These pumpkin pancakes are thick, fluffy, and warmly spiced, with rich pumpkin flavor and crisp golden edges that make every fall breakfast worth waking up for!

These fluffy pumpkin pancakes bring real pumpkin, brown sugar, vanilla, and fragrant fall spices together in a tall, tender stack that practically begs for warm maple syrup!

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled, 250 grams
• 3 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon fine salt
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• ¾ teaspoon ground ginger
• ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
• 1½ cups well-shaken buttermilk, 360 milliliters
• 1 cup plain pumpkin purée, 245 grams
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature if possible
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• Neutral oil or additional butter for greasing your pan

For Serving

• Warm pure maple syrup
• Softened salted butter
• Toasted pecans or walnuts
• Cinnamon sugar
• Sliced apples or pears
• Crisp bacon or breakfast sausage
• Greek yogurt or lightly sweetened whipped cream

Servings: 4
Yield: About 12 pancakes
Pancake size: Approximately 4 inches

How to Make Pumpkin Pancakes

Start by melting butter and leaving it on your counter to cool for a few minutes, because piping-hot butter can partially cook eggs or turn into tiny firm flecks when it meets cold buttermilk.

If you would like to keep finished pancakes warm, set your oven to 200°F and place a wire rack over a rimmed baking sheet; a rack keeps bottoms from becoming damp while everyone waits for a complete stack!

Add flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves to a large bowl, then whisk for about 30 seconds, breaking apart any stubborn brown sugar lumps with your fingers.

Do not rush this small step! Evenly distributed leavening prevents one pancake from rising beautifully while another lies on your plate looking as if it has given up on its dreams.

In a separate medium bowl, whisk buttermilk, pumpkin purée, eggs, cooled melted butter, and vanilla until mixture looks smooth and evenly orange, with no visible streaks of egg white.

Scrape along bottom and sides of your bowl because pumpkin sometimes settles into a thick pocket that refuses to join everyone else.

Pour wet mixture into dry ingredients, then fold gently with a flexible spatula until you can no longer see large patches of dry flour.

Batter should be thick, scoopable, and slightly lumpy, so stop mixing before it becomes completely smooth. Don’t skip this restraint, because aggressive stirring develops gluten and turns tender pancakes chewy.

If batter stands in a stiff mound and cannot slowly spread from your spoon, fold in 1 tablespoon of buttermilk at a time, using no more than 2 or 3 tablespoons unless your flour was heavily packed.

Leave batter undisturbed for 8 to 10 minutes while you preheat your griddle. This short rest allows flour to hydrate and gives leaveners time to begin producing tiny air bubbles.

Heat an electric griddle to 350°F, or place a heavy nonstick or well-seasoned cast-iron skillet over medium-low heat for about 4 minutes.

A drop of water should dance briefly before evaporating; if it disappears with an angry snap, your pan is too hot, so lower heat and wait a minute.

Lightly brush your cooking surface with neutral oil or melted butter, then scoop a level ⅓ cup of batter onto it for each pancake, leaving at least 2 inches between portions.

Batter will be thicker than standard pancake batter, so use back of your measuring cup to nudge each portion into a circle about 4 inches wide without pressing out air.

Cook for 2½ to 3½ minutes, watching for bubbles that rise and remain open near each center, edges that look set and slightly matte, and a bottom that has turned an even golden brown.

Pumpkin batter hides its readiness better than plain batter, so bubbles alone are not enough; set edges are your more dependable clue!

Slide a thin spatula completely underneath each pancake and flip it once with a quick, confident movement.

Do not press down after flipping, tempting as it may be, because that pushes out steam and leaves your beautiful pancake flatter.

Cook second side for another 1½ to 2½ minutes, until golden and center springs back when touched lightly.

If pancakes brown before their centers cook, lower heat. If they remain pale after 3 minutes, raise heat slightly.

Your stove does not know it is following a recipe, so a little human judgment is always invited!

Transfer cooked pancakes to your prepared wire rack and keep them in your 200°F oven while you finish remaining batter, adding only a thin layer of oil or butter between batches.

Stirring rested batter is unnecessary and can deflate it, so scoop gently from your bowl.

Serve pancakes promptly, while their edges are lightly crisp and their centers are still steaming!

Serving Suggestions

For a classic plate, stack three warm pancakes with salted butter, toasted pecans, and a generous pour of warm maple syrup. Salted butter works beautifully here because it sharpens pumpkin spice flavors and keeps sweetness balanced.

For a fuller breakfast, serve pumpkin pancakes with scrambled eggs, crisp bacon, breakfast sausage, or a bowl of Greek yogurt. Fresh apple slices, sautéed cinnamon apples, pears, blueberries, and orange segments add a bright contrast to each rich, spiced bite.

If you are serving these for brunch, arrange pancakes on a platter with small bowls of maple syrup, whipped cream, toasted nuts, mini chocolate chips, cinnamon sugar, and apple butter.

Everyone can prepare a favorite combination, and you do not have to remember who dislikes pecans!

Easy Variations

• Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Pancakes: Fold ½ cup mini semisweet chocolate chips into batter after it rests. Mini chips distribute more evenly and melt without creating large, heavy pockets.
• Maple Pecan Pumpkin Pancakes: Add ½ cup toasted chopped pecans to batter and replace brown sugar with 3 tablespoons pure maple syrup. Reduce buttermilk by 1 tablespoon to account for added liquid.
• Extra-Spiced Pumpkin Pancakes: Increase cinnamon to 2½ teaspoons and ginger to 1 teaspoon. I would not increase cloves, since they can quickly take over and make breakfast taste medicinal.
• Dairy-Free Pumpkin Pancakes: Replace buttermilk with 1½ cups unsweetened soy or oat milk mixed with 1½ tablespoons lemon juice. Use melted refined coconut oil or neutral oil instead of butter.

Once these pumpkin pancakes hit a warm griddle, cinnamon, vanilla, butter, and pumpkin send a sweet, spiced aroma through your kitchen that makes waiting for breakfast feel almost unfair!

Hungry for more feel-good meals? Explore these 21 Anti-Inflammatory Breakfast Recipes for a nourishing start and 10 Anti-Inflammatory Dinner Recipes for delicious evenings that make healthy eating easy!