Whole Wheat Pumpkin Spice Pancakes

These fluffy whole wheat pumpkin pancakes are packed with flavor, easy to make, and require no buttermilk. Give your everyday pancakes the perfect twist for the fall season.

What can you do with leftover pumpkin puree? Make it part of your breakfast with these whole wheat pumpkin pancakes. Your family will love you for it and it's so easy to do!

Once fall arrives, I put pumpkin spice in everything. I bake up pumpkin chocolate chip cookies and my all time favorite mini bourbon pumpkin cheesecakes. These pancakes are how I bring that flavor to the breakfast table.

Why This Recipe Works

Whole grains without the density. The mix of whole wheat flour, a little oat flour, and optional ground flax adds better nutrition compared to pancakes made with all purpose flour without compromising flavor or weighing the pancakes down.

No buttermilk required. Most pancake recipes call for buttermilk, which I rarely keep on hand. (When I do have it, it goes into my chocolate chip sheet pan pancakes.) Resting the batter for a few minutes and not overmixing gives you a fluffy stack without it.

Real pumpkin spice flavor. A full tablespoon of pumpkin spice means you actually taste the fall flavor instead of just seeing orange batter.

Ingredients and Substitutions

Here are a few notes on the key ingredients. Full measurements are in the recipe card below.

• Whole wheat flour. Regular or white whole wheat both work. If you only have all purpose flour, you can use it in place of the whole wheat. The pancakes will be a little lighter and less nutty in flavor.
• Oat flour. No need to buy it. Blend rolled oats in a food processor or blender until finely ground and measure after grinding. In a pinch, swap in more whole wheat flour instead.
• Pumpkin puree. Use 100% pure pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling. The filling is pre-sweetened and will throw off the recipe. This is a great place to use up leftover puree from your other fall baking.
• Pumpkin spice. I use my own homemade pumpkin pie spice so I know the strength of the flavor. Store bought blends vary, so make a test pancake and add more if you want a stronger spice flavor.
• Ground flax. Completely optional. It adds a little extra nutrition but you won't miss it if you leave it out.
• Milk. Any milk works here. Use whole, low fat, or a non-dairy milk like oat or almond.
• Butter. Melted butter goes into the batter last. You can substitute a neutral oil, but butter gives better flavor.

How to Make Whole Wheat Pumpkin Pancakes

Make the batter. Whisk together the oat flour, whole wheat flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, pumpkin spice and ground flax in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, mix together the pumpkin puree, milk, egg and vanilla.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until just combined, then stir in the melted butter. Be careful not to overmix. A few lumps are fine. Overmixed batter makes flat, chewy pancakes.

Rest the batter. Let the batter sit for at least 5 minutes while you heat your griddle to 350°F, or a nonstick pan coated with oil over medium-low heat. The rest gives the whole wheat flour time to hydrate and makes for a more tender pancake. This batter will be thicker than a typical pancake batter. That's normal, so don't be tempted to thin it out.

Scoop and shape. Because the batter is thick, an ice cream scoop is the easiest way to handle it. Drop a filled scoop onto the griddle, then use the flat bottom of the scoop to gently round out and flatten each pancake to a 3 to 4 inch circle. The batter won't spread much on its own, so this step shapes the pancake.

Cook and flip. Cook until the surface forms bubbles and the edges look dry and set, then flip. Cook until the second side is golden brown. Since these pancakes are thicker than most, keep the heat at medium-low. If it's too hot, the outside browns before the middle cooks through.

Serve. Serve hot with maple syrup, toasted walnuts or candied pecans for extra indulgence.

No Buttermilk Needed

Most pancake recipes I come across call for buttermilk. I don't know about you, but I rarely keep buttermilk as a stock ingredient. So I was happy to work out a recipe for pumpkin pancakes without buttermilk.

Don't get me wrong, buttermilk has its benefits. It gives food a slight tang for the discerning palate, and the acidity reacts with the leavening to make a fluffier pancake. That's all great. But you can get a tender, fluffy pancake without it.

Two things do the work here. First, the resting time. Those 5 minutes give the whole wheat flour a chance to absorb the liquid, so you don't end up with a dense or gritty pancake. Second, stirring just until combined keeps the pancakes from turning tough.

Storing, Freezing, and Reheating

Let the pancakes cool completely, then stack them with parchment paper between each layer and store them in an airtight container. They'll keep in the refrigerator for 3-5 days or in the freezer for up to 1 month.

To reheat, place the pancakes in a toaster oven for 1-2 minutes. If using an oven, spread them in a single layer on a baking sheet, cover loosely with foil, and warm at 350F for about 5-8 minutes. Straight from the freezer, add a couple of extra minutes. No need to thaw first. 

You can also microwave a short stack for 20-30 seconds, though the toaster oven does a better job of keeping the edges from going soft.

What To Do With Leftover Pumpkin Puree

You're in luck, I have several recipes that can use up that extra pumpkin puree and if you don't want to bake, you can always add extra pumpkin to a pot of vegetable soup.

• Pumpkin Spice Cookies
• Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls
• Pumpkin Brookies
• Pumpkin Coffee Cake
• Butterscotch Pumpkin Cake Bars

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make the batter the night before?

I don't recommend it. Baking powder starts working as soon as it gets wet, so batter made the night before loses its lift and you'll end up with flat pancakes. Instead, whisk the dry ingredients together in a bowl the night before. In the morning, all you have to do is mix in the wet ingredients and rest the batter while the griddle heats.

Why are my pancakes dense or gummy in the middle?

The usual culprit is heat that's too high. These pancakes are thicker than most, so a hot pan browns the outside before the middle has a chance to cook through. Keep the heat at medium-low and give them the time they need. Overmixed batter can also make a dense pancake, so stir just until the ingredients are combined.

Can I make these without eggs?

I haven't tested this recipe without eggs yet, so I can't vouch for a substitute here. If you're looking for egg-free baking, my eggless chocolate chip cookies use a flax egg that works beautifully in that recipe.

Can I use pumpkin pie filling instead of pumpkin puree?

No. Pumpkin pie filling is already sweetened and spiced, so it will throw off both the flavor and the texture of the batter. Look for a can labeled 100% pure pumpkin.