Wake up to homemade pumpkin pancakes filled with the warm spiced flavors of fall (and sometimes chocolate chips, too). You’ll love starting fall mornings with a happy stack of these soft, thick, and flavorful pumpkin pancakes. They’re so simple to make, and you can try my pumpkin waffles, too!
I originally published this recipe in 2014 and have since added new photos, a video tutorial, and more helpful success tips.
Healthy banana pancakes, cinnamon rolls, fluffy buttermilk pancakes, buttermilk waffles, or French toast are favorite, indulgent ways to kick off a weekend morning. But by about the second weekend of September, I’m ready to break out the fall breakfast favorites, like pumpkin French toast casserole, baked apple cider donuts, apple cinnamon rolls, and today’s easy pumpkin pancakes.
These pancakes have been a consistent favorite every fall season since I developed the recipe many years ago. Here’s what some readers are saying:
One reader, Laura, commented: “I’m pretty picky about pancakes, and these were absolutely delicious! Very fluffy for a pumpkin pancake, and the chocolate and spices pair nicely… ★★★★★”
Another reader, Brooke, commented: “These were delicious! Made these this morning on this chilly fall day and they were perfect. I was nervous because the batter was SO DENSE but they turned out great… ★★★★★”
And another reader, Emily, commented: “…These were AMAZING! The best pumpkin pancakes I’ve had! Great pumpkin flavor but still a nice fluffy (and not dense) pancake… ★★★★★”
Pumpkin Pancakes: Recipe Snapshot
- Packed with all the cozy pumpkin spice flavor we love from pumpkin pie
- Extra thick and flavorful
- Quick and easy to make
- Freeze and reheat well
- Delicious with or without chocolate chips
It’s easy to make pancakes using a box of pancake mix, but nothing compares to the flavor and texture of homemade. When I began testing pumpkin pancake recipes, I had a long streak of reject batches comparable to hockey pucks. They were dense and flavorless. Why? Because pumpkin is a funny little ingredient. It changes the moisture, tenderness, and texture of anything it touches. (Have you seen my post about pumpkin oatmeal cookies?)
But I finally landed on the perfect ratio of ingredients, and now making these homemade pumpkin pancakes is a [crisp fall] breeze!
Ingredients You Need:
Made with pretty basic pantry/refrigerator staples, they’re really no more difficult than the box mix!
- Flour: Use all-purpose flour for the base of these pancakes.
- Baking Powder + Baking Soda: Yes, we use both, just like we do in whole wheat pancakes. These leaveners are what make your pancakes tall and fluffy.
- Cinnamon + Pumpkin Pie Spice: Pumpkin’s favorite spices. Using a combination of these two adds mega fall flavor. Go ahead and whip up a batch of this homemade pumpkin pie spice because you’ll want to use it again for other seasonal favorites like pumpkin bread and pumpkin muffins.
- Pumpkin: In my recipe testing, I found that 1 cup of pumpkin wasn’t enough, while 1 and 1/2 cups was way too much. You need 1 and 1/4 cups, or about 285g. If you are wondering what to do with the rest of the can, check out all these recipes using leftover pumpkin puree.
- Brown Sugar: Brown sugar’s molasses flavor pairs so well with pumpkin.
- Egg: Binds everything together.
- Oil: Adds moisture. I usually use vegetable oil, but you can use melted coconut oil instead if you prefer.
- Whole Milk: Whole milk is key to rich and tender pancakes. If you don’t have it, the best substitute is buttermilk. If you don’t have that either, lower-fat or a nondairy milk can be subbed.
- Optional Chocolate Chips: If you don’t like chocolate chips in your pancakes, feel free to leave them out—they’ll still be delicious. Plain pumpkin pancakes are anything but plain!
Use a Blender for Smooth Batter
My trick for perfect pancakes? Mix the wet ingredients in 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 milk to a blender and blend on high for 45 seconds until combined. I recommend a blender when making homemade crepes, too.
No blender? No problem. You can whisk by hand. I like to use a large mixing bowl with a pour spout because it makes pouring the batter onto the pan/griddle much easier.
How Do I Know if My Pan Is Ready to Cook Pancakes?
The best temperature for cooking pancakes is 375ºF (190ºC). If you’re cooking on an electric griddle, you can simply set it to heat to that temperature. If you’re cooking in a griddle pan or large skillet on the stove, allow the pan to preheat for several minutes over medium heat. Don’t be tempted to crank the heat up to high; that will lead to unevenly cooked, burnt pancakes.
To test if the pan is ready, flick a few drops of water from your fingers onto the pan. If they sizzle in place and disappear, it’s not quite hot enough yet. If they “dance” around on the surface before sizzling out, your pan is good to go! (Feel free to dance around a bit yourself, too!)
Expect a very thick pancake batter:
Pumpkin Pancakes Success Tips
Follow these tips for moist, fluffy, and flavorful pancakes!
- Don’t Over-Mix: Whisk batter until *just* combined, no more. A few lumps is OK.
- Use the Proper Pan: A griddle pan is best for cooking pancakes, but if you don’t have one, use your widest, shallowest skillet/pan. You want a thick-bottomed pan to prevent burning.
- Pre-Heat the Pan: Allow time for the skillet or griddle to get nice and hot (without turning the heat up to high) before cooking your pumpkin pancakes.
- Don’t Flip Too Early—Watch for Holes: Many pancake recipes instruct you to flip when you see bubbles forming on the surface, but you’re actually looking for holes. Your pumpkin pancakes are ready to flip when the bubbles are popping, forming little holes in the surface. Cook until the edges look set and you notice holes in the pancake’s surface around the border, about 2 to 3 minutes.
- Keep pancakes warm as you cook the rest: If serving all of the pancakes at once, transfer the cooked pancakes to a wire rack on a baking sheet, and place in a preheated 200°F (93°C) oven to keep them warm.
What to Serve With Pumpkin Pancakes
I love these pancakes simply with a pat of butter (or cinnamon butter!) and a drizzle of pure maple syrup, but they’d also be fantastic with salted caramel, whipped cream, or the maple pecan topping from this pumpkin waffles recipe. As for sides, they’re fabulous alongside breakfast egg muffins, bacon, and/or fresh fruit.
And don’t forget your coffee with homemade pumpkin coffee creamer. You’re winning at fall breakfast… clearly!
Pumpkin Pancakes Recipe
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 12 pancakes
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
These pumpkin pancakes are the epitome of a cozy fall breakfast, and a very popular recipe on this website! Moist and fluffy, they’re wonderful with a pat of butter and a cascade of maple syrup. Feel free to add chocolate chips, or leave the pancakes plain.
Ingredients
- 2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon store-bought or homemade pumpkin pie spice*
- 1 and 1/4 cups (285g) pumpkin puree (canned or fresh)
- 1/3 cup (67g) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- 3 Tablespoons (45ml) canola or vegetable oil
- 1 and 1/2 cups (360ml) whole milk*
- optional: 1 cup (180g) semi-sweet chocolate chips
- for cooking: butter or nonstick spray
Instructions
- 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.
Notes
- Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: Pancakes freeze well up to 3 months. Reheat frozen pancakes in the microwave. Or you can reheat frozen pancakes in a 350°F (177°C) oven. Place pancakes on a lined baking sheet and cover loosely with aluminum foil. Bake for 6–8 minutes or until defrosted and warm.
- Can I make the batter the night before? No, I don’t recommend it. Baking powder is activated once wet. You can, however, mix the dry ingredients and wet ingredients together and keep them separate and covered in the refrigerator until the morning.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Mixing Bowls | Blender | Whisk | Electric Griddle, Griddle Pan, or Shallow Skillet/Pan
- Flour: I strongly recommend all-purpose flour. Because pumpkin is so heavy, substituting whole wheat flour will create incredibly heavy, dense pancakes. If you want to use some whole wheat flour, substitute in 1 cup (about 125–130g), and increase the milk to 1 and 3/4 cups.
- Pumpkin Pie Spice: You can find pumpkin pie spice in the baking aisle of most grocery stores, or make your own homemade pumpkin pie spice. If you don’t have either and want to use individual spices, use 1/4 teaspoon each: ground ginger, ground nutmeg, ground cloves, and ground allspice. This is in addition to the 2 teaspoons of cinnamon—you will still add that as well.
- Milk: Whole milk is key to rich and tender pancakes. If you don’t have it, the best substitute would be buttermilk. If you don’t have that either, lower-fat or a nondairy milk can be subbed.
Reader Comments and Reviews
Thank you so much for this and so many other fabulous and simple recipes. I made these pancakes for my Airbnb guests Saturday morning. The compliments kept coming after every bite. I have gotten into the habit of printing out a few extra copies of your recipes when I’m going to make them for guests. That way I can give them the recipe and promote your blog. This was the first time a guest ate 5 of the pancakes! Your recipes are why I keep getting such great reviews.
Oh my word, these are tasty! My husband kept going back for more and more. Thanks for this one!
Great recipe Sally! Thank you! I made these without the chips because I dislike melted chocolate. These were a huge hit with my family. I have tried a few pumpkin pancake recipes and this is by far my favorite.
Best. Pancakes. Ever!!!!!
I just made these this morning. WOW! Fluffy, moist, and just the right amount of spice and sweetness. Definitely a keeper.
Sally! Well done!! These are ridiculously delicious. Thanks for the recipe!
We just made these for breakfast this week, so good!
Made a batch on Monday and kept in the fridge and ate from it all week. My daughter loved them so it was easy to get her to eat breakfast before school.
I’ve made SO many pumpkin pancake recipes that turn out horrible – mushy and gloppy These though … THESE are the one!! Thank you for a pumpkin pancake recipes that actually works!!
I made these pancakes (sans chocolate chips) for our latest Airbnb guests from Holland, this breakfast was a big hit! The pancakes were moist and flavorful with just the right amount of pumpkin flavor. I served them with cinnamon whipped cream as well as pure maple syrup and butter. Usually I make a test batch before guests are due to arrive, but I didn’t have time this week so they were my guinea pigs or as they said, they were my test rabbits. I learned a lot about Dutch culture in just three days.
Made these this morning and they were delicious! I did have to substitute in almond milk because of an allergy in my family but they were still amazing! Thank you for sharing 😀
Made these this morning and they were amazing! Not overly sweet. I added the chocolate chips while one side was cooking. This allowed me to add a little or a a lot used 2%milk. I used my nutribullet to mix the wet ingredients (this was easier than grabbing the blender or mixer). Cooked at a med/low heat. I had no issues with uncooked batter. This is a thick batter and you need to be patient while cooking. Thanks Sally for another great recipe!
Thanks for this recipe. It has become a fall favorite at our house!
These pancakes are divine. I made a double batch, and the pancakes were still gone in no time. Your notes were very helpful; I followed them carefully, and they were perfect! Your pumpkin recipes are wonderful; thank you so much for sharing with us!
THANK YOU! We love this recipe. I had been using another pumpkin pancake recipe. They were always too heavy/dense. These are PERFECT! I make them year round and keep some in the freezer. My son loves them for a quick breakfast. No syrup needed with the sweet chocolate in them. Thanks again for a recipe I use time and time again!
These came out great! Thanks for the recipe!!
Hi Sally – I love all your recipes and am very excited to try this one. What do you think about substituting coconut oil for the vegetable oil? Thanks so much for this recipe and all your other recipes!
Melted coconut oil works! 🙂
I made these for the first time this morning. I subbed half a cup of whole wheat flour and used your favorite trick – using 1 1/2 cups milk and subbing half a cup of plain Greek yogurt since all I had was 1 percent. They were A mazing! My 2 and 4 year olds gobbled them up. I will use half the amount of chocolate chips next time though I found it a little sweet and drowning out the pumpkin flavor and also threw some pecans in a few of mine. So good.
I have been poring over your blog and Facebook page since I stumbled on it several weeks ago. This is around the dozenth recipe of yours I have tried and I have loved all but one and have a list I’m dying to try.
I made these last week. THEY WERE THE BEST!!! Thanks for posting!
Oh, Sally!!! I made these pancakes over the weekend and they melted my heart and soul! Wow! What an amazing recipe. Thank you so so much for sharing. I’ve now become addicted to your site! 🙂
Can this recipe be easily doubled, or would it be best to just make two separate batches? Thank you for posting such delicious recipes!
Doubling should be just fine.
These are our new favorite pancakes. We make them at least once a month, and keep them in the freezer for quick breakfast to warm up. We use half the amount of chocolate chips. Thanks for the recipe!
Hi Sally!
These look so so amazing, and I’m going to make them for my boyfriends birthday (he’s OBSESSED) with pumpkin! Do you think that the batter would last overnight in the fridge? We both have work early so I was just trying to save a little time in the morning.
Thank you!
The pancakes should be cooked right after the batter is made. It doesn’t take long to stir together, I promise!
I followed the recipe and measured everything properly, but they wouldn’t get done on the middle. I don’t usually have a problem when I made other homemade pancakes.
I’m so HAPPY to have found your site! It’s my second time making these pumpkin chic chip pancakes and my teens gobble them up! We had these for lunch today and for tonight’s big MSU football game I am going to try your BBQ chicken finger recipe. All I want for Christmas is your cookbook! Keep up the fantastic work!
Absolutely delicious!! I didn’t use the entire batter, about half left.. Do you think I could make muffins with it?
AMAZING! Delicious- perfect and exactly what I was craving. I am allergic to dairy so I substituted the whole milk for coconut cream (Thai Kitchen). And I always use non dairy butter. Smart Balance is great. Thank you!
Made these today. Half without chocolate chips and half with. They were so silky and delicious! Other pumpkin pancake recipes I’ve tried have been quite heavy, but these had a airiness about them that I just loved. The kids gobbled them up too!
Thanks for sharing!
Hi Sally, I love to make these without the chocolate chips, then when they are cooking I put white chocolate chips for the kids and blueberries for me. I love the moisture that the blueberry juices add, and I tried them with Biscoff on them today…OMG! So good, you have to try it!
I love pumpkin chocolate chip pancakes and I make them often from a few different recipes and let me tell you, this, next to one other I have as a favorite is just if not better than that one!
Thank you just polished off a stack for myself with some powdered sugar and Vermont maple syrup.
Thank you and will check out your we sight for other recipes 🙂
Jean