Carrot Cake Pancakes (Print version)
Spiced breakfast pancakes loaded with fresh carrots, toasted nuts, and orange zest for a comforting morning treat.
# Ingredient List:
→ Dry Ingredients
01 - 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (160 g)
02 - 2 tablespoons brown sugar
03 - 2 teaspoons baking powder
04 - 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
05 - 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
06 - 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
07 - 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
08 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
→ Wet Ingredients
09 - 1 cup milk (240 ml)
10 - 2 large eggs
11 - 1/4 cup vegetable oil or melted butter (60 ml)
12 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
13 - Zest of 1 orange (optional)
→ Add-Ins
14 - 1 cup finely grated carrots, about 2 medium (110 g)
15 - 1/4 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (25 g)
16 - 1/4 cup raisins, optional (40 g)
→ For Serving
17 - Maple syrup, to taste
18 - Cream cheese glaze or yogurt, optional
19 - Extra chopped walnuts
# How To Make It:
01 - In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and salt until evenly distributed.
02 - In a separate bowl, whisk together the milk, eggs, oil or melted butter, vanilla extract, and orange zest if using, until smooth and well blended.
03 - Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and stir gently until just combined. Avoid overmixing to keep the pancakes light and tender.
04 - Gently fold the grated carrots, chopped walnuts or pecans, and raisins if using into the batter with a spatula.
05 - Heat a nonstick skillet or griddle over medium heat and lightly grease with oil or butter.
06 - Drop 1/4 cup of batter per pancake onto the hot skillet. Cook until bubbles form across the surface and edges appear set, about 2 to 3 minutes. Flip and cook another 1 to 2 minutes until golden brown and cooked through.
07 - Continue cooking the remaining batter, re-greasing the skillet lightly as needed between batches.
08 - Serve the pancakes warm, drizzled with maple syrup, a dollop of cream cheese glaze or yogurt, and a sprinkle of extra chopped walnuts if desired.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- These pancakes taste like morning sunshine spiced with cinnamon and packed with real carrots.
- They come together in under 35 minutes from pantry staples you probably already have.
- The cream cheese glaze drizzle makes breakfast feel like a special occasion without any fuss.
02 -
- Overmixing the batter is the single fastest way to end up with tough, rubbery pancakes instead of tender, fluffy ones.
- Finely grated carrots disappear into the batter beautifully while coarsely grated ones leave visible shreds that some picky eaters might notice.
- Let the batter rest for five minutes before cooking and you will be rewarded with thicker, fluffier pancakes.
03 -
- The first pancake is always a test subject, use it to dial in your heat level and adjust before committing the rest of the batter.
- A thin cream cheese glaze made with softened cream cheese, a splash of milk, and powdered sugar drizzled over the top is what takes these from great to unforgettable.