Start the day right with these carrot cake oatmeal pancakes!
These easy carrot cake pancakes are made with old fashioned oats, grated carrots and all the warm spices.
Plus, they only take 20 minutes to cook!
I can never say no to a stack of oatmeal pancakes! Soft, fluffy and filled with nourishing ingredients, these carrot cake oatmeal pancakes are simple to make and oh so delicious.
I love serving them with homemade maple cream cheese and toasted nuts.
Why you’ll love these carrot cake oatmeal pancakes
- You need just 12 simple ingredients that you probably already have in your kitchen.
- You don’t need any fancy equipment to make these carrot cake pancakes, just a couple of bowls and a frying pan.
- These carrot cake pancakes can easily be made gluten free!
- These pancakes go with so many delicious toppings,like maple syrup, honey, greek yogurt or toasted nuts, but I recommend making my maple cream cheese topping!
Ingredients Needed for these easy carrot cake pancakes
Flour: I used all purpose flour in this carrot cake pancake recipe but if you’re gluten free you can use gluten free 1:1 flour, my favorite one is Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1:1 Flour!
Grated Carrots: I recommend using freshly grated carrots rather than the shredded carrots you can get in a bag.
Rolled Oats: make sure you’re using old fashioned rolled oats and not steel cut oats! If you’re gluten free be sure to use gluten free certified oats.
Spices: we’ve got all the warming spices like cinnamon and nutmeg to give us that carrot cake flavor.
Egg & Milk: the liquid that brings the batter together!
Maple Syrup & Butter: for a little sweetness in the batter and for serving.
Step by Step Process for making these carrot cake pancakes
Step 1: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, oats, baking soda, baking powder, salt, nutmeg and cinnamon. Set aside.
Step 2: In a small bowl, whisk the egg, milk, melted butter and maple syrup together.
Step 3: Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Stir in the grated carrots. Let the batter rest for 10 minutes to help soften the oats.
Step 4: Place a large non-stick frying pan or griddle over medium heat. Once hot, add some butter or a drizzle of oil. Pour in pancake batter ⅓ cup at a time. Cook the pancakes for 3-4 minutes, or until golden brown and small bubbles appear on the surface of the pancake. Flip the pancakes and cook until golden brown on the other side, about another minute or two.
Step 5: Serve the pancakes with butter, maple cream cheese and toasted coconut!
Carrot Cake Oatmeal Pancakes
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup old fashioned rolled oats
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg
- 1 egg
- 1 cup milk
- 2 tbsp melted butter
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- 3/4 cup grated carrots
- butter or olive oil for cooking
- For garnish: toasted coconut, chopped walnuts
Optional maple cream cheese topping
- 1/2 cup softened cream cheese
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
Instructions
- In a medium bowl stir together the flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg.
- In a small bowl whisk together egg, milk, butter and maple syrup.
- Add the milk mixture to the flour mixture and stir until just combined. Then gently stir in carrots. Let the batter rest for 10 minutes to soften the oats.
- When you're ready to start cooking, heat a large non-stick pan or griddle over medium heat. When the pan is hot, add a dollop or butter or drizzle of oil and add pancake batter 1/3 cup at a time. Cook pancakes for about 3-4 minutes or until golden brown and tiny bubbles form on the surface of the pancakes. Then flip the pancakes and cook until golden brown on both sides, about 2 minutes more.
- If using, mix together 1/2 cup softened cream cheese with 1 tbsp maple syrup.
- Serve pancakes with butter, maple syrup, maple cream cheese, walnuts and/or toasted coconut.
Notes
- Can I make these pancakes gluten free? Yes! Just use gluten free 1:1 flour and gluten free rolled oats. Depending on your gluten free flour blend, you may need up to 1-2 tbsp more 1:1 flour if you find the batter is not quite thick enough. Adjust as you see fit.
Nutrition
FAQ
What else can I top the pancakes with?
I recommend making my maple cream cheese topping (recipe above!), but you can also top them with a drizzle of honey, raisins, whipped cream, toasted shredded coconut or almond butter!
Can I make these vegan?
I haven’t tested this but you can swap out the milk for plant based milk, butter for vegan butter and use a flax egg or other egg alternative. Let me know if you try this!
Can I make these pancakes gluten free?
Yes, just use gluten free flour and gluten free rolled oats.
Expert Tips for making these carrot cake oatmeal pancakes
- Make the best ever maple cream cheese topping to go with these carrot cake pancakes! Mix together a half cup of softened cream cheese with 1 tablespoon of maple syrup, and serve on top of the pancakes.
- To keep your cooked pancakes warm while the others finish cooking, place the cooked pancakes on a baking sheet in an oven preheated to 250°Fahrenheit.
- These pancakes work well for meal prep, you can freeze the cooked pancakes and just reheat in the microwave when you want to enjoy them!
Storage
Allow the pancakes to cool completely and store in an airtight container for up to 3 days in the fridge. You can also freeze the cooled pancakes in an airtight container for up to 2 months. To defrost, reheat in the microwave for 30-90 seconds until warmed through.
More delicious oat breakfast recipes to love from the blog:
Zucchini Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies
Peanut Butter Banana Baked Oatmeal Cups
Until the next cooking adventure,
Jess
Penny Million
can I make the the carrot cake oatmeal pancake batter the night before and put in the refrigerator over night
Jess
Great question! I would suggest if you do that, make the batter without adding the carrots. Store in the fridge and stir in the carrots just before cooking the pancakes the next day.