These Jack-O-Lantern Pancakes are perfect for Halloween and are fun for little hands to help make too. You can cut the face out in any way you like, and let little imaginations run wild.
Uncka likes to fill the cutouts with syrup and spread some Cinnamon Butter in between to make them irresistible.
These Jack-O-Lantern Pancakes are based on our original Pumpkin Pancakes. Uncka turns them into smiley pumpkins by using THESE cutters.
Another pancake we like to make with the fall garden harvest is Zucchini Bread Pancakes. And always be sure to serve your pancakes with WARM maple syrup, the real kind!
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Ingredients
When Halloween rolls around, it is time to gather your pumpkin, homemade or storebought will do, and make these pumpkin pancakes!
The only ingredient that you might not, but should, have in your pantry is the Pumpkin Spice Extract. It's not a total deal breaker if you don't have it, but it just infuses the flavor of a PSL into these pancakes.
What you need:
- Unsalted Butter
- Whole Milk
- Pumpkin Puree, not pie mix
- Vanilla Extract
- All Purpose Flour
- Granulated Sugar
- Baking Powder
- Baking Soda
- Kosher Salt, Morton’s
- Pumpkin Pie Spice
- Eggs
- Maple Syrup
- Cinnamon Butter
- Jack-O-Lantern Cookie Cutter Set
See the recipe card for full quantities.
Use the JUMP TO RECIPE button at the top of the post, or scroll to the bottom of the post to see the full recipe card with ingredient measurements and instructions.
Method
First, melt the butter in a saucepan over low heat on the stove. When it is fully liquid, add the milk to the pan and just continue warming until no lumps of butter remain, the milk does not need to simmer or boil.
Adding cold milk it can make the butter lump up, warm it enough that the butter becomes liquid again.
To make the batter, in a large bowl, whisk together the butter, milk, and pumpkin until well combined. Then place the dry ingredients into the bowl and mix till a few streaks of flour remain visible.
Fold the eggs, and extract into the mix just until fully incorporated. Then let the batter rest for 10 minutes before you begin cooking the pancakes. This is the secret to extra fluffy, cloud-like pancakes.
To cook the pancakes, heat a griddle over medium heat on the stove, and be patient. Heat it for at least 5 minutes to get fully warm.
Then drop 2-ounce ladles of batter on the hot griddle and cook till it gets very bubbly and the bubbles begin to pop. Flip and cook 30-45 seconds longer till fully cooked.
Uncka's Chef Tip
Stack the cooked pancakes up to ensure they finish cooking, the same way you'd stack tortillas and put them in a warmer or cloth to finish. Pancakes finish cooking all the way through in the same way as well as keeping the first cakes warm as you cook the rest. This ensures no wet or soggy middles.
To serve, and turn them into jack-o-lanterns, I just make round pancakes and cut them out with pumpkin cutters. This is where little hands can get involved and create their own face. Finish with a little cinnamon butter and a hearty drizzle of REAL maple syrup as desired!
Substitutions
Let's chat about how to make these pancakes gluten, or dairy-free if you or someone you love needs to follow those dietary guidelines for their health.
- Flour - If you need to make these pancakes gluten-free, use a quality cup-for-cup flour swap. The one I linked here is really high quality and has great results.
- Milk - If you are dairy-free, you can use almond milk, but my suggestion is cashew for its higher fat content. Pancakes may stick a bit when using almond milk, and you may need to grease the griddle or pan more often during the cooking of your pancakes.
- Butter - You can use a vegan butter substitute or plant-based butter. A bit of a more economical swap is vegetable or canola oil.
- Pumpkin - You can swap the pumpkin with pureed butternut squash or sweet potato.
- Pumpkin Pie Spice - In a pinch, if you do not have pumpkin pie spice, you can use cinnamon in its place. If you have nutmeg add a pinch of that too.
Equipment
These are my favorite little skillets for making pancake toppings and syrups in. You can also toast nuts for use in them too.
My number one, most favorite tool for perfect pancakes is a Cast-Iron griddle. They build up a strong, natural, non-stick coating over time and make for BEAUTIFUL pancakes.
Be sure to season a new griddle, every time you use and wash it (with soap) with this cast-iron oil to build THE BEST non-stick surface.
I like a really sturdy, metal spatula for flipping pancakes. It helps them not stick to it, and makes for a perfect flip, no floppy half-turned pancakes, It's got to be THIS spatula for me!
The use of a 2-ounce ladle makes THE perfect-sized pancakes, in my opinion. They are just the right size and easy to flip.
Storage
While pancakes won't spoil if left on the counter overnight, they are just like a cake, biscuit, or cookie in this way. I prefer to place them in a zip-top bag or air-tight container in the fridge.
You can also freeze pancakes. To do so, lay them flat on a tray, not stacked, then once frozen place them in a freezer bag and store for up to 3 months.
Reheat leftover Jack-O-Lantern Pancakes, from the fridge or freezer, in a toaster, or toaster oven for best results.
Top Tips
When making the pancake batter, ensuring it rests for 10 minutes is a HUGE gateway to SUPER FLUFFY pancakes. This allows the leavening agent to fully develop and lets the gluten strands in the flour relax.
Exercise patience and let the griddle get really warm before you start cooking. A griddle that is too cool will cause the pancakes to stick to it. I use a really Well-Seasoned cast iron griddle that requires no buttering due to the amount in the actual pancakes.
If you can use a small amount of high-heat oil like vegetable or grapeseed to grease your griddle if needed. You should only need to do this once before you start cooking. Use a paper towel to spread an even and thin layer over your griddle.
I prefer to cook on medium, to just under medium heat so my pancakes can cook quickly. I also prefer only to cook 2 pancakes at a time so I have plenty of room to flip.
Be sure to stack your pancakes after cooking. This allows them to stay soft as well as allowing the middles to finish cooking while also staying a little JAMMY SOFT. That's what I call it anyway. It helps create super tender pancakes.
Whether you want these to be Halloween Pancakes or not, you can always cut them out as pumpkins and leave them at that to enjoy all autumn.
FAQ
YES! Allowing it to rest lets all of the leveners become active giving them great lift. It also allows the flour to fully absorb the liquid and tighten up the batter which also helps make them fluffy.
Do you use baking powder or soda for fluffy pancakes?
A combination of the two is what gives these pancakes such great lift. When they interact with the acid that the milk has in it, they create air bubbles and that is what makes the pancakes ultra fluffy.
Baking Soda. It is what gives the pancakes their rise. The boost ensures a super fluffy, light, and airy finished pancake.
Related
If you LOVE pancakes like Greyson and me, try these other great recipes:
More great pumpkin recipes to LOVE!
If waffles are more your speed, check out Uncka's Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Waffles, they scream fall and are so tasty!
He loves pumpkin everything and has LOTS of recipes HERE.
Jack-O-Lantern Pancakes
These Jack-O-Lantern Pancakes are perfect for Halloween and fun for little hands to help make too. They can let their imaginations run wild.
Ingredients
- 8 tablespoons Unsalted Butter, melted
- 1 ½ cups Whole Milk
- 1 cup Pumpkin Puree, not pie mix
- 1 tablespoon Vanilla Extract
- 2 cups All Purpose Flour
- ¼ cup Granulated Sugar
- 1 tablespoon Baking Powder
- 2 teaspoon Baking Soda
- 1 teaspoon Kosher Salt, Morton’s
- 1 tablespoon Pumpkin Pie Spice
- 2 large Eggs
- Maple Syrup, for serving
Instructions
- In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, melt the butter. When the butter is melted, add the milk to the pan and warm it just until you no longer see any butter solids floating in the milk. Do not bring it to a boil or it will be too hot when added to the dry ingredients. Let cool for 5 minutes or until you can stick a finger in it and the mixture is only lukewarm.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the cooled butter/milk mixture, pumpkin puree, and vanilla extract.
- Add in the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and pumpkin pie spice. Begin mixing, but when a few streaks of flour still remain, add in the eggs and mix until well combined. Be careful not to overwork the mixture so the pancakes don’t come out tough! Some lumps may remain.
- Let the mixture rest on the counter for 10 minutes to allow the mixture to become super light and fluffy.
- Five minutes after the batter has been resting, begin heating a skillet or griddle over medium heat until well warmed for 5 minutes further. If using a well-seasoned cast iron griddle there is no need to grease it with butter or oil, the pancakes have enough fat content to release naturally. If needed, apply a thin layer of oil or butter by spreading it over the griddle with a paper towel lightly.
- Place 2-ounces, or ¼ cup of batter on the well heated griddle, I like cook only 2 at a time on a large double burner griddle so I have plenty of room to flip and so they don’t touch.
- Cook until lightly browned on the bottom and the top bubbles have begun to pop 50-60 seconds. Flip and cook until lightly browned on the other side, about 30-45 more seconds.
- Transfer to a platter and continue cooking until all the batter is made.
- Using the mentioned cookie cutters, cut out a jack-o-lantern face. On the backside, fill the holes with Nutella, turn back over, and serve with a drizzle of maple syrup if desired.
Notes
Substitutions
Let's chat about how to make these pancakes gluten, or dairy-free if you or someone you love needs to follow those dietary guidelines for their health.
- Flour - If you need to make these banana pancakes gluten-free, use a quality cup-for-cup flour swap. The one I linked here is really high quality and has great results.
- Milk - If you are dairy-free, you can use almond milk, but my suggestion is cashew for its higher fat content. Pancakes may stick a bit when using almond milk, and you may need to grease the griddle or pan more often during the cooking of your pancakes.
- Butter - You can use a vegan butter substitute or plant-based butter. A bit of a more economical swap is vegetable or canola oil.
- Pumpkin - You can swap the pumpkin with pureed butternut squash or sweet potato.
- Pumpkin Pie Spice - In a pinch, if you do not have pumpkin pie spice, you can use cinnamon in its place. If you have nutmeg add a pinch of that too.
Top Tips
When making the pancake batter, ensuring it rests for 10 minutes is a HUGE gateway to SUPER FLUFFY pancakes. This allows the leavening agent to fully develop and lets the gluten strands in the flour relax.
Exercise patience and let the griddle get really warm before you start cooking. A griddle that is too cool will cause the pancakes to stick to it. I use a really Well-Seasoned cast iron griddle that requires no buttering due to the amount in the actual pancakes.
If you can use a small amount of high-heat oil like vegetable or grapeseed to grease your griddle if needed. You should only need to do this once before you start cooking. Use a paper towel to spread an even and thin layer over your griddle.
I prefer to cook on medium, to just under medium heat so my pancakes can cook quickly. I also prefer only to cook 2 pancakes at a time so I have plenty of room to flip.
Be sure to stack your pancakes after cooking. This allows them to stay soft as well as allowing the middles to finish cooking while also staying a little JAMMY SOFT. That's what I call it anyway. It helps create super tender pancakes.
Whether you want these to be Halloween Pancakes or not, you can always cut them out as pumpkins and leave them at that to enjoy all autumn.
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Food Safety
There aren't many concerns when it comes to pancakes, but here are a few tips to help ensure the best experience with your pancakes.
- Ensure your pancakes are fully cooked, as eating raw pancake batter is not advised because it contains raw eggs.
- The USDA advises to not leave cooked foods at room temperature for longer than 2 hours, 1 hour if the environment is above 90˚F.
- That said, pancakes contain the same ingredients as cakes, biscuits, and cookies so they can be stored at room temperature.
- I personally advise keeping them in an air-tight container or zip-top bag and warming them in a toaster or microwave before eating leftovers.
- Never leave cooking food unattended.
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove.
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