As soon as September rolls around, there are certain foods my family starts looking forward to, and these pumpkin pancakes are definitely one of them. They’ve become one of those staple fall breakfasts in our house that everyone knows is coming once the weather starts cooling down and pumpkin season begins.
I originally loved making these because pumpkin gives ordinary pancakes a little something extra. And anytime I can sneak something a little more nutritious into breakfast and my kids will happily eat it, I’m calling that a win.
Of course, we add chocolate chips.
Because aren’t chocolate chips healthy for you?
I’m pretty sure they’re their own food group. Or maybe we can count them as part of the fruit and vegetable group since they’re going into pumpkin pancakes. That seems reasonable to me. 😂
Either way, the chocolate chips are technically optional.
At our house, “optional” has always been a fairly loose term.
Why We Love Pumpkin Pancakes in the Fall
There is something about the smell of cinnamon, ginger, allspice, and pumpkin cooking on a griddle that makes the whole kitchen feel like fall.
These pumpkin pancakes are warm, soft, and full of those cozy spices I start craving once September arrives. Add a handful of chocolate chips, a little butter, and warm maple syrup, and you’ve got one of my favorite fall breakfasts.
I also love that the pumpkin isn’t just there for flavor. According to the USDA Agricultural Research Service, pumpkin provides nutrients including vitamin A, and they even suggest adding pumpkin to pancakes as a fall breakfast idea.
So technically, there really is something nutritious hiding underneath those chocolate chips.
We’re going with that.
This is one of those recipes that has stuck around in our family because my kids actually like it. I’ve made plenty of things over the years that I thought were wonderful, only to have one of my kids look at the plate like I’d personally offended them.
These pancakes aren’t one of those foods.
When September arrives, everybody knows it’s pumpkin pancake season.
Homemade Pumpkin Pancakes
This is the version I make when I have a little more time. It starts completely from scratch and has the perfect combination of pumpkin and fall spices.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups milk
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- 1 egg
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 tablespoons vinegar
- 2 cups flour
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- Chocolate chips, optional (but highly recommended at our house!)
Directions
In a bowl, mix together the milk, pumpkin puree, egg, vegetable oil, and vinegar.
In a separate bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, allspice, cinnamon, ginger, and salt.
Add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture and stir just until combined. Try not to overmix the batter.
If you’re adding chocolate chips, gently stir them into the batter or sprinkle them onto each pancake after you’ve poured the batter onto the griddle.
Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium-high heat.
Pour or scoop approximately 1/4 cup of batter onto the hot griddle for each pancake.
Cook until the first side is golden brown and the pancake is ready to flip. Flip and continue cooking until the other side is browned and the center is cooked through.
Serve your pumpkin pancakes warm with your favorite toppings.
A Little Tip for Cooking Pumpkin Pancakes
Pumpkin batter tends to be a little heavier than regular pancake batter, so I think it’s important to pay attention to the heat of your pan.
If your griddle is too hot, the outside of your pumpkin pancakes can brown before the inside has enough time to cook.
If that happens, just turn your heat down a little.
You want them golden on the outside and cooked all the way through the middle.
And don’t make the pancakes too large. I find that using about 1/4 cup of batter makes them much easier to flip and helps them cook evenly.
Don’t Forget the Chocolate Chips
Now we need to discuss the most important ingredient.
Chocolate chips.
You can absolutely make these pumpkin pancakes without them. In fact, the original recipe is delicious all on its own.
But my family loves the chocolate chips.
There’s something so good about pumpkin, warm fall spices, and little pockets of melted chocolate.
You can mix the chocolate chips right into the batter, but another easy way is to sprinkle them onto each pancake after you’ve poured the batter onto the griddle. That also makes it easy if you have some people who want chocolate chips and others who don’t.
Although I’m not sure I completely understand the people who don’t.
My Cheater Pumpkin Pancakes for Busy Mornings
Now, I love homemade pancakes.
But I also live in the real world.
There are mornings when I don’t want to measure flour, baking powder, baking soda, and everything else that goes into making pancakes from scratch.
That’s when I make what I lovingly call my cheater pumpkin pancakes.
I use Krusteaz pancake mix as the base, add pumpkin and a few spices, and we’re in business.
Are they exactly the same as the homemade version?
No.
Are they delicious and incredibly convenient when I need breakfast on the table?
Absolutely.
And that makes them worth keeping in my recipe box too.
Easy Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Pancakes With Pancake Mix
Ingredients
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- 4 cups Krusteaz pancake mix
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Chocolate chips, optional
- Water, as needed
Directions
Combine the pumpkin puree, pancake mix, nutmeg, ginger, cinnamon, and chocolate chips.
Slowly add water until the batter reaches the consistency you like.
You want the batter thin enough that it pours easily. Don’t leave it too thick because these pumpkin pancakes can end up doughy in the center if the batter is too heavy.
Heat your griddle or frying pan over medium-high heat.
Pour the batter onto the hot griddle and cook on both sides until golden brown and cooked through.
Serve warm.
And here’s one more shortcut.
If you’re really in a hurry, you can leave out the extra spices.
The pumpkin alone adds flavor to the pancake mix, and they still turn out tasty.
Homemade or Cheater Pumpkin Pancakes?
I think there’s room for both recipes.
Some mornings I have the time and energy to pull everything out of the pantry and make pumpkin pancakes completely from scratch.
Other mornings?
Hand me the pancake mix.
I’ve learned over the years that homemade doesn’t have to mean making absolutely everything from scratch every single time.
Sometimes the shortcut is what allows you to keep a family tradition going during a busy week.
I’d much rather make the cheater version than skip one of our favorite fall breakfasts altogether.
What to Serve With Pumpkin Pancakes
Most of the time, we keep things pretty simple.
Butter and maple syrup are plenty, especially when chocolate chips are already involved.
You could also serve your pumpkin pancakes with sliced bananas, berries, chopped pecans or walnuts, whipped cream, or a little sprinkle of cinnamon.
For a bigger breakfast, add scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, or fresh fruit on the side.
They’re also really good with a cold glass of milk.
And if you happen to eat one standing at the kitchen counter while you’re making the rest of the batch, that one doesn’t count.
That’s the cook’s pancake.
Pumpkin Pancakes Have Become One of Our Fall Traditions
I think this is what I love most about seasonal recipes.
Eventually, they become more than food.
Nobody sat down one day and announced that pumpkin pancakes were going to become a September tradition at our house. I just kept making them.
Then another fall came around, and I made them again.
And eventually, they became something my family expected and looked forward to.
Those are some of my favorite traditions.
They’re the ones that happen naturally around the kitchen table.
So when September rolls around, the pumpkin comes out, the spices come out, and yes, the chocolate chips come out too.
Because while I can’t actually prove that chocolate chips belong in the fruit and vegetable food group, I’m also not going to investigate the matter too closely.
Some things are better left unquestioned. 😂
I hope these pumpkin pancakes become one of those cozy fall breakfasts your family looks forward to too.
Making every house feel a little more like home.
