These carrot cake pancakes are soft and fluffy, with all the classic flavours of carrot cake. These pancakes are perfect for the weekend topped with crunchy walnuts and a generous drizzle of maple syrup.
Hello to all my fellow carrot cake lovers! Today I have a recipe that I just know you are going to love because with the first bite of these pancakes you’ll wonder why carrot cake pancakes haven’t been on your weekend menu earlier.
Breakfast has to be my favourite meal of the day, and I love trying new and exciting recipes on the weekend to make breakfast in my kitchen feel like a fancy cafe.
Being dairy-free, I never get to enjoy the thick and fluffy cafe style pancakes, but ever since I realised how to make my own dairy-free buttermilk pancakes at home I’ve come to love the ritual of Sunday morning pancakes whenever I’m wanting to indulge in a lazy weekend at home without the hassle of getting out of my pajamas.
There is something about Easter and the subsequent carrot cake that always seems to go along with it that has me reminded, year after year, that carrot cake is one of my absolute favourite flavours.
I love the warm spices, the delicious crunch of the walnuts and the fact that a simple vegetable can be transformed into such a tasty cake.
These pancakes are the ultimate way to enjoy carrot cake for breakfast, I guess in a more socially accepted way rather than literally just eating carrot cake for breakfast.
Like my blueberry buttermilk pancakes, the ingredient list of these pancakes is a little long but don’t let that turn you off. Every single addition helps to create the most incredibly soft and fluffy, full of flavour pancakes that you’ll ever eat.
Once you make these pancakes for your family or friends, they’ll be requesting them time after time as they simply are that good.
How to make carrot cake pancakes
To make these pancakes, we need to start with the base pancake batter. You’ll need three bowls, a whisk and a medium non-stick frying pan.
First, in a small bowl make your ‘buttermilk’ by mixing together the dairy-free milk and white vinegar. I love to use almond milk but feel free to sub your favourite here such as oat or soy. The milk will start to curdle depending on what you use but that’s totally ok and normal.
In your second bowl, gently whisk together the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, spices and salt.
Finally, in your large mixing bowl whisk together the brown sugar, egg, canola oil and vanilla. Add the milk mixture and continue to whisk to combine. Slowly add the dry ingredients and whisk until a thick batter forms.
Add in your grated carrot and chopped walnuts and fold through with a rubber spatula until combined.
You’ll see the batter start to puff and bubble as the bicarbonate of soda and vinegar react with each other (which is what is going to make these pancakes so thick and fluffy). Set the batter aside for about 10 minutes to rest before cooking.
Resting the pancake batter is essential to allow the gluten to relax and therefore result in a lighter pancake that will cook much more evenly so do not skip this step.
Also if you want to read more about why I use buttermilk (or in this cake a homemade, dairy-free buttermilk substitute) instead of regular milk, then definitely read my post before the blueberry pancake recipe.
Heat your pan and spray lightly with canola oil. Add ⅓ cup of the pancake batter to the pan and once bubbles have formed on the surface, flip the pancake and cook for another 1-2 minutes. Repeat until all of the batter has been used.
This recipe makes 6 large pancakes which is approximately enough for 3 people or 2 if you’re really hungry. Like most pancakes, these are best eaten straight away.
I like to serve them simply with a drizzle of pure maple syrup, maybe a little butter, but you could also use some cream cheese, maybe some fresh berries – really the possibilities are all yours.
So whether you are looking for a fun family breakfast for the Easter long weekend, or you’re just wanting to transform your home into a fancy bunch spot, this is the perfect recipe.
Please share any creations on Instagram using the tag #eightforestlane as we would love to see what you’re making!
More Easter recipes:
Carrot & Coconut Layer Cake
Easter Sugar Cookies
Easy Rocky Road
Chocolate Hot Cross Buns
Carrot Cake Pancakes
Ingredients
- ¾ cup dairy-free milk
- 2 tablespoons white vinegar
- 1 cup plain flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon mixed spice
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 cup grated carrot about 2 carrots
- ¼ cup walnuts chopped
Instructions
- In a small bowl, make the ‘buttermilk’ by mixing the vinegar with the dairy-free milk and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl combine flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, salt and spices and whisk to combine.
- In another bowl, whisk together egg, canola oil, brown sugar, vanilla and milk mixture. Add wet ingredients to dry and whisk until a thick batter forms. Fold through the grated carrot and walnuts with a spatula. Set aside and rest for 10 minutes.
- Heat a non stick frying pan and lightly spray with oil. Add ⅓ cup of batter per pancake to the pan. Once bubbles have formed on the surface, flip pancake and cook for another 1-2 minutes. Repeat with remaining batter, wiping out excess oil with a paper towel between batches.
- Serve pancakes with butter and/or a very generous drizzle of maple syrup.
Notes
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