Once fall sets in, cravings for the warm, comforting flavors of pumpkin spice kick into high gear. Here in Hawaii, pumpkins and tropical squash, or palaʻai, grow throughout the islands, along with familiar spices like cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg. A batch of pumpkin pancakes and a trip to the local pumpkin patch make an easy way to welcome the season.
But adding pumpkin to pancakes can be tricky. Its extra moisture can leave them dense, or even mushy in the middle. This recipe is carefully balanced to give you the best of both worlds: plenty of real pumpkin and warm fall flavor, with the light, fluffy texture and slight chew you expect from a really good pancake.
Our Island Spice Honey brings its own blend of warming spices to the batter, complementing the pumpkin while adding a touch of natural sweetness. The same honey goes into a whipped honey butter for the top, adding another layer of rich, spiced warmth with every bite.
Golden-orange, fluffy, and deeply satisfying, these are pumpkin pancakes worth making well beyond pumpkin-spice season.
Pumpkin Spice Pancakes with Honey Butter
Ingredients:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1 cup 100% pumpkin puree
- 2 Tbsp Big Island Bees Island Spice honey
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp fresh ground nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp ground ginger
- 1/4 tsp ground cardamon
- 1/4 tsp ground cloves (optional)
- 1 1/2 - 1 3/4 cup milk
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted and cooled
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup roasted macadamia nuts, chopped
For the Spiced Honey Butter:
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 2 Tbsp Island Spice honey
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
Directions:
- Use the spoon and level method to measure flour into a large bowl. Whisk in the baking powder, baking soda and salt.
- In a medium sauce pan, combine pumpkin puree and honey and cook for 8-10 minutes over medium heat - stirring constantly with a rubber spatula to thicken without burning. Remove from heat and mix in the cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cardamon, cloves (if desired), 1 1/2 cups of milk, and vanilla. Whisk in cooled melted butter and eggs until well combined.
- Pour pumpkin mixture into flour mixture and whisk until just combined. Let stand for 10 minutes while you prepare the honey butter.
- Use a standalone or handheld mixer to whip the butter and cinnamon until fluffy. Gently mix in the honey last.
- Check the pancake batter consistency - this batter is thicker than standard pancakes but it should still pour slowly from a measuring cup. If too thick after resting, whisk in the additional 1/4 cup of milk.
- Cook the pancakes on a non-stick pan or griddle over low to med-low heat by using a 1/3 dry measuring cup to scoop batter, pour and spread evenly on the pan. Keep the temperature low to allow the inside to fully cook before the bottom burns. Flip each pancake when the surface begins to dry and bubble and the bottom is golden brown. Cook another 1-2 minutes until that side is golden.
- Serve hot with sprinkled macadamia nuts, a dollop of honey butter and side of real maple syrup.
