Carrot Cake Pancakes Recipe

Carrot cake pancakes are the breakfast food that you never knew you needed in your life! This fantastic recipe combines pancakes and carrot cake, making for a truly unforgettable flavor duo. The cream cheese frosting and chopped walnuts make the perfect topping for this breakfast dish, and if you love sweets in the morning, this is right up your alley.

Recipe developer Hayley MacLean is the brains behind these uniquely awesome pancakes, and there are so many great things about them! "Carrot cake is my favorite kind of cake, it is sweet and spiced and absolutely delicious," MacLean raves. "Getting to recreate these flavors as a favorite morning treat was so fun. These pancakes are stuffed with shredded carrots and are full of flavor. The tangy cream cheese frosting on top really sets them apart!" This would be great to eat for a brunch, family breakfast, or pretty much any get together. 

Carrot cake pancakes are well-worth all of the ingredients that they require. You'll need all-purpose flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, baking powder, brown sugar, salt, grated carrots, a large egg, whole milk, unsalted butter, vanilla extract, and walnuts. For the cream cheese topping, you'll need cream cheese, granulated sugar, and heavy cream.

You first need to take out a large mixing bowl and start adding your dry ingredients, which is common in most baking recipes. Toss in the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, baking powder, brown sugar, and salt. Whisk the ingredients together until they are well combined.

Take out another large mixing bowl and begin adding your wet ingredients. This includes the grated carrots, egg, whole milk, melted butter, and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract. Stir everything to combine.

By the way, carrots have plenty of fantastic health benefits, so this breakfast isn't solely indulgent. "Carrots are full of fiber and a plethora of vitamins and minerals, including vitamins A, biotin, and potassium," MacLean shares. "They are great for digestive and cardiac health, and help support your eyesight. They also have a high amount of antioxidants, which helps with cancer prevention!" 

Add the wet and dry ingredients together and stir until combined. The last thing you need to add is the walnuts. Be careful not to overmix the batter. "Mix until the walnuts are just dispersed throughout the batter, but the batter is still loose," MacLean explains. "There may even be small bits of dry flour left! Over mixing the dough can over develop the gluten and cause the pancakes to be dense and chewy — this takes quite a bit of mixing though!" 

It's time to cook the carrot cake pancakes! Select your favorite nonstick pan (or you can use a griddle) and crank the heat to medium. Grease the pan with a little bit of butter or oil. Using a measuring cup, scoop ⅓ cup portions of batter into the pan and be careful not to overcrowd. MacLean says she cooks one at a time to make them more even.

Cook for two to three minutes on one side and flip when you see bubbles form on the top. On the other side, cook for another one to two minutes, until cooked through. "The best way to make sure the second side of the pancake is done is to simply check! Slightly [lift] the side to check the level of doneness until it is browned to your liking," MacLean says. Place the finished pancakes on a plate and repeat until you use up the batter.

In another mixing bowl, add the cream cheese, granulated sugar, and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract. Beat those items together until smooth. Add the heavy cream and beat for another one to two minutes, and then you have your cream cheese frosting. 

Spread the cream cheese frosting over the pancakes and serve with extra chopped walnuts if you wish. "To add a bit of savory along with all this sweet for breakfast, add some bacon or sausage on the side," MacLean suggests. "This also adds some protein to a very carb-heavy meal. If looking for something to lighten it up, some mixed fruit salad on the side is another wonderful addition." 

Finally, MacLean has some tips for leftovers: "Leftovers for these pancakes will keep for 2-3 days in an airtight container in the fridge. I recommend storing the frosting and pancakes separately until ready to serve, so that the pancakes retain their original texture!"