Pumpkin Pancakes

You already know I love pancakes (just look at the name of this blog) and I’ve made it pretty clear that I make it my job to cook with pumpkin as much as possible in the Fall, so it was just a matter of time before I put the two together to make the star of today’s post: pumpkin pancakes, aka my new favorite breakfast. If my recent posts are any indicator, I’m a big fan of comfort food and cozy dishes when the weather gets cold, and these pancakes are no exception. They are perfect for a chilly morning, incentive to get out from under the covers and warming in a way that your usual cereal or yogurt could never be. These pancakes are fluffier and thicker than your typical pancake thanks to the addition of the pumpkin, and are packed with pumpkin’s usual sidekicks -- ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves.

Disclaimer: These pancakes were so delicious I found myself cooking up the leftover batter at various points after I photographed them (a pancake before lunch, pancakes for dinner, pancakes the next morning). I found that the longer you let the batter sit, the more intense the flavor of the spices becomes, so if you want to prepare the batter in advance and let it sit in the fridge for a bit, that would be fine. I like my pancakes served with maple syrup and butter, but if you’re not a maple syrup fan or it’s not readily available where you live, you can also serve these with just plain butter or sprinkled with cinnamon sugar. And as if you needed any more convincing to make these, note that this recipe is also a snap to make – just whisk all the ingredients together, heat up your skillet, and you’re good to go.

Next up: a savory pumpkin recipe and another post using another Fall ingredient – apples!

For more breakfast recipes, click here. For more savory lunch/brunch recipes, check out this list here. For more pumpkin-centric recipes, click here.

PUMPKIN PANCAKES

Recipe adapted from www.browneyedbaker.com. Makes 8 pancakes.

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups (162 grams) all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons (25 grams) light brown sugar
2 teaspoons (8 grams) baking powder
1/4 teaspoon (1.5 grams) salt
2 1/2 teaspoons (6.5 grams) ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon (2.5 grams) ground ginger
1/4  teaspoon (a good pinch) ground cloves
1.4 teaspoon (a good pinch) ground nutmeg
1 cup (240mL) whole milk
1/2 cup (112 grams) canned pumpkin
1 egg
2 tablespoons (30mL) vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and cloves; set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together the milk, pumpkin, egg, vegetable oil and vanilla extract. Pour the wet ingredients over the flour mixture and whisk until combined. 

Heat a little butter or vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Ladle ⅓-cup of the batter onto the skillet for each pancake. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the edges are set and the bubbles around the edges are open and set. Flip and cook on the second side for an additional 2 minutes, or until golden brown. Serve the pancakes immediately.