If you’ve ever wondered what Luke’s pumpkin pancakes from Gilmore Girls would actually taste like, these are my version. They’re fluffy, full of pumpkin and warm spices, and served with homemade cinnamon butter that melts right over the top.
Honestly, what’s more quintessential fall than waking up and enjoying a plate full of freshly made pumpkin pancakes slathered in homemade cinnamon butter?
These pancakes are inspired by a Season 4 scene from Gilmore Girls — and they’ll transport you right to the brisk air and perfectly decorated streets of Stars Hollow.
Here’s everything you’ll need to make Luke’s pumpkin pancakes, including the cinnamon butter that gets melted all over the top.
Yes, there’s vinegar in these pancakes. Trust me.
The vinegar gets mixed with the milk and left to sit for about 10 minutes, creating a quick homemade buttermilk. The acidity also reacts with the baking soda in the batter, which helps give the pancakes their light, fluffy texture. I promise, you won’t taste the vinegar in the finished pancakes.
You can make these pumpkin pancakes in a regular skillet, but I love using a flat griddle when I’m making a big batch. It gives you plenty of room to cook several pancakes at once and makes flipping them a little easier. This 11-inch ceramic nonstick griddle is a good option if you don’t already have a griddle at home.
Serve these pumpkin pancakes warm with a generous swipe of cinnamon butter and your favorite maple syrup. Add a hot cup of coffee, and you’ve got yourself a very Stars Hollow-worthy breakfast.
For a full fall breakfast, serve them with crispy bacon or breakfast sausage and some fresh fruit. And obviously, if you’re making these for a Gilmore Girls rewatch, coffee is non-negotiable.
The first thing you can do is make the cinnamon butter by combining all of the ingredients and whisking them together until smooth. Set aside.
The first thing you’ll want to do is combine the milk and vinegar and set it aside for 10 minutes (or until curdled).
While that’s happening, feel free to measure everything else out (and melt the butter).
Combine the dry ingredients (aka the flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking soda, and salt) and mix. Set aside.
Combine the pumpkin, sugar, milk and vinegar mixture, melted butter, eggs, and vanilla. Mix until a beautiful orange liquid forms, like this:
Now add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined and no huge dry bits remain (but not completely smooth — you want some lumps!). Like this:
Allow the batter to sit for 5 minutes.
Now add a bit of butter to your skillet over medium heat. Add about ¼ cup of batter and cook until air bubbles begin to form all over the batter (about 2.5 minutes). (You may need to lower the heat in order to cook it through without burning the top of the pancake).
Once you have enough air bubbles, flip the pancake and allow to finish cooking for about 1–2 more minutes.
Continue until the batter is used up. Serve immediately with the cinnamon butter and some syrup (and maybe a dusting of powdered sugar if you’re fancy!).
If you want to get a head start on breakfast, you can make the pancake batter the night before and refrigerate it until you’re ready to cook. Just cover the bowl tightly and give the batter a gentle stir before cooking.
You can also make the cinnamon butter ahead of time. Store it covered in the refrigerator, then let it soften at room temperature before serving so it spreads easily over the warm pancakes.
For the best texture, though, I recommend cooking the pancakes fresh. They only take a few minutes to cook, and there’s nothing quite like a warm stack of pumpkin pancakes with cinnamon butter melting over the top.
If you have leftover pumpkin pancakes, let them cool completely before storing. Place them in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
For longer storage, freeze the pancakes in a single layer until firm, then transfer them to a freezer-safe bag or container. You can freeze them for up to 2 months.
To reheat, warm refrigerated pancakes in a skillet, toaster oven, or microwave. Frozen pancakes can go straight into the toaster or toaster oven, or you can microwave them until heated through.
I recommend storing the cinnamon butter separately in the refrigerator and adding it to the pancakes after reheating. That way, you still get that cold, creamy butter melting over the hot pancakes when you’re ready to eat.
Yes. You can make the batter the night before and refrigerate it, or cook the pancakes ahead of time and reheat them when you’re ready to serve. For the best texture, I prefer cooking them fresh.
Absolutely. Let the pancakes cool completely, then freeze them in a single layer before transferring them to a freezer-safe bag or container. They can be reheated straight from frozen.
The vinegar creates a quick homemade buttermilk when mixed with the milk, and the acidity also reacts with the baking soda to help the pancakes rise. You won’t taste the vinegar in the finished pancakes.
Yes. Homemade pumpkin puree works well as long as it’s thick and not overly watery. If your puree is particularly wet, you may need to strain off some excess liquid so it doesn’t throw off the consistency of the batter.
These pancakes are my take on the pumpkin pancakes served at Luke’s Diner in Gilmore Girls. The show is the inspiration for the recipe, while the pumpkin pancakes and homemade cinnamon butter are my own version.
Yes. Either works well in the cinnamon butter, so use whichever you have on hand or prefer.
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Why the Vinegar? Just curious
Hi Amber! I add it to help the batter fluff up. It reacts with baking powder to cause more bubbles. It won't affect the flavor. Hope this helps!
WOW! these taste like pumpkin pie :) I was a bit skeptical with the vinegar in the milk instruction, but sure enough you can't taste it at all.
HAHAHAHA!! Thank you for trusting the process Mykala!
Very delicious!