Brown Butter Pumpkin Sourdough Pancakes
If there’s one thing that screams fall to me, it’s pumpkin pancakes. They’re on repeat in my house all autumn, and since August 1 is the unofficial start of fall for us, I figured it was only proper to make a batch and share them today. Fluffy, buttery, warm, and just fall in every bite. Of course, they’re made with sourdough and maple syrup (no sugar!) for the best, most wholesome ingredients. Top with more butter and maple syrup and they’re perfection.
Why Sourdough Pumpkin Pancakes?
The nice thing about these pumpkin pancakes is that you have some options - use active sourdough starter for more fermentation benefits or use up discard if you’re tight on time or just have extra to use up! Either way, the use of sourdough gives these pumpkin pancakes a depth of flavor you don’t find anywhere else.
What to Know Before Making
These sourdough pumpkin pancakes have 2 ways to make them: either with active sourdough starter or sourdough discard. If your goal is to get more fermentation benefits (which I always am), you can make these overnight sourdough pancakes or make the batter even more ahead of time for long fermented pancakes. On the other hand, if you just want to mix these up quickly for breakfast or use up extra discard, these are a great option. I have an overnight/long fermented version in the recipe notes below, so you can make these however works best for your family!
Ingredients
Full ingredients and recipe are below, but here’s what you should have on hand to make these:
(Makes approx. 6 large pancakes)
100g active sourdough starter/sourdough discard
100g whole milk
100g flour (Sunrise Flour Mill organic heritage flour is always my go to, but you can use whatever your preference is)
10g Himalayan/pure sea salt
1 pasture raised egg
50g grass fed butter, browned
50g pure maple syrup
50g pumpkin puree
8g baking soda
5g ground cinnamon (ceylon cinnamon is my preference)
1g ground nutmeg
1g ground cloves
Instructions
Overnight/Long Fermented Sourdough Pumpkin Pancakes Version:
The night before:
In a large bowl, mix your active starter, milk (it’ll be fine on the counter!), and flour until just combined. Cover and let it rest on the counter overnight.Note: if you’re making this ahead of time and will be doing an even longer fermentation, leave this mixture out overnight and then move to the refrigerator until you’re ready to make. Then follow the steps below.
In the morning:
Add the rest of your ingredients: salt, egg, brown butter, maple syrup, pumpkin puree, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves.Mix:
Stir until combined and evenly incorporated. If your batter is still a little too thick, you can add a little more milk as needed.Cook:
Over medium heat, grease a cast iron pan with butter. Pour about 1/4 cup of batter (for each pancake) onto the surface. Leave it until you see bubbles forming on the top of the pancake, and then flip. Cook for another minute or two or until golden brown. Repeat as needed.
Tip: If you’re cooking one or two pancakes at a time, I like to put my oven on “warm” setting and stack each cooked pancake on a plate in the oven to keep them nice and warm while the others are cooking!
Enjoy!
Serve warm with your favorite toppings (my favorite is always a bit more butter and maple syrup on top)!
Discard Sourdough Pumpkin Pancakes Version:
Mix:
In a large bowl, mix your ingredients: sourdough discard, milk, flour, salt, egg, brown butter, maple syrup, pumpkin puree, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. Stir until combined and evenly incorporated. If your batter is still a little too thick, you can add a little more milk as needed.Cook
Over medium heat, grease a cast iron pan with butter. Pour about 1/4 cup of batter (for each pancake) onto the surface. Leave it until you see bubbles forming on the top of the pancake, and then flip. Cook for another minute or two or until golden brown. Repeat as needed.
Tip: If you’re cooking one or two pancakes at a time, I like to put my oven on “warm” setting and stack each cooked pancake on a plate in the oven to keep them nice and warm while the others are cooking!
Enjoy!
Serve warm with your favorite toppings (my favorite is always a bit more butter and maple syrup on top)!
How to Store
Here’s how to store your sourdough pumpkin pancake leftovers:
Refrigerator: Put any extras in a container or bag. They last well for a couple days in the fridge!
Freezing: You can freeze your pancakes for up to 6 months. Let them cool completely, then place in a container or bag. Thaw overnight in the fridge and warm in the oven before serving, or even pull out frozen pancakes as needed and warm from frozen.
If you give these a try, tag me on Instagram @sourdoughmama — I love seeing your bakes and how you make them your own.
Want to take your sourdough skills further?
Check out my full Sourdough Basics guide, or sign up for updates on upcoming sourdough workshops right here.