Carrot Cake Pancakes

If you wish you could have carrot cake all the time, you’ll love these easy Carrot Cake Pancakes! They’re loaded with freshly grated carrots, griddled to perfection, and topped with a delicious cream cheese frosting. They’re perfect for Easter brunch or any Saturday morning!

Is there a pancake lover in your life? Try my other pancake recipes, like these delicious Cinnamon Swirl Pancakes, which are served with a similar cream cheese icing and are absolutely heavenly! Prefer crepe-style pancakes? Serve these Pannenkoek (Dutch Pancakes) with a topping bar for a fantastic brunch!

Who says carrot cake always has to be a cake? Of course, many of us have tried carrot cake cupcakes, but why not pancakes?

These fluffy carrot cake pancakes are the perfect way to enjoy those carrot cake flavors any day of the week without buttering a baking dish or heating the oven.

They’re so much fun to serve at a special occasion like a brunch, baby shower, or a slow, cozy weekend. Feel free to make these your own! Doctor them up with your favorite spices and test them out with your favorite toppings.

What are Carrot Cake Pancakes?

Based on a traditional carrot cake recipe, these pancakes will scratch that carrot cake itch with way less mess! You make a modified carrot cake batter, then cook it on your griddle or in a large skillet.

For traditional carrot cake flavor, serve them with my easy cream cheese glaze and crunchy walnuts. They’re a special treat that will take your Sunday brunch to the next level! You can also make carrot cake macarons.

Carrot Cake Pancake Ingredients

Here are the basic ingredients to make these delightful pancakes. Check out the recipe card at the bottom of this post for full amounts.

Pancake Ingredients

• All purpose flour: Just like in actual carrot cake, you’ll need all-purpose flour as a base to hold all your ingredients together.
• Sugar: You’ll need a little sweetness to draw out the flavor in these fluffy pancakes. You can also try using coconut sugar or brown sugar.
• Warm spices: Part of what makes carrot cake so enticing is the warm spices that pair with the carrot flavor, like cinnamon and clove.
• Salt: Highlights the flavors and activates the baking powder.
• Baking powder: This is your main leavening agent to make these pancakes light and fluffy.
• Milk: Use any type of milk to thin out the batter, including soy milk, coconut milk, or almond milk. For really fluffy pancakes, use buttermilk.
• Pure vanilla extract: Vanilla makes any recipe taste like a dessert and will keep your pancakes from tasting savory.
• Egg: Like baking powder, you need the egg to help your pancake batter get a good rise.
• Oil: Most carrot cake recipes use vegetable oil, which gives it that perfect moist texture.
• Carrots: Take some time to finely shred your fresh carrots either using a box grater or a food processor with a grater attachment.

Cream Cheese Topping

• Cream cheese: Whip up some softened cream cheese for the perfect cream cheese topping.
• Sugar: Powdered sugar or granulated sugar will work.
• Milk: Helps to thin out the topping.
• Vanilla extract: Gives the cream cheese frosting a vanilla flavor.

Optional Toppings

• Chopped walnuts or pecans
• Maple syrup
• Raisins (regular or golden raisins)
• Finely grated carrot

How to Make Carrot Cake Pancakes

• Prepare the dry ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, clove, baking soda, and salt. 
• Mix the wet ingredients: In a separate mixing bowl, combine together the milk, egg, vanilla, and oil. Then add in the shredded carrots.
• Combine wet and dry: Add the dry ingredients slowly into the wet ingredients, mixing halfway through. Mix until just combined, don’t overmix or the pancakes may be flat.
• Prep the griddle: Set a griddle over medium heat. Once it’s hot, add some butter.
• Start cooking: Add ¼ cup of batter. Cook on the first side until bubbles start to form and the edges look cooked about 2 minutes. Flip over the pancake and cook for about 1-2 minutes on that side until it is lightly browned.  
• Make the cream cheese drizzle: Combine the cream cheese, maple syrup, vanilla extract, and cinnamon in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whip attachment until combined, about 2 minutes.
• Serve: Top the pancakes with a drizzle of maple syrup and or cream cheese drizzle. Sprinkle on optional toppings.

Tips for Success 

• For the perfect pancake, take the time to heat your griddle or skillet properly. Set your griddle to 375 degrees F. I like to add a little oil or butter to the griddle for the first batch only to make sure they don’t stick.
• Look for little bubbles on the surface of the pancake before you flip.
• Once the flipped pancake begins to deflate, it’s typically done.
• Try baking your pancakes on a prepared baking sheet if you need a bunch of pancakes quickly.
• Let the cream cheese soften to room temperature before you make your topping, or it will be clumpy.

Recipe Variations

• Add ginger: Add some chopped crystallized ginger and 1/2 tsp of ground ginger to the batter for a refreshing, spicy kick.
• Whole wheat pastry flour: Use whole wheat flour instead for extra whole grains. You may need to add more milk as whole wheat absorbs more moisture.
• Dairy-free: Use non-dairy milk in the pancake batter and either skip the cream cheese topping or use vegan cream cheese.
• Orange it up: Add orange zest to your pancake batter and cream cheese glaze for a rush of citrus.
• Crushed pineapple: Some of the best carrot cake includes crushed pineapple, so add 1/4 cup to your pancake mix for extra flavor.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the best toppings for carrot cake cupcakes?

Think classic carrot cake flavors like a sweetened cream cheese frosting, toasted nuts, raisins, or a drizzle of maple syrup. You can also add a dash of cinnamon or a pat of butter to let that melted butter absorb into the hot pancakes. So good!

How do you turn carrot cake batter into pancake mix?

Typically, pancake mixes don’t require as many ingredients as cake mixes, and they’re often less sweet as well. This recipe is very similar to a carrot cake mix, just with slightly different proportions for the ingredients.

Can you bake carrot cake pancakes on a sheet pan?

You can make carrot cake sheet pan pancakes, which is a great idea if you’re cooking for a crowd! Be sure to oil or butter your sheet pan well first. Pour the pancake batter into the pan and bake in a preheated 375-degree oven for approximately 20 minutes or until fully set. Cut into slices and serve with your favorite toppings.

How to Store & Reheat 

How to refrigerate carrot cake pancakes? If you happen to have leftover cooked pancakes, store them in an airtight container separated by a piece of parchment paper. They’ll last for 3-5 days.

How to keep at room temperature? Pancakes shouldn’t be stored at room temperature longer than a few hours. If you’re serving a lot for a party or event, you can add them to a chafing dish or keep them warming on a tray in the oven at 200 degrees.

How do you reheat healthy carrot cake pancakes? Either microwave your leftover pancakes for a minute or two or reheat them on the griddle until fully warmed all the way through.

Can I Freeze Carrot Cake Pancake Recipe?

How to freeze carrot cake pancakes? Yes! Pancakes freeze well. The easiest way is to leave the pancakes cool to room temperature and then place them in a freezer-safe bag with parchment paper between each one. Place them in the freezer for 1-3 months. Thaw them in the fridge the night before and reheat them following the instructions above.

Try these other recipes!

• Pannenkoek (Dutch Pancakes)
• Cinnamon Swirl Pancakes
• Omelette in a Mug
• No Bake Butterscotch Cornflake Cookies
• Simple French Toast
• Pistachio Pudding Cookies
• Raspberry Cheesecake Bars

If you’ve tried this carrot cake pancakes recipe, don’t forget to give me a star rating and leave me a comment below in the comment section. I love to hear from people who have made my recipes!

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