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These pumpkin pancakes are amazing!! My kids just devoured a whole plate full, yay! So glad I found this recipe, it’s a winner.
Alicia
The fact that there is batter for whole wheat pumpkin pancakes waiting for me in the fridge at the very moment that I type this is just completely tempting and distracting. Write. Focus, focus, focus.
Once you’ve experienced a plate full of these hot, syrup-soaked fluffy whole wheat pumpkin pancakes it’s hard to get your mind to go anywhere else. The texture of these pancakes is badda bing badda boom amazing. They fluff up just enough to be, uh, fluffy, but they are not so overwhelmingly cakey that you can only eat one. They’re light, they’re delicate, they have the perfect tiny amount of cinnamon and nutmeg and cloves to make you feel like it’s Christmas in October, but even with all that lightness they are substantial and filling because of the whole wheat goodness and of course, my favorite, the pumpkie.
When I imagine whole wheat pumpkin pancakes in my mind, they are dense and heavy. Maybe because I tested the recipe a few times and had several batches that were comparable to the density and weight of a manhole cover. Not to worry though, because truly this recipe turned out just right and so I refer you to the name “Best Ever”. Yeah, I’m sayin it. There’s a reason that this recipe has 2 tablespoons of baking powder and the reason starts with fluffy and ends with awesome.
Remember these whole wheat pancakes for two that I talked about way back when? That’s where this all starts. I re-wrote the recipe to be for more like 6 people because lately when I make these whole wheat pumpkin pancakes, I want them every day for a week. Picture this: I stumble miserably into the kitchen, remember the pancake batter and pop it out of the fridge, zing my eyes open wide, smile like a fool, sing a Mr. Roger’s song as I make myself a cozy, wholesome breakfast. GOOD MORNING world.
Toppings? Good question.
I went for syrup, bananas, and flax. I like the different textures and I like having something besides just the sugary sweetness of the syrup to keep things interesting. Sometimes I’ve been known to top pancakes with yogurt and fruit, too, just because I can’t not be excessive. Bjork, on the other hand? Minimalist to the extreme. Syrup only, and he prefers it in a little dish next to the pancakes so he can dunk each bite instead of having it get soaked with syrup. This is us.
Really, you could eat these topped with anything and life would be good. The warm wheat-cinnamon-pumpkin taste and light fluffy texture just speaks on its own.
Tomorrow is Saturday, and when I think Saturday I think of you, your comfy pajamas, a blanket, a good book, a hot mug of coffee, and a plate of at least 7 pancakes. Is that creepy or amazing? Friends for life, y’all.
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Best Ever Whole Wheat Pumpkin Pancakes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 6 1x
Description
These whole wheat pumpkin pancakes are truly the best ever. Light and fluffy and full of whole wheat pumpkin goodness. Yum!
Ingredients
- 3 eggs
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 1 1/2 cups buttermilk
- 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
- 2 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon + a dash of nutmeg and ground cloves
- 2 cups whole wheat flour
- 2 tablespoons (yep) baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup water
Instructions
- Whisk the eggs, brown sugar, and olive oil together. Add the buttermilk, pumpkin puree, and vanilla and whisk until smooth.
- Stir in the cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, flour, baking powder, and salt gently until just incorporated. Add the water and stir until smooth.
- Pour onto a medium hot griddle and cook for 3-5 minutes per side, until the edges start to look dry and a little more firm. Flip the pancakes and finish cooking for 1-2 minutes on the other side. Serve hot with butter, syrup and any other toppings in the world. I like banana and flax. You can’t go wrong!
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Cook Time: 15 mins
- Category: Breakfast
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: whole wheat pancakes, pumpkin pancakes, healthy pumpkin pancakes
Can you mix this all up in the blender like some of your other pancake recipes?
Great question. We haven’t tested this, but we think it’s worth a try!
I tried many pumpkin pancake recipes before I found these, and these are by far the best! Iāve made them several times now, and they are a fall/winter staple in our home!
These are yummy! Fluffy as advertised. Very sweet – I preferred them without syrup. I might dial back the sugar next time (to a conservative 1/4 c š). I sprinkled chocolate chips on after pouring on to the griddle, so that may account for the excess sweetness…
Chocolate chips sounds like a yummy add-in here!
I made these pancakes and they were divine! Perfect amount of fluffiness. I had guests and they all wanted the recipe. Thank you!
Glad to hear it, Stevie!
So easy! We all LOVED this recipe! Gourmet!
This is my go-to pumpkin pancake recipe. Love that they are whole wheat! You really do need all that baking powder. These come out delicious every time. Thanks for such a great recipe!
This recipe is my jam. I made it about 4 years ago for the first time, and it is an staple in our house. I love to cook and am pretty good at it, but pancakes have always been my nemesis. These babies are a dream. So moist, so tasty (we toss in a good helping of fresh ground nutmeg) and so good heated up.I’m on my way to make some now… for supper, and figured after the 100th time coming to this page, I should probably leave a 5 star review!
Can I substitute 1% milk for the buttermilk?
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These pancakes are fantastic! Really good flavor, plus simple and easy to make! I only made one change: I didn’t have olive oil so I subbed in melted coconut oil.
These are amazing! I made them for my kids and boyfriend , who just so happen to be the pickiest eaters ever. They were a big hit! I topped them with some whipped cream, chocolate chips and maple syrup. I couldn’t stop eating them.
The plan sounded good, but making pancakes out of this dough turned out to be impossible. It cannot be flipped. All attempts at varying temperature and oil failed. I am so done with American pancakes.
These were absolutely delicious. I added walnuts to the mix; which gave them a really wholesome/healthy touch. I also spread pumpkin butter with a tiny amount of maple syrup on top of them. Yummy!
Just made these for breakfast this morning and YUMMMMM! So delicious. You’re right, they are just the perfect amount of light and fluffy and delicate and moist. Thank you!
Glad you enjoyed them, Erin!
I made these today for a family brunch. So delicious and with a beautiful rise and texture! I used my own pumpkin, roasted and drained overnight, and then I used the drained liquid instead of the water in the recipe. Why not, right? I read in the comments how some people were concerned with the sodium levels due to the amount of baking powder, so I simply halved the salt. I also increased the spices by almost double, since all of us here love cinnamon and pumpkin spice. š We topped them with warm caramelized apples from our own tree, maple syrup we boiled down in the winter, and a dollop of vanilla Greek yogurt. it was a delicious home-grown fall brunch. Thank you for a great recipe!
That sounds INCREDIBLE! Thanks so much for sharing!
This recipe is fantastic, tried it many times! Is it possible to make the batter the night before and still have it turn out good?
We haven’t tried storing it overnight so can’t say. We’d love to hear how it goes if you give it a try!
Just made this recipe this morning. I had purƩed sweet potato and I substituted that for the pumpkin purƩe. Thanks for testing this recipe.
Wouldn’t let me rate it the first time – 5 stars!
Thank you for this amazing recipe Lindsay. I made it using white whole wheat flour but other than that, followed the recipe exactly and they were amazing! Fluffiest pancakes I have ever made and absolutely delicious! Thanks again so much š
We love hearing that, Bella! š
These were so yummy! Thanks for sharing! My family of four wolfed down the first batch (kid tested and approved!) so I had to make a second batch for the week ahead. I thought the first batch was a bit thin and needed more spice, so I omitted the water and doubled the spice. Voila! Awesomeness! I admit they are a bit on the salty side with all that baking powder, so I might cut back when making my next batch and see how it goes. I’m saving this recipe though and will likely make this a lot this fall!
Awesome, Andrea! Thanks for the tips! š
Great pancakes! Perfect for a Fall morning. As a nutritionist I couldn’t add 2tbsp of baking powder, just couldn’t do it– too much sodium. Stuck with 1 tbsp and skipped the water; didn’t want the pumpkin or spice flavor to mellow out. Only added enough flour to bring it together with the right texture w/o being too thick. Made plenty of pancakes with extra to spare. Great pancake base will have plenty of fun making it my own! Thanks!
Awesome, Kristen! š
Made these this morning for my family. My husband told me these were some of the best pancakes he has ever had! My four boys LOVED them! This is a new favorite in our house š
We love hearing that! Thanks for the comment, Tamera!
Yum! We love pumpkin pancakes, and we only make them with whole wheat, so this is a win-win. I am going to try this with my first roasted pumpkin this fall. I know it will be a hit at our house, and especially with the grandkids.
Thank you for a wonderful recipe. This is the Recipe of the Day on my Facebook page, Cooking with Whole Grains & Real Whole Foods.
Thanks, Kathryn! Hope you enjoy it!
YES! I’m a dunker too! Also with salads and dressing. Flavor guaranteed with every bite, without drowning your food and making it soggy. Sometimes I get judged hardcore but I’m over it and ready to break pancake-soaking, salad-dousing tradition. And these pancakes look scrumptious.
Hope you enjoy them, Tera!
I just have to say that it’s nice to eat whole wheat pancakes that don’t taste like they’re whole wheat pancakes!
I substituted water instead of the buttermilk to cut some calories and they were still good. Next time I might do half buttermilk / half water instead. š
Great suggestion, thanks Caroline!