Pumpkin Jack-O-Lantern Pancakes for Halloween

This is what we had for dinner last night: pumpkin jack-o-lanterns pancakes. Halloween here we come!

We've been big into pumpkin waffles and muffins for a while now, but hadn't tried pumpkin pancakes until just now. And pancakes for dinner? An extra fun treat. The girls helped mix up the batter and Maia had fun adding faces.

Pumpkin Jack-0-Lantern Pancakes

(adapted from Pennies on a Platter Pumpkin Spice Pancakes)

Note: We usually double this recipe so we have extra pancakes to reheat for breakfast the next day.

INGREDIENTS

• 1¼ cups white wheat flour
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice mix 
• 1 1/2 cups milk (we use whole milk)
• 3/4 cup canned pumpkin 
• 1 egg
• 2 tablespoons melted butter, cooled
• 1 banana (chocolate chips and raisins work, too)
• Butter or vegetable oil (for greasing the griddle)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat the griddle (or pan).

2. Mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and spices in a medium bowl. 

3. Whisk the milk, pumpkin, egg, and melted butter in a small bowl. 

4. Pour the pumpkin mixture into the dry ingredients and stir until just combined. 

5. Slice the banana. You might like to cut some of the banana coins into thirds for triangles as well.

6. Grease the griddle. I use a nonstick electric griddle, but still usually brush it with a little oil or melted butter.

7. Use a small pitcher or measuring cup with a pour spout to pour the pancake batter onto the griddle in the shape of a pumpkin (circle with stem). 

8. Add the banana slices and triangles as desired to create the Jack-O-Lantern face. (Maia loved helping with this part!)

9. When bubbles start forming and the edges of the pancake start drying out, use a spatula to flip the pancake over to continue cooking. 

10. Eat your Jack-O-Lantern pancakes with butter and syrup (or whatever your family puts on pancakes). Yum! 

 

Maia and I tried different toppings for the jack-o-lantern faces.

She was into the chocolate chip features (the raisins looked pretty good, too)...

but I especially like how the banana pieces look. A little more realistic. Kind of like there's a candle inside lighting up that jack-o-lantern (especially with the addition of a little butter and syrup). And the banana carmelized just a tad, tasting delicious with the pumpkin. Yum.

If you liked these pumpkin jack-o-lantern pancakes, then you might like the other autumn and halloween crafts, recipes, and decorations in my ebook: