Pumpkin season calls for warm spices, golden stacks, and just the right amount of sourdough love. These fluffy Sourdough Pumpkin Pancakes are cosy and full of sweet pumpkin flavour, making them the perfect autumn breakfast. Whilst these can be made in one morning, we encourage you to make our overnight option for enhanced sourdough flavour. You can prep the batter the night before and wake up to a delicious fall breakfast that feels a little bit special without any extra cost in effort.
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Ingredient Notes
Here are all the simple ingredients you will need to make these pumpkin sourdough pancakes:
- Plain flour (all-purpose flour).
- Sugar. Caster or granulated sugar.
- Sourdough discard (100% hydration): Your unfed sourdough starter adds flavour but not rise. Avoid discard that's been hanging around too long (don't stir in the hooch), or the pancakes may taste overly acidic.
- Milk. Whole milk, almond milk or coconut milk. Any works, but whole milk gives the richest result.
- Pumpkin purée. Use canned puree for consistency or homemade, but squeeze out excess liquid if it's watery.
- Egg. Helps bind everything together and contributes to fluffier pancakes.
- Butter: may be replaced with coconut oil.
- Pumpkin pie spice or mixed spice. Or you can simply add cinnamon and a pinch of nutmeg.
- Baking soda. An essential leavening agent that reacts with the acidity of the discard for lift. It should be stirred in shortly before cooking the pancakes.
Find ingredient quantities, detailed instructions and nutritional information in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Have more pumpkin and sourdough starter? Try our Sourdough Pumpkin Focaccia or (Sweet Pumpkin Pie Sourdough Focaccia) next! And if your discard jar is overflowing, don't miss our Sourdough Discard Pumpkin Muffins and Sourdough Pumpkin Scones.
For more pumpkin + sourdough creations, head to our Pumpkin Sourdough Recipes (From Bread To Sweet Treats).
Step-By-Step Method
1. The night before, in a large mixing bowl, whisk flour and sugar together.
2. In a jug, combine milk and sourdough discard until smooth.
3. Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients, mix until combined, cover, and refrigerate overnight to let the batter ferment. We use this overnight method in our Sourdough Banana Pancakes too.
4. The next morning, stir the remaining ingredients: pumpkin puree, egg, melted butter (or oil), spices, salt and baking soda in a small bowl or a jug. Pour these into the fermented pancake batter and whisk to combine until you have a thick but pourable pancake batter. Don't overmix.
5. Lightly grease a cast iron skillet or non-stick pan with butter, coconut or vegetable oil, or non-stick spray, and set it over medium heat.
6. Pour in about 2 tablespoons (a small cup of batter) for each pancake into the hot pan. Cook the first side until bubbles appear and edges look set, 2-3 minutes.
7. Flip and cook the second side until golden brown, another 1-2 minutes.
8. Serve warm with your favourite toppings.
Tips for Best Results
- Weigh ingredients: A kitchen scale gives accuracy and consistent results.
- Pumpkin purée: If using homemade, strain or squeeze out excess water first. Too much liquid will mess with the batter consistency.
- Don't overmix: Stir just until the dry ingredients are incorporated. Overmixing toughens the batter.
- Heat management: Pumpkin pancakes brown quicker than regular pancakes. Keep the pan on medium or medium-low heat.
- Keep them warm: Place cooked pancakes on a baking sheet in the oven at the lowest temperature while you finish the batch.
- Discard freshness: Avoid very old sourdough starter discard. Overly acidic discard makes sour pancakes.
- Meal prep: These freeze beautifully, so make a big batch and save time on busy mornings.
Topping Suggestions
Classic maple syrup is always a winner, but why stop there? Try:
- A dollop of cream cheese and a sprinkle of pumpkin pie spice and brown sugar.
- Fresh fruit or fresh berries for a lighter touch.
- Stewed pears or stewed apples.
- Peanut butter and chocolate chips for a sweet pumpkin indulgence.
- Whipped cream and a dusting of cocoa (pumpkin spice latte vibes).
- Toasted pecans and pure maple syrup for the ultimate cosy fall breakfast.
Leftovers and Storage
Keep leftover pancakes in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
To freeze, layer them in a single layer with parchment paper between each pancake, then pop into a freezer bag.
Reheat from frozen in a toaster or oven for fluffy pancakes that taste freshly made.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, you can. Skip the overnight option and let the batter rest for 30-45 minutes at room temperature before cooking. Whilst long fermentation in the fridge gives these a deeper flavour, they'll still be delicious pancakes.
Absolutely. Replace the sugar with equal parts liquid sweetener, but reduce the milk slightly to keep the batter from becoming too thin.
You can use active starter, but remember this recipe relies on baking soda as the leavening agent. The active starter won't add much extra lift but may give you more fluffy sourdough pancakes.
More Sourdough Recipes for Breakfast
If you love this sourdough pumpkin pancake recipe, I've got plenty more sourdough discard breakfast ideas you'll want to try next.
Fancy autumnal breakfast using active sourdough starter? Try our Sourdough Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls.
Sourdough Pumpkin Pancakes (Overnight Recipe)
Equipment
- Balloon Whisk
- Large Non-Stick Frying Pan or Pancake Griddle
Ingredients
- 120 g (1 cups) plain flour all-pupose flour
- 30 g (2¼ tablespoon) sugar granulated or caster sugar
- 110 g (½ cup) sourdough discard 100% hydration
- 225 g (1 cups) milk we used whole milk
- 1 egg large
- 60 g (¼ cups) pumpkin puree
- 30 g (2 tablespoon) butter melted and slightly cooled
- 1 teaspoon mixed spice or pumpkin pie spice
- ½ teaspoon baking soda bicarbonate of soda
- a pinch of salt
Instructions
The Night Before:
- In a mixing bowl, combine the flour and sugar.
- In a separate bowl or a jug combine milk and sourdough discard.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and whisk to combine. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
The Next Morning:
- The next morning, stir the remaining ingredients: pumpkin puree, egg, melted butter (or oil), spices, salt and baking soda in a small bowl or a jug.
- Pour these into the fermented pancake batter and whisk to combine until you have a thick but pourable pancake batter. Don't overmix.
- Lightly grease a large non-stick frying pan or pancake griddle and place it on medium heat.
- Place about 2 tablespoon of batter per pancake into the frying pan or griddle and cook until bubbles start coming to the surface - about 1-2 minutes.
- Flip, and cook for another 1-2 minutes.
- Enjoy with your favourite toppings!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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