Halloween Sourdough Discard Pancakes: Mummy, Pumpkin & Frankenstein
/There’s something about making an ordinary breakfast a little festive that makes the holidays feel extra special with kids. These Halloween Sourdough Discard Pancakes are made from our favorite fluffy sourdough discard pancake recipe and turned into three easy Halloween characters: a mummy, pumpkin and Frankenstein.
And the best part? You only have to make one pancake batter.
I doubled my regular sourdough discard pancake recipe, divided the batter into three bowls and made a small change to each. I left the mummy batter plain, added natural orange food coloring to the pumpkin batter and used matcha to naturally turn Frankenstein green.
Then we decorated them with Greek yogurt, fresh fruit and a little melted chocolate.
They’re festive without requiring a million ingredients or complicated decorating, which is exactly the kind of Halloween recipe I want to make with little ones.
An Easy Halloween Breakfast for Kids
I love finding little ways to make each season feel special for our kids, and it doesn’t always need to be a big event.
Sometimes it’s simply making pancakes look like Frankenstein on an October morning.
These would be so cute for Halloween morning, an October weekend breakfast or even a Halloween brunch with friends. You can make all three characters like I did or just choose your favorite and keep things even simpler.
If you’re planning more Halloween fun with little ones, I’m also putting all of the Halloween pieces we use and love in my Kids Halloween Favorites—kid-friendly kitchen tools, Halloween plates and cups, baking supplies, seasonal finds and everything that makes these little traditions more fun.
And if you love making breakfast feel a little more special, my Peach Coffee Cake with Crumble Topping is another favorite for slow mornings at home.
Three Halloween Pancakes from One Batter
Instead of making three separate recipes, I made one double batch of my sourdough discard pancake batter and divided it evenly between three bowls.
From there, each bowl becomes one of our Halloween characters.
It makes these look much more complicated than they actually are.
Mummy Pancakes
The mummy is the simplest of the three.
I left this portion of the pancake batter completely plain. Once cooked, I used a piping bag filled with plain Greek yogurt to create the mummy wrapping and melted chocolate for the eyes.
And definitely don't worry about making the yogurt lines perfect. Uneven lines actually make the mummy look better.
This is also a great one if you don't want to change the pancake batter at all. You can make your regular pancakes and let the decoration turn them into Halloween breakfast.
Pumpkin Pancakes
For the pumpkin, I added natural orange food coloring to the second bowl of batter.
Full disclosure: you really couldn’t tell mine were very orange once they were cooked!
But once I added a little kiwi stem and drew the jack-o’-lantern face with melted chocolate, they were still so cute.
If you use natural food coloring and yours does the same thing, don’t stress about it. The decorations do most of the work.
You could actually skip the orange coloring altogether if you want. The kiwi stem and chocolate face are enough to make a regular golden pancake read as a pumpkin.
Matcha Frankenstein Pancakes
Frankenstein might be my favorite.
Instead of using green food coloring, I added matcha to the third bowl of pancake batter. It naturally turns the pancakes green while adding just a subtle matcha flavor.
For the decorations, I used blackberries across the top for his hair and pieces of banana for the scar, eyes and mouth. A little melted chocolate adds the final details.
I love that so much of his face is made from fruit, too. He's festive and silly without needing a bunch of specialty Halloween candy.
Shop Everything for a Kids Halloween Morning
One of my favorite parts of creating these little seasonal traditions is pulling out a few special pieces that make an otherwise normal breakfast feel exciting.
I created a Kids Halloween Favorites shelf on ShopMy with my favorite Halloween finds for little ones, including seasonal tableware, baking pieces, kid-friendly kitchen tools and other things I’ll be using throughout October.
I’ll keep adding to this shelf throughout the season, so it can be a spot to find everything I’m using for our Halloween recipes, treats and little traditions.
Halloween Sourdough Discard Pancakes
Fluffy sourdough discard pancakes turned into three easy Halloween characters—a mummy, pumpkin and Frankenstein—using Greek yogurt, fruit, matcha and melted chocolate.
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Servings: Approximately 18–20 pancakes, depending on size
Ingredients
Sourdough Discard Pancakes
150 g sourdough starter discard
400 g all-purpose flour
450 g milk
100 g butter, melted
80 g honey
4 large eggs
16 g baking powder
6 g salt
12 g vanilla extract
For the Halloween Pancakes
Natural orange food coloring
Matcha powder, as needed for desired green color
Plain Greek yogurt
Melted chocolate
Kiwi
Blackberries
Banana
Instructions
1. Mix the Wet Ingredients
In a large bowl, whisk together the sourdough starter discard, milk, melted butter, honey, eggs and vanilla extract until smooth and fully combined.
2. Combine the Dry Ingredients
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.
3. Make the Pancake Batter
Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, gently stirring until just combined.
Be careful not to overmix. A few lumps are perfectly fine and will help keep the pancakes light and fluffy.
4. Rest the Batter
Let the pancake batter rest for 5–10 minutes. This helps hydrate the flour and gives you softer, fluffier pancakes.
5. Divide the Batter
Divide the batter evenly between three bowls.
Leave the first bowl plain for the mummy pancakes.
Add natural orange food coloring to the second bowl for the pumpkin pancakes.
Add matcha powder to the third bowl a little at a time until you reach your desired shade of Frankenstein green.
6. Cook the Pancakes
Heat a lightly greased non-stick skillet or griddle over medium heat.
Pour about ¼ cup batter onto the skillet for each pancake.
Cook until bubbles begin forming on the surface and the edges look set, about 2–3 minutes. Flip and cook for another 1–2 minutes, or until cooked through.
Repeat with the remaining batter.
7. Make the Mummy
Place a plain pancake on a plate.
Add plain Greek yogurt to a piping bag and pipe it back and forth across the pancake to create mummy wrapping.
Use melted chocolate to make two eyes.
8. Make the Pumpkin
Place an orange pancake on a plate.
Cut a small piece of kiwi and place it at the top for the pumpkin stem.
Use melted chocolate to draw the eyes and jack-o’-lantern mouth.
9. Make Frankenstein
Place a matcha pancake on a plate.
Arrange blackberries across the top for Frankenstein’s hair.
Cut banana into small pieces to create his eyes, mouth and scar. Add small dots of melted chocolate to the banana eyes to finish his face.
Serve and enjoy!
Amanda’s Notes
Don’t worry if the pumpkin isn’t very orange. Natural food coloring can become much more subtle once the pancake is cooked. Mine did! Once you add the kiwi stem and chocolate face, it still looks like a pumpkin.
Add the matcha gradually. You only need enough to turn the batter green. Adding too much can make the matcha flavor stronger than you want.
Let the pancakes cool slightly before decorating. This is especially important for the mummy. If the pancake is piping hot, the Greek yogurt can start to melt and run.
Use a piping bag for the chocolate, too. It makes drawing the little faces much easier. You can also use a small zip-top bag and snip off the tiniest corner.
Let the kids decorate their own. Put out bowls of blackberries, banana, kiwi, yogurt and chocolate and let everyone create their own Halloween pancake character. They definitely don’t have to be perfect.
Keep cooked pancakes warm. Since this makes a double batch, keep finished pancakes on a baking sheet in a low oven while you finish cooking the remaining batter.
What to Serve with Halloween Pancakes
Because the pancakes are already the fun part of breakfast, I’d keep everything else really simple.
Serve them with fresh fruit, scrambled eggs, bacon or breakfast sausage and maple syrup on the side.
For a bigger Halloween brunch, make several of each character and arrange them together on a large platter with extra fruit.
You could even turn breakfast into a decorate-your-own Halloween pancake bar. Make the pancakes and set out bowls of Greek yogurt, melted chocolate, banana, blackberries and kiwi so everyone can create their own character.
For another cozy breakfast to add to your fall rotation, try my Peach Coffee Cake with Crumble Topping, Apple Pie Overnight Oats or Blueberry Cinnamon Roll Loaf
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make Halloween pancakes without sourdough discard?
Yes. You can use the same decorating ideas with your favorite pancake recipe. You’ll just need enough batter to divide between the three Halloween characters.
Does matcha make pancakes green?
Yes. Matcha naturally gives the pancake batter a beautiful green color, which makes it perfect for Frankenstein without needing green food coloring.
Will the matcha make the pancakes taste like matcha?
A small amount will add a subtle matcha flavor, but it shouldn’t overwhelm the pancakes. Start with a little and add more until you have the green color you want.
Can I make these Halloween pancakes ahead of time?
Yes. Cook the pancakes ahead of time and store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Reheat before serving and wait to add the fruit, Greek yogurt and chocolate decorations until just before eating.
What can I use instead of orange food coloring?
You can leave the pumpkin pancake batter plain. The kiwi stem and chocolate jack-o’-lantern face are enough to make it look like a pumpkin.
How do I keep the Greek yogurt from melting on the mummy pancakes?
Allow the pancakes to cool for a few minutes before piping on the Greek yogurt. You want them warm, but not steaming hot.
More Fall & Halloween Recipes
If you’re looking for more recipes to make throughout October, try:
Save This Recipe
Save this one for Halloween morning, an October weekend breakfast or your next Halloween brunch with the kids.
Gather Around the Table
These Halloween Sourdough Discard Pancakes are exactly the kind of seasonal tradition I love creating with our kids.
They’re simple, a little silly and turn an ordinary breakfast at home into something they get excited about.
And you don't need three recipes or a cart full of special ingredients to make them.
One batch of our favorite sourdough discard pancakes, a little matcha, fruit, Greek yogurt and chocolate turns breakfast into a mummy, pumpkin and Frankenstein.
The characters don't need to be perfect. In fact, I think the wonky ones are usually the cutest.
And those little mornings around the table are the memories I want to hold onto most.
