Mystery Lovers' Kitchen: pecans

Tuesday, September 23, 2025

PERFECT PUMPKIN PANCAKES with EASY BUTTER PECAN SYRUP from author Cleo Coyle

From Cleo Coyle: Fall is now officially here. Whenever I feel that brisk autumn chill in the air, I start craving pancakes, and these Pumpkin Pancakes make a fantastic fall meal. 🍂 Adding pumpkin is a great way to bring extra fiber, nutrition, and flavor to the table. These little cakes are amazing topped with my easy-to-make Warm Butter Pecan Syrup, which is also delicious over ice cream and baked apples. Or try my lighter topping idea for the pancakes, which I've also included in the recipe...

So happy fall, everyone!

Let's get our Pumpkin Pancakes on...

Cleo Coyle writes two
bestselling mystery

series with her husband.
To learn more, click here.

☕ A Recipe Note from Cleo...

🍂 As I mentioned above, adding pumpkin to pancakes is a great way to bring extra fiber, nutrition, and flavor to your breakfast table.

I like to buy a few extra cans of pumpkin puree during the fall shopping discount window, so I can make these pancakes throughout the winter season.

These Pumpkin Pancakes are incredibly good with the Warm Butter Pecan Syrup recipe I'm also sharing. The syrup is quick and easy to make and fantastic on the cakes, as well as ice cream, baked apples, and grilled peaches.

Or try my lighter topping idea, which I've included below. It's a deliciously different way to finish these warm little cakes and a much lighter option than the syrup.

May you flip with joy!

~ Cleo

To download this recipe as a free

PDF that you can print, save,

or share, click here...

Click here for Cleo's
free Recipe PDF.

☕ Cleo Coyle’s
Perfect Pumpkin Pancakes

Makes 8 – 10 pancakes, depending on size

Ingredients:

4 tablespoons butter, melted
4 eggs
½ cup pureed pumpkin (I use canned)
1-½ cups milk (low fat is fine)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (double if you like spice)
(optional) ½ teaspoon orange zest (grated orange peel)
¼ cup dark brown sugar, packed
¼ teaspoon salt
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder

Directions:

Step 1 - Make batter: Melt butter and set aside to cool a bit. In a mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, pureed pumpkin, milk, vanilla, pumpkin pie spice, and (optional) orange zest. Add brown sugar, salt, and the melted butter that you set aside. Finally mix in the flour and baking powder. Do not over-mix the batter at this point or your pancakes will be tough instead of tender. You can make the pancakes immediately or cover bowl with plastic wrap and allow batter to sit in the refrigerator (and hydrate) for 30 minutes to an hour (or even overnight).

Step 2 – Cooking the perfect pancake:

(a) Pre-heat: Pre-heat a nonstick griddle or skillet. If you have a good quality nonstick griddle or pan (and there is absolutely no residue on the surface), you will see prettier results without using grease. Butter, cooking spray, and oil all produce mottled surfaces on your pancakes. If you do have an older pan or it does not have a nonstick surface, lightly grease with butter, oil, or cooking spray.

(b) Pour: Using a measuring cup, pour ¼ cup of batter onto the pre-heated pan or griddle; immediately pour ¼ cup more right on top of the first pour. The pancake batter should spread into a perfect circle, about five inches in diameter.

(c) Flip and finish: When you see bubbles begin to form on pancake’s top, it’s ready to flip. Cook lightly on the other side and serve with my Warm Butter Pecan Syrup or my Lighter Topping Option, both are below.

Cleo's Warm

Butter Pecan Syrup

☕

A Final Note from Cleo

Full of buttery sweet caramel flavor, this syrup is delicious served warm over pancakes, but also ice cream as well as baked apples or grilled peaches. Enjoy!

Cleo Coyle's
Warm Butter Pecan Syrup

Makes 2/3 cup syrup

Ingredients:

½ cup butter (1 stick)

¼ cup half-and-half or heavy cream

½ cup dark brown sugar, packed

¼ cup chopped pecans

Directions:

Quick warning: Do not melt butter first in this recipe. If you do, the butter may separate and your syrup will not thicken properly unless you boil it down. Instead, use this method: In a saucepan, over low heat, combine solid butter, half-and-half (or cream), brown sugar, and chopped pecans. Stir immediately and continually. Mixture should not boil. When butter is fully melted, remove from heat, cover and keep warm to serve over pancakes, ice cream, baked apples, or grilled peaches.

Cleo's Lighter Topping Option

Instead of using butter and syrup on your pancakes, try this lighter and easier method...

Squeeze juice from the wedge of an orange over the top of your warm pumpkin pancakes and lightly dust with powdered sugar or a sugar-free powdered sugar substitute like allulose or monkfruit.

This is a lighter option than butter and syrup, and it tastes delicious—almost like a carnival funnel cake, one of my favorite treats from childhood. The orange flavor also pairs beautifully with the light pumpkin taste in the pancakes.

Eat (and read) with joy!

CLEO COYLE is a pseudonym for Alice Alfonsi, writing in collaboration with her husband, Marc Cerasini. Both are New York Times bestselling authors of the long-running Coffeehouse Mysteries, now celebrating more than twenty years in print. With more than 1 million books sold, they have gained an enthusiastic following. Cleo's "relentlessly entertaining" (Criminal Element) novels have been translated into Spanish, Japanese, and Czech; earned starred reviews from Library Journal and Kirkus; received Best of Year selection honors from multiple reviewers; and have been recommended by Booklist as among the best culinary mysteries for core library mystery collections. Alice and Marc are also bestselling media tie-in writers who have penned properties for Lucasfilm, NBC, Fox, Disney, Imagine, Toho, and MGM. They live in New York City, where they write independently and together, including the nationally bestselling Haunted Bookshop Mysteries.

Visit Cleo's online coffeehouse here.

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"EASILY ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS THAT I HAVE READ THIS YEAR...10 STARS!" —Escape with Dollycas into a Good Book

"A KNOCKOUT STORY....one of the best books in this endearing series...a TERRIFIC READ..." —Dru Ann Love, Raven Award-winning reviewer, Dru's Book Musings

No Roast for the Weary is also a culinary mystery with a killer menu of delicious recipes. Click here or on the image below to see the free illustrated guide to our book's recipe section...

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No Roast for the Weary.

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Tuesday, November 12, 2024

SWEET POTATO CASSEROLE WITH PECAN TOPPING: My Lighter Version of the #Thanksgiving Classic from @CleoCoyle

From Cleo Coyle: Buttery mashed sweet potatoes baked with a crunchy-sweet pecan topping is a beloved American side dish for Thanksgiving. With the countdown coming for the big feast, I'm happy to re-share the way I make this family favorite.

My homemade version is just as decadent in flavor, but uses less butter, sugar, and flour than more traditional recipes (believe me, you won't miss it). I'm also sharing my easy way to prepare this dish from scratch, which is light years better than using canned potatoes, so don't even think about reaching for that can opener! :)

Cleo Coyle writes two
bestselling mystery

series with her husband.
To learn more, click here.

☕ A Note from Cleo...

One of the earlier places I saw a basic version of this recipe published was a 40-year-old cookbook celebrating heritage recipes from Georgia, and that recipe likely had its roots in the "sweet potato pudding" published in the first American cookbook, circa 1796.

For my lighter, easier (and more nutritious) version of this classic, I started with the more traditional version here, cut an entire stick of butter, some of the sugar, and a small amount of flour. The results? I did not miss them in the least, and neither did my husband, who is never coy about his opinion on good eats!

This recipe is versatile, as well. You can make the casserole with brown sugar alone or with maple syrup. You can make it with dairy products or non-dairy.

Finally, I have a tip for making the process a snap on Thanksgiving day: Instead of following the traditional recipe of peeling, dicing, boiling, and mashing the sweet potatoes, try simply baking them alongside your turkey.

If you follow my method for baking the sweet potatoes, they'll be just as moist as the boiled version, but with less fuss and cleanup. And (the best reason to do this...) baking the potatoes will help them retain more nutrition and flavor.

Now let's start (some early Thanksgiving) cooking!

~ Cleo

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To download a PDF of this

recipe that you can print,

save, or share, click here.

Click for the free recipe PDF.

Cleo Coyle's (Lighter)
Sweet Potato Casserole with
Brown Sugar and Pecans

Ingredients:

For the casserole:

3-4 medium to large sweet potatoes (You will use these to
make 3-1/2 cups cooked and mashed sweet potatoes)
1/4 cup light brown sugar*
1/4 cup pure maple syrup*
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon table salt
1/4 cup milk (cow’s low-fat milk or dairy-free almond)
4 tablespoons butter melted (or dairy-free margarine, melted)

*To make this recipe without maple syrup, increase the brown sugar to 1/2 cup and reduce the amount of cooked, mashed sweet potatoes by 1/4 cup.

For the topping:

4 Tablespoons butter, melted (or dairy-free margarine, melted)
1/4 cup flour
1/2 cup light brown sugar
Generous pinch of table salt
1 cup pecans, roughly chopped

Step 1 – Easy-bake sweet potatoes (you can either bake these with your turkey or the night before your Thanksgiving meal): Wash the sweet potatoes and leave skins wet. Tap your inner serial killer and stab the taters a few times with a knife to prevent them from exploding in the oven.

Wrap the sweet potatoes tightly in aluminum foil and bake them in a well-preheated 350 degree F. oven for 90 minutes. Remove them from the oven, but do not unwrap! Allow them to cool in their foil cocoons for 30 minutes. This will keep them nice and moist. Now open and slice each potato in half.

As shown above, scoop out the still-warm flesh,

which is now very close to pre-mashed for you.

A fork will make quick work of the mashing.

See the photos above and below.
You want a nice, even consistency.

Step 2 – Assemble the casserole: Measure out 3-1/2 cups of the cooked and mashed sweet potatoes and combine them with the rest of the casserole ingredients. Stir well. Pour into a well-buttered casserole dish (1-1/2 to 2 quarts in size). The dish you see below is 1-1/2 quarts.

Step 3 – Make the casserole topping: Melt the butter (or margarine) in a small saucepan. Remove the pan from heat, add the topping ingredients to the pan, stir well. The mixture should be damp and crumbly. Distribute it evenly over the casserole top.

Bake at 350° F. for about 40 minutes. Casserole will be bubbling when finished and some liquid will appear to be pooling in the topping. Don’t worry. As the dish cools, the liquid will settle back into the casserole and the top will become crusty, crunchy, and delicious. So you'll be all set to...eat with Thanksgiving joy!