These sourdough pumpkin pancakes are super fluffy and have a light pumpkin spice flavor. You can eat them plain with butter and maple syrup, or add whipped cream and toasted pecans for even more fall flavor! They're the perfect easy treat for weekend breakfast or brunch!
These sourdough pumpkin pancakes on their own are just barely sweet so that they're the perfect vehicle for sweet maple syrup! They're also delicious paired with a homemade pumpkin spice latte!
You might also like this sourdough pumpkin bread or these pumpkin cinnamon rolls!
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Ingredient Notes
You just need a few simple ingredients to make these fluffy sourdough pumpkin pancakes!
Sourdough Starter - I typically use leftover sourdough discard to make these pumpkin pancakes because I always need to use up extra discard, but ripe active sourdough starter works just as well!
Pumpkin Puree - I almost exclusively use Libby's Pumpkin because it really is the best of the best! A ton of people have run blind taste tests comparing different brands of pumpkin puree, and Libby's is always the winner!
Pumpkin Pie Spice - You can buy pumpkin pie spice at most grocery stores, or just make your own with spices from your pantry!
Butter - Instead of melted butter in the pancake batter you can substitute melted coconut oil.
The complete list of ingredients and amounts is located in the recipe card below.
How to Make Sourdough Pumpkin Pancakes
The sourdough pancake batter can either be prepped the night before (my personal preference for more flavorful pancakes) or the same day! Both methods yield delicious fluffy pancakes!
Overnight Option: The night before you want to to make pancakes, mix together the sourdough discard, flour, sugar, and milk in a large bowl. Cover and let rest at room temperature overnight. [Tip: if you want your pancakes to have even more sourdough flavor, let the batter ferment in the fridge overnight!] You can keep this batter in the fridge for up to 2 days.
Same Day Option: Mix together the sourdough discard, flour, sugar, and milk in a large bowl. Cover and let rest for 30-60 minutes to give the flour time to hydrate.
In the morning (or after the batter has rested), whisk together the pumpkin puree, eggs, melted butter, vanilla, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, and salt. Then add to the sourdough mixture and mix until combined. The batter should be thick but pourable (if the batter is too thick, add more milk 1 tablespoon at a time until a pourable consistency is reached).
Heat a lightly greased griddle or nonstick frying pan over medium heat. Scoop about ¼ cup of batter onto the griddle and cook until the surface has several bubbles (1-3 minutes). Then flip and cook for another 1-2 minutes.
*I like to grease my pan with coconut oil because of the high smoke point and mild flavor. But you can also use cooking spray.
To keep warm, place the sourdough pumpkin pancakes in the oven at 200°F until ready to serve.
Drizzle the warm pumpkin pancakes with maple syrup (or your preferred toppings) and enjoy!
Sourdough Tips & Tricks
If you've never baked with sourdough before, it can be a little tricky. But don't worry, I have a full Sourdough Starter Guide all about making and maintaining a sourdough starter! I also have a full guide on different types of flour you can use to make sourdough and of course a guide on how to make a Beginner Homemade Sourdough Loaf. Below are a few quick tips and key terms you need to know.
- Sourdough Starter - A culture of wild yeast and bacteria that leavens and flavors sourdough bread. I use what's called a "liquid starter" versus a stiff starter. This means the starter is made with equal parts flour and water and should be a consistency similar to cake batter.
- Sourdough Discard - The portion of your starter that is discarded when feeding your starter (can be used in tons of recipes like sourdough discard blueberry muffins or sourdough pancakes).
- Ripe Starter - A starter that's ready to be used in baking. Your starter is ripe roughly 6 hours after feeding and will have doubled in size, have lots of visible bubbles, and a fresh acidic aroma.
Weigh your ingredients! For all my sourdough recipes, I measure the ingredients in grams because it's much more accurate! I highly recommend getting a kitchen scale if you don't already have one! However, I have included alternate US customary measurements for your convenience.
Use an oven thermometer! Just because your oven says it's 350, doesn't mean it is! If your oven hasn't been calibrated recently, it can be as much as 30 degrees off, which will negatively affect all breads and baked goods! An oven thermometer is the easiest/cheapest way to ensure your oven is always at the proper temperature.
Easy sourdough recipes for beginners! If you've never made sourdough bread before, I recommend starting with some simple, no-fuss recipes like my sourdough naan or sourdough bagels! But if you're already a pro, I have a ton of fun sourdough recipes you can try!
Griddles for Making Pancakes
If you have the space, I love a countertop electric griddle for pancakes! I also love a nonstick griddle pan or even a cast iron skillet!
Whatever you choose, just be sure to grease it well! I like using coconut oil for pancakes because it has high smoke point and subtle flavor. You can also use a neutral pan spray or ghee, but I don't recommend butter as it's more likely to burn.
You also want a nice wide spatula for flipping pancakes! A specific pancake spatula makes flipping SO much easier and the batter is less likely to splatter.
Topping Ideas
These pumpkin pancakes can be dressed up however you like! These pancakes are delicious plain with just butter and maple syrup! But there are a ton of fun topping combinations!
- Homemade whipped cream
- Swap maple syrup for honey
- Powdered sugar
- Sliced bananas and pecans
- Melted chocolate drizzle
- Apple butter
- Add chocolate chips to the batter
- Nutella
- Homemade caramel sauce
- Peanut butter and chocolate chips
- Marshmallow fluff
As you can see by the photos, my favorite topping is whipped cream, toasted pecans, and maple syrup! It's the perfect fall flavor combo for these pumpkin pancakes.
Recipe FAQ's
Store the leftover pumpkin pancakes in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Yes! Separate the pancakes with pieces of parchment or wax paper so that they don't stick together. Then wrap tightly and freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
You can reheat the sourdough pumpkin pancakes in the oven or microwave! Reheat on a baking sheet at 350°F for 5-10 minutes or until warm. Or reheat in the microwave for 20 second intervals until heated through.
You can use either sourdough discard or your active sourdough starter!
Tips for Success!
For best results I always recommend using weight measurements (especially when baking) because it's the most accurate. Kitchen scales are super affordable and also reduce the number of dishes you have to do! However, all my recipes also include US customary measurements for convince. Use this chart to convert measurements for common ingredients!
Substitutions: In all my recipes, I've included substitutions that I know will work, but I cannot guarantee results if you substitute ingredients that I have not recommended. [For example, granulated sugar and honey are indeed both sweeteners but they have very different properties so they can not always be swapped 1:1. Using honey in a cookie recipe that calls for granulated sugar will yield a giant mess.] In the recipe card you'll find links to the specific ingredients/brands that I use.
A note on salt: I almost exclusively use Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt because it's the best all-purpose salt for cooking and baking. If you're not using kosher salt, consult this handy guide for a conversion chart! When in doubt, if you're using table salt just reduce the amount by half for baked goods. When cooking, I prefer to under-salt because you can always add more! If you've over-salted, adding a little bit of acid (like lemon juice) can help.
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Recipe Card
Sourdough Pumpkin Pancakes
Special Equipment
Ingredients
- 227 grams sourdough starter discard
- 241 grams all purpose flour
- 454 grams whole milk
- 90 grams granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 113 grams pumpkin puree
- 57 grams unsalted butter, melted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
Pancake Batter
- The sourdough pancake batter can either be prepped the night before (my personal preference for more flavorful pancakes) or the same day! Both methods yield delicious fluffy pancakes!
- Overnight Option: The night before you want to to make pancakes, mix together the sourdough discard, flour, sugar, and milk in a large bowl. Cover and let rest at room temperature overnight. [Tip: if you want your pancakes to have even more sourdough flavor, let the batter ferment in the fridge overnight!] You can keep this batter in the fridge for up to 2 days.
- Same Day Option: Mix together the sourdough discard, flour, sugar, and milk in a large bowl. Cover and let rest for 30-60 minutes to give the flour time to hydrate.
- In the morning (or after the batter has rested), whisk together the pumpkin puree, eggs, melted butter, vanilla, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, and salt. Then add to the sourdough mixture and mix until combined. The batter should be thick but pourable (if the batter is too thick, add more milk 1 tablespoon at a time until a pourable consistency is reached).
To Cook
- Heat a lightly greased griddle or nonstick frying pan over medium heat. Scoop about ¼ cup of batter onto the griddle and cook until the surface has several bubbles (1-3 minutes). Then flip and cook for another 1-2 minutes.*I like to grease my pan with coconut oil because of the high smoke point and mild flavor. But you can also use cooking spray.
- To keep warm, place the sourdough pumpkin pancakes in the oven at 200°F until ready to serve.
- Drizzle the warm pumpkin pancakes with maple syrup (or your preferred toppings) and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Serenity says
This was my first time making pumpkin pancakes and my first time using discard in a pancake. They were so delicious and it made the house smell phenomenal! I wasn't supposed to eat any (I don't do sugar) but I ate like..5 lol.
Is there a way to substitute the sugar for something healthier?
Thank you!
Kyleigh Sage says
For starters you can definitely reduce the sugar by half! I don't really use sugar substitutes but if you do (like stevia, monk fruit sweetener, etc) those should work fine. If you want no added sugar, you could leave it out and instead of pumpkin you could do mashed banana or applesauce which would add some more natural sweetness.
Marissa says
How many pancakes does the 1X batch make about??
Kyleigh Sage says
Depending on the size, about 12-16 medium size pancakes. If it’s just for me and my husband I usually half the recipe and it’s perfect!
Amanda Roux says
can I sub whole milk for almond milk?
Kyleigh Sage says
Yes absolutely!
Wiebke P says
These are so delicious! Made for my two guys for breakfast and they loved them and I used up my discard!
Grace says
I really love these! I’ve made these multiple times and featured them on my camping blog. They turn out delicious snd perfect every time! Just the right amount if everything for a well balanced recipe!!
Emily says
So delicious and so easy to make!