Pumpkin Buttermilk Pancakes

These are the MOST scrumptious soft and fluffy Pumpkin Buttermilk Pancakes you’ll ever eat! They are loaded with pumpkin flavor and delicious warm seasonal spices. Your kitchen will smell amazing! Wake everyone up with these perfect Pumpkin Buttermilk Pancakes!!!

This is a great recipe!!! These Pumpkin Buttermilk Pancakes turn out so fluffy and soft but they are still light enough to stack a few. They literally melt in your mouth which is a trademark of buttermilk pancakes. The best advice I can give when making these pancakes is to not over mix after adding the wet and dry ingredients. If you over mix the batter, the pancakes won’t be as soft. Another trick is to let the batter rest for 5 minutes after mixing. The buttermilk and baking soda need a little time to aerate for the fluffiest pancakes.

HOW DOES THE USE OF BUTTERMILK, BAKING SODA, AND BAKING POWDER ACHIEVE FLUFFY PANCAKES?

To get light as air pancakes, the first secret Chef ingredient is buttermilk and it does matter what you pair it with. The second secret is baking soda. The addition of baking soda is essential with buttermilk for the chemical reaction to take place. I’ll explain why. Compared to regular milk which is neutral, buttermilk is acidic. That’s why it tastes sour and tart. The opposite of an acid is called a base. Baking soda is very basic. When combining an acid and a base, a chemical reaction will occur. Baking soda needs an acid, such as buttermilk, brown sugar, molasses, or cocoa powder, to activate it. As buttermilk and baking soda are mixed together carbon dioxide bubbles form in the batter. Be careful not to over mix the batter or else the bubbles will deflate. If the batter is mixed properly, the result will be super fluffy and soft pancakes.

Baking powder, on the other hand, is baking soda with an added powdered acid (cream of tartar). When baking powder (acid) and baking soda (base) are added together to a liquid, they release carbon dioxide bubbles. This is important to know because when using regular milk to make pancakes, baking powder (acidic) is definitely needed for the pancakes to rise. Some recipes add an acid like vinegar if they are not using buttermilk.

WHY DO RECIPES USE BOTH BAKING SODA AND BAKING POWDER?

The culinary term Maillard Reaction is a chemical reaction that happens when food is browned while cooking creating intense flavors. What really happens is that the proteins and/or amino acids chemically react with carbohydrates of reducing sugars. When heat is applied during the cooking process, the appearance and flavors will be elevated. The Maillard reaction happens in basic conditions, so in order for the browning of the pancakes to occur, baking soda (base) needs to be in the batter. The baking soda neutralizes the acidic buttermilk.

In this case, when the pancake batter starts to cook the amino acids from the proteins bond with the carbon and oxygen in the sugar. The results are lots of flavor and browning of the pancakes. Now we know that adding the baking soda with the buttermilk not only browns the pancakes but makes them fluffy and soft. The baking powder, along with the buttermilk and baking soda, adds even more carbon dioxide to ensure that the pancakes extra fluffy.

INGREDIENTS TO MAKE PUMPKIN BUTTERMILK PANCAKES

• All-purpose flour
• Baking powder
• Baking soda
• Salt
• Ground cinnamon
• Ground cloves
• Ground ginger
• Ground nutmeg
• Light brown sugar
• Pumpkin purée
• Buttermilk
• Butter, melted
• Eggs
• Pure vanilla extract
• Sugar, optional for sweeter pancakes

HOW TO MAKE PUMPKIN BUTTERMILK PANCAKES

• Preheat a non-stick electric griddle to 375° (190°C) or a griddle on the stovetop over medium heat.
• In a medium-size bowl, mix together the brown sugar, (optional granulated sugar), pumpkin purée, buttermilk, melted butter, eggs, and pure vanilla extract; set aside.
• In a separate large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and nutmeg.
• Make a well in the center. Using a rubber spatula, pour in the mixed liquid ingredients.
• Whisk together dry and liquid ingredients until just combined. (It will be slightly lumpy).
• Let the batter rest for 5 minutes.

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• Butter or spray the griddle with cooking spray.
• Using a ⅓ cup measuring cup, pour the batter onto the griddle to form the circular pancakes.
• Cook until a few bubbles appear on the top of the pancake and the bottom is golden brown and set.
• Flip the pancake, then cook until golden brown.
• Repeat until all of the batter is used.
• Serve with butter and warmed pure maple syrup.

NOTES

• TO KEEP PANCAKES WARM: Preheat oven to 200°F (93°C) and place a baking sheet inside the oven. Place the prepared pancakes on the baking sheet and loosely cover with foil to keep warm until serving.