Pumpkin Pancakes (Thick & Flavorful!)

Wake up to homemade pumpkin pancakes filled with the warm spiced flavors of fall (and sometimes chocolate chips, too). You’ll love starting fall mornings with a happy stack of these soft, thick, and flavorful pumpkin pancakes. They’re so simple to make, and you can try my pumpkin waffles, too!

Ingredients

• 2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon store-bought or homemade pumpkin pie spice*
• 1 and 1/4 cups (285g) pumpkin puree (canned or fresh)
• 1/3 cup (67g) packed light or dark brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 3 Tablespoons (45ml) canola or vegetable oil
• 1 and 1/2 cups (360ml) whole milk*
• optional: 1 cup (180g) semi-sweet chocolate chips
• for cooking: butter or nonstick spray

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, preferably with a pour spout, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice together until combined. Set aside.
2. For this step, I like to use a blender. I use my Ninja blender. A blender guarantees an incredibly smooth batter and also breaks down the heavy pumpkin in the process. This is especially necessary if you are using fresh pumpkin puree. Add the pumpkin, brown sugar, egg, oil, and whole milk to a blender and blend on high for 45 seconds until combined. Alternatively, you may whisk by hand or use a hand mixer.
3. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and whisk gently to combine. Make sure there are no patches of dry flour at the bottom of the bowl. The batter is very thick and a few lumps are fine. Fold in the chocolate chips, if using
4. Heat a griddle or large flat skillet over medium heat. (If using an electric griddle, preheat it to 375°F (190°C).) Coat generously with butter or nonstick cooking spray. Once it’s hot, drop/pour a heaping 1/4 cup of batter on the griddle. Cook until the edges look set and you notice holes in the pancake’s surface around the border, about 2–3 minutes. Flip and cook the other side until cooked through, about 1–2 more minutes. Coat griddle/skillet with butter or nonstick spray again, if needed, for each batch of pancakes.
5. Keep pancakes warm in a preheated 200°F (93°C) oven until all pancakes are cooked. Serve pancakes immediately with toppings of choice like butter and pure maple syrup. I also really like serving these with the maple pecan topping from this pumpkin waffles recipe.
6. Cover and store leftover pancakes in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.