Pumpkin Spice Sourdough Discard Pancakes
This is the fastest fall breakfast on the site – a full pumpkin spice blend and real pumpkin puree folded into the same easy sourdough discard batter as the site’s original pancakes, ready griddle-to-plate in about 25 minutes.
No planning ahead, no active starter required – just discard straight from the fridge, and a batter that works equally well in a waffle iron if that’s what’s on the counter.
Why You’ll Love It
- Uses up sourdough discard in a 25-minute weekday breakfast, no planning ahead required
- Real pumpkin puree and warm spices, not just “pumpkin spice” flavoring
- The same batter works as pancakes on the griddle or in a waffle iron – see Tips
- Freezes well for busy mornings all season long
- A natural pumpkin-season companion to the site’s existing Discard Pancakes
Ingredients
Volume measurements are included for convenience, but they’re approximate – for the most consistent results, weigh your ingredients on a kitchen scale, especially the pumpkin puree.
- All-purpose flour (190 g / 1½ cups)
- Granulated sugar (30 g / 2 Tbsp)
- Baking powder (2 tsp)
- Baking soda (¼ tsp)
- Ground cinnamon (1½ tsp)
- Ground ginger (½ tsp)
- Ground nutmeg (¼ tsp)
- Ground cloves (⅛ tsp)
- Fine sea salt (¼ tsp)
- Sourdough discard, unfed (240 g / 1 cup)
- Pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling (180 g / ¾ cup)
- Whole milk (180 g / ¾ cup)
- Large egg (1)
- Unsalted butter, melted and cooled (30 g / 2 Tbsp), plus more for the griddle
Equipment
- Kitchen scale
- Griddle or large nonstick skillet (or a waffle iron – see Tips)
- Wide spatula
- Wire cooling rack (keeps pancakes from steaming and going soggy while you finish the batch)
Sample Schedule (Same Day)
Same Day
- Mix batter (10 minutes)
- Cook in batches on the griddle (15 minutes)
- Serve warm
Pumpkin Spice Sourdough Discard Pancakes
Method
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and salt.
- In a separate bowl, whisk the sourdough discard, pumpkin puree, milk, egg, and melted butter until smooth.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and whisk just until combined – a few small lumps are fine; overmixing makes tough pancakes.
- Heat a griddle or large skillet over medium heat and lightly butter it.
- Pour scant ¼-cup portions of batter onto the griddle, spacing them a couple inches apart.
- Cook until bubbles form across the surface and the edges look set, 2–3 minutes, then flip and cook 1–2 minutes more, until golden on both sides.
- Transfer cooked pancakes to a wire rack (not a stacked plate) to keep them from steaming, and repeat with the remaining batter, re-buttering the griddle between batches.
- Serve warm with maple syrup.
Notes
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How to Make It
1Mix the dry ingredients. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and salt.
2Mix the wet ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk the sourdough discard, pumpkin puree, milk, egg, and melted butter until smooth.
3Combine. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and whisk just until combined – a few small lumps are fine; overmixing makes tough pancakes.
4Heat the griddle. Heat a griddle or large skillet over medium heat and lightly butter it.
5Portion the batter. Pour scant ¼-cup portions of batter onto the griddle, spacing them a couple inches apart.
6Cook and flip. Cook until bubbles form across the surface and the edges look set, 2-3 minutes, then flip and cook 1-2 minutes more, until golden on both sides.
7Cool and repeat. Transfer cooked pancakes to a wire rack (not a stacked plate) to keep them from steaming, and repeat with the remaining batter, re-buttering the griddle between batches.
8Serve. Serve warm with maple syrup.
Tips & Troubleshooting
- Making waffles instead: this same batter works in a standard waffle iron – cook according to your iron’s instructions until golden and crisp; expect a slightly denser waffle than a plain batter due to the pumpkin.
- Real pumpkin puree only: pumpkin pie filling is pre-sweetened and pre-spiced and will throw off both the sweetness and the texture – check the can label carefully.
- Low, steady heat: medium, not medium-high – pumpkin batter browns faster than plain batter, so pancakes can look done on the outside while staying wet in the middle if the heat’s too high.
- Rest the batter 5 minutes: letting it sit briefly before cooking gives a slightly fluffier pancake.
- Discard straight from the fridge is fine: this batter doesn’t need active, bubbly starter – plain discard works perfectly since baking powder and soda do the lifting.
How to Store
To store: refrigerate in an airtight container up to 3 days; reheat in a toaster or skillet.
To freeze: freeze cooled pancakes in a single layer, then transfer to a freezer bag up to 2 months; reheat directly from frozen in a toaster.
Nutrition
Per 3-pancake serving, based on 4 servings. Estimated from the ingredients used – provided for convenience and not a substitute for a precise calculation.
260
Calories
42g
Carbs
7g
Protein
7g
Fat
2g
Fiber
340mg
Sodium
Desi’s Notes
This is the recipe I make the first cool-feeling morning of the fall, even here in South Florida where “cool” is relative. It’s built directly off the site’s original Discard Pancakes, just with a full spice blend and real pumpkin folded in – I wanted it to feel familiar to anyone who already makes that one.
Don’t skip weighing the pumpkin puree if you can – it’s dense and easy to over- or under-measure by volume, and this batter is sensitive enough to spice and moisture that it’s worth the extra minute.
I keep a stack of these in the freezer basically all of pumpkin season. They’re one of the few things around here that reheat from frozen better than they do refrigerated.
Before You Bake
Scaling this recipe up or down? Run your numbers through the Sourdough Calculator. And if you want a printable reference for troubleshooting or timing, browse all six Printable Quicksheets.
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