The Easy Pumpkin Pancakes I Make on Repeat Every October

Why It Works

Briefly simmering the pumpkin purée thickens it, concentrating its flavor while driving off excess moisture that can weigh down the batter.
Opting for a well-tested mixing technique where the batter is left lumpy avoids overdeveloping gluten, and then letting it rest for 15 minutes results in light, airy pancakes.

Every fall, the pumpkin wave hits hard. It’s in our lattes, our quick breads, our dog treats, and approximately half the products at Trader Joe’s. You can resist for a bit, but eventually, you’ll give in. And when you do, I’d argue there’s no better vehicle for pumpkin than a tall stack of fluffy pancakes.

The trouble is, pumpkin doesn’t naturally make good pancakes. It’s dense and moist, two things that sound lovely until you realize they work directly against the tender, airy texture that defines a great pancake. Many pumpkin pancake recipes end up tasting like spiced mush cakes—heavy, undercooked, and more about the idea of fall than the pleasure of eating breakfast. So my challenge when developing this recipe was incorporating that warm, fall flavor without losing the signature lift of a good, fluffy pancake.

Serious Eats / Anh Nguyen

How to Amplify Pumpkin Flavor in Pancakes (Without Sacrificing Texture)

This recipe starts with the same bones as my easy, fluffy pancakes—a dependable base built for height, tenderness, and that classic diner-style bounce. From there, the challenge was figuring out how to weave in real, robust pumpkin flavor without weighing everything down.

I started with canned pumpkin purée for ease, accessibility, and practicality. No one wants to be carving open a squash before they’ve had coffee just to get breakfast on the table. It’s also worth noting that most “pumpkin” purée is actually made from a variety of butternut squash, which is sweeter than most pumpkin varieties—a fact that works in our favor here. That natural sweetness and silkier texture give the pancakes great flavor and a softer crumb.

Serious Eats / Anh Nguyen

Because pumpkin purée is high in water, dumping it straight into a batter can weigh the pancakes down.To counter that, I simmered the purée on the stovetop first with sugar, a touch of salt, and classic fall spices—cinnamon and nutmeg—until it thickened, darkened slightly, and turned glossy. This short cooking step intensifies the pumpkin flavor while cooking off excess moisture, leaving a concentrated base that blends beautifully into the batter.

I also reduced the milk slightly compared to my traditional pancake recipe, since the pumpkin purée brings its own liquid to the mix. The result is a batter that’s rich and aromatic but still structured enough to rise tall on the griddle.

The Basic Rules of the Fluffy Pancake Playbook

From there, I followed the same principles that make my fluffy pancakes so reliable—principles that form the foundation of any good short stack, pumpkin or otherwise. Even though this batter has extra heft from the pumpkin purée, it still behaves best when you treat it gently.

Let the batter rest before cooking. Ten to 15 minutes might not sound like much, but it makes a world of difference in the batter’s texture, which then makes a huge difference in the quality and loft of the pancakes. The flour has time to hydrate fully, the baking powder begins its first lift, and the thick pumpkin mixture loosens just enough for easier scooping. You’ll know it’s ready when the batter looks slightly puffed and spoonable rather than runny. That short pause is the difference between dense, flat cakes and pancakes that rise tall and stay soft.

Cook three at a time for better control. Overcrowding the skillet when making pancakes is one of those small mistakes that can have a dire outcome. Too many pancakes can lower the pan’s temperature and make it harder to flip cleanly. Three 4-inch wide pancakes nestled into a 12-inch skillet give you just enough breathing room for even heat and easy maneuvering to fit the spatula under each one.

Keep the temperature at a steady medium-low. Pumpkin’s natural sugars brown faster than plain batter, so lower heat ensures golden tops and fully cooked centers instead of scorched outsides with raw middles.

Adding the Pecans and Finishing Touches

I love the crunch and toasty flavor of chopped pecans sprinkled over each pancake just before the flip. Mixing them into the batter sends them sinking to the bottom, but adding them to the raw tops keeps the distribution even. Of course, if you’re nut-averse, you can skip them—the pancakes will still be delicious.

Serious Eats / Anh Nguyen

Once you get into the rhythm—scoop, sprinkle with pecans, flip, repeat—the result is pancakes that are plush and golden, with edges just crisp enough to contrast the soft interior. From there, you’re only a pat of butter and a pour of maple syrup away from fall breakfast perfection. These pancakes are everything we wish all pumpkin-spice things could be—simple, cozy, and genuinely worth making, no novelty packaging required.