Carrot Cake Pancakes
Carrot Cake Pancakes are a fun treat for a special brunch! Filled with grated carrots, warm spices, and walnuts, the pancakes are topped with a cream cheese glaze for the perfect finish.
About this carrot cake pancakes recipe
There’s something kind of fun about enjoying a classic recipe we love in a different form. Breakfast foods are kind of the perfect vehicle for this. You can turn a plate of regular pancakes into cinnamon roll pancakes, or a stack of french toast into bananas foster french toast.
Or, in the case of these carrot cake pancakes, bring the flavors of a classic dessert to your morning pancakes.
These fluffy pancakes have grated carrots, warm spices, and crunchy walnuts in the pancake batter. In place of the classic cream cheese frosting, they have a cream cheese glaze on top.
The first time Pete took a bite, he literally asked me if it tasted TOO much like actual carrot cake. Which I, of course, took as a compliment. Because what on earth does that even mean!?
These pancakes are full of the flavors of a classic carrot cake, making them especially perfect for Easter brunch. But any weekend morning is made instantly better with a stack of these pancakes!
Why you’ll love this recipe
The perfect special-occasion breakfast — If you’re hosting a special brunch, these carrot cake pancakes are just begging to be the star of the show. They’re bursting with flavors everyone already loves, but they somehow feel just a bit more special than a stack of classic buttermilk pancakes.
They’re easy to make — You don’t need any special equipment or techniques to make this recipe. If you can make whole wheat pancakes, you can make these carrot cake pancakes. Trust me!
You can freeze and reheat them — Make a batch of carrot cake pancakes on the weekend and freeze them for easy breakfasts later on. Scroll down for more details on the best way to reheat pancakes!
Ingredient notes and substitutions
- Carrots – Use a fine grater to freshly grate the carrots rather than buying pre-shredded carrots. This will give you the best texture, especially since pancakes cook quickly. You can use the small holes on a box grater (affiliate) or a handheld grater (affiliate).
- Whole wheat flour – You can switch out 100% of the all-purpose flour for an equal amount of whole wheat flour. Either regular whole wheat flour or whole wheat pastry flour should work.
- Non-dairy milk – Readers have reported success with alternatives like coconut milk, almond milk, and oat milk.
- Oil – I like grapeseed oil when using a neutral-flavored oil, but vegetable oil works just fine. You may substitute melted butter or melted coconut oil instead if you prefer.
- Walnuts – These can be replaced with chopped pecans or omitted if you need a nut-free option.
- Sugar – You’ll notice there is no sweetener in the pancakes themselves. This is because the cream cheese glaze is quite sweet. If you do want to add some sweetness to the pancakes, you can add up to 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar or brown sugar when you whisk together the dry ingredients.
How to make carrot cake pancakes (step-by-step overview)
If you haven’t already, grate the carrot finely. Whatever you use to do this, it’s important that the carrots are in fine pieces, so they can cook quickly and aren’t crunchy in the pancakes.
Next, assemble the dry ingredients by combining all purpose flour, baking powder, salt, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, and ground ginger in a large bowl. If you want to add sugar to the pancake batter, add it now.
For the wet ingredients, combine buttermilk, oil, and one large egg:
Add the wet ingredients to the dry:
When the flour has almost been mixed in, add the grated carrots and chopped walnuts:
Mix until combined:
Place medium scoops (affiliate) of the batter in a nonstick skillet and cook the pancakes over medium high heat for a couple minutes on each side, until golden brown. Your pancakes are ready to flip when you see small bubbles on the top side and the bottoms are golden.
If you want to keep the pancakes warm as you cook in batches, keep them on a baking sheet in a 200°F oven while you finish the remaining batter.
Before serving, whip together the softened butter, cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract to create the cream cheese glaze. Top the warm carrot cake pancakes with the glaze and some extra walnuts.
If you don’t want to make the cream cheese glaze, you can always serve the pancakes with pure maple syrup instead!
Storage tips
Store cooled carrot cake pancakes in an airtight container or zip-top bag in the fridge for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 2 months. The glaze can be kept in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days; let it come to room temperature before serving. Do not freeze the glaze.
To freeze the pancakes, follow one of these two methods so the pancakes don’t stick to each other:
- Place the pancakes on a sheet pan in a single layer, making sure they aren’t touching each other, and freeze for 30-60 minutes, until they are completely frozen. Then you can transfer the pancakes to a large zip-top freezer bag. This way they won’t stick to each other, and you can take out as many pancakes as you’d like.
- Stack the pancakes between wax paper or parchment paper, and place those stacks in a zip-top freezer bag to freeze. This will keep them separated so they don’t stick together.
How to reheat pancakes
You can reheat the carrot cake pancakes in the microwave, oven, or toaster.
Microwave method (my favorite):
Place 1 to 5 frozen pancakes on a microwave-safe plate. Cook uncovered at 20 seconds for 1 pancake, 30 seconds for 2 pancakes, 40 seconds for 3 pancakes, 50 seconds for 4 pancakes, and 60 seconds for 5 pancakes. Exact timing will depend on the strength of your microwave, but this is a good guideline.
If your pancakes were stored in the refrigerator and are not frozen, you may only need to microwave them for about half the amount of time.
Oven method:
This is great for a larger numbers of frozen pancakes. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Place the desired number of frozen pancakes into a foil packet or place pancakes in a flat layer on a sheet pan and cover the pan tightly with foil. Just make sure you seal tightly to prevent the pancakes from getting dry. Bake for about 10 minutes, until the pancakes are warm and soft.
Toaster method:
This is my least favorite method, but it does work. You are limited to only one pancake per slot, and need to watch to make sure the pancakes don’t become crispy or overcook. Time varies depending on toaster settings. If your toaster has a “frozen” setting, that is your best bet for reheating frozen pancakes without them burning.
Frequently asked questions
Yes. Store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days or freeze them for up to 2 months.
Tried this recipe? Leave a rating and comment below — I’d love to hear how it turned out! Or, follow me on Facebook, Instagram or Pinterest!
Carrot Cake Pancakes
Ingredients
For the pancakes:
- 1 cup all purpose flour 5 ounces by weight
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 cup buttermilk or regular milk
- 1 tablespoon neutral oil such as vegetable or grapeseed oil
- 1 large egg
- 2 tablespoons chopped walnuts
- 1 cup finely grated carrots
For the glaze:
- 3 tablespoons butter softened
- 2 ounces cream cheese
- 3/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- water as needed
Equipment
- Box grater or handheld grater
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk to combine the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger. Set aside.1 cup all purpose flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg, 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- In another bowl, whisk to combine the buttermilk, oil, and egg. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry, and stir until the flour is halfway incorporated. Add the walnuts and carrots, then stir until the flour pockets have disappeared, but make sure to leave lumps so you don’t overmix the batter and make the pancakes tough.1 cup buttermilk, 1 tablespoon neutral oil, 1 large egg, 2 tablespoons chopped walnuts, 1 cup finely grated carrots
- Preheat a large nonstick skillet or griddle over medium-high heat. If needed, grease lightly with a bit of butter or nonstick spray. Use a medium cookie scoop to portion the batter into the skillet, being careful not to overcrowd the pan. Cook for 2-3 minutes on the first side, until bubbles form on the top and the bottom is golden, then flip and cook for another 1-2 minutes on the other side, until golden and the centers of the pancakes are set. Remove to a plate.
- Prepare the glaze by melting the butter and cream cheese together in the microwave. Stir in the powdered sugar and vanilla extract and stir to combine. If the glaze is too thick, add water 1/2 teaspoon at a time to thin it out. Drizzle on top of the pancakes, and enjoy!3 tablespoons butter, 2 ounces cream cheese, 3/4 cup powdered sugar, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract, water
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition is estimated using a food database and is only intended to be used as a guideline for informational purposes.
6 Comments on “Carrot Cake Pancakes”
Looks great! Do you have a link for your grater?
Delicious!
This was DELICIOUS! My boyfriend loved it. I will definitely be remaking this!
Hi Lily, I’m so glad to hear that!!
Made this for brunch for the kids and they loved it. What a treat!
I love pancakes! And I love carrot cake, too! What a great combo! Thank you for sharing….I will make this one to celebrate after midterms. blah!