Amazing Pumpkin Pancakes For Two

These fluffy and perfect Pumpkin Pancakes are packed with pumpkin and warming spices and might just be your new favorite fall breakfast.

These pancakes are everything good about fall: a brisk October morning, a worn-in slouchy sweater, a grande Pumpkin Spice Latte , all served up in a beautiful heaping stack of carbs.

They’re completely delicious, perfectly fluffy, and really, really simple to make. If you have a can of pumpkin puree in your pantry, you probably have the ingredients make some pumpkin pancakes right now.

Photograph of syrup being poured over a stack of pumpkin pancakes. - 1

Photograph of syrup being poured over a stack of pumpkin pancakes. - 2

Pumpkin Pancake Ingredients

Buttermilk or buttermilk substitute: This recipe calls for buttermilk, which makes the pancakes soft and moist and just a little tangy. But if you don’t have buttermilk, you can make a quick buttermilk substitute with regular milk (dairy-free milk works too) and lemon juice or vinegar. Baking staples: The bulk of the ingredients here are just baking staples, flour, brown sugar, baking powder and soda, salt, and an egg. Pumpkin pie spices: These pancakes are spiced with cinnamon, allspice, ginger, and nutmeg. You can use all those spices separately, or if you have pumpkin pie spice in your spice drawer, use 1 slightly heaping teaspoon pumpkin spice instead. Pumpkin puree: Pumpkin puree is just pure, pureed pumpkin (don’t mix it up with sweetened pumpkin pie filling). You can usually find it in the baking aisle. This recipe won’t use up an entire can of pumpkin puree, so see my post What to Do With Leftover Pumpkin Puree for storage tips and recipe ideas for the leftovers. Vegetable oil: Just a little vegetable oil in the batter helps keep the pancakes moist. If you don’t have vegetable oil, you can substitute the same amount of melted butter.

Close up photo of stack of Pumpkin Pancakes for Two on a white plate with syrup dripping down the side. - 3

Close up photo of stack of Pumpkin Pancakes for Two on a white plate with syrup dripping down the side. - 4

How to Make Pumpkin Pancakes.

If you don’t have buttermilk, mix vinegar/lemon juice and milk together and let it sit to make a faux buttermilk while you measure your other ingredients.
Mix together dry ingredients in one bowl, wet in another, and then stir wet into dry until just combined. Don’t over mix or your pancakes can end up too chewy and tough!
Drop heaping 1/3 cups of batter onto a greased griddle set to 350° or a skillet heated over medium heat. Because of the added moisture of the pumpkin, these pancakes take longer to cook than regular pancakes, so don’t be worried if they seem to be taking a while. Just keep the heat at 350°F or medium (any higher and they might burn before they cook through), and check the centers by cutting into one before you remove them from heat.
If making your pancakes in a skillet rather than a griddle, you will have to cook them two at a time. To keep your first batch of pancakes warm while the second cooks, set them on a plate inside your oven and turn your oven to warm or its lowest setting.
Top with lots of butter and (preferably real) maple syrup, and enjoy!

Photo of stack of Pumpkin Pancakes for Two with pieces on a fork. - 5

Photo of stack of Pumpkin Pancakes for Two with pieces on a fork. - 6

Can I freeze pumpkin pancakes?

Yes! Pancakes in general freeze pretty well. Freeze in a freezer bag with a small sheet of parchment paper between each pancake and reheat in the microwave for 20-30 seconds. Extend the time slightly for each additional pancake you’re reheating.

What goes with pumpkin pancakes?

These pancakes can be served on their own with just a side of fall fruits ( apples, grapes, mangos, pears, and raspberries are what are in season right now ). Or serve as part of a full breakfast spread with eggs, thick-cut bacon or sausage, and maybe some roasted potatoes .

More Pancake (and Waffle) Recipes

Fluffy Pancakes for Two
Banana Pancakes for Two
Pancakes for One
Crispy Waffles

Close up photograph of a stack of pumpkin pancakes with a piece cut out of it. - 7

Close up photograph of a stack of pumpkin pancakes with a piece cut out of it. - 8

A Note on Recipe Yield

This recipe is designed to serve two, so it will make exactly four large and fluffy pancakes. But if you’re serving the pancakes alongside a full breakfast or making them for kids/dainty eaters, you could definitely stretch the recipe to make six smaller pancakes and feed three.

If you’d like to double or triple the recipe, hover over the serving size below or click if you’re on mobile, and slide the slider.

Ingredients

▢ 1 tablespoon white vinegar *
▢ Scant 3/4 cup milk
▢ 1 cup ( 120g ) all-purpose flour
▢ 2 tablespoons ( 25g ) brown sugar
▢ 1 teaspoon baking powder
▢ 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
▢ 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
▢ 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
▢ 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
▢ Generous pinch of nutmeg
▢ 1/4 teaspoon salt
▢ 1/2 cup ( 122g ) pumpkin puree
▢ 1 large egg
▢ 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Instructions

Before you start measuring out any of your other ingredients, add 1 tablespoon vinegar to a 3/4 cup measuring cup and fill the rest of the way with milk. Set aside to sour.
In a medium bowl, combine flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, spices, and salt. Whisk until well-combined.
In a small bowl, whisk together soured milk, pumpkin puree, egg, and vegetable oil.
Pour liquid into the flour mixture and use a spoon to stir until just combined. Do not over mix.
Heat a griddle to 350°F or skillet over medium heat and rub a stick of butter over the surface or grease with cooking spray. Drop heaping 1/3 cups of batter to the surface. If making in a skillet, you will need to make the pancakes in two batches.
Cook until bubbles form on the top of the pancakes and flip, making sure to cook all the way through—these pancakes will take slightly longer to cook than regular pancakes because of the pumpkin.
Top with butter and maple syrup, and enjoy!

Notes

The Best Dutch Apple Pie: Sweet and tart apples piled with crunchy, crumbly brown sugar cinnamon topping and baked into a flaky pie crust. It’s a total show-stopper AND incredibly easy to make.

Looking for something extra sweet to add to your holiday dessert table? I have just the pie for you: Dutch Apple Pie.

This is one of my absolute favorite pies, and I highly recommend you give it a try sometime. It’s a perfect dessert-to-impress for guests and even better if you just want to really treat yourself (because then you don’t have to share). 😉

What is Dutch Apple Pie?

Dutch apple pie is classic apple pie, spiced apples baked in a flaky pie crust, but with a sweet and crunchy streusel over the top.

The difference between Apple Pie and Dutch Apple Pie is the streusel topping. Where you make apple pie with a double crust, crust on the top and bottom, you only need the bottom crust for a Dutch apple pie. Instead of crust on top, the topping on Dutch apple pie is a crumbly mix of butter, brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon that bakes up crumbly and crunchy.

Overhead photo of Dutch Apple Pie cut into slices on white plates. - 12

Overhead photo of Dutch Apple Pie cut into slices on white plates. - 13

Ingredients

Pie Crust: Use your favorite 9-inch pie crust recipe here. If you don’t have a go-to crust recipe, give my favorite Buttermilk Pie Crust a try. It’s foolproof and as one reader recently commented, “is a dream to work with.” (Also it just tastes really good and is SO flaky.)
Baking staples: This pie is made with mostly baking staples, so if you have enough apples, you probably have all the rest of the ingredients for the pie on hand. You’ll need flour, granulated and brown sugar, cinnamon, lemon juice, salt, and nutmeg.
Apples: I use and recommend Granny Smith Apples for this pie. They hold up well to baking without becoming mushy, and their tartness offsets the sweetness of the crumble nicely. You can use whatever baking apple you prefer, but a purely sweet apple will make this (already very sweet pie) very, very sweet.
Butter: You’ll need softened butter for the crumble topping. I like to use salted butter here, but if all you have is unsalted, that will work fine. Just add ⅛ teaspoon of salt to the topping.

A Note on Pie Dough: If you don’t feel like making the crust from scratch, a frozen store-bought crust absolutely works. You still totally get pie-making bragging rights if you use one, and don’t let anyone tell you differently!

How to Make Dutch Apple Pie Topping

Collage photo of step 1 of Dutch Apple Pie, brown sugar topping before and after mixing. - 14

Collage photo of step 1 of Dutch Apple Pie, brown sugar topping before and after mixing. - 15

For the crumb topping, we’ll be using cool room temperature butter, flour, brown and granulated sugar, and cinnamon.
Take all your crumble ingredients, dump them into a large bowl (the bowl in the photos above was actually a little too small for this), and use a fork or clean hands (I always use my hands) to mix until well-mixed and crumbly.
Put your crumble in the fridge and it’s time to make the filling.

A note on butter temperature: During the cooler months of the year, just set your butter out on the counter to soften an hour or so before you’re ready to get started, but if you’re making this pie during the summer, keep an eye on your butter temperature and don’t let it get too soft.

Butter that’s too warm and melty will be difficult to work with. You should be able to squish an indentation in it with your finger, but the butter should hold it’s shape around it, and should not be at all greasy.

Dutch Apple Pie Filling

Photo of step 2 of Dutch Apple Pie, sliced apples mixed with sugar and lemon juice. - 16

Photo of step 2 of Dutch Apple Pie, sliced apples mixed with sugar and lemon juice. - 17

Peel and thinly slice your apples. Then toss your apple slices with lemon juice, brown and granulated sugar, flour, cinnamon, salt, and a pinch of nutmeg, and then layer them into your unbaked pie crust. You don’t need to perfectly stack each slice, but the flatter and more evenly the apples are layered, the less likely you are to have parts of your pie sink during baking.
Depending on how shallow your 9-inch pie pan is, you may have slightly too many apples (the pie dish in these photos is quite deep so everything sits level). Mound them as high as you like as long as there’s room for the crumble.
Finally, add the crumble. It will seem like a lot, but the crumble is the best part, so if it fits in the pie pan, use it.

Baking Your Pie

Collage photo of unbaked dutch apple pie before and after brown sugar crumble is added. - 18

Collage photo of unbaked dutch apple pie before and after brown sugar crumble is added. - 19

To avoid drips in your oven, if using a metal pie pan, set your pie on a foil-covered baking sheet. For a glass, pyrex, or ceramic pan, set the sheet on the rack below.
This pie starts at 425°F to help the bottom crust set quickly (no soggy bottoms here) and then drops to 350°F for the remaining cooking time.
Keep an eye on your crumble during the initial high-heat cooking time, especially if it’s mounded high, and cover the top with a small piece of foil if any of the sugar begins to burn. Later in the baking process, you can cover the entire top of the pie with foil if the crust or topping is browning too quickly and looks like it might burn.
The pie is done when it’s bubbly and you can insert a knife into the center and feel that the apples are softened all the way through.
Cool for at least half an hour then serve with a big scoop of ice cream and enjoy!

Can I make Dutch Apple Pie in advance?

Yes! You can make this pie up to 48 hours ahead of time. Store loosely covered at room temperature. Reheat in the oven to help re-crisp everything.

Does this pie need to be refrigerated? (How to Store Dutch Apple Pie)

No (but also, maybe). If you plan on eating the pie within 2 days, you can store it at room temperature, loosely covered. If it’s going to take longer to eat, store covered in the refrigerator.

Freezing Pie

Freezing a Whole Unbaked Pie: Double wrap your pie tightly in plastic wrap and foil, and if possible a large freezer bag. Store for up to 2 months. Defrost overnight in the refrigerator or on the counter for a couple of hours and then bake according to recipe instructions. (For step by step photos of this process, I really love this article from King Arthur Baking )

Pie dish note: Don’t freeze pies in Pyrex or glass pie dishes because the temperature change of putting cold dishes into a hot oven can cause them to shatter.

Freezing Baked Pie Slices: To freeze baked pie slices, place them on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet or cutting board (that will fit in your freezer). Freeze for 20 to 30 minutes until frozen solid. Wrap slices individually in plastic wrap and then store all together in a freezer bag. Defrost on the counter before reheating in the microwave or oven.

Reheating Dutch Apple Pie

Whole Pie: To reheat a whole pie, bake for 15 to 30 minutes at 325°F. Slice: 10 minutes in the oven at 325°F or about 30 seconds in the microwave.

Picture of a slice of Dutch Apple Pie with vanilla ice cream on top. - 20

Picture of a slice of Dutch Apple Pie with vanilla ice cream on top. - 21

Recipe Notes

If you’re a fan of Marie Callender’s French Apple Pie, and looking to recreate it, this is not an exact replica, but it’s pretty close to it. It’s not as tooth-curlingly sweet (not a knock, I love their French Apple Pie) and doesn’t mysteriously turn liquid when you reheat it (tell me this has also happened to you!), but it hits all the same sweet spots.
This pie will drop slightly as it settles and cools. Expect it and don’t be alarmed. This is normal!
If you would like to substitute apple pie spice for the spices in this recipe, use 1 very lightly heaping teaspoon of apple pie spice in place of the cinnamon and nutmeg.