Friday, November 12, 2010

Pumpkin Pancakes – Seasonal, Not Salacious!

I know what you're thinking. I'm in the pocket of Big Pumpkin, and have been using so much canned pumpkin lately, not because I like it so much, but because I'm being paid to. I wish! (Big Pumpkin, call me ;-)

No, the truth of the matter is, I'm simply using the time-honored strategy of turning any recipe into a "holiday recipe" by adding some pumpkin. It really does work – whether chili, bread, soup, or cookies – just plop in a spoon or two of pumpkin, and you are in seasonally appropriate heaven!

Here we are taking a very standard pancake recipe, and with the addition of pumpkin, and a few classic pumpkin pie spices, have turned it into what would be a memorable holiday brunch item.

I also have it on very good authority that this works quite nicely as a winter breakfast-for-dinner special. I hope you give it a try soon. Enjoy!




Pumpkin Pancakes Ingredients
Mix in one bowl:
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon white sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon table salt
Mix in another bowl:
1 cup pumpkin puree
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1 egg
1 1/2 cups milk
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 teaspoon grated lemon zest
Combine and make pumpkin pancakes!

45 comments:

Anonymous said...

USER WAS BANNED FOR THIS POST

For a more healthy way to moisten the top of your pancakes, try lightly brushing with soybean oil.

Luatica said...

I like the twist on the pancakes using pumpkin. Since i went back to oven less and i have been cravin gpumpkin pie for a while, i think this would be close enough.

But I am not sure what is the 1st comment talking about, as in why a very refined oil would make this healthier.

Rita said...

sounds good for tomorrow's brekkie.

nobody sifts flour, anymore? heresy!

Rita said...

by the way, isn't a mixture of lemon and milk, the recipe for a homemade buttermilk? if so, could i just use buttermilk? or is it the taste and the acidity of the lemon that we're after, as well?

Steve said...

Chef:

Recently on Food Network they reran the "Good Eats" sweet potato show and I'm thinking that sweet potato might be a good substitute for canned pumpkin. Admittedly a little more prep than opening a can and probably less than roasting a gourd. A little extra spice and you'd probably never tell the difference.

Thoughts?

Anonymous said...

The great pumpkin appears to all those who are sincere. It's the sincerity that counts.

Chemgeek said...

The butter really should be added to every layer!! :)

Anonymous said...

This looks amazing!
Question though, do you think plain soymilk will work instead of regular milk?

Unknown said...

I just made these for breakfast. My batter looked a bit dry comparing to Chef John's, so I added extra milk. The pancakes have very subtle pumpkin flavor which can be easily masked by my grade B maple syrup, so I should not pour that much next time :)
And yes GMO soybean oil is by no means healthier than real butter. Real organic grass fed milk butter is one of the most nutritious whole foods you can find on the planet.

Kat said...

How high should the burner be set for? I think I always use the wrong amount of heat.

Also! If we were to use pumpkin pie filling would it ruin the texture or just make it sweeter? Thanks Chef!

Steve said...

Chef:

A good reason to sift: I made these pancakes this morning and didn't sift. Unfortunately, I didn't notice that the baking powder had caked a bit and ended up with little chunks of unincorporated baking powder in the batter. As AB would put it, not Good Eats. Next time I take the dry stuff for a quick spin in the food processor.

BTW, I substituted mashed sweet potato and, other than the baking power crunchies, it turned out great.

Oh, one question: being a devotee of Shirley Corriher, Alton Brown, et al, I like to weigh my baking ingredients, my belief being that baking is a lot closer to protein chemistry than other forms of cooking.

Do you have an equivalent measure in ounces or grams for the dry ingredients?

Chef John said...

It's probably 9oz of flour. I usually go by feel anyway having made so many batters. ;-)

chow and chatter said...

wow great pancakes and great work on your blog Rebecca

Anonymous said...

I wouldn`t recommend using butter to top them off with, as butter is not very healthy.

Jean said...

I love the look (and the addition of pumpkin) of these pancakes. These would disappear fast in my home!

So nice to meet you at the Foodbuzz Festival! :-)

Luatica said...

I tried these today, but with some sweet potato puree i had frozen. They were very yummy though Im not sure if i could actually notice the sweet potato, perhaps it was more the texture than the flavor.

Nevertheless I enjoyed them a lot, fluffy, flavorful and not too sweet.

Anonymous said...

great recipe and i could listen to you say 'punkin' for hours. ;]

Georgie Fear RD said...

So true - add pumpkin and Boom! You're seasonal!

They look great, and I love the seeds on top. :)

Anonymous said...

Hello,

First of all, these look amazing!
Second: how big is the can of pumpkin?

Anonymous said...

Hello,

First of all, these look amazing!
Second: how big is the can of pumpkin?

Chef John said...

They're 15oz. Thanks.

Amanda said...

Making these wonderful "punkin" pancakes this morning. Oh the wonderful smells of pumpkin in the kitchen :-)

Anonymous said...

Chef John,

I made these for my friends in college and at first they were a little skeptical. Who makes pumpkin pancakes? People who know good food that's who! I made them and they loved them. However, I used pumpkin pie filling which might have made them more sweet but sweet is good. I added some dark chocolate chips and it made a wonderful addition as well. Keep cooking up amazing dishes :).

Anonymous said...

Thank you for good dish :)

can i make it without the pumpkin puree?

Anonymous said...

For the Pumpkin Pancake that I couldn't find any mention of the last material you put in the bowl, I only get is you said - the dry griliun ? what is that?

Chef John said...

"Dry ingredients" is what I said. All ing listed above.

Cherrybloosom89 said...

These pancakes are so awesome and easy! (college student speaking) I had to substitute a lime for the lemon zest/juice and I think it didn't make a difference.

Also I recommend using honey instead of maple or agave syrup. Just a bit really made the pumpkin taste really come out compared to my sugar free maple syrup. A lil whipcream on top doesn't hurt either! (^U^)

Vicki said...

I made these yesterday. All thought they were wonderful. I do have a question though about the consistency of the batter. I've tried many pancake recipes and I'm never sure what the batter is supposed to look like. The batter for this particular recipe was as thick as pudding, so I did risk adding more milk and all worked out well.
PS I appreciated the bit in the film about what the pancakes should look like when it's time to flip them. I've never exactly known and I've always been embarrassed to ask.
OH and FYI The ingredient list/method says to mix the spices with the wet ingredients, but the film says to mix them with the dry. Does it matter?

Mette said...

I live in Denmark and can't buy canned pumpkin puree. Will you tell e how to make it myself, if I promise to put butter, syrup and BACON on top?

Chef John said...

Just wrap chucks of pumpkin or butternut squash in foil and roast until soft.

Mette said...

Thanks for responding so fast. I got impatient and put it in the microwave a few times instead. These pancakes are the best I ever had.

Eliz said...

Good Morning Chef John <3

I was waiting all summer to try out this recipe and now fall's finally here!! *frolics in kitchen*

Question: I think you mentioned it somewhere in a post or video what grade of Maple Syrup we should use.. Was it A or B, again?

Anonymous said...

I just made these today, they were absolutely delicious.

Jenhd said...

I could listen to your voice all day long. You are so fun!

Eliz said...

I second that.

Lydia said...

Chef John~ I tried this recipe at 6am this morning as part of my blog's pumpkin tribute, a series of pumpkin recipes for the fall and they turned out great! I used evaporated milk instead of regular milk because we didn't have any regular milk...and since I am in pumpkin pie mode, we had a couple extra cans of evaporated milk...it worked well. Thanks for this video.

Minnie Mom said...

I made these pumpkin pancakes this morning. Wow! Never before have I had such fluffy and pumpkin-y pancakes! The whole family LOVED them!!! :) I followed the recipe exactly except for the following changes: I added a second organic egg and used organic buttermilk instead of regular milk. Amazing!

Also, I'd like to say that I wholeheartedly agree that soybean oil or milk is not a healthy substitution. Do a google search on "fermented soy" for a few eye-opening articles that may better inform your health decisions.

Thank you, Chef John! I appreciate everything about your videos...clear, concise, well-informed, and YUM! :)

tmber_leather said...

Butter - Yummmmm!!!

Margarine - PUKE!!!!

tmber_leather said...

@Cherrybloosom89 - No such thing as "sugar free maple syrup." It is either maple syrup or artificial stuff with maple flavoring, and that is usually artificial as well. Always use the real stuff - you'll notice a HUGE difference in taste, and it is so much healthier for you as well.

Babs said...

So do you use 1 cup or the whole can of pumpkin puree?

MomtoGirl said...

Chef John,

I rarely leave comments but these pancakes are way too AMAZING. So here it is, my MANY MANY THANKS for this wonderful recipe. I love all things pumpkin and pancakes, and these are the best I've ever tasted. I make them all the time. Second time I made them, I used more lemon zest and juice by accident (double the amount because I forgot I put the juice the first time)...and the lemony taste enhances the flavor and makes them to die for. So people, start making these right now. And Chef John, thanks again!

Anonymous said...

Another fantastic pancake receipt.

Excellant mon ami

Anonymous said...

These were amazing!!....even with a few "healthy" modifications. Wheat flour instead of white (my husband didn't even notice), 3 Tbl. organic sugar (instead of 2 Tbl. brown and 1 Tbl. white), and light olive oil instead of vegetable oil. I'm sure these would be even more amazing had I just followed the recipe exactly. I had to make it slightly healthier because I was making Chef John's salted caramel sauce later that night (which by the way is amazing)

Susy said...

Dear Chef,
I was wondering if you could make a recipe for plan pancake? I made these and they are amazing, but then checked and couldnt find a normal pancake recipe? thick and fluffy like these in your website.! would really appreciate it!
Thanks for all the recipes you post, I have tried tons of them!
Susan

Kristy said...

These were faaaantastic. Just made them for lunch, but threw in a bit of whole wheat flour for the equivalent amount of white (maybe a third to half a cup) just so I could pretend this was healthy. Hearty and delicious, and definitely a keeper.

Man, I love pumpkin. Always all the time. I get excited to have some left in the can, because I like to mix it into my oatmeal with a bit of cinnamon and brown sugar.