Start by preparing the whipped honey cinnamon butter so it’s ready to go once you’re ready to serve. In a medium bowl, add the butter, honey, cinnamon, and vanilla. Beat with a whisk or an electric handheld mixer until well combined and fluffy. Set aside and keep at room temperature until ready to serve.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice (if using). Set aside.

In a separate large bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, pumpkin puree, eggs, melted and slightly cooled butter, and vanilla until smooth.

Add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet, and whisk until just combined (it’s okay if the batter is a little lumpy). Set aside and allow the batter to rest for 10-15 minutes.

In a small bowl, mix together the softened (almost melted) butter, sugar, cinnamon, and 2 tbsp of the pumpkin pancake batter until well combined and smooth. Transfer the mixture to a piping bag or a small sandwich baggie with a small portion of the corner snipped off.

Use a large cookie scoop or ¼ cup measuring cup to scoop and pour the pancake batter onto the skillet for each pancake. Let the pancakes cook on the pan for 1 minute.

Using the piping bag full of the cinnamon swirl mixture, starting at the middle, gently swirl and create a spiral of the cinnamon swirl mixture into each pancake, pushing slightly into the batter.

Cook for 2-4 minutes, until bubbles appear on the surface. Then use a spatula to gently flip the pancakes over, and cook on the other side for another 1-3 minutes, until golden and cooked through.

Transfer the pancakes onto a baking sheet and keep warm in the oven at 200F while you make the rest of the pancakes.

Repeat the process with the remaining pancake batter and cinnamon swirl mixture, wiping the pan as needed between each batch.

Once ready, serve the pancakes warm with the whipped honey cinnamon butter and maple syrup, if desired.