Chef notes
When I tested this recipe, I literally could not stop eating it. They are so light and fluffy and have the perfect level of sweetness; they just go down way too easily.
Technique tip: When separating eggs, be sure not to get any yolk into your whites and that your bowl is clean of any oil or grease. Any fat at all will prevent the whites from whipping.
Swap option: Don't have pancake mix on hand? Combine 1/2 cup all-purpose flour, 1/2 tablespoon sugar, pinch of salt and 1/4 teaspoon baking powder, and use this as the dry ingredients.
Ingredients
- 1 cup raw pecans (pieces and/or halves)
- 3 tablespoons powdered sugar
- 1 pinch salt
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 egg yolks
- 1 tablespoon milk
- 1/4 cup canned pumpkin puree
- 1/2 cup pancake mix
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1½ teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- 4 egg whites
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice (or cream of tartar)
- 1 pinch salt
- powdered sugar and/or maple syrup, for serving
Preparation
For the pecans:
1.Preheat oven to 350 F.
2.Bring 3-4 cups of water to a boil. Add the pecans and cook for 1 minute. Drain the nuts and transfer to a bowl. Add the powdered sugar, salt and cinnamon, and toss to completely coat.
3.Spread the nuts on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake at 350 F for 15 minutes, until browned and crisp. Set aside to cool while you make the pancakes.
For the pancakes:
1.In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, milk and pumpkin. Add the pancake mix, sugar and spice, and whisk until smooth.
2.In a large bowl, whisk the egg whites with the lemon juice (or cream of tartar) and a pinch of salt. Whisk until medium-stiff peaks have formed. You'll know you're at medium-stiff peaks when you pull the beaters out of the whites and the peaks that form bend just a little at the tips.
3.Take a scoop of whipped egg whites and mix into the pumpkin mixture to lighten it up. Then, add the lightened pumpkin mixture into the whipped egg whites and gently fold until fully mixed and no streaks of white remain.
4.Heat a large, non-stick skillet on low heat. Lightly spray the heated skillet with cooking spray. Using a large spoon or ice cream scoop, scoop about 3/4 cup of batter onto the skillet, making sure to keep the scoops nice and high, not flattening them at all like traditional pancakes. Leave a couple inches between pancakes so you have room for flipping.
5.Once the pan is full, put the lid on the skillet and cook for 3-4 minutes, until the bottoms are nicely browned. Gently flip the pancakes over and cover, cooking for an additional 3-4 minutes until nicely browned on that side and cooked through. The batter deflates quickly when sitting in the bowl, so if your skillet is small, you should have 2 skillets working at once to avoid letting the batter deflate.
6.Immediately transfer the cooked soufflé pancakes to your serving dish and dust with powdered sugar. Enjoy them with a drizzle of maple syrup and sprinkled with candied pecans. Eat them right away! They are so delicate, they won't stay fluffy for very long.
