Name: Carrot Cake Pancakes
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: PT-479939H47M34S
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour; 1 teaspoon baking powder; 1/2 teaspoon baking soda; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon; 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger; 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg; 1/4 cup chopped walnuts (optional); 2 tablespoons brown sugar; 2 tablespoons butter, melted; 2 eggs; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; 1 cup milk; 2 teaspoons lemon juice; 1 cup finely grated carrots (about 3 medium carrots); 1/4 cup cream cheese, at room temperature; 1/2 cup Greek yogurt; 2 tablespoons maple syrup; 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract; 1 pinch salt

If you like carrot cake and enjoy pancakes, these carrot cake pancakes are the recipe for you! Filled with shredded carrots and spices, and finished with a cream cheese topping, these delicious pancakes are the perfect addition to a weekend breakfast or holiday brunch.

Stack of carrot cake pancakes on a plate with cream cheese topping, maple syrup, and chopped walnuts.

Whether you’re celebrating Easter, Christmas, a special occasion or holiday, or just enjoying a weekend brunch, these carrot cake pancakes with cream cheese syrup are the perfect way to celebrate. They are moist and fluffy, but they are easy to make and full of flavor, and a great way to use that bag of carrots sitting in your fridge.

Not to mention, these carrot cake pancakes keep well in the fridge and freezer so you can make a double or triple batch as a meal prep idea and enjoy them for breakfast tomorrow and days to come.

Stack of carrot cake pancakes on a grey plate with cream cheese toping and raisins on top and maple syrup being poured.

Why You’ll Love Them

Moist and Fluffy – The combination of shredded carrots and leavening agents ensures that these carrot cake pancakes have a cake-like texture.
Taste Like Dessert – Filled with carrot cake spices and topped with a yogurt cream cheese syrup topping, these pancakes are like having dessert for breakfast but are full of fiber.
Easy to Make – Ready in 30 minutes, these pancakes are very simple and quick to prepare.
Store Well – They keep well in the fridge and freezer so you can make these carrot cake pancakes ahead of time and enjoy them for days to come.

Ingredients for carrot cake pancakes; all-purpose flour, carrots, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, baking soda, lemon juice, salt, egg, milk, butter, brown sugar, chopped walnuts, cream cheese, yogurt, and maple syrup.

Ingredients + Substitutions

Flour – The recipe calls for all-purpose flour, but you can use whole wheat flour if preferred. Alternatively, you can use half all-purpose flour and half whole wheat flour.
Carrots – Because you can’t make carrot cake pancakes without carrots.
Milk – To thin the batter and add some protein. You can use dairy-free milk, such as almond milk, if needed.
Eggs – To ensure the pancakes are moist and fluffy while adding some protein and healthy fats. To make the pancakes vegan or egg-free, you can use swap each egg for a “flax egg”.
Vanilla Extract – To add flavor.
Spices – A mixture of cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg to add carrot cake flavors.
Walnuts – To add some crunch and healthy fats, although they are optional.
Leavening Agents – A combination of baking powder, baking soda, lemon juice, and salt to ensure the pancakes are moist and fluffy.
Cream Cheese – The most important ingredient for the topping.
Greek Yogurt – To add some protein to the cream cheese topping.
Butter – To add some healthy fats and cook the pancakes.
Maple Syrup – To sweeten the cream cheese topping and serve with the pancakes.

Egg, melted butter, milk, vanilla extract, and shredded carrots in a large white mixing bowl.

Wet ingredients in a large white mixing bowl.

Dietary Adaptions

To Make them Gluten-Free: Swap the all-purpose flour for 1-to-1 gluten-free flour or oat flour.

To Make them Dairy-Free: Swap the milk for almond milk, cream cheese for dairy-free cream cheese, yogurt for coconut yogurt, and butter for coconut oil.

To Make them Vegan: Swap the milk for almond milk, egg for a “flax egg”, cream cheese for dairy-free cream cheese, yogurt for coconut yogurt, and butter for coconut oil.

Wet ingredients with dry ingredients on top in a white mixing bowl.

Mixed pancake batter for carrot cake pancakes.

How to Make Carrot Cake Pancakes

Mix the dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg and stir until well combined.
Mix the wet ingredients. In a large bowl, add the egg, melted butter, milk, vanilla extract, lemon juice, and brown sugar and whisk until well combined. Add the shredded carrots and stir again until well incorporated.
Mix the batter. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and gently mix until well combined, then add the chopped walnuts and fold into the batter until well incorporated.
Cook the pancakes. Heat a griddle or large skillet on medium heat, coat with butter, add 1/3 cup of batter for each pancake, and cook until bubbling on top, then flip and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes until golden brown. Continue working in batches until all the pancake batter is used.
Make the cream cheese topping. While the carrot cake pancakes are cooking, add the cream cheese, Greek yogurt, vanilla extract, maple syrup, and salt to a medium bowl and whisk until well incorporated.
Serve and enjoy! Once cooked, serve warm with a dollop of the cream cheese mixture on top and a drizzle of maple syrup.

You can find the detailed instructions in the recipe card below.

Stack of carrot cake pancakes on a plate with a fork and cream cheese topping, raisins, and walnuts on top, and a coffee mug in the background.

Red’s Nutrition Tip

While these pancakes contain 8 grams of sugar per 2-pancake serving, it’s important to note that most of the sugar content is from the natural sugars in the wheat, milk, and carrots. There is very limited added sugar in the pancake recipe and the addition of maple syrup is completely optional and can be reduced if needed.

Tips for the Best Carrot Cake Pancakes

Grate carrots as finely as possible. For the best results, use the finest side of a box grater or the smallest shredding blade of a food processor. Adding finely grated carrots to your batter will ensure that your carrot cake pancakes are light and fluffy without big chunks of carrot.

Let the batter rest. Time permitting, let the carrot cake pancake batter rest for 10 minutes before cooking the pancakes. Resting the batter allows the flour to absorb the liquid which will result in fluffy carrot cake pancakes.

Don’t flip the pancakes too early. Be patient and wait until bubbles form on the top of the pancakes before flipping them. Resisting the urge to flip them too early and will ensure your pancakes are as fluffy as possible.

Watch the heat. While you want your skillet to be warm, you don’t want it to be too hot. If it’s too warm, the bottom of the pancakes will burn before the top bubbles, resulting in overcooked and burnt carrot cake pancakes.

Plate of carrot cake pancakes with maple syrup poured on top on a wooden cutting board with a side of milk and coffee.

What to Serve with Carrot Cake Pancakes

Don’t skip the cream cheese topping. Let’s get real, carrot cake is all about the cream cheese icing and the cream cheese syrup topping is what makes these pancakes pop. Plus, the addition of cream cheese helps to add a boost of protein too.

Top with chopped walnuts and shredded coconut. While divisive, walnuts and shredded coconut are often included in carrot cake, and they make a great topping to these carrot cake pancakes. Once cooked, dollop the pancakes with the cream cheese mixture, and add a sprinkle of chopped walnuts and shredded coconut for the ultimate flavor and texture.

Serve with additional protein. These pancakes are primarily a source of carbohydrates and fat, therefore, serving with a source of protein can help to ensure you are consuming a balanced meal. These carrot cake pancakes would pair well with a side of Greek yogurt, scrambled eggs, or breakfast sausages.

Stack of carrot cake pancakes with a bite on a fork with maple syrup in the background.

Storage + Reheating

To Refrigerate: Once cooked, transfer the carrot cake pancakes to a plate, allow them to cool completely, then place them in an airtight container and store them in the fridge for up to 7 days.

To Freeze: Layer cooled pancakes between sheets of waxed paper, this will help to prevent them from sticking once frozen, then transfer them to an airtight container or bag in the freezer for up to 3 months.

To Reheat: The pancakes can be reheated on a baking sheet in the oven at 350°F for 3-5 minutes or in the microwave for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Frozen pancakes can be reheated in the toaster oven or the oven at 350°F for 5-10 minutes, or in the microwave for 2-3 minutes.

More Pancakes Recipes:

And, if you want more carrot cake-inspired recipes, be sure to check out my carrot cake baked oatmeal, carrot cake overnight oats, and carrot cake breakfast cookies for more delicious breakfast recipes.