Pumpkin Pancakes Recipe
These Pumpkin Pancakes are fluffy, easy, and excellent. Try them and you will never want a boxed mix again. Stock up on pumpkin puree to make these pancakes year-round. They are THAT GOOD.
We modified our popular (and family favorite) Ricotta Pancakes to make this pumpkin pancake recipe and a new favorite was born.
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Easy Pumpkin Pancake Recipe:
These pumpkin pancakes taste like pumpkin pie in pancake form. They’re wonderfully fluffy, delicious, and moist because they are loaded with pumpkin. As my husband says, “they go down easy.”
Serve these pumpkin pancakes with a drizzle of real maple syrup and a cup of coffee for the perfect Fall breakfast. If you’re feeling fancy, add some Baked Apples on the side.
The Best Pumpkin for Pancakes:
Canned Pumpkin Puree: We love Libby’s brand pumpkin puree because it is so concentrated in color and tightly packed without excess water. We also love organic canned pumpkin puree but keep in mind it is looser and the batter will be thinner, resulting in a flatter pancake that moister inside. Libby’s is still our best choice.
Homemade Puree: You can use your own (well-drained) homemade pumpkin puree if you have sugar pumpkins on hand, but again, Libby’s works best for this recipe.
How to Make Pumpkin Pancakes:
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together eggs and sugar.
- Whisk in pumpkin puree, buttermilk, and salt.
- In a separate bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, and cinnamon. Whisk flour mixture into pumpkin mixture.
- Sautee 2-3 minutes per side until puffed and golden brown at the edges.
More Pumpkin Recipes You’ll Love:
If you love all things pumpkin, these Autumn-favorite pumpkin recipes are a must-try.
- Pumpkin Cheesecake – so easy and indulgent
- Pumpkin Cake – with the best cream cheese frosting
- Pumpkin Bread – easy and perfect for gifting
- Pumpkin Cupcakes – super fluffy
- Pull-Apart Pumpkin Bread – tastes like pumpkin cinnamon rolls
What Kind of Oil is Best for Cooking Pancakes?
There is a variety of oils you can use to saute your pumpkin pancakes.
- Extra light olive oil – has a higher smoke point than extra virgin and it’s a versatile oil for all kinds of cooking.
- Canola oil – a great all-purpose oil and doesn’t impart flavor.
- Coconut oil – our family’s favorite because it imparts great flavor. We use organic virgin coconut oil.
- Butter – also imparts flavor but can leave brown residue in the pan as the butter browns so you will need to wipe the skillet occasionally with a paper towel.
- Clarified butter – or ‘ghee’ will cook a little cleaner than regular butter since the milk solids are already cooked out.
When do you flip the pancakes?
The pancakes should sauté for about 2-3 minutes per side. If they are browning too quickly, reduce the heat. Flip the pancakes when you see bubbles form on the surface of the pancakes. Only flip once.
Pro Tip for Flipping Pancakes: The right cooking surface will make it easier to flip pancakes. Use a flat, non-stick skillet or griddle. A thin-edged turner spatula makes it easy to get under the pancakes without crushing them.
Make these pumpkin pancakes once and you’ll make them over and over. It’s such a cozy and satisfying breakfast.
More Breakfast Recipes:
Breakfast is the most important meal of the day and it’s my favorite meal of the day on weekends because we make a big deal of it at our house (think: Poached Eggs, Bacon and Breakfast Potatoes). Here are our top breakfast recipes.
- Crepes – we love them with a sweet cheese filling
- Breakfast Quesadillas – one simple recipe, 3 ways
- Breakfast Burritos – crowd-pleasing and freezer safe
- Breakfast Egg Muffins – make-ahead and easy to change up
- Banana Bread – moist and loaded
Pumpkin Pancakes Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 large eggs
- 2 Tbsp granulated sugar
- 15 oz pumpkin puree, (I used Libby's 100% Pure Pumpkin)
- 3/4 cup low-fat buttermilk, or kefir*
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 Tbsp baking powder
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- Extra light olive oil , to sautee (or coconut oil or butter)
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together eggs and sugar until well blended.
- Whisk in pumpkin puree, buttermilk, and salt.
- In a separate bowl, sift together flour, baking powder and cinnamon then whisk your flour mixture into the pumpkin mixture.
- Heat a large non-stick skillet or griddle over medium heat and add just enough oil to lightly coat the surface. Spoon batter into the pan (about 2 Tbsp per pancake) and sautee 2-3 min per side. Repeat with remaining batter, adding more oil as needed. Serve warm with maple syrup.
Notes
Nutrition Per Serving
The pumpkin pancake recipe and photos were updated in October 2020 to make the pumpkins even fluffier and easier.
Natasha Kravchuk
Hi! I'm Natasha Kravchuk. Here you'll find delicious, trusted recipes with easy step-by-step photos and videos. 
I made these into sheet pan pancakes. 425 for 18 minutes in my oven. They were excellent. Thank you!
Great to hear that you enjoyed this recipe!
Can I use this recipe to make belgian waffles instead of pancakes?
Hi Ken, I haven’t tested that to know if it will work. If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe.
Again another delicious recipe. I made these for dinner tonight and they were a hit. So delicious. I’ve been craving pumpkin pancakes and these hit the spot. I added chocolate chips to some of them and they were even more heavenly. A perfect kickoff to my favorite season.
Thanks for the great review, Corrine. Happy to know that you enjoyed this recipe!
Ok I need to update my review. I was too quick to leave a comment. Once these pancakes cool to room temperature the flavor is there. Also adding a little pumpkin spice helps-I added to the other half of the batter. They are not light and fluffy like a traditional pancake they are more dense and custardy in the center so maybe I’d call them “pumpkin pie pancakes.” My kids gave them a 5 out of 10. But, all in all they were not bad!
Thank you for the update and for sharing that with me, Amy!
Hi natasha,
I looked forward to making this pancake because your cupcakes were pure perfection!
I was disappointed though….it did have have the pie texture as some mentioned. A bit of tweaking to recipe is definitely necessary…..my only regret is wasting a can of pumkin puree which is like gold in my home. My little girl loves your pumpkin recipes esp. your pumkin cupcakes🤗
Hi Ray, I’m so glad you enjoyed the pumpkin cupcakes. With the pancakes, did you use Libby or a looser pumpkin puree. The organic one we buy as well is more loose and changes the consistency of the batter so that it doesn’t puff quite as well. After testing, we found that Libby’s works best here.
Hi Natasha I make your recipes all the time and my family and I love them, so I hate to leave a negative review, but these pumpkin pancakes were not a hit:(
Hi Stephanie, I’m sorry to hear that. If you can share any more info on what happened, I am always happy to help troubleshoot. Did you use the recommended type of pumpkin? I have found that makes all the difference.
I love all your recipes but unfortunately this one just wasn’t good. The pancakes are mushy inside. Don’t like the texture overall actually. The flavor is just okay. Something is missing. I think this recipe needs some tweaking.
Hi Sara, did you make any substitutions? Sometimes the brand of pumpkin puree can make a big difference, for example, the organic one that I buy at mt grocery store is more runny and liquidy which changes the texture of the pancake batter, making the pancakes moister. Libbys makes a very thick pumpkin puree which I found works best.
Hi Natasha,
I used Libby’s and followed the recipe exactly. The batter was very thick, took a long time for the pancakes to cook. Doesn’t deter me from continuing to try more of your amazing recipes though 🙂
Thank you for the feedback, I’m glad you are determined to try something else, let me know how it goes.
As far as the flavor, I think it definitely needs pumpkin pie spice. Also omit the cinnamon, as pumpkin pie spice has that in it, also add a teaspoon or two of vanilla extract.
Thank you so much for sharing that with me, Sandy!
We enjoyed these pancakes. They are tasty but it’s not the perfect recipe for me yet. I’m not a huge syrup fan, so I made a batch according to recipe and a batch doubling the sugar. I also used brown sugar.
Pro: Batter comes together quickly and easily.
Con: I did find these were too soft inside so I stuck them in the oven to finish cooking.
Thanks for your comments and feedback.
I love your recipes, but this wasn’t a winner for us. Too mushy on the inside, too much baking powder flavor. Only saved with some melted butter, lots of maple syrup and extra cinnamon on top. My kids would hardly touch them though, and we will be tossing the leftovers. 😢 I used a different brand of pumpkin and made buttermilk, but all else was the same.
Hi Kendall, you shouldn’t be able to taste the baking powder. Did you possibly use baking soda? Also, some baking powders contain aluminum and some people are sensitive to that flavor. Sorry to hear that it didn’t work out.
Hi Natasha. Can you use Avocado oil in place of extra light olive oil for grilling and/or frying?
Hi Gary, I would check the smoke point to see if it is safe to use over high heat.
hey natasha,love ur website🥰i usually watch ur youtube channek but now this is epic
thanks for starting this website..
its the best
Thanks, Marianne. I hope you love every recipe that you will try!
Love your shows!! Can almost smell all the great recipes!! My favorite cookbook is, of course, “The Joy Of Cooking”. I found an early ’70’s copy at a tag sale for 10 cents. It has a lot of stuff that has been left out of more recent editions.
I’m so glad you’re enjoying my videos, Roger. What a great deal, good job for finding that gem.
I had to give up my early 70’s Joy of Cooking to thrift store because there’s no room in my RV. If it has a crayon drawing of a big headed stick figure inside the cover it was my old one, lol, I was only barely 2 years old and mom wasn’t watching, hehe.
This is an amazing recipe, hubby loves them!
I made these for the first time today and the recipe is super easy to follow. I love how crispy they are on the outside and light and fluffy on the inside. Thanks so much for sharing! I also added one extra ingredient to it!
You’re welcome, Amber! Thank you for sharing this great review with us!
Hi, what can you replace the buttermilk with?
I haven’t tried any substitutes and the buttermilk helps to activate the baking soda. I have used a substitute for another recipe that works well in leu of buttermilk that you could test. Try 1 cup milk with 1 Tbsp lemon juice or vinegar (you can increase or decrease the amounts proportionally to the recipe)
You can do milk and lemon juice or milk and vinegar just google how to convert
I’m wondering if I made a mistake somewhere. I thought I followed the recipe, but my batter was so thick, more like cake batter. I could not have made 18-20 pancakes.
Any suggestions?
Also, wondering if vanilla extract and nutmeg would add more flavor.
Thank you. I truly enjoy your videos!
Hi Lori, the batter is fairly thick but it helps with them puffing up properly. I love the idea of adding those pumpkin cheesecake types of flavorings. If you test that out, please let me know how it goes.
Love these 😉
I’m happy to hear that, thanks for sharing!
Hi! Sorry, I’m a bit confused. In the ingredients list you mentioned using almost a whole 15 oz can of pumpkin puree but right before that it said 1 cup and down in the instructions it says 1 cup of puree. Should I use 1 cup or almost 15 oz because thats almost 2 cups? Thank you!
Hi Anna, I do have it listed as: “1 cup Pumpkin Puree (I used most of a 15 oz can Libby’s 100% Pure Pumpkin)” in the ingredients list. If you actually transfer the puree into a measuring cup and measure it out, it is almost the full can, but you do have to measure it out into a 1 cup measure. The can is 15 oz by weight, not by volume so it won’t measure out to almost 2 cups if you transfer it to the measuring cup. Note, on the can it says, “Net WT”
Hmm, that’s actually what I did beforehand. I thought that could have been the case so I poured out the contents from my 15 ounce pumpkin puree can into my measuring cup and it filled up to almost 2 cups. Maybe because I used a different brand than Libby? Anyway, thank you, either way it works. 😉
Natasha, did you reply to me or to “Brenda”? It’s showing a reply to my last message so wanted to make sure…
Oh how odd that it posted that reply on completely the wrong recipe! Sorry about that – fixed! 🙂
Sorry, I wasn’t sure if my message went through the first time so I resent a slightly different one.
my family loved it!
Thank you for the nice review, I’m glad you enjoyed it 😀 .
Hey Natasha~do you think I can use some pumpkin pie spice in the recipe? You said it tastes just like pumpkin pie but I didn’t see a spice included~thanks Sue
You can add spice if you like, or just put in a sprinkle of cinnamon to enhance the flavor.
They look good from outside but inside they don’t cook all the way through that is the down about this pancakes.
They are cooked all the way through; the 3 minutes per side is ample time to cool them through. They are supposed to be creamy on the inside since they are mostly pumpkin. They are almost more like fritters in that sense that is why I questioned if I should call them that (see description at the top).
Hi Natasha, Thank You for your wonderful recipe. I do agree that the inside has a pie texture which may not be familiar as a pancake. I had people who considered it as uncooked and it wasn’t fixable. Maybe as you said, the title of the recipe should not be pancake.
These look amazing! I really need to make pumpkin pancakes this fall, they’re just the perfect autumn breakfast 😛
Thank you June and they really are a great Autumn breakfast 🙂
The other day I made up a recipe of pumpkin pancakes myself. But instead of buttermilk I used a cottage cheese. It worked really well. You bite into tiny cheese balls…yummy
Mm yum! That sounds really really good!
Pumpkin & pancakes? Two of my daughter’s favorite foods and she will flip when she sees this! We are having a bit of a sugar pumpkin shortage here on the east coast but I was able to score a few cans last week right as the store was restocking the shelves. These will be on the breakfast menu as soon as we are all home together on a weekend! Thanks!
One more thing about buttermilk that you have to buy a quart of when you only need a little bit – I freeze it in 1/2 cup portions in a cupcake tin. Then pop them out and bag them up. Same goes for heavy cream.
That is so smart! I had no idea those two can be frozen. Thank you for sharing!
You’re so welcome! I hope your daughter loves these! 🙂
These look great! They are definitely on the to-do list this weekend, and couldn’t be more perfect timing as I just baked a pumpkin for baking. Btw, really like the website layout for mobile.
-the breakfast maker (on the weekends:)
Thank you so much. I’m so happy you like the mobile site. It was a huge focus for us when we redesigned. We wanted our mobile readers to have a great experience there. I appreciate the feedback! Oh and I hope you love the pancakes!! Breakfast maker on the weekends is a very important job 😉
Is there anyway to substitute the buttermilk? I never use it so I don’t want to buy it just for this recipe……..
I haven’t tried any substitutes and the buttermilk helps to activate the baking soda. I have used a substitute for another recipe that works well in leu of buttermilk that you could test. Try 1 cup milk with 1 Tbsp lemon juice or vinegar (you can increase or decrease the amounts proportionally to the recipe)
..and most importantly they’re very nutritious with an abundance of fiber to keep you full longer. Thanks so much for a great breakfast idea.
Very true!! And you’re welcome. I hope you love the pancakes! 🙂
LOVE these! They’re on the menu for breakfast-dinner tonight!
Breakfast-dinner… my favorite meal of the day! lol
My 9 year old daughter is crazy for anything pumpkin. I bookmarked this as soon as I saw the title 🙂
Hi Julia! I think my son is becoming a pumpkin lover. Slowly but surely! He did enjoy these pancakes 🙂
OMG, Natasha!
These pancakes look so good, that they made me hungry. And I just had a big lunch 10 minutes ago. 😉
Your photography and your recipes are such an inspiration to me! Thank you!
Hi Tania, that is quite a compliment if they made you hungry 10 minutes after lunch! 😉
So glad you posted this. ’cause last week I made your homemade pumpkin puree so now I have just the perfect recipe to use it for.
I still have to make another batch of pumpkin purée before winter. Just make sure if you use homemade that it is very well drained since the canned ones come pretty packed.