Pumpkin Spiced Pancakes

The most wonderful fragrance floats from your kitchen compliments of a multitude of spices, warming as they bake inside tall, fluffy pancakes full of pumpkin. Drizzle with warm maple syrup and sprinkle with toasted pecans, these divine cakes make for the ultimate fall brunch.

If you’re looking for a delightful breakfast bite, something that captures the essence of a fall, this is your dish. Amber pancakes layered with a collection of spices folded in with pumpkin. We start with our classic buttermilk pancake inspired by recipes that we found in cookbooks belonging to my Grandmothers, from the 1930s and the 1940s.

They’re made with flour, a touch of sugar, baking soda, and kosher salt whisked together with egg yolks and buttermilk then fluffed up with egg whites. To that many of our favorite fall spices are added including nutmeg, cloves, allspice, and cinnamon to accent the pumpkin purée.

The baking powder and the baking soda’s reaction with the buttermilk give you a light pancake and that, coupled with the egg whites delivers a cake that bakes up tall with a hue that’s fitting of the season.

Put on the coffee and warm up the maple syrup, a delightful breakfast is minutes away!

Pumpkin Spiced Pancakes

2-½ cups flour

2 tablespoons sugar

3 teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon kosher salt

¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

¼ teaspoon ground cloves

¼ teaspoon ground allspice

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 cups buttermilk

2 extra-large eggs, separated

1 cup pumpkin purée

4 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled

Toasted chopped pecans and warm maple syrup for serving

In a large mixing bowl whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, kosher salt, nutmeg, cloves, allspice, and cinnamon.

Place the egg whites in a small bowl and beat until stiff peaks form, about 1 to 2 minutes. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks together with the buttermilk and the pumpkin purée.

Pour the buttermilk and pumpkin mixture into the dry ingredients along with the melted butter and whisk just until the flour disappears.

Using a spatula, gently fold in the beaten egg whites, blending just until combined. Let the batter rest for about 15 minutes.

Heat your electric griddle to 340-degrees. If you’re using a stovetop griddle, warm the griddle using a setting slightly below medium heat. When the griddle is hot, drop the batter on the surface, about ¼ cup for each pancake, leaving enough room between each to flip them.

When the pancakes are just set on top and lightly golden on the bottom, about 8 to 10 minutes, flip them. Continue cooking until golden and the center is cooked through about 5 more minutes. Serve with warm maple syrup and toasted chopped pecans.

These pancakes are a bit thicker and take a minute or two longer to cook through. If you need to keep them warm for a short bit, place the pancakes on a wire rack placed over a rimmed baking sheet and in a 200-degree oven.

And if you have extra pancake batter left over, just store it in the fridge – it’s good for another 3 to 4 days. Makes about 16 pancakes, 4” to 5” in diameter.