Start your fall mornings with a stack of perfectly fluffy pumpkin pancakes, spiced just right! This easy, family-friendly recipe brings all the cozy autumn flavors you love – without requiring your kitchen to look like a Pinterest pumpkin patch.
The magic of a simple pumpkin pancake recipe
Let’s be honest: fall doesn’t actually look like a Hallmark movie. I’m not living in a Pinterest-perfect world of flannel throws and pumpkin towers, and you probably aren’t either. But we can make pumpkin pancakes on a cozy Saturday and feel like we’ve got this whole autumn thing down just fine.
These pumpkin pancakes are soft, fluffy, and perfectly spiced. The brown sugar gives them just the right warmth, and they freeze like a dream – so you can make a big batch and pull a few out for weekday mornings when things are anything but cozy. You don’t need a lot of time, and you don’t need to be a pumpkin spice influencer – just a mixing bowl, a spoon, a whisk and a few pantry staples!
We enjoy these with a little chopped pecans, maple syrup and a dusting of cinnamon. It’s really all you need, but turkey sausage and cinnamon apples are not wrong here 😉
Flour, spice, and the power of canned pumpkin
This recipe uses real pumpkin purée – not pumpkin pie filling! – so choose a good-quality brand for the best texture. Cheap canned pumpkin tends to be watery and can make your pancakes heavy or mushy. Also note that this recipe uses HALF of a regular can.
Both white and brown sugar are in the mix; if you’re out of brown sugar, just use all white sugar instead – it’ll still be delicious.
I usually use oil for ease (no melting or extra bowls!), but melted butter works too if you’re after a richer, cozier flavor.
You can also swap in buttermilk for the regular milk if you have some on hand – it’s great here.
How to avoid the pancake heartbreak
The most important tip: don’t overmix. Use a wooden spoon or spatula, and aim for just enough stirs so no more dry flour is visible – no more. Lumps are not just okay, they’re required 🙂
If your batter seems too runny (especially if your eggs are on the large side), add a tablespoon or two of flour. If it’s too thick, stir in a splash of milk. I always recommend cooking just one pancake first so you can see how the batter behaves before tweaking it!
And don’t stack the pancakes after cooking – they’ll get soggy. Keep them in a single layer on a wire rack until you’re ready to serve. For the best texture and flavor, let them rest for five minutes before digging in.
And if you’re looking to stock your freezer:
Let the pancakes cool completely on a wire rack. Freeze them in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet, then transfer to a freezer bag once solid. Freeze them for up to 2 months.
Reheat in the toaster or microwave straight from frozen, until piping hot all the way through!
Printable recipe
Fluffy Pumpkin Pancakes
Ingredients
Dry ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ¼ cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar (this yields lightly sweet pancakes; double for a sweeter taste)
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice (or more for a strong pumpkin spice taste)
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
Wet ingredients
- 1 ½ cups milk
- 1 cup pumpkin puree (NOT 1 CAN!)
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons oil (plus extra for cooking)
Instructions
- Mix all dry ingredients in a large bowl.2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 tablespoon baking powder, ¼ cup sugar, 2 tablespoons brown sugar, 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, ½ teaspoon salt
- Whisk all wet ingredients together in a medium bowl or measuring jug.1 ½ cups milk, 1 cup pumpkin puree, 2 large eggs, 2 tablespoons oil
- Pour the wet ingredients over the dry ingredients and mix just until combined. DO NOT OVERMIX! Do NOT mix with a whisk, ONLY with a wooden spoon or spatula!! DO NOT stir more than approximately 10-15 times (until no more dry flour is visible)!! Or you will end up with dense and gummy pancakes!!
- Heat a griddle or skillet over medium-high heat. Brush on a little oil or spray with cooking spray. Ladle on about ¼ cup of batter per pancake and cook until bubbles form on top of the batter, around 3 minutes. Flip and cook until browned on the bottom as well, another 2 minutes or so.
- Serve immediately with maple syrup, chopped pecans or whatever you like. Alternatively, follow the freezer instructions in the post.
Video
I first shared this recipe in 2014 or 2015 (mom brain is real). I updated it once with new photos in 2020, and again with new photos and new text on 09/16/2025.
More pumpkin breakfast recipes
P.S: Want more pumpkin recipes? Check out our collection of canned pumpkin recipes!
Jennifer Baldwin says
These were so delicious! They tasted gourmet like from a high end restaurant. I made them exactly as written. I used Aldi brand pumpkin and it worked great. The cream cheese/syrup combo was so good spread on top with a sprinkling of pecans. I will definitely make them again! Thanks for this yummy recipe!
jennifer says
Made with Bobs Red Mill GF 1-1 flour, coconut milk/oil, added vanilla. My 20+ year old sons are pancake connoisseurs and they LOVED these. Will print for future use. Thank you! 😘
Paulette Cuddy says
Sooo good! I altered the recipe slightly. I used 1 cup of milk, 1/2 cup of low fat sour cream ( because I needed to use it up), then I reduced the baking powder to 1 1/2 teaspoons, then 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda. The pancakes were so fluffy and yummy! Thank you for sharing!
Cheryl says
The best pancakes, added pecans my own pumpkin spice mix and served with homemade pumpkin butter and a little syrup.
Lindsey says
Absolutley amazing, I added vanilla and c vanilla bean , I cut milk to 1 cup and added with the wet then added more as needed – it was the best pancake ever – thanks for the info but it is really thick with just 1 cup so be patient. I think th e1 1/2 could be perfec tif you let it combine for a minute
Liz says
Absolutely my favorite pancakes yet! Very good. I froze some as well and they turned out delicious. My 2 year old LOVED them
Ursula Voth says
Awesome! Very fluffy & light!
Whitney Lewandowski says
This recipe is fantastic! I will admit I always use my beaters since I have hand numbness. I let the batter rest for 15 min and the pancakes were still fluffy and light. Delicious, it’s a keeper!
shannon says
Absolutely delicious fall recipe!!!!
Kathy Ryan says
These were SO delicious!
Sherri says
followed directions exact and these were awful. So rubbery and without being able to stir more than 10x there’s white flour specs in all my pancakes
Nora says
If your mixture still has visibly dry flour after stirring ten times, you do need to stir some more. The recipe says “approximately”, not “must stop at 10 stirs, or else”. I can only give advice, you still need to use common sense when actually making the recipe. A lot of people go wild and whisk their pancake batter until it’s completely smooth, which yields flat and dense pancakes – this is why I emphasize to not stir too much. If you fold around ten times, your stirs can be thorough and strong. If you go for light and gentle stirring, feel free to stir APPROXIMATELY twenty times. The reason your pancakes were rubbery is because you didn’t mix the batter enough. So please, do stir your batter JUST until no more dry flour is visible. Don’t whisk your batter fully smooth.
Ruth B. Garcia says
I made the recipe as. The batter was way too thin. The taste was good. Next time, I will use only 1 cup of milk and go from there.
Nora says
Interesting. If people have a complaint about this recipe, it’s usually that the batter was too thick. What kind of pumpkin puree did you use, if you don’t mind me asking?
Beth says
Made these today with some leftover pumpkin I had and they were delicious! I did add some chocolate chips to half of the batter and they were so good! Will definitely make these again.
Ana says
Absolutely delicious!
Melody says
Delicious and fluffy! ? anything is gonna be tasty! Loved how easy it was to mix up. I did mix the wet separate to cut back on how much mixing had to be done with the dry ingredients.
Paula C says
Delicious pancakes! I followed your “no more than ten times” directions, even though the batter was dryer than I expected, but wow, sky high pancakes were the reward! Thank you for sharing this recipe. PS. I added bacon bits because….bacon! Thank you again!
Nora says
Ooooh, I love the idea of bacon bits in these pancakes, Paula. Glad they turned out well for you!
Ann says
Great pancakes! I added some pecans to the batter. I have some extras to throw in the freezer.
Nora says
I’m so glad, Ann! And the pecans sound great in there, too.
Cherie says
Absolutely loved this recipe! I halved it as it’s just 2 of us and will make full batch when needed! Very tasty!
Julianne says
These are amazing & surprisingly fluffy. DEELISH.
Gayla says
Very quick and easy to mix up. I made them for my husband and we both loved them! They were better than my former pumpkin pancake recipe that I had been making for years. Thank you so much!
Liz says
Great recipe! I used butter and 1/4 c brown sugar only (I cut and substitute sugar in all recipes) and added 2 tsp vanilla for an extra pop of flavor. Yummy!
Nora says
I’m so glad to hear, Liz!