Pumpkin Buttermilk Pancakes

5 from 3 votes

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Pumpkin pancakes are quick and easy to make, taste like fall, and have a vegetable hiding in them which easily makes them a favorite breakfast recipe at my house. 

pile pf pumpkin pancakes on white plate with whipped cream

Around these parts, the leaves are turning beautiful colors and there is a crispness in the morning air. You know what that means? It’s Fall Y’all! These pumpkin pancakes are a household classic that will take your breakfast up a notch! These are easy, flavorful and will give you alllll the fall feels.

I love to add a little pumpkin to anything and everything this time of year. It makes the food smell and taste like fall and I am here for it! (Try out some of my other fall pumpkin recipes, too!)

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

  • It has all the classic fall flavors, but takes only minutes to whip up.
  • It is a great way to use up pumpkin leftover from other recipes. You’ll love this healthy pumpkin muffin recipe (and it only uses 1 cup of pumpkin puree), use the extras for this recipe.
  • The whole wheat pastry flour and pumpkin sneak in a little extra nutrition.
pancakes on cooling rack and some on a plate with butter

Ingredients

  • Flour: you can use all-purpose in this recipe or even whole wheat pastry flour. I love whole wheat pastry flour, it’s just a bit lighter than traditional whole wheat a makes the most delicious baked goods while still being a whole grain
  • Brown sugar
  • Baking powder
  • Pumpkin pie spice: the trick to making breakfast that tastes like dessert is by using spices from your favorite desserts. Pumpkin pie spice adds warmth and the perfect spice to this recipe.
  • Pumpkin puree: this replaces most of the oil in a traditional pancake recipe, adds great color, and hello, vegetables in breakfast are always a win!
  • Buttermilk: this is one of those magic ingredients, it helps them pancakes to be extra light and fluffy and adds a lot of flavor
  • Oil: just a bit to help with the texture
  • Eggs

See the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and quantities 

6 golden orange pancakes on a cooling rack
  • No buttermilk? No problem! For each cup of buttermilk, you can use 1 tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice plus enough milk to measure 1 cup. Stir, then let rest for 5 minutes before using. You can read my full buttermilk article here.
  • Be sure to use pumpkin puree and not pumpkin pie filling which has some extra ingredients! Here’s how to make your own pumpkin puree.

How to Make Pumpkin Buttermilk Pancakes

fluffy pumpkin pancakes dry ingredients in a bowl.

Step #1. Place your dry ingredients in the bowl and mix them together.

fluffy pumpkin pancakes batter fully mixed.

Step #3. Stir to combine.

fluffy pumpkin pancakes wet ingredients being poured into the dry ingredients.

Step #2. Make a well in the center and add your wet ingredients.

fluffy pumpkin pancakes in process being cooked on cast iron.

Step #4. Cook them up on your favorite griddle or skillet and serve them hot. These are great with homemade buttermilk syrup.

Recipe FAQs

Why are my pancakes tough?

Over mixing can cause the pancakes to turn out tough. Make sure to combine the ingredients without over mixing for the best results.

What is the best temperature to cook pancakes?

If you are using a pancake griddle, I like to cook my pancakes at 375 degrees. Make sure the griddle is completely heated before adding pancake batter.

When should I flip my pancakes?

Flip your pancakes when bubbles form on top of your pancake and begin to pop.  If you flip prematurely they won’t be cooked all the way.

Expert Tips

  • Use a measuring cup or scoop to make sure your pancakes are all the same size.
  • Grease your griddle or skillet with a little butter or vegetable spray between each pancake to keep them from sticking.
  • Make a double batch and freeze them for an easy morning another day.
pumpkin pancakes resting on a copper round cooling rack

More Pancake Recipes to Consider

pile pf pumpkin pancakes on white plate with whipped cream
5 from 3 votes

Pumpkin Buttermilk Pancakes

Pumpkin pancakes are quick and easy to make, taste like fall, and have a vegetable hiding in them which easily makes them a favorite breakfast recipe at my house. 
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 20 minutes
Total: 30 minutes
Servings: 8 medium pancakes

Ingredients 

  • 2 cups all purpose or whole wheat pastry flour
  • ¼ cup packed brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1 ½ teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup pumpkin puree
  • 1 ½ to 2 cups buttermilk
  • ¼ cup light oil such as vegetable, canola, or avocado oil
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
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Instructions 

  • Preheat a large nonstick or cast-iron skillet or griddle over medium heat.
  • In a medium mixing bowl add the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, and salt.
  • Whisk together to combine.
  • Make a well in the center of the flour mixture with the whisk.
  • Add the pumpkin puree, 1 ½ cups buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vanilla to the well in the center of the flour mixture.
  • Use a whisk to slowly combine the batter.
  • Stir just until the mixture comes together. If the batter is too thick, add up to an additional ½ cup of buttermilk as needed.
  • Spray the baking pan or griddle with a little cooking spray or grease it with a little butter.
  • Drop ¼ cup of batter in the center of the skillet or griddle.
  • When the pancake starts to have bubbles on the top of it, flip it over to cook on the other side. It should cook on each side for roughly 1.5 to 2.5 minutes. Adjust the cooking temperature as needed.
  • When the pancake is cooked through place it on a cooling rack set inside of a baking sheet and pop it in a 200 F. degree oven to keep warm. Repeat with remaining pancakes. When you are placing them in the oven, don’t stack them on top of each other, just place them evenly on the cooling rack (when you stack them, they steam each other and get soggy).
  • Serve the warm pancakes with your choice of toppings such as maple syrup or buttermilk syrup and whipped cream.

Notes

  • No buttermilk? No problem! For each cup of buttermilk, you can use 1 tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice plus enough milk to measure 1 cup. Stir, then let rest for 5 minutes before using.
  • Extra pancakes are easy to freeze for another day! Just layer them with parchment paper in a zip top bag.
  • Homemade Buttermilk Syrup is a delicious addition to these pancakes!
  • Save any leftover pumpkin puree in a leftover container in the refrigerator to use in another recipe! It will be good for several days stored that way.
  • Make a double batch and freeze some for later! To freeze, stack the pancakes with a piece of parchment paper in between each pancakes and put in a zip top bag then place in the freezer.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 of 8 medium pancakes, Calories: 261kcal, Carbohydrates: 36g, Protein: 6g, Fat: 10g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 5g, Trans Fat: 0.03g, Cholesterol: 46mg, Sodium: 372mg, Potassium: 186mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 10g, Vitamin A: 4901IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 167mg, Iron: 2mg
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5 from 3 votes (1 rating without comment)

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2 Comments

  1. Eva Gahnz says:

    5 stars
    So good!

  2. bernicetabolt@hotmail.com says:

    5 stars
    Amazing!!