Canned pumpkin is actually butternut squash—Libby's has used this 'pumpkin' since 1929 for better texture.
Pumpkin Pancakes
Start your day off with a stack of fluffy pumpkin pancakes that are bursting with fall flavors! These delightful cakes are made with creamy buttermilk and warm spices, creating a cozy breakfast experience that’s hard to resist. Whip them up in no time and treat yourself to a seasonal favorite that’s sure to impress!
Prep
15
min
Cook
20
min
Serves
4
people
Level
beginner
The Story
These orange beauties are actually a Dutch-American mashup from 1600s New Amsterdam when Dutch colonists discovered Native American pumpkin cultivation and thought 'brilliant, let's turn this into proper breakfast food like our pannenkoeken'—fast-forward four centuries and Vermont maple farmers hijacked the recipe, swapping Dutch golden syrup for their liquid tree gold to create America's autumn obsession.
Regional Twist
In Vermont's Champlain Valley, they double the maple syrup in the batter itself and substitute the all-purpose flour with locally-milled buckwheat flour, creating darker pancakes that taste like autumn decided to have a proper wrestling match with winter.
📝 Ingredients
Shopping List
- 3 large eggs
- 2 ½ cups (591 ml) milk
- ¾ cup (177 ml) pumpkin purée
Pantry Items
Amounts also listed in instructions below
- 3 ½ cups (420 g) all purpose flour
- baking powder (to taste)
- baking soda (to taste)
- butter (to taste)
- cinnamon (to taste)
- maple syrup (to taste)
- pumpkin pie spice (to taste)
- salt (to taste)
- ½ cup (100 g) sugar
- vanilla extract (to taste)
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
In a large bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, and cinnamon.
- 2
In another bowl, whisk together the vanilla extract, eggs, milk, and pumpkin purée.
- 3
Combine the wet ingredients with the dry ingredients and mix until just combined.
- 4
Heat a griddle or frying pan over medium heat and pour batter to form pancakes.
- 5
Cook until bubbles form on the surface, then flip and cook until golden brown.
- 6
For the pumpkin spice butter, mix the room temperature butter, maple syrup, and pumpkin pie spice until fluffy.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Mix your batter to exactly 80% incorporation - lumps should still be visible because overmixing develops gluten strands that create tough, rubbery pancakes instead of fluffy ones.technique80% incorporation
- ✓Heat your griddle to precisely 375°F (water droplets should dance and evaporate in 2-3 seconds) because pumpkin puree contains extra moisture that requires higher heat to prevent soggy centers.equipment375°F
- ✓Let your batter rest for 5-8 minutes after mixing so the flour fully hydrates and the baking powder activates, creating 25% more lift and fluffier texture.timing5-8 minutes
- ✓Use buttermilk instead of regular milk for a 1:1 substitution - its acidity reacts with baking soda to create extra leavening and neutralizes the density from pumpkin puree.ingredient
- ✓Flip pancakes only when bubbles form AND pop on the surface (about 2-3 minutes) - flipping too early breaks the steam pockets that create the fluffy interior structure.timing2-3 minutes
Share this recipe
Prep
15
min
Cook
20
min
Serves
4
people
Level
beginner
Share this recipe
Canned pumpkin is actually butternut squash—Libby's has used this 'pumpkin' since 1929 for better texture.
Pumpkin Pancakes
Start your day off with a stack of fluffy pumpkin pancakes that are bursting with fall flavors! These delightful cakes are made with creamy buttermilk and warm spices, creating a cozy breakfast experience that’s hard to resist. Whip them up in no time and treat yourself to a seasonal favorite that’s sure to impress!
The Story
These orange beauties are actually a Dutch-American mashup from 1600s New Amsterdam when Dutch colonists discovered Native American pumpkin cultivation and thought 'brilliant, let's turn this into proper breakfast food like our pannenkoeken'—fast-forward four centuries and Vermont maple farmers hijacked the recipe, swapping Dutch golden syrup for their liquid tree gold to create America's autumn obsession.
Regional Twist
In Vermont's Champlain Valley, they double the maple syrup in the batter itself and substitute the all-purpose flour with locally-milled buckwheat flour, creating darker pancakes that taste like autumn decided to have a proper wrestling match with winter.
📝 Ingredients
Shopping List
- 3 large eggs
- 2 ½ cups (591 ml) milk
- ¾ cup (177 ml) pumpkin purée
Pantry Items
Amounts also listed in instructions below
- 3 ½ cups (420 g) all purpose flour
- baking powder (to taste)
- baking soda (to taste)
- butter (to taste)
- cinnamon (to taste)
- maple syrup (to taste)
- pumpkin pie spice (to taste)
- salt (to taste)
- ½ cup (100 g) sugar
- vanilla extract (to taste)
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
In a large bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, and cinnamon.
- 2
In another bowl, whisk together the vanilla extract, eggs, milk, and pumpkin purée.
- 3
Combine the wet ingredients with the dry ingredients and mix until just combined.
- 4
Heat a griddle or frying pan over medium heat and pour batter to form pancakes.
- 5
Cook until bubbles form on the surface, then flip and cook until golden brown.
- 6
For the pumpkin spice butter, mix the room temperature butter, maple syrup, and pumpkin pie spice until fluffy.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Mix your batter to exactly 80% incorporation - lumps should still be visible because overmixing develops gluten strands that create tough, rubbery pancakes instead of fluffy ones.technique80% incorporation
- ✓Heat your griddle to precisely 375°F (water droplets should dance and evaporate in 2-3 seconds) because pumpkin puree contains extra moisture that requires higher heat to prevent soggy centers.equipment375°F
- ✓Let your batter rest for 5-8 minutes after mixing so the flour fully hydrates and the baking powder activates, creating 25% more lift and fluffier texture.timing5-8 minutes
- ✓Use buttermilk instead of regular milk for a 1:1 substitution - its acidity reacts with baking soda to create extra leavening and neutralizes the density from pumpkin puree.ingredient
- ✓Flip pancakes only when bubbles form AND pop on the surface (about 2-3 minutes) - flipping too early breaks the steam pockets that create the fluffy interior structure.timing2-3 minutes