Happy holidays, everyone! December is here, and with it comes those magical mornings when it’s cold outside, the house is decorated for the holidays, and all you want is something warm, cozy, and festive for breakfast. Maybe there’s snow on the ground, or maybe you’re just wrapped in your coziest blanket, but either way—it’s pancake weather.
I’m fully embracing the season with what might be my favorite holiday breakfast: Mochi Pumpkin Spiced Mini Pancakes with Pumpkin Spiced Syrup. Yes, pumpkin spice in December! While everyone else is focused on gingerbread and peppermint, I’m here to remind you that warm spices don’t have an expiration date. These cozy spices—cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg—are perfect all winter long.
These aren’t your regular pancakes. The addition of mochi flour (also called sweet rice flour or glutinous rice flour) gives them this incredible chewy texture that’s completely addictive. They’re crispy on the outside, pillowy-soft on the inside, with just enough chew to make them interesting. Add pumpkin spice to the batter, drizzle them with homemade pumpkin spiced syrup, and you’ve got the ultimate winter breakfast that’s perfect for lazy holiday mornings, Christmas breakfast, or any time you need something comforting during the busy holiday season.
And making them mini? That’s just practical. Mini pancakes cook faster, they’re easier to flip, they’re perfect for feeding holiday guests without standing at the stove forever, and honestly, they’re just cuter. Everything’s cuter when it’s mini, especially during the most wonderful time of the year.
Let me show you how to make the holiday breakfast that’s about to become your December tradition.
Why Mochi Pancakes Are a Game-Changer
Before we get into the recipe, let me convince you why adding mochi flour to pancakes is brilliant. Traditional American pancakes are great—fluffy, soft, comforting. But sometimes they can be a bit… boring? One-dimensional in texture?
Mochi flour changes everything. When you add it to pancake batter, you get this bouncy, slightly chewy texture that’s incredibly satisfying. They’re still fluffy, but they have substance. They have personality. They don’t get soggy as quickly when you add syrup. And they somehow feel more filling and substantial while still being light.
This texture comes from the properties of sweet rice flour. It’s naturally sticky and stretchy when cooked, which is why it’s used to make traditional mochi. In pancakes, it creates this perfect balance between fluffy and chewy that you just can’t get from regular flour alone.
Plus, they’re naturally gluten-free if you use all mochi flour (though this recipe uses a combination for the best texture). They’re also more forgiving—it’s harder to overmix mochi batter and make tough pancakes.
Add pumpkin spice into the mix, and you’ve got something truly special for those cold December mornings.
The Complete Ingredient List
For the Mochi Pumpkin Spiced Pancakes:
- 1 cup mochi flour (sweet rice flour/glutinous rice flour)
- ½ cup all-purpose flour (or use all mochi flour for gluten-free)
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup buttermilk (or regular milk with 1 tablespoon lemon juice)
- 1 large egg
- 2 tablespoons melted butter (plus more for cooking)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the Pumpkin Spiced Syrup:
- 1 cup maple syrup (the real stuff, not pancake syrup)
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- 1 tablespoon butter
- Pinch of salt
Optional toppings:
- Extra butter
- Whipped cream
- Chopped pecans or walnuts
- A dusting of cinnamon or powdered sugar
That’s it! The ingredient list is straightforward, and you probably have most of these in your pantry already. The mochi flour might be the only thing you need to specifically shop for, but it’s available at most Asian grocery stores and increasingly at regular supermarkets too.
About the Key Ingredients
Mochi Flour: Also called sweet rice flour or glutinous rice flour (though it contains no gluten—confusing, I know). Don’t confuse this with regular rice flour—they’re different. Mochi flour is made from short-grain sticky rice and has that characteristic stretchy, chewy quality. Look for it in the Asian section of your grocery store. Brands like Koda Farms “Mochiko” or Bob’s Red Mill Sweet Rice Flour work perfectly.
Pumpkin Pie Spice: This is a blend of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice, and sometimes cloves. You can buy it pre-mixed or make your own. These warm spices are perfect for cold December mornings and work beautifully in both the pancakes and the syrup.
Buttermilk: This creates tender, fluffy pancakes with a slight tang that balances the sweetness. If you don’t have buttermilk, make your own by adding 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar to regular milk and letting it sit for 5 minutes.
Real Maple Syrup: For the pumpkin spiced syrup, please use real maple syrup, not imitation pancake syrup. The difference is huge. Real maple syrup has complex, caramel-like notes that complement the pumpkin spice beautifully.
Step-by-Step: Making Your Mochi Pumpkin Pancakes
Step 1: Make the Pumpkin Spiced Syrup First
I always make the syrup first so it’s ready when the pancakes come off the griddle. There’s nothing worse than hot, perfect pancakes sitting there getting cold while you scramble to make syrup.
In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, combine 1 cup of maple syrup, 2 teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice, 1 tablespoon of butter, and a small pinch of salt.
Stir everything together and heat until the butter melts and the mixture is warm and fragrant. You’ll smell the spices blooming in the syrup—it’s heavenly. Don’t let it boil; you just want it warm and combined.
Once it’s heated through and the spices are well incorporated, remove it from heat and set it aside. You can keep it warm on the lowest heat setting, or just reheat it gently when you’re ready to serve.
The butter adds richness, the salt enhances all the flavors, and the pumpkin pie spice transforms ordinary maple syrup into liquid winter coziness. Trust me, you’ll be putting this on everything.
Step 2: Mix Your Dry Ingredients
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together:
- 1 cup mochi flour
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Whisk thoroughly to combine everything evenly. You want the leavening agents and spices distributed throughout so every pancake tastes the same. Whisking also helps break up any lumps in the mochi flour.
The combination of baking powder and baking soda gives you maximum lift and fluffiness. The baking soda also reacts with the buttermilk to create extra tenderness.
Step 3: Mix Your Wet Ingredients
In a separate medium bowl or large measuring cup, whisk together:
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 large egg
- 2 tablespoons melted butter (make sure it’s cooled slightly so it doesn’t cook the egg)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Whisk until everything is well combined and the egg is fully incorporated. The mixture should be smooth and homogeneous.
Make sure your melted butter isn’t too hot—if it’s steaming, let it cool for a minute or two. Hot butter can scramble the egg or cause the buttermilk to separate.
Step 4: Combine Wet and Dry
Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl with the dry ingredients. Using a whisk or wooden spoon, stir gently until just combined.
Here’s the key: don’t overmix. The batter should be lumpy. You should still see streaks of flour. It should look under-mixed. This is perfect. Overmixing develops gluten (from the all-purpose flour) and can make your pancakes tough instead of tender.
Mochi batter is more forgiving than regular pancake batter, but you still want to be gentle. Mix until you don’t see any dry flour, then stop. The batter will be thick but pourable—if it’s too thick, you can add a splash more buttermilk.
Let the batter rest for 5-10 minutes while your griddle heats up. This resting time allows the flour to hydrate and the leavening agents to start working.
Step 5: Heat Your Griddle or Pan
You want medium heat for these pancakes. Too hot and they’ll burn on the outside before cooking through. Too cool and they’ll be pale and won’t develop that crispy exterior.
Use a non-stick griddle, cast iron skillet, or regular non-stick pan. Heat it over medium heat for a good 3-4 minutes—you want it evenly heated.
Add a small pat of butter to the griddle and let it melt, swirling to coat the surface. The butter should sizzle gently but not immediately turn brown. That’s your perfect temperature.
Temperature test: Flick a tiny drop of water onto the griddle. It should dance and sizzle before evaporating. If it immediately evaporates in a second, your heat is too high. If it just sits there, your heat is too low.
Step 6: Cook Your Mini Pancakes
Here’s where mini pancakes show their superiority—they’re so quick and easy to cook!
Using a tablespoon or small measuring cup, pour small circles of batter onto the hot griddle. For mini pancakes, aim for about 2-3 tablespoons of batter per pancake, making them roughly 2-3 inches in diameter. You should be able to fit 6-8 mini pancakes on a standard griddle.
Don’t crowd them—leave enough space to flip comfortably. The batter will spread slightly as it hits the hot surface.
Watch for bubbles! Within 1-2 minutes, you’ll see bubbles forming on the surface of the pancakes. When the bubbles start to pop and leave little holes, and the edges look set and slightly dry, it’s time to flip.
Using a thin spatula, flip each pancake in one confident motion. They should be golden brown on the cooked side with a slight crispiness to the edges.
Cook for another 1-2 minutes on the second side. This side cooks faster than the first. You’re looking for golden brown color on both sides.
These cook fast because they’re mini! The whole process from pouring to plate takes maybe 3-4 minutes per batch.
Step 7: Keep Them Warm
As you finish each batch, transfer the cooked pancakes to a plate in a warm oven (about 200°F) to keep them hot while you finish cooking the rest. You can layer them on the plate—mochi pancakes stay fluffy even when stacked.
Continue cooking batches until you’ve used all your batter. Remember to add a little more butter to the griddle between batches to prevent sticking and add flavor.
Step 8: Serve and Enjoy
Stack those beautiful mini pancakes on a plate—the height of a stack of minis is so much more impressive than regular-sized pancakes!
Drizzle generously with your warm pumpkin spiced syrup. Add a pat of butter on top if you want (and why wouldn’t you?). Dust with a little extra cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, or even powdered sugar for a festive snow-dusted look.
Serve immediately while they’re hot and the texture is at its peak—slightly crispy outside, fluffy-chewy inside, warm throughout.
The Perfect Texture: What to Expect
Your first bite of a mochi pancake is different from a regular pancake, and that’s a good thing. The outside should have a slight crispness—not hard, just a little bit of structure. Then as you bite through, you get this pillowy softness that’s fluffier than you expect, followed by a gentle chew that’s absolutely addictive.
They’re not gummy or sticky (that would mean something went wrong). They’re not tough or dense. They’re light and fluffy with just enough chew to make them interesting and satisfying.
The pumpkin spice should be noticeable but not overwhelming—it should taste like cozy winter mornings without being too much. The syrup adds an extra layer of that warm spice flavor, and the butter in the syrup adds richness that soaks into the pancakes perfectly.
This is comfort food at its finest—familiar but with a fun twist that makes it feel special enough for the holidays.
Make-Ahead and Storage
The batter: You can make the batter the night before and refrigerate it. It will thicken as it sits—just stir gently and add a splash of buttermilk to thin it back to the right consistency before cooking. The batter keeps for about 24 hours in the fridge. Perfect for Christmas morning prep!
The syrup: Make this days ahead if you want. It keeps in the fridge for weeks. Just reheat gently before serving.
Cooked pancakes: These are best eaten fresh, but leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days. Reheat in a toaster or toaster oven to crisp them back up—microwaving makes them chewy in the wrong way.
Freezing: Cooked pancakes freeze beautifully! Let them cool completely, layer them with parchment paper between each one, and freeze in a freezer bag for up to 2 months. Reheat from frozen in a toaster or oven. Perfect for busy December mornings when you have a million holiday things to do.
Holiday meal prep: Make a huge batch during a quiet weekend in December, freeze them, and you have quick breakfasts throughout the busy holiday season. Pop a few in the toaster while you’re wrapping presents or getting ready for holiday parties.
Variations to Try
All mochi, gluten-free: Use 1½ cups of mochi flour and omit the all-purpose flour entirely. The texture will be even chewier and more mochi-like. Use gluten-free baking powder to keep it fully gluten-free. Great for holiday guests with dietary restrictions!
White chocolate chip addition: Fold in white chocolate chips to the batter for a festive, sweet addition that feels very wintery.
Add actual pumpkin: Stir in ¼ cup of pumpkin puree to the wet ingredients for authentic pumpkin flavor and a beautiful orange color. You may need to reduce the buttermilk slightly.
Gingerbread version: Add an extra teaspoon of ground ginger and a tablespoon of molasses to the wet ingredients for a gingerbread-spiced version. Very festive!
Cream cheese filling: Make a simple cream cheese filling (softened cream cheese mixed with powdered sugar) and spread between two mini pancakes for pumpkin spice cream cheese sandwiches. Like little holiday treats!
Cranberry addition: Fold in some dried cranberries for a tart, festive touch that’s perfect for December.
Different spices: Try chai spice blend or even a mix of cinnamon and cardamom for a different warm-spice profile.
Why Mini Is Better (Especially During the Holidays)
Let me make the case for mini pancakes, especially during the busy holiday season:
They cook faster: When you have a million things to do in December, faster breakfast is a gift. Smaller surface area means they cook through quickly and evenly.
Perfect for feeding a crowd: Have holiday guests? Mini pancakes are easier to portion out and everyone can take as many or as few as they want.
They’re easier to flip: Less weight, less size, less chance of the flip going wrong when you’re half-asleep on Christmas morning.
Better crispy-to-fluffy ratio: With more edges, you get more of that crispy exterior we all love.
Portion control: During the season of overindulgence, being able to easily control portions is helpful. You can eat 3, you can eat 10, you can easily adjust.
Better for sharing: When family is visiting for the holidays, multiple small pancakes are easier to share than cutting up big ones.
They look festive: A tall stack of tiny pancakes on Christmas morning just feels special and celebratory.
Kids love them: If you have kids visiting for the holidays, mini anything is automatically more appealing.
Perfect syrup coverage: Each pancake gets evenly coated with syrup instead of the top few hogging all the good stuff.
For holiday mornings when you want something special but don’t want to spend hours in the kitchen, mini is definitely the way to go.
Troubleshooting Common Issues
Pancakes are tough: You overmixed the batter. Remember, lumpy is good! Mix just until the dry ingredients are incorporated.
Not fluffy enough: Your baking powder might be old (test it by adding a bit to hot water—it should bubble vigorously), or you didn’t let the batter rest before cooking.
Too chewy/gummy: You used too much mochi flour, or your heat was too low so they didn’t cook all the way through. Make sure they’re golden brown on both sides.
Not chewy enough: You need more mochi flour in the ratio, or you substituted a different type of rice flour instead of sweet rice flour/mochiko.
Burning on outside, raw inside: Your heat is too high. Reduce to medium or medium-low and give them more time to cook through.
Sticking to the pan: Add more butter to your griddle, or your pan isn’t hot enough before you add the batter.
Spreading too thin: Your batter is too thin. Add a tablespoon or two more mochi flour to thicken it up.
Too thick, won’t spread: Your batter is too thick. Add buttermilk one tablespoon at a time until it’s a thick but pourable consistency.
Serving Suggestions for the Holiday Season
While these are perfect on their own with just butter and pumpkin spiced syrup, here are some ways to make them extra special for December:
Holiday brunch spread: Serve a huge stack of mini pancakes on a platter with bowls of pumpkin spiced syrup, regular maple syrup, whipped cream, butter, chopped pecans, and pomegranate seeds for a festive red pop. Let everyone build their own stack.
With bacon or sausage: The sweet-savory combination is perfect for Christmas morning. Crispy bacon or maple sausage alongside these pancakes is holiday breakfast perfection.
Pancake skewers: Thread mini pancakes on small skewers alternating with strawberries or banana slices. Drizzle with syrup. Perfect for holiday parties or brunch gatherings.
Yogurt parfait style: Layer mini pancakes with vanilla yogurt and granola for a fun twist on holiday breakfast.
Ice cream sandwiches: Let them cool, spread with vanilla ice cream or peppermint ice cream, and make mini pancake ice cream sandwiches. A fun holiday dessert!
With cranberry compote: Make a quick cranberry compote and serve on top instead of syrup for extra festive vibes and beautiful color.
Hot chocolate pairing: These are incredible with hot chocolate or peppermint mocha on a cold December morning. The flavors complement perfectly.
Dust with powdered sugar: Make them look like they’re covered in fresh snow for a beautiful holiday presentation.
Why This Is My December Morning Go-To
I make these throughout December whenever I want something cozy and special without a ton of effort. They’ve become my favorite holiday breakfast—the thing I make on lazy weekend mornings, Christmas morning, New Year’s Day, and any time I have guests staying with us during the holidays.
There’s something about the combination of textures—that slight crispiness giving way to fluffy, chewy interior—combined with the warm, cozy spices that just feels perfect for winter mornings. They’re familiar enough to be comforting but different enough to feel special and festive.
And those warm spices? They’re not just for fall. Cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg—these are winter spices, holiday spices, cozy-morning spices. They make your house smell amazing and taste like comfort.
Plus, they’re fun to make. There’s something satisfying about cooking dozens of perfect little mini pancakes, watching them bubble and puff up, getting that flip just right. It’s therapeutic during the sometimes-stressful holiday season.
The Bottom Line
Happy holidays! If you’re looking for a breakfast that’s cozy, delicious, and perfect for those cold December mornings—whether it’s Christmas, a lazy weekend, or just a Tuesday when you need something warm and comforting—these Mochi Pumpkin Spiced Mini Pancakes with Pumpkin Spiced Syrup are it.
The mochi flour gives them an incredible texture that’s different from anything else you’ve had. The warm spices are perfect for winter. The mini size makes them fun, easy, and perfect for feeding holiday guests. And that pumpkin spiced syrup? You’ll be making it all winter long for everything from pancakes to waffles to ice cream.
This December, make these for Christmas morning, for holiday brunch, for those cozy weekend mornings when it’s cold outside and you just want to stay in your pajamas. Mix up that batter, heat up your griddle, cook those mini beauties, drizzle with homemade pumpkin spiced syrup, and enjoy the most comforting winter breakfast.
Welcome to your new favorite holiday morning tradition!