Fluffy Sourdough Pumpkin Pancakes

These Sourdough Discard Pumpkin Pancakes are soft, fluffy, and filled with cozy pumpkin spice flavor. Made with real pumpkin, sourdough discard, and warm fall spices, they’re an easy way to turn extra discard from the fridge into a breakfast everyone will love.

Perfect for a slow fall morning, weekend breakfast, or brunch, these pumpkin sourdough pancakes come together simply and cook up light and fluffy every time. If you’re looking for an easy fall sourdough discard recipe, this is one you’ll want to make all pumpkin season.

Instructions

In a large bowl, whisk together the sourdough discard, pumpkin puree, eggs, milk, melted butter, vanilla, and brown sugar until well combined.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, and salt.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and gently stir until just combined. Don't overmix the batter. A few small lumps are perfectly fine.

Allow the batter to rest for about 5–10 minutes while you preheat a skillet or griddle over medium-low to medium heat.

Lightly butter the skillet. Scoop about 1/4 cup of batter onto the hot skillet for each pancake.

Cook until bubbles begin forming on the surface and the edges look set, about 2–3 minutes. Flip and cook for another 1–2 minutes, or until the second side is golden brown and the pancake is cooked through.

Serve warm with butter, pure maple syrup, toasted pecans, or a sprinkle of cinnamon.

Tips for the Best Pumpkin Pancakes

Don't overmix the batter. Stir just until you no longer see large streaks of flour. Overmixing can make pancakes dense instead of soft and fluffy.

Use pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling. You want 100% pure pumpkin. Pumpkin pie filling already contains sugar and spices and will change the recipe.

Keep your heat slightly lower than usual. Pumpkin makes this batter thick and moist, so the pancakes need a little extra time to cook through without getting too dark on the outside.

Adjust the milk if needed. Sourdough discard can vary quite a bit in consistency. If your batter seems especially thick, add an extra splash of milk until it's easily scoopable but not runny.

Let the batter rest. Even five minutes gives the flour time to hydrate and allows the baking powder and baking soda to start working.

Can I Use Cold Sourdough Discard?

Yes! This is a true discard recipe, so there's no need to feed your starter first. You can scoop your discard straight from the refrigerator and add it to the batter.

Active sourdough starter will also work if that's what you have available.

Optional Add-Ins

For an extra fall treat, fold chocolate chips, chopped pecans, or walnuts into the batter. You can also add a little extra cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice if you like a stronger spiced flavor.

For my kids, chocolate chips would be the obvious choice. For me, give me toasted pecans, salted butter, and plenty of maple syrup.

How to Store Leftover Pancakes

Allow leftover pancakes to cool completely, then store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Reheat them in the toaster, toaster oven, microwave, or a warm skillet.

These pancakes also freeze really well. Place cooled pancakes in a freezer-safe container with parchment paper between the layers and freeze for up to 3 months. Reheat straight from frozen for an easy weekday breakfast.

Make Them for Fall

There are few things that make the house feel more like fall than pumpkin, cinnamon, butter, and maple syrup first thing in the morning.

These Sourdough Discard Pumpkin Pancakes are easy enough for a regular weekday but cozy enough to make on a slow Saturday morning. They're also one more delicious excuse to pull that jar of sourdough discard out of the refrigerator and turn it into something the whole family will actually be excited to eat.