All products featured on Bon Appétit are independently selected by our editors. However, when you buy something through the retail links below, we earn an affiliate commission.
Canned pumpkin and a healthy dose of cinnamon and fresh ginger give classic buttermilk pancakes a fall-forward makeover, with salted maple butter and toasty pecans thrown in for good measure. These pancakes get their substantial lift from the acid in the buttermilk interacting with the leavening agents; lightly beating the egg whites gives them the similar fluffiness you’d get from whipping whites, minus the elbow grease. Because the pumpkin purée adds extra moisture to the batter, it’s important to cook the pancakes low and slow so they have time to cook all the way through before the outsides get too brown.
All products featured on Bon Appétit are independently selected by our editors. However, when you buy something through the retail links below, we earn an affiliate commission.
Ingredients
6–8 servings
Batter
2
large eggs
1½
cups buttermilk
1
cup pumpkin purée (preferably Libby’s)
¼
cup (50 g) sugar
3
Tbsp. melted unsalted butter
1
2″ piece ginger, peeled, finely grated
1
tsp. vanilla extract
2½
cups (313 g) all-purpose flour
2½
tsp. ground cinnamon
2
tsp. baking powder
¾
tsp. baking soda
1½
tsp. Diamond Crystal or 1 tsp. Morton kosher salt
maple butter and assembly
½
cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
4
Tbsp. pure maple syrup; plus more for serving (optional)
½
tsp. Diamond Crystal or ¼ tsp. Morton kosher salt
1
cup pecans
Vegetable oil (for pan)
Preparation
batter
Step 1
Separate yolks from eggs over a small bowl to catch egg whites. Place yolks in a large bowl. Add buttermilk, pumpkin purée, sugar, butter, ginger, and vanilla to egg yolks and mix with a rubber spatula to combine. Whisk flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl to combine, then gently add to buttermilk mixture and mix until dry ingredients are mostly hydrated. Briefly beat egg whites lightly with a fork, then add to batter and mix until completely incorporated. Let batter sit 10 minutes.
maple butter and assembly
Step 2
While the batter is resting, heat softened butter in a microwave-safe bowl in microwave 10 seconds. The butter should be extremely soft but still pale yellow in color and not melted. Add 4 Tbsp. maple syrup 1 Tbsp. at a time, whisking vigorously after each addition to fully emulsify before adding more, about 2 minutes total. Whisk in salt; set aside.
Step 3
Heat a large nonstick or cast-iron skillet over medium-low and toast pecans, tossing occasionally, until fragrant, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate and let cool; coarsely chop.
Step 4
Lightly brush same skillet with oil and increase heat to medium. Stir batter, and, using a ⅓-cup measuring cup, scoop a heaping cupful of batter into skillet. Repeat a few more times to fill pan but leave enough room around pancakes to keep them from touching. Cook pancakes until bottoms are golden brown, edges begin to dry out, and bubbles form on surface, about 4 minutes. Flip and cook on other side until golden brown and pancakes are cooked through, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a platter and repeat process with remaining batter, brushing skillet with more oil between batches if needed, until all pancakes have been cooked.
Step 5
Divide pancakes among plates and top each with a heaping tablespoonful of reserved salted maple butter. Drizzle more maple syrup over if desired and scatter pecans on top.