You know that autumn is officially here when stores begin to advertise pumpkin lattes and pumpkin donuts. I was inspired to make these fluffy pumpkin pancakes last week at Trader Joe’s. While standing in the ridiculously long line, I saw their canned organic pumpkin puree. I usually buy this in November to make pumpkin pie, but decided to pick up a can earlier this year since the weather in NYC is already very autumnesque.

I came across this quick and easy pumpkin pancake recipe years ago in a Martha Stewart Living magazine. Although I made a few tweaks to the spices, I kept everything else the same. These pancakes are simply divine! They are so fluffy and rich in flavors. The pumpkin puree adds a fluffy creaminess to the pancakes without adding tons of calories. Be sure to try this recipe for your next autumn brunch!

Recipe
Yield: 8 to 10 pancakes

INGREDIENTS:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tbsp. sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. nutmeg
1 cup milk
6 tbsp. canned pumpkin puree
2 tbsp. butter, melted, plus more for cooking
1 egg

DIRECTIONS:
1. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, and nutmeg.
2. In a separate bowl, stir together the milk, pumpkin puree, melted butter, and egg. Fold mixture into dry ingredients until just combined (it’s okay if there are some small lumps left). It’s very important not to over-mix the batter as this leads to flat, rubbery pancakes.
3. Melt some butter on a skillet over medium heat. Pour in 1/4 cup batter for each pancake and cook for about 3 minutes per side. Serve with butter and maple syrup.