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    Home » Recipes » Breakfast

    Carrot Cake Pancakes

    Published: Nov 11, 2013 · Modified: Aug 29, 2022 by Alyssa · This post may contain affiliate links.

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    A stack of cream cheese and maple syrup drizzled carrot cake pancakes with a wedge cut out.

    Enjoy the warm and cozy flavors of carrot cake for breakfast with these carrot cake pancakes! With easy prep instructions for both the blender and standard mixing bowls, these pancakes are delicious with the cream cheese glaze and without.

    A stack of cream cheese and maple syrup drizzled carrot cake pancakes with a wedge cut out.

    The last few times I craved pancakes, I grabbed an open container of cottage cheese from the fridge to make our household-favorite cottage cheese pancakes. I've been tinkering with a high-protein mac and cheese recipe, so we've had a lot of partially-used cottage cheese containers in this house.

    After enjoying some of my mom's carrot cake sheet cake (carrot sheet cake?), I had a small memory of making carrot cake pancakes as one of the very first recipes on this blog - nine years ago! Needless to say they needed spruced up photos, so I jumped at the opportunity when my next pancake craving hit.

    With a few tweaks (extra blender instructions, addition of ginger, more carrots), these pancakes are just as good as I mostly-remember.

    Reasons to Love These Pancakes

    • These have the aroma and scent of carrot cake, all in a breakfast-acceptable form.
    • There are instructions to make these carrot cake pancakes in the blender (less dishes to wash!) or in regular mixing bowls.
    • This recipe details a lower-slower cooking approach that ensures they're perfectly-cooked and not overly-browned with a raw center.
    • They reheat well for future breakfasts.

    Recipe Ingredients

    Labeled carrot cake pancake ingredients in separate containers.
    • Milk: Use your preferred kind. I often have 2% on hand so that's what I use.
    • Brown sugar: This adds a warmth along with a bit of sweetness. Granulated sugar also works.
    • Baking powder: One tablespoon is responsible for giving these carrot cake pancakes rise. If you've ever noticed a metallic taste in baked goods that use a higher amount of baking powder, opt for an aluminum-free baking powder variety.
    • Spices: Classic carrot cake spices, including cinnamon, ground ginger, and nutmeg.
    • Carrots: If using a box grater for the carrots, use a finer side so the carrot pieces are smaller.
    • Walnuts: You can leave these out or use pecans if you prefer.

    And if you're a fan of raisins in carrot cake, go ahead and throw a handful into the batter, too.

    Step-by-Step Instructions

    These pictures display the recipe steps if preparing pancakes in a blender. The recipe card details additional steps if you're making the batter traditionally in mixing bowls.

    1. Peel carrots, slice them into segments approximately one- to two-inches long, and place in the blender.
    2. Pulse on a low-ish power until the carrots are in fine shreds. Transfer shredded carrots to a separate bowl and place the blender back on the stand (it doesn't need to be cleaned between steps).
    Carrot sections in a blender (left) and small shredded pieces after blending (right).
    1. Add milk, egg, melted butter, brown sugar, and vanilla extract to the blender and blend until smooth. Add the dry ingredients right in.
    2. Pulse/blend until combined evenly, taking care not to overly mix.
    Dry ingredients added to the blender (left) and after pulsing in (right).
    1. Add the carrots and walnuts and pulse in. If the batter is too thick to evenly pulse the mix ins, simply stir them in.
    Carrot cake pancake batter all ready in a blender.
    1. Heat a large skillet or griddle and cook in a small pat of butter until bubbles form not only around the edges, but into the middle of each pancake, too.
    2. Flip and then cook until your preferred level of golden brown. The second side often takes less time to cook.
    Pancake batter poured onto a skillet (left) and after being flipped (right).

    Optional Cream Cheese Glaze

    Cream cheese frosting is a classic carrot cake accompaniment, and I would be remiss not to include cream cheese somewhere in the mix here.

    The recipe card below lists a basic cream cheese glaze (not as sweet as dessert glaze) that I found complemented these cream cheese pancakes beautifully right alongside maple syrup.

    A stack of carrot cake pancakes served with cream cheese glaze, maple syrup, and walnuts.

    Recipe Tips and Tricks

    • Stop to scrape down the sides of the blender frequently. This prevents the carrots from chopping up unevenly, the batter from not getting overly mixed, etc.
    • The first batch won't be the best. Because the skillet is not super heated yet, I find the first batch of carrot cake pancakes (and, really, all pancakes) to be thinner, unevenly browned, and take longer to cook. Adjust your timing for subsequent batches.
    • Use oil if you like. If you prefer to cook pancakes with oil, then by all means use that instead. I prefer to use butter, with the lower cooking temperature warding off any burning. If you notice the residual bits of butter browning, give the skillet a quick wipe down between batches.
    • Resist the urge to crank the heat. Cooking pancakes in too hot of a skillet can lead to ones that look golden-brown but end up squishy and raw in the middle. I prefer to cook them medium-low and a bit slower so take the guesswork out of it.
    A fork spearing a four-pancake deep wedge of carrot cake pancakes.

    Related Recipes

    • Cottage Cheese Pancakes
    • Blender Morning Glory Pancakes
    • Honey Almond Crunch Pancakes
    • Best Ever Whole Wheat Waffles

    If you’ve enjoyed this recipe, I’d love for you to leave a star rating in the recipe card and/or a comment review below!

     

    A stack of cream cheese and maple syrup drizzled carrot cake pancakes with a wedge cut out.

    Carrot Cake Pancakes

    Enjoy the warm and cozy flavors of carrot cake for breakfast with these carrot cake pancakes! With easy prep instructions for both the blender and standard mixing bowls, these pancakes are delicious with the cream cheese glaze and without.
    No ratings yet
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Breakfast
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 18 minutes
    Cook Time: 10 minutes
    Total Time: 28 minutes
    Servings: 6 (2 pancakes each)
    Calories: 276kcal
    Author: Alyssa

    Ingredients

    Carrot Cake Pancakes

    • 1 ¼ cups milk (I use 2%)
    • 1 large egg
    • 3 Tablespoons unsalted butter melted
    • 3 Tablespoons brown sugar packed
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • 1 ½ cups (180g) all-purpose flour
    • 1 Tablespoon baking powder aluminum-free (see note)
    • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
    • ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
    • ¼ teaspoon salt
    • ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
    • 1 ½ cups (180g) finely-shredded carrots
    • ⅓ cup (40g) chopped walnut pieces

    Cream Cheese Glaze (optional)

    • 4 ounces cream cheese softened
    • ⅓ cup confectioners' sugar sifted
    • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
    • 2 Tablespoons milk
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    Instructions

    To prep in a blender:

    • Peel and cut carrots into two-inch chunks. Add them to a high-powdered blender and pulse on low power until they resemble fine shreds. Stop to carefully scrape down the sides to incorporate all of the carrots. Transfer shredded carrots to a separate bowl.
    • Melt 3 Tablespoons of butter and let it cool slightly before beginning. Add milk, egg, melted butter, brown sugar, and vanilla extract to the now-empty blender. Blend until light and combined.
    • Add the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, salt, and nutmeg) to the blender and pulse until combined evenly.
    • Add back the shredded carrots and chopped walnuts and pulse to distribute them throughout the batter evenly. If the batter is too thick to do this efficiently, carefully stir them in instead.

    To prep in bowls:

    • Peel and shred carrots using the fine side of a box grater. Set aside for now. Melt 3 Tablespoons of butter and let it cool slightly before beginning
    • Add milk, egg, melted butter, brown sugar, and vanilla extract to a medium mixing bowl and whisk until well combined.
    • Whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, salt, and nutmeg in a separate bowl, then pour them into the bowl with the wet ingredients. Stir in until just combined (a few lumps is fine). Stir in the shredded carrots and walnuts.

    To cook the pancakes:

    • Add one teaspoon of unsalted butter to a large skillet or griddle set over medium-low heat. Move the melting butter around the skillet with a spatula so that it evenly coats the surface.
    • Once the butter has melted, pour pancake batter onto the heated skillet, using roughly ¼-cup of batter per pancake. I cook three pancakes at a time in a 12-inch skillet.
    • Let the pancakes cook until bubbles form in the center of each pancake and the bottom has browned to your liking. Flip each pancake over and cook the other side until browned. Serve right away with (optional) glaze and maple syrup drizzled over top.

    Notes

    Baking powder: If you're sensitive to a metallic taste in recipes that use a higher amount of baking powder, I recommend using a variety that states it is aluminum-free.
    Cooking in batches: Once cooked, transfer early batches of pancakes to a wire rack. This prevents moisture from being trapped underneath them (such as if they were on a plate), leading to soggy pancakes.
    Storage instructions: Store pancakes in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. If freezing, place wax or parchment paper between pancakes so they don't stick together.
    Reheating pancakes: Reheat in a 350°F oven (regular or toaster) on a sheet pan covered with foil so they don't dry out.
    Nutrition: This is an estimate for two five-inch pancakes. It does not include the optional cream cheese glaze, maple syrup, or extra walnuts for serving.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 2pancakes | Calories: 276kcal | Carbohydrates: 36.3g | Protein: 8.2g | Fat: 11.7g | Saturated Fat: 4.7g | Cholesterol: 46mg | Sodium: 156mg | Potassium: 456mg | Fiber: 2.3g | Sugar: 8.8g | Calcium: 198mg | Iron: 2mg
    Tried this Recipe?Tag @mysequinedlife - I love to see what you're making!

    Nutritional information is provided as an estimate. As it can vary due to many factors (brands used, quantities, etc.), we cannot guarantee its accuracy.

    Food Safety and Nutrition Disclaimer

     

     

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