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Diner Style Pancakes with Pumpkin Spice Maple Syrup

Sep 14, 2019 · 13 Comments

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We’re recreating those beloved diner-style pancakes with one secret ingredient that will get you that incredible fluffy texture every time. For a seasonal twist, we’re serving ours with warmed Pumpkin Spice maple syrup.

Pancakes, French toast, and waffles are the pinnacle of breakfast indulgence. Pancakes are perhaps the most iconic of the three. From their warm cakey base, to the layers of butter, sugar, and syrup that we lather on top of each of them, there are precious few indulgences that are more decadent.

Today, we’re putting an autumn spin on the breakfast favorite, by adding warmed homemade Pumpkin Spice syrup to the mix – more on that later.

Now, let’s get to it.

Pancake Making Tips

1) Fluffy Pancakes – The Virtue of Underworking. Very simply, having fluffy pancakes is as easy as ‘underworking’ your batter after you have combined the wet and dry ingredients. First and foremost, you want to begin by mixing your wet and dry ingredients separately, and then combine them afterwards. However, after combining, you want to mix them as little as possible, really only about a half-dozen or so whisks is needed, or just enough to ensure that the flour has been moistened. Lumps will dissolve naturally during cooking. Trust me on this.

2) Cake Mix. I don’t use pancake mix, since that’s really just a premade mix of the flour and leavening portion of this recipe. Instead, I use yellow cake mix. This adds a touch of sweetness, and gives the pancakes a moist, tender, almost ‘spongy’ texture – a bit like a cake. Now, while you can try to do this on your own, by perfectly balancing the from-scratch recipe, there really is no need, since you can achieve the same or better results by simply using cake mix in place of pancake mix.

3) Where’s the Buttermilk? The reason you add buttermilk to pancakes is purely for the acid, which tenderizes the pancakes chemically during cooking. However, if you can achieve tender, fluffy pancakes sans buttermilk, that will allow for a better flavor balance in the pancakes by not needing to account for the buttermilk’s natural acidity and sourness in the rest of the recipe. That said, we’re essentially achieving “buttermilk results” with cake mix – which, as stated above, gives us sweet, tender, fluffy pancakes.

4) Adding Fruit, Chocolate, and Flavor. There are two schools of thought when it comes to adding things like fruit, chocolate, or flavors (such as today’s Pumpkin Spice) to pancakes. The first school of thought is to bake those items right into the pancakes. This is as simple as adding the fruit, chocolate, or flavor directly to the batter, and then cooking as directed. The result here is that the fruit will be ‘reduced’ while cooking, resulting in a more ‘savory’ fruit flavor and texture, as in a pie or cake, while the flavor additives will be thoroughly spread through each pancake. The second school of thought is that it is better to simply add these things on top after the pancakes have been cooked. The idea here is to juxtapose the tender and fluffy pancakes with crisp fresh fruit or crunchy chocolate chips by simply spreading them on top with your syrup or honey. Similarly, if you want a less intense, less evenly distributed flavor additive (such as today’s Pumpkin Spice), consider simply sprinkling that on top after platting the pancakes. That said, this is all purely a matter of preference, and you should experiment to see which fits you best.

5) Go the Non-Stick Way. Ingredients are just part of the equation. As mentioned above, batter consistency is important and so is how you cook your pancakes. You know I love my cast iron pans, but I am willing to admit there are exceptions to the rule and sometimes, you just need a good non-stick pan. Using a non-stick fry pan when making pancakes is not only easier, but also ensures an evenly cooked pancake with a beautiful golden color throughout. Today, I am using Concentrix 2-piece fry pan set from Tuxton Home.

These pans are a kitchen staple and here is why: The set is designed for performance on the stove or in the oven; compatible with gas, electric or induction stoves. The duo is a solid stainless steel body with cast steel riveted handles. The encapsulated base with a tuxCORE aluminum disc ensures even and quick heating. These organic ceramic-coated nonstick fry pans are PTFE & PFOA free. Stainless steel vessels and nonstick ceramic coating are oven safe up to 500˚F. Furthermore, this set is dishwasher safe and easy to clean, complete with Lifetime Warranty.

Pumpkin Spice Maple Syrup

Arguably the main attraction of today’s recipe is the homemade Pumpkin Spice Maple Syrup. Preparing this is as simple as taking a teaspoon of Pumpkin Pie Spice, add it to a half a cup of maple syrup, and then heat that in a small saucepan just until it begins to simmer.

Note that you can scale this recipe up to suite your needs, and keep in mind that it goes great on waffles, French toast, or even cheesecake as well as today’s pancakes.

It’s really just that easy. Also, for best results, you’ll want to use 100% real, natural maple syrup.

Other Delicious Breakfast Favorites

1) Pumpkin Spice Coffee. Pair today’s pumpkin spice pancakes with a delicious cup of pumpkin spice coffee…because why not!

2) Perfect Soft Boiled Eggs. An old time breakfast favorite that makes for a great side to today’s pancakes. Here’s a guide to the perfect soft boiled egg.

3) French Toast. Here’s the French toast variation of today’s recipe. As I said above, today’s warmed Pumpkin Spice maple syrup would pair deliciously with this recipe.

Print

Diner Style Pancakes with Pumpkin Spice Maple Syrup

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  • Author: Living the Gourmet
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cook Time: 10 minutes
  • Total Time: 15 minutes
  • Yield: 10 pancakes 1x

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 cup AP flour
  • 1 cup yellow cake mix
  • Generous pinch of salt
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 2 eggs
  • 3 tablespoons butter, melted
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup whole milk, plus 1/4 cup

For the Pumpkin Spice Syrup:

  • 1/2 cup Maple syrup
  • 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 170 degrees F. (or your lowest temperature setting).
  2. Whisk together, flour, cake mix, salt , and baking powder until well combined.
  3. Add eggs, melted butter, vanilla and 1 cup of milk. Whisk until a thick batter comes together. If the batter is too thick, gradually add an additional 1/4 cup whole milk. The batter shouldn’t be too thin however, but not as thick as a regular cake batter either. Do not over-mix, there should be clumps in the batter still.
  4. Heat your frying pan with a pat of butter over medium heat and pour 1/3 cup of batter into the pan. You’ll know when to flip the pancakes it begins to bubble. Flip and cook until golden around the edges. Repeat this process, buttering the pan when necessary.
  5. Keep the cooked pancakes in the preheated oven to keep warm until ready to serve.

For the Pumpkin Spice Syrup:

  1. Whisk together maple syrup and pumpkin pie spice in a small saucepan (or heat proof bowl if microwaving) over medium-low heat just until it begins to simmer. Remove and serve warmed syrup over the pancakes. Serve and enjoy!

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1

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**Today, we’re partnering up with Tuxton Home who are offering a free 8″ pan in black to the first 400 people who use the code #TUXTONCOOKS when they place an order!

Did you make this recipe?
If so, let me know in the comments down below, or post a picture to Instagram, or to Pinterest, and I’ll give you a shoutout on Instagram, or post your pin to one of my Pinterest boards!

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  • Pumpkin Spice Cake with Caramel Drizzle – #BundtBakersPumpkin Spice Cake with Caramel Drizzle – #BundtBakers
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Breakfast diner pancakes, pancakes, pumpkin spice

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. angiesrecipes says

    14/09/2019 at 6:30 pm

    So soft and fluffy…and with pumpkin spice..simply yummy and perfect for the season.

    Reply
  2. DAVID J MYERS says

    15/09/2019 at 6:41 pm

    Catherine, I love pancakes and these beauties with pumpkin spice look amazing! If only my wife would eat pancakes. She loves a good waffle…but for some reason, she doesn’t like pancakes. Weird! Take Care, Big Daddy Dave

    Reply
  3. Denise says

    18/09/2019 at 2:07 am

    ooh! I love the idea of using cake mix! That would add an extra sweetness that would taste delicious.

    Reply
  4. Elaine Benoit says

    19/09/2019 at 6:48 pm

    I love pancakes and yours looks both fluffy and delicious! I love the pumpkin spice syrup too. I bet these will be a hit at my brunch this weekend!

    Reply
  5. Leslie says

    19/09/2019 at 6:59 pm

    These pancakes look like pure fall perfection! Loving the syrup idea as well to really bring in the fall flavors!

    Reply
  6. Aleta says

    19/09/2019 at 8:32 pm

    I love all your tips for making the fluffiest of pancakes! I am always telling my husband not to over mix the batter, but he just can’t let those lumps live! I have never tried mine with cake mix, but will definitely have to try, especially with that tasty looking pumpkin spice syrup!

    Reply
  7. Jenni LeBaron says

    21/09/2019 at 8:22 pm

    I had never thought to use a yellow cake mix in pancakes before, but that sounds mouthwateringly delicious. I literally just finished breakfast and I’m already craving these. Can’t wait to try this recipe!

    Reply
  8. Paula Montenegro says

    22/09/2019 at 11:27 am

    I absolutely love the idea of ‘underworking’ the batter! These look fluffy and sooo delicious! Can’t wait to give them a try. Thanks for sharing this recipe.

    Reply
  9. GUNJAN C Dudani says

    22/09/2019 at 11:37 pm

    It just happened that my 2nd grader passed through my laptop. Her eyes fell on these pancake images. She wanted them immediately. Of course I had to first make these for her. Totally drool worthy. We loved these pancakes.

    Reply
  10. Danielle says

    23/09/2019 at 3:06 am

    The pancakes worth making over and over again. They look incredible! A bit of honey + a glass of milk = happy me the rest of the day! 🙂

    Reply
  11. marie johson says

    13/10/2019 at 11:19 am

    These pumpkin pancakes taught me that whole grain pancakes can be every bit as tasty and fluffy as pancakes made with regular flour.

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Date & Walnut Banana Bread - Living The Gourmet says:
    15/12/2019 at 2:02 am

    […] Diner Style Pancakes. We all love those incredibly hardy pancakes you get in the diner, and we love them even more on […]

    Reply
  2. Winter Morning Routines with Cheerios Oat Crunch Oats and Honey - Living The Gourmet says:
    13/01/2020 at 6:59 pm

    […] somewhat ‘simpler’ note. Last year, I covered some of my favorite breakfast recipes, including Diner Style Pancakes with homemade pumpkin spice, and a Chocolate Stuffed French Toast Casserole, among others. These were hardy and festive […]

    Reply

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