Fluffy Pumpkin Pancakes

By GratefulSea

This recipe is by Karen Raye, posted to the blog Kitchen Treaty. It's shown in the original form, but when I made it, I cut the recipe in half, and it made 8 pancakes. Not just any pancakes, but the best ones ever! I added chopped pecans, just sprinkling them on top of the pancakes as the first side cooked; chopped bacon would also be nice. We used an electric grill set to 350º, 3 minutes per side. The batter is much thicker than any pancake batter I've seen, and so is the finished product. My husband said they were the best pancakes he's ever had. Photo is my own.

Ingredients

• 2 cups buttermilk (or 2 tablespoons vinegar + enough whole milk or 2% milk to equal 2 cups)
• 1 cup pumpkin puree
• 2 eggs
• 3 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly + more for cooking, if desired
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1 Tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice blend*
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Butter and maple syrup for serving

Preparation

Step 1

Pour the buttermilk into a large bowl. (If using the vinegar plus milk option, let sit for about 10 minutes to allow the milk to turn to buttermilk.) Add the pumpkin, eggs, butter, and vanilla and stir with a whisk to combine.

In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, spices, and salt.

Pour the dry ingredients over the wet and mix just until incorporated. Do not overmix.
Let batter rest for about 5 minutes.

Heat a non-stick griddle to 325 degrees or set large frying pan over medium heat. Melt a little butter on the cooking surface, spreading it evenly, if desired (if the surface is non-stick, you may not need to do this).

Using a 1/3 cup measure (a trigger-handled ice cream scoop will do nicely), pour the batter onto the griddle or into the frying pan. The pancakes are ready to flip when they look a little dry around the edges and start to form little bubbles, 1 to 2 minutes. Flip and cook on the other side until golden brown and completely cooked through, 1 to 2 more minutes.

Serve topped with butter and maple syrup, if desired.

* Or you can substitute the following if you don't have pumpkin pie spice blend on hand:

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves