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Home » Featured

Carrot Cake Pancakes Recipe

December 23, 2022 by Julie Leave a Comment

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Fluffy and full of cinnamon, this Carrot Cake Pancakes Recipe takes your breakfast up a notch.  Imagine a favorite dessert for a morning treat!

A large stack of carrot cake pancakes on a white plate with a brown pitcher above pouring maple syrup. this recipe

Fluffy and full of cinnamon flavor.

This pancake recipe is perfect for a special holiday brunch or breakfast.  Serve with maple syrup or a side of orange maple whipped cream.

What is the science behind pancakes?

Like most baking, pancakes rely on chemical changes in the ingredients in the recipe.  It is important to understand these changes to have the best success in making fluffy pancakes.

Baking recipes are generally divided into two categories - dry ingredients and wet ingredients.  It is when these two components are combined that you will notice changes in pancake batter.

In this Carrot Cake Pancakes Recipe, the dry ingredients include chemical leaveners important for the rise of the pancakes.  To aid this chemical reaction, some of the wet ingredients are acidic in nature.

Gluten formation

One important chemical reaction in baking is the formation of gluten.  Gluten is a protein found in some grains which provides structure to a baked good.  When gluten molecules come in contact with a liquid, they become stretchy.  As they are mixed and stretched, gluten molecules in a dough start to create a weblike structure.  The more you manipulate a dough, the tighter the bond of the gluten molecules.  How much you develop the gluten structure depends on the recipe.

One benefit of the formation of gluten in pancakes is how it affects the chemical leaveners.  As baking powder and baking soda are activated, the bubbles are trapped in the web of gluten strands, allowing for rise in fluffy pancakes.

However, it is important to be aware of how much pancake batter is mixed.  Overmixing will lead to tough and doughy pancakes.  

Carrot Cake Pancakes Ingredients

Ingredients - buttermilk, an orange, a bunch of carrots, flour, brown sugar, melted butter, baking powder and soda, an egg, spices, and vanilla- on a wooden board.

Ingredients for Carrot Cake Pancakes

Dry Ingredients

  • all-purpose flour
  • baking powder
  • baking soda
  • salt
  • cinnamon
  • cardamom

Wet Ingredients

  • melted unsalted butter
  • buttermilk
  • egg
  • brown sugar
  • vanilla extract
  • orange zest
  • orange juice
  • shredded fresh carrots

Making Carrot Cake Pancake Batter

  • It helps to bring the liquid ingredients to room temperature before combining them. Let the buttermilk and egg come to room temperature for about 20 minutes.
  • Melt 3 tablespoons of unsalted butter. Set aside.
  • In a medium bowl, combine the dry ingredients - all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and cardamom. Stir with a whisk to break up any lumps in the flour.
  • In another medium bowl, combine the buttermilk with melted butter, orange zest, orange juice, and vanilla extract. Whisk everything together.
Two medium bowls - one filled with dry ingredients and one filled with wet ingredients.

A bowl of dry ingredients and a bowl of wet ingredients.

  • Add the egg and combine it with the other wet ingredients.
  • Combine the brown sugar with the wet ingredients, stirring until it has dissolved.
  • Using a whisk, add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture. Stir just until the ingredients are combined. It is okay if there are a few lumps. Do not overmix.  This is a thicker batter.  
A light green bowl filled with pancake batter with shredded carrots added to the top.

Batter with shredded carrots.

  • Fold the grated carrots into the pancake batter, evenly distributing them throughout.
A light green bowl of pancake batter mixed with shredded carrots.

Finished Batter

Preparing the fluffy carrot cake pancakes

  • Heat a griddle over medium-high heat water will sizzle when dropped onto the surface.
  • Melt enough butter to cover the surface of the griddle. Use a metal spatula to spread the butter.
  • Using a ⅓-cup measure, drop the pancake batter onto the griddle. It will spread somewhat. You can spread the batter lightly with a rubber spatula.
  • Cook each pancake for 1 ½ - 2 minutes a side, until golden brown.  When removing the pancakes from the griddle, spread a little butter across the top of the pancakes.
A black iron griddle filled with 6 pancakes being cooked.

Cook 1 ½ - 2 minutes a side.

  • Serve with a drizzle of maple syrup and orange maple whipped cream.

Orange Maple Whipped Cream

  • In a mixing bowl, whip 1 cup of heavy cream with an electric mixer until there are stiff peaks.
  • Add 6 tablespoons of maple syrup and 2 tablespoons of orange juice.
  • Whip until everything is combined and the cream is at stiff peaks.
Two white plates, each with a stack of carrot cake pancakes, topped with orange maple whipped cream.

Add Orange Maple Whipped Cream

Tips

  1. Make sure to sift the dry ingredients to remove any lumps.
  2. It is helpful to have the buttermilk and egg at room temperature.  The melted butter will not harden into little lumps when added to the wet ingredients.
  3. To make the best pancakes do not overmix the batter.  You want fluffy and tender pancakes.  Only mix until the dry ingredients are moistened by the wet ingredients.  Do not worry about any lumps.  Overmixing deflates the batter and develops too much gluten formation.
  4. Fold the shredded carrots lightly into the batter.
  5. Don't let the mixed pancake batter rest too long before you start to cook your pancakes.  The bubbles from the chemical leaveners will start to break down leading to flat pancakes.
  6. Make sure your griddle or pan is at the correct temperature.  My test is flicking a few drops of water onto the cooking surface.  If the water dances around the pan, it is ready for pancakes.
  7. Use pure maple syrup - it is worth the splurge!

Brinner

Every once in a while we have brinner - breakfast for dinner.  This generally happens when I can't think of what to make for dinner and is definitely a treat.

This Carrot Cake Pancakes Recipe is a great idea for dinner.  It's almost dinner and dessert in one bite!

A white plate with a stack of three carrot cake pancakes with a maple syrup being drizzled over top.

Add roasted pecans and maple syrup!

Looking for a holiday breakfast or brunch recipe?  Have a special occasion breakfast or Sunday brunch on the calendar?  This Carrot Cake Pancake Recipe is a great option and a  delicious way to celebrate with friends and family.  Full of carrot cake flavor with cinnamon and a touch of orange, these pancakes will be a favorite.

Here is another fantastic recipe you may enjoy - https://tenpoundcakecompany.com/lemon-blueberry-buttermilk-pancakes/

 

Three carrot cake pancakes topped chopped pecans and a drizzle of syrup on a white plate with a stack in the background.

Carrot Cake Pancakes Recipe

Course: Breakfast, Brunch
Cuisine: Compliments many cuisines
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 8 minutes
Servings: 9 pancakes
Calories: 307kcal
Author: Ten Pound Cake Company
Fluffy carrot cake pancakes full of cinnamon served with orange maple whipped cream.
Print Recipe

Equipment

  • 1 griddle optional (you can also use a skillet)
  • 2 medium bowls
  • 1 whisk
  • 1 rubber spatula
  • 1 metal spatula to flip pancakes
  • 1 microplane
  • 1 box grater
  • 1 Mixer (for maple orange whipped cream)

Ingredients

Orange Maple Whipped Cream

  • 1 cup heavy whipping cream (8 ounces/237 ml)
  • 6 tablespoons maple syrup
  • 2 tablespoons orange juice

Carrot Cake Pancake Batter

  • 1¾ cups all-purpose flour (7 ounces/198 grams)
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon cardamom
  • 3 tablespoons melted unsalted butter
  • 1 cup buttermilk (237 ml)
  • 1 egg
  • ¼ cup brown sugar (1.7 ounces/47 grams)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ½ teaspoon orange zest
  • 1 tablespoon orange juice
  • 1¼ cup shredded carrots (5 ounces/138 grams)

Instructions

Orange Maple Whipped Cream

  • In a mixing bowl, whip heavy cream with a mixer until there are stiff peaks.
  • Add the maple syrup and orange juice.
  • Whip until everything is combined and the cream is at stiff peaks.

Pancake Batter

  • It helps to bring the liquid ingredients to room temperature before combining them. Let the buttermilk and egg come to room temperature for about 20 minutes.
  • Melt 3 tablespoons of unsalted butter. Set aside.
  • In a medium bowl, combine the dry ingredients - all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and cardamom. Stir with a whisk to break up any lumps in the flour.
  • In another medium bowl, combine the buttermilk with melted butter, orange zest, orange juice, and vanilla extract. Whisk everything together.
  • Add the egg and combine it with the other wet ingredients.
  • Combine the brown sugar with the wet ingredients, stirring until it has dissolved.
  • Using a whisk, add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Stir just until the ingredients are combined. It is okay if there are a few lumps. Do not overmix. The batter will be thick.
  • Fold the shredded carrots into the pancake batter, evenly distributing them throughout.

Prepare Pancakes

  • Heat a griddle over medium-high heat water will sizzle when dropped onto the surface.
  • Melt enough butter to cover the surface of the griddle. Use a metal spatula to spread the butter.
  • Using a ⅓-cup measure, drop the pancake batter onto the griddle. It will spread somewhat. You can spread the batter lightly with a rubber spatula.
  • Cook each pancake for 1 ½ - 2 minutes a side. When removing the pancakes from the griddle, spread a little butter across the top of each pancake.
  • Serve with maple syrup and orange maple whipped cream.

Notes

Tips

  1. Make sure to sift the dry ingredients to remove any lumps.
  2. It is helpful to have the buttermilk and egg at room temperature.  The melted butter will not harden into little lumps when added to the wet ingredients.
  3. To make the best pancakes do not overmix the batter.  You want fluffy and tender pancakes.  Only mix until the dry ingredients are moistened by the wet ingredients.  Do not worry about any lumps.  Overmixing deflates the batter and develops too much gluten formation.
  4. Fold the shredded carrots lightly into the batter.
  5. Don't let the mixed pancake batter rest too long before you start to cook your pancakes.  The bubbles from the chemical leaveners will start to break down leading to flat pancakes.
  6. Make sure your griddle or pan is at the correct temperature.  My test is flicking a few drops of water onto the cooking surface.  If the water dances around the pan, it is ready for pancakes.
  7. Use pure maple syrup - it is worth the splurge!

Nutrition

Calories: 307kcal | Carbohydrates: 39g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 61mg | Sodium: 216mg | Potassium: 324mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 17g | Vitamin A: 3040IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 142mg | Iron: 2mg
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