It seems, although I’m improving a bit, I’m still struggling with my various “ailments” so I apologize for two breakfast recipes in a row. Usually, I do try to shake things up a bit but in order to take the stress off my hands and shoulders I’m just not really cooking and when I looked through my drafts of posts I’ve never posted, I came across these Perfect Pumpkin Spice Pancakes. I have to admit that looking at the pics made ME hungry, so here they are.

Perfect Pumpkin Spice Pancakes with Bacon Pecan Syrup

I held off a bit on these because I didn’t get to post them in the fall when we all are thinking about Pumpkin Pie Spice. I mean, c’mon. The thought of Pumpkin Pie Spice might elicit a few groans, but in this case, I promise you they will be the good ones, little happy eating noises. So if you’re not dieting (I will have a gorgeous main dish salad, soon, I think I can manage that) or low-carbing it and in need of some winter, weekend comfort, think about making these marvelous Perfect Pumpkin Spice Pancakes.

About Perfect Pumpkin Spice Pancakes:

I call this recipe “perfect” because it really is. I can’t tell you how many Pumpkin Pancake recipes I’ve tried over the years, all fails. They didn’t taste right, didn’t look right, didn’t have the right texture or didn’t brown properly and so on. And admittedly, I’m a bit picky but I’m even pickier if it’s a recipe I want to put on my site. So I keep a file as I make recipes, with recipes I’ve tried or altered, trying again and again and making notes as I go so that even if I come back to a recipe months or years later, I have a starting point. If I don’t lose it in a jumble of paperwork!

Of course, if I’m lucky, I have a friend or a family member who passes on a recipe that’s already tried and true. I make it, add some pics and I’m done, but honestly, I don’t have that many friends and certainly not that much family, lol! But if you’ve had some lackluster Pumpkin Spice Pancakes in the past, give this recipe a try. I think you’ll just love it! It might even rock your world, just a little.

Admittedly, these Pumpkin Spice Pancakes are a bit heavy on the Pumpkin Pie Spice, but that’s because by the time you drown that pancake in syrup (and that recipe for this Bacon Pecan Syrup is coming up) the Pumpkin Pie Spice is muted. Keep that in mind if you just want to top your pancakes with a pat of butter; in that case, try 1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons of the spices. If you’re interested in making your own Pumpkin Spice I have a Trio of Pumpkin Spice Recipes to choose from.

Perfect Pumpkin Spice Pancakes

Making Perfect Pumpkin Spice Pancakes:

Like most of your basic pancakes, this is an easy recipe. There’s nothing fancy like separating eggs or whipping whites and folding them in. You do want to follow good pancake making “rules” and this might be a good time to post those:

• Use room temperature ingredients if you can manage it. This is one rule I always break. Who has the time or energy?! Not me. If you are particular, microwave the milk for a minute and drop your eggs into warm water to take the chill off.
• Mix the dry ingredients thoroughly in a good-sized bowl; the bowl needs to be big because you’ll be mixing the wet ingredients into the dry. Mix the wet ingredients together in another, bowl, size doesn’t matter.
• Always add the wet to dry and mix minimally. It’s ok if there are a few lumps. If all the lumps are out, then you’ve mixed too much and your pancake may be tougher than they should be.
• After mixing, step away. Just walk away. Leave the kitchen if you have to but leave the pancakes alone for 10 minutes. Don’t touch the batter no matter how tempted you are.
• Preheat your griddle, to the point when a few drops of water dance on the griddle and evaporate. You may need to adjust the temperature partway through the cooking process. Expect that maybe the first pancake won’t turn out. It happens.
• Measure the pancakes with a measuring cup or scoop so they are all the same size. The utensil used will be coated with batter after the first one, so use a slightly larger size to account for that. You won’t have time to scrape the batter out of either the cup or scoop for each pancake; they cook too fast.
• Use a thin spatula, not a big, thick plastic one. Turn the pancakes only once, when you see a few bubbles coming through the top surface and the edges are just set.
• If the pancakes aren’t cooking quite right, which is when the edges set, bubbles form and the bottom is golden brown all at once, for the next batch turn the heat up or down.
• If pancakes are too thick, add a little more milk, if too thin, that’s more of an issue, but try to gently stir in a bit more flour. Sprinkle it over the surface of the batter and mix in.
• If pancakes are sticking, reoil your surface.

So that’s everything I know about pancakes, so even if this is your first try you should be able to whip out your Perfect Pumpkin Spice Pancakes or any pancakes like a pro.

Bacon Pecan Syrup

Saving Money on Perfect Pumpkin Spice Pancakes:

I hardly ever use buttermilk these days. I follow the old trick of adding a tablespoon of vinegar to the bottom of the measuring cup and filling up to the line with milk. Let it sit for about five minutes to “clabber” or get slightly thicker.

You’re going to have extra pureed pumpkin leftover. I usually use mine in my Pumpkin Spice Lattes and portion it out and freeze it, but you can just label and freeze it for another recipe if you want. I like to freeze any extra pancakes on a flat surface, like a baking sheet lined with plastic wrap. Then I add them to a Ziploc in portions I’ll use, a sheet of plastic, waxed paper or parchment in between each pancake. Reheat in the microwave.

Of course, you’ll always want to shop well for baking goods, during Holiday sales when they are deeply discounted or at Aldi. The pumpkin puree is usually at the best price before Thanksgiving although now and then you might find it at a great sale after the holidays. Don’t be afraid to stock up for the next year’s holiday season. Canned pumpkin is actually better when “aged.”

Perfect Pumpkin Spice Pancakes with Bacon Pecan Syrup