Pumpkin Pancakes

Pumpkin pancakes are bright, tasty pancakes with a cheerful colour and a pumpkin flavour that is not too strong. Pumpkin pancakes suit breakfast, dessert, children’s meals, and festive pancake days, and pumpkin pancakes are best served with honey or maple syrup and nuts.

The balance of ingredients makes pumpkin pancakes soft, flexible, and easy to fry. Pumpkin purée gives pumpkin pancakes colour and gentle sweetness, milk loosens the batter, eggs help bind the batter, flour gives the batter structure, sugar rounds out the flavour, salt sharpens the sweetness, and refined sunflower oil helps keep pumpkin pancakes tender.

The key point while mixing is the texture of the batter. Pumpkin pancake batter should resemble kefir, so add about three quarters of the flour first and only add the rest of the flour if pumpkin pancake batter seems too thin. Resting the batter for 15–20 minutes at room temperature helps the flour hydrate before the sunflower oil is stirred in.

The key point while cooking is to soften the pumpkin fully and then fry the pancakes in the usual way on a hot pan. Pumpkin should be baked in the oven or cooked in a small amount of water until soft, then blended until smooth, because a smooth pumpkin purée gives pumpkin pancakes an even texture. A hot pan helps the batter spread and cook like classic pancakes.

The sensible swaps are limited by the original recipe, but the method allows a little adjustment to the flour. If the first amount of flour already gives pumpkin pancake batter the consistency of kefir, the remaining flour is not needed; if pumpkin pancake batter stays too liquid, add the rest of the flour. The serving suggestion can also vary between honey and maple syrup, with nuts added on top.

The best way to serve pumpkin pancakes is warm, with honey or maple syrup and nuts. The mild flavour of pumpkin pancakes works well with sweet toppings, and the bright colour of pumpkin pancakes makes a simple stack look lively on the table.

The best way to keep pumpkin pancakes is to cool pumpkin pancakes completely and refrigerate pumpkin pancakes in a covered container for up to 2 days. Reheat pumpkin pancakes briefly in a dry pan or a low oven before serving, and keep leftover pumpkin batter refrigerated and use pumpkin batter within 1 day.

Questions about this recipe

How do I know if the batter for pumpkin pancakes is the right consistency?

The batter for pumpkin pancakes is right when the batter resembles kefir. If pumpkin pancake batter looks too thin after the first flour addition, add the remaining flour a little at a time.

Can I cook the pumpkin instead of baking it for pumpkin pancakes?

Yes, the pumpkin for pumpkin pancakes can be baked in the oven or cooked in a small amount of water until soft. The important point is to blend the pumpkin into a completely smooth purée before mixing the batter.

What should I serve with pumpkin pancakes?

Pumpkin pancakes are best served with honey or maple syrup and nuts. The pumpkin flavour in pumpkin pancakes is not very strong, so sweet toppings suit pumpkin pancakes especially well.

Can I make the batter for pumpkin pancakes thicker or thinner?

Yes, the recipe already allows for that small adjustment. Start with most of the flour, then add the remaining flour only if pumpkin pancake batter is too liquid, keeping the final texture similar to kefir.