Carrot Cake Pancakes (gluten free & dairy free!)

by thebestworldevents.com 29 March 2024 · Healthy Food

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I think this is the earliest Easter I can remember and if you’re scrambling a bit like I am, I’ve got you covered with tons of delicious Easter recipes here. Before we head into the weekend I wanted to share one more easy, festive carrot cake-flavored recipe that’s perfect for your brunch table.

I dreamed up these carrot cake pancakes a few years back and come back to them all the time because they’re SO fluffy and seriously taste like a slice of carrot cake. These pancakes were a result of me finding carrots in my fridge and oats in the pantry — and admittedly inspired by my obsession with all things carrot cake. In case you missed it, I have 7 carrot cake-inspired recipes here!

Anyways, these beautiful springy pancakes are gluten free, come together right in your blender, and have all of those yummy carrot cake mix-ins. Kiddos will love these!

Pancake batter made right in the blender

What I love about these carrot cake pancakes is how simple they are to whip up. You just need a blender, a few pantry staples and a nonstick pan. Add all the ingredients minus the mix-ins to a blender and you’ve got yourself an easy carrot cake pancake batter that’s made without any flour — just oats! Yum.

Feel free to try some of my other reader-favorite blender pancake recipes that use minimal pantry staples:

Everything you need to make carrot cake pancakes

These healthy carrot cake pancakes are made with super simple ingredients that keep them gluten free, dairy free and packed with both fruits & veggies—making them perfect for kids! Here are the ingredients you need:

Unsweetened applesauce: applesauce keeps these pancakes super moist and flavorful, and adds a touch of natural sweetness from fruit.
Eggs: these will help your carrot cake pancakes stay together nicely. I haven’t tested with a flax egg but let me know if you give it a try!
Unsweetened almond milk: for additional moisture. Please note that you can use any milk you want in this recipe!
Maple syrup: to add a natural sweetness. Feel free to use coconut sugar or honey as well.
Rolled oats: old fashioned rolled oats make the pancakes nice and hearty! Feel free to use gluten free rolled oats, but do not use steel cut oats.
Baking powder: to make the pancakes super fluffy.
Spices: I used cinnamon & nutmeg in this recipe for a cozy carrot cake flavaaaa.
Salt: just a pinch to bring the flavors together.
Mix-ins: you’ll stir in shredded carrots (because they’re carrot cake pancakes, of course), and then I like to add chopped walnuts or pecans for crunch & omega-3s, and raisins. Nuts and raisins are totally optional but extra delicious!

Simple ingredient swaps

I love that these carrot cake pancakes are packed with fridge and pantry staples, but if you’re out of anything here’s what I can suggest for swaps:

Out of applesauce? Feel free to sub in a mashed ripe banana.
Swap your sweetener. Instead of maple syrup, you can also use coconut sugar or honey.
Choose your milk. I like to keep these pancakes dairy free by using unsweetened almond milk, but feel free to use any milk you’d like.
Go nut free. The walnuts and/or pecans add a delicious crunch, but you can easily omit them!

Can I make them vegan?

I haven’t tested these carrot cake pancakes with flax eggs, but let me know in the comments if you do!

How to make carrot cake pancakes in the blender

The best part about this carrot cake pancakes is how easy they are to make right in your blender! Be sure to check out my best tips & tricks for making pancakes, too.

Blend the base. Place all of your ingredients besides the mix-ins into a blender and blend until smooth, about 1 minute.
Add the mix-ins. Stir in your shredded carrots, walnuts and raisins.
Cook one side. Add olive oil, coconut oil or vegan butter to a griddle or large nonstick pan and place over medium heat. Add carrot cake pancake batter 1/3 cup at a time and use a spoon to spread it out a bit into circles. Cook for about 2-4 minutes or until golden brown and tiny bubbles appear around the edges.
Flip those babies & repeat. Flip pancakes and cook until golden brown on underside. If you find that pancakes are browning too quickly, then you need to lower the heat. I normally start on medium heat, then reduce to medium low later so that my pancakes don’t burn. If at any point your griddle starts smoking, it means your pan is too hot. Wipe skillet clean and repeat with more oil and remaining batter.
Serve & enjoy! Serve pancakes with almond butter, cream cheese or yogurt and a drizzle of maple syrup!

Make ahead & keep pancakes warm

You can also make these gluten free carrot cake pancakes ahead of time and keep them warm in the oven. Simply place oven at 200 degrees F, then add pancakes to a baking sheet or oven-safe plate and place in the oven until ready to serve.

How to freeze pancakes

If you want to make your carrot cake pancakes ahead of time and serve them at a later date, you can place the pancakes on a baking sheet so they aren’t touching and place in the freezer for 30 minutes, then place them in freezer safe containers and freeze for up to 3 months. Once ready to reheat, simply add pancakes to a plate and microwave for 30-60 seconds or until warm.

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More carrot cake recipes to try

Looking for more carrot cake recipes? Get all of ours here!

I know you’re going to love these healthy carrot cake pancakes! Please let me know if you make it by leaving a comment and rating the recipe below. I’d love to hear from you and it helps encourage others to make the recipe too! Enjoy xo!

The
Ambitious Kitchen
Cookbook

125 Ridiculously Good For You, Sometimes Indulgent, and Absolutely Never Boring Recipes for Every Meal of the Day

Healthy Carrot Cake Pancakes

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Total Time 25 minutes

Serves3 servings

Fluffy, healthy carrot cake pancakes made right in your blender with delicious spices. These easy carrot cake pancakes are dairy free, naturally sweetened and packed with yummy mix-ins like walnuts and raisins. Top with almond butter, cream cheese or yogurt and a drizzle of maple syrup for a wonderful, cozy breakfast!

Ingredients

½ cup (125g) unsweetened applesauce
2 eggs
⅓ cup (80g) unsweetened almond milk (or milk of choice)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon pure maple syrup (or sub coconut sugar or honey)
1 ½ cups (143g) old fashioned rolled oats, gluten free if desired
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
¼ teaspoon salt
Mix-ins:
1 cup (100g) shredded carrots (shred with a cheese grater)
¼ cup (28g) chopped walnuts or pecans
3 tablespoons (30g) raisins
For cooking:
Olive oil or coconut oil, for cooking

Instructions

Add all of the ingredients (besides the carrots, walnuts and raisins) to a blender and blend on high until completely smooth, about 30 seconds to 1 minute. Stir in the carrots, chopped walnuts and raisins (DO NOT BLEND).
Lightly coat a griddle with coconut oil or olive oil and place over a medium heat. Once the pan is hot, add about 1/3 cup of the batter to the griddle for each pancake and use a spoon to spread them out a bit into circles; cook for 2-4 minutes until pancakes slightly puff up and you see a few bubbles along the edges.
Flip cakes and cook until golden brown on underside. If you find that pancakes are browning too quickly, then you need to lower the heat. I normally start on medium heat, then reduce to medium low later so that my pancakes don’t burn. If at any point your griddle starts smoking, it means your pan is too hot.
Wipe skillet clean and repeat with more oil and remaining batter. Makes 6 pancakes total. Serves 3, 2 pancakes each.

Recipe Notes

I love topping these pancakes with almond butter or cream cheese and a drizzle of pure maple syrup. You can also top them with yogurt! Yum.
To freeze pancakes: if you want to make your carrot cake pancakes ahead of time and serve them at a later date, you can place the pancakes on a baking sheet so they aren’t touching and place in the freezer for 30 minutes, then place them in freezer safe containers and freeze for up to 3 months. Once ready to reheat, simply add pancakes to a plate and microwave for 30-60 seconds or until warm.