Carrot Cake Pancakes

These carrot cake pancakes are soft, fluffy, and filled with warm cinnamon, shredded carrots, and crunchy nuts for all the flavor of carrot cake in breakfast form.

Finished with a simple cream cheese glaze, this recipe is perfect for Easter brunch, spring mornings, or anytime you want pancakes that feel a little extra special.

Why You’ll Love These Homemade Pancakes

A stack of fluffy pancakes that taste just like your favorite spring dessert- what’s not to love!

• Great for Easter brunch – When I think of spring, I think of carrot cake, and these pancakes are perfect for any spring celebration- especially Easter!
• Pantry ingredients – Besides maybe the carrots, I’d be willing to bet you have most, if not all of the ingredients needed to make these pancakes.
• Easy to make – These pancakes are just as easy to make as traditional pancakes with one extra step- making the cream cheese frosting!

Gather This

These carrot cake pancakes ingredients are all easily found at your local grocery store, if you don’t already have them on hand! A full list of ingredients with measurements for this recipe is available in the printable recipe card below.

• Carrots – They wouldn’t be carrot cake pancakes without carrots, right?? You will want these to be grated pretty fine so as to not have huge chunks of carrots in your pancakes.

Variations and Topping Ideas

Carrot cake pancakes can be topped with whipped butter, cream cheese, maple syrup, or even a cream cheese syrup if desired. I also prefer adding chopped walnuts or pecans. The crunch is excellent. Here are some other ideas:

• Raisins – Carrot cake pancakes are also delicious with raisins. So why not add raisins to the batter or sprinkle on top. It’s a fun addition for those who love raisins.
• Toppings – Adding a tablespoon of softened cream cheese to the top and a drizzle of maple syrup is a wonderful combination and every bite is fantastic.
• Blond syrup is also an amazing alternative too.
• Flour – Switch up the flour by using whole wheat flour or even gluten-free flour. Keep in mind you will need a binding agent if using gluten free.

Flip Those Hot Cakes!

Heat your skillet up to medium heat and get to flipping this recipe for carrot cake pancakes!

1. Gather ingredients and equipment. A couple of larger size mixing bowls and a whisk or large spoon are handy to have. And feel free to use matchstick carrots. It will save you from peeling and grating carrots. If you have a kitchen scale it’s always best to weigh all purpose flour for better consistency to the pancakes.
2. Combine dry ingredients. In a large mixing bowl combine the dry ingredients together making sure to break up larger clumps of brown sugar if needed. 
3. Peel and grate carrots. I also prefer to rough chop the carrots into smaller bits. This helps to evenly distribute the carrots throughout the pancakes. It’s really good! Toss carrots into dry ingredients and create a well in the center.
4. Mix wet ingredients. Melt butter in a separate bowl and combine remaining wet ingredients. Use a whisk to combine and mix everything together. Then pour milk mixture into dry ingredients. 
5. Make batter. Mix batter together just until combined. Do not over mix batter as it tends to make pancakes more dense.
6. Cook. Drop scoops of pancake batter on a hot greased skillet and cook over medium/high heat until golden brown and then flip over and cook other side.

Make it A Meal

You can serve these pancakes with just about any of your other breakfast favorites. Bacon and eggs are always a great place to start.

You can also serve with a bowl of greek yogurt and granola. I also like to serve pancakes with some sort of breakfast casserole if I’m feeding a crowd. The options are endless!

Tips for Fluffy Pancakes

These carrot cake pancakes aren’t hard to make once you’ve got the right tips and tricks under your belt!

• Don’t overmix the batter – Overmining develops the gluten in the flour, which leads to chewy and dense pancakes rather than light and fluffy.
• Let the batter rest – If you have the time to do so, this allows the batter to thicken slightly which makes for a nicer “puff” when cooking.
• Wait for bubbles before flipping – This is your visual cue that the structure has firmed up and the pancake is ready to be flipped.
• Use fresh baking soda – If your baking soda has been sitting too long and has expired, it may not provide enough rise for your pancakes.

More Fluffy Pancake Recipes

There’s nothing I love more than a stack of fluffy pancakes for breakfast. Here are a list of some of our favorites.

Breakfast

Oatmeal Pancakes

4.82 from 16 votes

Breakfast

Funfetti Pancakes (Birthday Pancakes)

5 from 8 votes

Breakfast

Sticky Banana Pancakes

4.86 from 7 votes

Carrot Cake Pancake Recipe

5 from 5 votes

These carrot cake pancakes are fluffy, warmly spiced and topped with a sweet cream cheese glaze. An easy recipe perfect for Easter or brunch.

Prep Time: 15 minutes mins

Cook Time: 15 minutes mins

Total Time: 30 minutes mins

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Servings: 10

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Equipment

• Grater Set
• Whisk

Ingredients

Pancake Batter:

• 2 cups flour
• 4 tablespoons brown sugar
• 3 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
• 1 cup carrots , grated and minced
• 1 1/2 cup whole milk
• 2 eggs
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter , melted
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 2 tablespoons walnuts or pecans , chopped

Cream Cheese Glaze:

• 4 ounce cream cheese , softened
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 1/4 cup whole milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

Pancakes:

• In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, brown sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.
• Add the grated carrots to dry ingredients and toss together.
• In a separate bowl, whisk together the butter eggs, milk, vanilla extract and vegetable oil.
• Combine the wet and dry ingredients, stir the batter until combined. Do not over mix.
• Heat a greased skillet over medium-high heat and pour about 1/3 – 1/2 cup batter on hot skillet and allow to cook until golden brown. If using an electric skillet, heat to 325°F.
• Flip the pancake over when little bubbles form and cook on the other side until done. Repeat until all remaining batter has been cooked.
• Top with chopped nuts, butter or the cream cheese cheese drizzle.

Cream Cheese Glaze:

• Mix together cream cheese and powdered sugar. Whisk with milk and vanilla extract until smooth.

Notes

Add 1/2 cup raisins to the batter or top with candied walnuts. 

Storage: Store leftover pancakes in an airtight container or resealable plastic bag for up to 3 days. They can be reheated on a griddle or skillet at low to medium-low heat or in a toaster. 

Freezing: Pancakes can be frozen. Make sure to allow pancakes to fully cool and place parchment paper between each pancake to prevent sticking. 

Reheating: When you’re ready to enjoy them again, they’re easy to reheat. You can do this in the toaster oven, toaster or the oven and just reheat until warm.

Nutrition

Calories: 286 kcal, Carbohydrates: 34 g, Protein: 6 g, Fat: 14 g, Saturated Fat: 6 g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 3 g, Monounsaturated Fat: 3 g, Trans Fat: 1 g, Cholesterol: 59 mg, Sodium: 523 mg, Potassium: 171 mg, Fiber: 1 g, Sugar: 14 g, Vitamin A: 2513 IU, Vitamin C: 1 mg, Calcium: 81 mg, Iron: 2 mg

Author: Jessica Formicola

Calories: 286

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: American

Keyword: carrot cake pancake recipe, carrot cake pancakes, homemade pancakes, recipe for carrot cake pancakes

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