These carrot cake pancakes are a breakfast treat worthy of holidays, like Easter, and leisurely springtime mornings. They’re flavored with tons of tender grated carrots, plus warming spices like cinnamon and ginger. Top with a dollop of softened, sweetened cream cheese, and they really taste like carrot cake.
Nothing makes me giddy like the sight of pancakes, piled high in the morning. I love to use whole wheat flour when I can; then the pancakes hold me over until lunchtime, unlike donuts or pastries. Hold the pastries, pass the pancakes! That said, you can choose whole wheat or all-purpose flour for these cakes.
How to Make the Best Carrot Cake Pancakes
The key is in the carrots! If you think about it, carrot cake bakes in the oven for 45 minutes, which is plenty of time for the carrots to soften. By contrast, pancakes are on the heat for 5 minutes.
To remedy this textural issue, we need finely grated and lightly steamed carrots. Fortunately, I’ve found easy methods to achieve these results.
Finely grating carrots by hand works well, but frankly, it requires too much effort before breakfast. You can save time with a food processor. Roughly chop the carrots and pulse them in the food processor until they’re finely grated but not mushy. This method is super easy and works even better than using the grating attachment, in my experience.
To soften the grated carrots, place them in a microwave-safe bowl. Lightly dampen a paper towel and use it to cover the bowl. Microwave the bowl on high for 2 minutes, then let the carrots cool while you mix the remaining ingredients.
Pancake Tips
Sufficiently preheat your cooking surface. It’s ready when a few drops of water sizzle immediately when they hit. Don’t start too soon, or your pancakes won’t brown and will be difficult to turn.
Start with just one pancake to test the temperature, even if you can fit more than one on your skillet. Better to have one sad pancake before you get the temperature right than multiple botched pancakes.
Griddles are great because you can make more pancakes at once. Electric griddles are nice because the temperature stays constant.
If you’re cooking on the stovetop, you’ll need to reduce the heat over time. Your temperature is too high if the pancakes are becoming too brown on the outside, but they’re still raw on the inside.
Lightly brush your griddle or skillet with oil or melted butter in between batches. Wipe up any excess with a paper towel so it doesn’t burn with time. If your surface is truly non-stick, you may not need to grease it at all.
More Flavorful Pancakes to Try
My pancake collection covers the basics and fun flavors like these:
Please let me know how your pancakes turn out in the comments! I love hearing from you.
Carrot Cake Pancakes
These carrot cake pancakes are decadent and delicious. Make them with whole wheat flour or all-purpose if you prefer. Recipe yields 11 to 12 medium pancakes.
Pancakes
Maple cream cheese topping
- To prepare, spoon the cream cheese into a bowl and leave it out at room temperature to soften. Soften the carrots by placing them in a microwave-safe bowl, such as a glass liquid measuring cup. Lightly dampen a paper towel and use it to cover the bowl. Microwave the bowl on high for 2 minutes, then let the carrots cool (be careful; the bowl will be hot). If desired, preheat the oven to 200 degrees Fahrenheit to keep the pancakes warm before serving.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger.
- In a smaller bowl, whisk together the egg, sugar, buttermilk and vanilla. Stir in the cooled carrots, then pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture. Stir just until incorporated. Let the mixture rest for 5 minutes while you make the cream cheese topping and preheat your griddle/skillet.
- Whisk the cream cheese in a small bowl until it is soft and pliable, with no lumps. If your cream cheese is not soft enough to do this, try zapping it in the microwave for just a few seconds at a time. Whisk in the maple syrup, milk, vanilla and cinnamon. Feel free to sweeten with more syrup or further thin it out further with more milk. Set aside.
- Heat a large skillet (stainless steel or nonstick) over medium-low heat (if using an electric griddle, heat it to 350 degrees Fahrenheit). You’re ready to start cooking pancakes once a drop of water sizzles on contact with the hot surface. Lightly oil the cooking surface with a pat of oil or butter, then carefully wipe up the excess with a paper towel (nonstick surfaces likely won’t require any oil).
- Scoop ¼ cup of batter onto the hot skillet, leaving a couple of inches around each pancake for expansion. Cook until the bottom side is lightly golden and firm enough to flip, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Flip the pancakes, then cook for 1 to 2 minutes more, until they are lightly golden on both sides. Repeat the process with the remaining batter, lightly oiling the skillet and dialing down the heat if the pancakes turn dark on the outside before they are cooked through on the inside. If desired, place the pancakes on an ovenproof plate and keep them in the oven while you cook the remaining pancakes.
- To serve, top with maple cream cheese and an optional sprinkle of nuts. Serve with extra maple syrup on the side. Leftover pancakes will keep well in the refrigerator for 4 days or in the freezer for up to 6 months.
Notes
Adapted from the Joy the Baker Cookbook.
*If you have a food processor: Roughly chop the carrots, then pulse them in the processor until they are finely grated but not mush.
**Make your own buttermilk: Combine 1 cup milk with 1 tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar. Let it rest for 5 minutes, then proceed as directed.
Make it dairy free: Substitute plain dairy-free milk like almond milk for the buttermilk option provided above. Use oil instead of butter for greasing the pan. Use dairy-free cream cheese and more dairy-free milk for the topping.
Recipe edits: In 2025, I retested the recipe and tweaked it for clarity. I added more baking powder for loft and steamed the carrots for a nicer texture.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
