Pair these pumpkin pancakes with a cozy cup of tea and a cool breeze from the window and you have the recipe for a perfect fall morning.
The fall is finally officially here! October is probably my favorite month of the year, both because I adore Halloween and everything spooky, but also because I think fall weather is ideal. There’s nothing like a crisp fall breeze to really make you feel somehow both energized and cozy. And while I know that a ton of people think it’s overplayed, I love the abundance of pumpkin-flavored things that take center stage in the fall. But I recently realized that I really only have one pumpkin recipe on my blog, these pumpkin braised short ribs. And while the short ribs are undoubtedly one of my favorite pumpkin recipes, I knew that I had to add to my pumpkin recipe arsenal immediately. So this week I’m doing that by putting pumpkin center stage in these pumpkin pancakes.
Those of you who know me know that I love to cook breakfast, making these pumpkin pancakes the perfect way to incorporate pumpkin into my cooking. In fact, I already have a few pancake recipes on this blog, my chocolate chip banana bread pancakes and berry pancakes with lemon drizzle. And while I love pancakes year round, there’s something that just feels quintessentially “fall” about eating them. It might be the maple syrup – a staple fall flavor – or the fact that pancakes always remind me of the childhood breakfasts that my dad would make in his cozy kitchen while the wood burning stove crackled. Either way, pumpkin seemed to be the absolute perfect flavor to pair with pancakes to really get me in the fall mood.
KIDS IN THE KITCHEN
As many of you know, my niece Scarlet loves to help me cook pretty much everything, and these pumpkin pancakes were no exception. She also loves Halloween (a love that was very much influenced by me), and she was super excited by the thought of pumpkin pancakes. She helped me crack the eggs (one of her favorite parts of cooking anything), pour in all the dry ingredients, and scoop out the pumpkin puree for these pancakes, and she loved every minute of helping.
Of course, Scarlet thought these pancakes would look like jack-o-lanterns, and I attempted to make them look that way with the help of some extra cinnamon. It didn’t quite work out the way I intended, so I’m leaving that part out of the recipe. But even without the pumpkin faces, these pumpkin pancakes are still the perfect fall treat.
MAKING AND SEVING PUMPKIN PANCAKES
These pumpkin pancakes are actually a breeze to make, allowing you to fulfill all your fall fantasies while not actually taking up too much of your time. I used a pretty basic pancake recipe, only replaced some of the liquid in the recipe with puréed pumpkin. And of course I used all the classic fall spices – cinnamon, nutmeg, ground ginger and a bit of allspice. You can use whatever fall spices you like here. Pumpkin pie spice is of course a classic, and contains most of these typical fall spices. But you could also try throwing in some turmeric for earthiness, or even some black pepper for a sharper spice.
I served my pumpkin pancakes with the traditional pancake topping, maple syrup, which also happens to be a staple fall flavor. But they would be equally delicious with a simple cinnamon bun glaze, or even with a sprinkle of cinnamon-sugar to play up the fall vibes. Then all you need is a cup of something warm to drink and an open window with the a fall breeze and view of the foliage and you have the absolute perfect fall morning.
Pumpkin Pancakes
Ingredients
- 1+1/2 cups flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp allspice
- 1+1/2 cups milk
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 2 tbsp melted butter, cooled (plus more butter for the pan/griddle)
- 1 large egg
- more butter for the pan
- maple syrup, glaze, or cinnamon sugar for serving
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together all the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, sugar and spices).
- In a separate large bowl, whisk together all the wet ingredients (milk, pumpkin, vanilla, egg and melted butter).
- Slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry, whisking until just combined and no bits of dry ingredients remain. It's ok if the mixture is slightly lumpy.
- Heat a large skillet or griddle over medium-low heat. Add about 1 tbsp of butter and swirl until the pan is coated and the butter is melted. Use a 1/4 cup measuring cup to scoop the pancake batter. Cook the pancakes in batches until bubbles are forming around the edges, about 3-5 minutes, then flip and cook until golden brown.
- Serve pancakes warm with topping of choice.
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