup and butter, here are a few ways you can change them up. 

    • add 1/2 cup of chocolate chips (milk, dark, or white)
    • add 1/2 cup of frozen fruit (strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries)
    • add 1/2 cup of toasted nuts (pecans, walnuts, pine nuts, macadamia nuts)

Looking for More Brunch, or Breakfast-For-Dinner Recipes?

If you love brunch or breakfast-for-dinner as much as we do, check out our endless options above.

Techniques For Making Better Pancakes From Scratch (Photographed Above)

In the above photographs, you can see the techniques we discuss below for how to make better pancakes at home. Using these guidelines is all but guaranteed to help you make better pancakes at home. 

  • Use room temperature ingredients. Room temperature ingredients speed up the chemical reactions taking place between the ingredients, and also help create larger air bubbles that get trapped by the batter during the cooking process, making for a fluffier pancake.
  • Whisk the buttermilk, eggs, vanilla, and oil (if called for) together before adding it to the dry flour mixture. This helps avoid over-mixing the batter once the wet and dry ingredients are combined. Overmixing can lead to dense chewy pancakes. 
  • Use a fork or rubber spatula to gently stir or fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients instead of using a whisk. This can help you make sure not to overmix the batter which can overwork the gluten and produce dense pancakes.
  • While not totally necessary, the addition of a stiffly beaten egg white (or two) gently folded into the batter can help give a little extra lift to pancakes. Using a totally clean and grease-free coil spring whisk makes this task extremely quick and easy. 
  • Always remember a thicker batter = a thicker pancake. If you want a slightly thicker pancake than what’s pictured in this recipe, add a bit less milk. For a thinner pancake, use a little more milk. 
  • Let the batter rest*. Letting the pancake batter rest for a few minutes (or up to 45 minutes in the fridge) allows the gluten in the flour to relax and the starch grains to swell which helps make tender fluffy pancakes. *Full disclosure, often I don’t let this batter rest but a couple of minutes because I’m usually in a hurry, and these pancakes are always fluffy and tender. So, if you’re a busy Mom, Dad, or caregiver that can’t be bothered with resting the batter, don’t. 
  • Make sure baking powder and baking soda (if using) are both fresh and not expired. Expired leavening agents lead to Flat Stanely pancakes. I like to use a combination of baking powder and baking soda when I use buttermilk in pancakes. It makes a super fluffy angel soft pancake. But if you don’t have baking soda, just omit it.
  • Use buttermilk or a buttermilk substitute. Buttermilk is key to the best-tasting pancakes in my opinion and the acid in it helps create a fluffier (and tastier) pancake. If you don’t have it, make an easy substitute by adding fresh lemon juice (or vinegar) to the milk and letting it stand for 5-10 minutes. *See recipe notes for exact measurements needed for this recipe.

Troubleshooting Pancakes — What’s Wrong With My Pancakes?

  • Why are my pancakes gummy in the middle? Either the heat is too high which means the pancakes are browning on the outside faster than they’re cooking in the middle, OR you’re just not cooking them quite long enough. 
  • Why are my pancakes too brown? Maintaining an even temperature of the skillet or griddle is key to perfectly golden pancakes. If your skillet is smoking, it’s way too hot. On the other hand, if the butter isn’t sizzling, your pan is too cold. Adjusting the temperature up and down as needed is required for well-cooked pancakes.
  • Why are my pancakes flat? If your pancakes are too flat, it’s usually because the batter is too thin and runny, or the baking powder isn’t active. Add flour 1 tablespoon at a time to help thicken the batter and if that doesn’t help then the leavening agent (usually baking powder) may be the culprit.
  • Why are my pancakes rubbery? Overmixing pancake batter further develops the gluten which renders touch, chewy, and dense pancakes. Pancake batter should not have long streaks of visible flour, but it should be very lumpy. *see photos for what pancake batter should look like 
  • Why are my pancakes dry? Dry pancakes indicate you’ve likely used too much flour, too little baking powder (or baking soda), or used too little fat (like eggs, butter, or oil). I like to use a combination of butter (for flavor) and oil (for fluffy texture) to create a perfectly textured pancake. If your pancakes end up dry, don’t throw them out. Either serve them with homemade fruit syrups and jam or use them to make a pancake bread pudding. 
  • Why are my pancakes falling apart? Pancakes usually fall apart because no egg is used, or not enough egg is used. Essentially, if a key ingredient is missing or the ratio of ingredients isn’t in balance, pancakes have a tendency to break apart.
  • What can I substitute for eggs in pancake batter? You may substitute eggs with applesauce or mashed bananas in your pancake batter to make them vegan. Be sure to use these proportions: (1/4 cup of applesauce OR 1/4 cup smashed banana = 1 large egg)

Let’s get started!

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a serving platter with a stack of beautiful pumpkin-colored pancakes with melting butter, toasted chestnuts and covered with maple syrup and a wedge cut out to see the fluffy layers

The Fluffiest Pumpkin Spice Pancakes for Two (or a Crowd)

  • Author: Kelly
  • Total Time: 20 minutes
  • Yield: 6 pancakes
  • Diet: Vegetarian
Print Recipe

Description

This homemade pumpkin pancake recipe is without a doubt one of our all-time favorites to eat — super fluffy with crispy buttery edges they’re a perfect way to celebrate fall (and a great reason to make our homemade pumpkin purée, or use up leftover canned pumpkin). 

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cups + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour (or 00 flour) (125g)
  • 3 1/2 ounces (slightly less than 1/2 cup) pumpkin purée (or canned pumpkin) (100g)
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder (7g)
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda (0.25g)
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt (1g)
  • 1 tablespoon sugar (15g)
  • 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (3g)
  • 3/4 cup buttermilk, room temperature (185g) *see recipe notes for making an easy buttermilk substitute.
  • 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (3g)
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted (25g)
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature (100g)

*I use 00 flour when I’m in Italy, and the weight of different flours varies based on the humidity content of the flour and the environment you’re living in. Just be sure to use the ‘scoop and level’ method to measure your flour into measuring cups and spoons and the recipe works perfectly every time.

Instructions

  1. Measure the dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
  2. Mix the wet ingredients. Separate the egg yolks from the whites and set aside the whites. Whisk together the pumpkin purée, buttermilk, egg yolks, and vanilla, and set aside. *do not add the melted butter yet
  3. Whip the egg whites to soft peaks (optional step, but recommended). In a clean glass or metal bowl, whip the egg whites until fluffy and set them aside.
  4. Combine the wet & dry ingredients. Add the pumpkin mixture and melted butter to the flour mixture. Using a rubber spatula (or fork) gently fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until no more streaks of flour remain (visible lumps are normal). Gently fold in whipped egg whites until just combined.
  5. Cook the pancakes. Preheat a cast iron griddle/skillet or non-stick pan to medium-high heat, butter it liberally, turn down the heat to medium and add about 1/3 cup pancake batter to the hot (but not smoking) pan. Cook until bubbles form and pancakes are slightly dry around the edges, about 3 minutes. Flip and cook until golden about 2 to 3 minutes more. Repeat with remaining batter, serve hot or keep warm stacked and wrapped in aluminum foil in a preheated 200°F/90°C oven, Enjoy!

Notes

  • If you don’t have buttermilk, use regular milk or make your own homemade buttermilk by adding 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice (or vinegar) to a liquid measuring cup, then pour in enough milk until it reaches the 3/4 cup mark. Stir and allow to rest for 5-10 minutes. It will curdle and that’s normal. It’s because the acid is interacting with and unraveling the proteins in the milk.
  • If you want to skip adding the extra egg white which is beaten to stiff peaks, no problem. The pancakes will still be soft and fluffy. I have a small coil spring whisk that makes whisking egg whites (even a single white) really fast and easy so I like to go ahead with this extra step.
  • When whipping egg whites to soft or stiff peaks you must have a totally grease-free clean bowl and whisk.  Using a stainless steel, copper, or glass bowl works best because unlike plastic bowls these materials are non-porous and don’t hold on to oil or fat that may keep egg whites from whipping up. Also, do not use the same whisk you used for mixing the egg mixture to then whip your egg whites unless you’ve washed and dried it first.
  • If you’re trying to eat fewer carbs or use less white flour in general, use whole wheat white flour, or 100% whole wheat flour in place of the all-purpose. I do this occasionally and the pancakes are super tasty. They have a bit of a nutty flavor and only a very slightly different texture, but they are still really light and fluffy.

[For Further Troubleshooting, Tips & Techniques, see the main post! We have lots of helpful hints for you there.]

PUMPKIN SPICE PANCAKE 2X RECIPE 

  • 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour (or 00 flour) (250g) 
  • 3/4 cup pumpkin purée (or canned pumpkin) (200g) 
  • 3 teaspoons baking powder (14g)
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda (0.5g)
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (2g)
  • 2 tablespoons sugar (30g)
  • 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice (6g)
  • 1 1/2 cups buttermilk, room temperature (365g) *see recipe notes for making an easy buttermilk substitute. 
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (5g)
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted (50g)
  • 4 large eggs, room temperature (200g)
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 10 minutes
  • Category: Breakfast + Brunch
  • Method: Skillet
  • Cuisine: American

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 2 Pancakes

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