Reflecting on this ten year old recipe, I know a number of breakfast places that serve carrot cake pancakes. Still, I prefer my version for one simple reason. You can enjoy the flavors of carrot cake without going into a sugar coma. As I note in the original post, I do like sweets, just not all the time. Never mind you get the best of both worlds. A pancake that tastes like carrot cake but is served like a pancake with butter melting and syrup dripping onto your plate.
Okay, is it time for pancakes now?
The original post from June 2015
One of my favorite desserts is homemade carrot cake. I love the moistness of the cake, the crunch of the walnuts, the tanginess of the cream cheese frosting. I don’t try to convince myself that it is a healthy snack, even with the carrots, but embrace it in all of its indulgence. That is why carrot cake is a couple times a year treat for me.
While carrot cake might be made only a couple times a year, pancakes are made much more often than that. When I make them for our teen, they always are plain, old chocolate chip. For myself, I like to try different options. I’ve made sweet potato, dried cranberry, raspberry, banana, and zucchini to name a few. With carrot as our ingredient focus, it occurred to me that I hadn’t tried making a carrot pancake. I decided that if I could make yummy zucchini pancakes, I should be able to make yummy carrot pancakes.
These pancakes are similar to carrot cake in several ways. They are moist and tender. The flavors mimic that of the cake. If you have a sweet tooth, you definitely could top them with a cream cheese glaze or frosting. Me, I’m more of a purist, so I topped them with butter and syrup.
I made these pancakes on a lazy Sunday, as that’s the day of the week where I don’t have to rush anywhere and enjoy a heartier breakfast. Although I usually pair these breakfasts with coffee, on a special occasion I could envision a late morning breakfast served with a cocktail. If you’re looking to add a little flair to your pancake breakfast, you could try a mimosa, made with orange or pineapple juice.
- 1 egg
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tablespoon baking powder
- pinch salt
- 1-1/2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
- 3/4 cup milk
- 3/4 cup shredded carrots
- butter
- extra cinnamon & sugar
- In a 2-cup measuring cup, whisk egg.
- Add flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, cinnamon, vanilla, and milk.
- Whisk until combined.
- Add carrots and stir.
- Heat a large frying pan over medium heat.
- Coat with butter.
- Pour 1/4 cup batter onto frying pan.
- When bubbles appear and don’t close, flip pancake, approximately 2 minutes.
- Cook for another 2 minutes or until golden brown on second side.
- Serve immediately or place in a 200 oven covered in foil.
- For serving, sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar.
