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Carrot Cake Pancakes with Cream Cheese-Maple Syrup

Published: March 27, 2017 | Last updated: March 4, 2019 37 Comments

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Carrot Cake Pancakes with Cream Cheese-Maple Syrup are a perfect and healthy breakfast yet they taste like dessert. Packed with carrots, oats and yogurt they will satisfy even picky eaters. Serve them for Easter breakfast or any special weekend treat.

Close up of a stack of Carrot Cake Pancakes with a few pieces cut out

Breakfast. Breakfast. Breakfast. I’m thinking back and trying to remember my childhood. I remember many meals, yet breakfast is something that I remember more vividly. Mornings weren’t always special but the pictures of those moments are burnt into my memory.

Open-faced bread with cheese sandwich, grilled to the bubbling and charred perfection in our small toaster oven, was the breakfast of choice for most school days. After getting dressed and ready for school, my mom and I would have those sandwiches in our small kitchen, drinking tea and watching tv before the day started.

On the weekends there would be eggs, farmers cheese cakes, pancakes, or crepes – more special, more unique, requiring more work and preparation. Still, those easy melty cheese sandwiches are what I remember most. Easy and simple yet bringing back so many tender moments.

For years, I didn’t eat breakfast on weekdays – too busy with getting ready for work, too tired to cook. Now that I am home with the baby, I rediscovered my love for weekday breakfasts.

I treat myself everyday to something different: peanut butter and banana toast, farmers cheese with yogurt, gluten-free apple-banana fritters, toast with cheese.

I love those mornings with Baby. She sits happily in her high chair, looking curiously at this new big and strange world around her. I make coffee and breakfast for myself, warm up baby’s food, and we eat together before the craziness of the day starts.

Top down view of a stack of Carrot Cake Pancakes with some Cream Cheese-Maple Syrup on the side and on top

This recipe for the Carrot Cake Pancakes with Cream Cheese-Maple Syrup was inspired by baby food. I was steaming carrots for her purée and realized I made too much.

With Easter in a few weeks I had an idea to make Carrot Cake Pancakes. If I could use pumpkin to make Pumpkin-Ricotta Pancakes and beets to make Cinnamon-Beet Pancakes then why can’t carrot purée be used?

Besides nutrient-filled carrots this recipe uses oats, yogurt, and pecans, making the pancakes quite healthy too. They are soft and spongy with an occasional crunch of pecans and a hint of carrot sweetness.

Having a stack of these pancakes will feel like you are eating Carrot Cake for breakfast!

How to make Carrot Cake Pancakes

Just as most pancake recipes, this one is also quite easy. All you have to do is mix everything together and done.

Many recipes always ask for combining the wet ingredients in one bowl and dry ingredients in another bowl. It is done so that there’s as little mixing as possible happening once everything is together.

I find that I can totally use just one bowl and cut down on cleaning time. All you need to do is thoroughly mix the wet ingredients, then add the dry ingredients on top and be very mindful of how much you mix.

It’s better to under mix than to over mix. Over mixing of the batter will result in tough and rubbery pancakes. You want the batter to be still lumpy.

  • In a large bowl, combine all the wet ingredients and whisk really well until the mixture is smooth
  • I like to also add my spices and pecans at that point, this way they are more incorporated into the batter without the need to mix it more
  • Add the rest of the ingredients and mix with a spatula until all the flour disappears but the batter is still lumpy

Stack of Carrot Cake Pancakes with Cream Cheese-Maple Syrup

How to make Cream Cheese-Maple Syrup

Cream Cheese-Maple Syrup sounds indulging but it’s not really. It’s a mix of cream cheese (you could use light version if you’d like), yogurt and a little bit of maple syrup.

And let me tell you, do not skip this Cream Cheese-Maple Syrup, it’s amazing! In fact, make a double batch and just spread it on toast, it’s that good! For an extra special treat add a splash of rum too!

  • Make sure to use room temperature cream cheese, otherwise it will be difficult to mix
  • Add the yogurt and maple syrup to taste
  • Add vanilla or rum or even some orange zest for more flavour!

How to make Carrot purée

Making homemade carrot purée is not difficult. All you need is carrots, water, and a steamer basket.

Two medium carrots will yield about 1 cup of carrot purée, however, you only need 3/4 cup for this recipe.

  • Steam two peeled medium carrots until very soft.
  • Purée the steamed carrots in a food processor or a blender.
  • Add a couple teaspoons of steaming water if the mixture is too chunky. Do not add too much water, you want the purée to be quite thick.

Can you substitute homemade carrot purée?

If steaming and pureeing carrots for the Carrot Cake Pancakes with Cream Cheese-Maple Syrup sounds daunting then you could actually use pre-made jarred baby carrot food, just make sure that it has no extra ingredients like peas or chicken.

When I tested this recipe with jarred baby carrot food, I noticed that the purée is pretty thin and much more liquid than if I make it myself. That means that you may need to adjust the amount of milk that you use in the recipe and use less. It all depends on the brand of the jarred baby food that you use.

Stack of Carrot Cake Pancakes with Cream Cheese-Maple Syrup in the bowl in the background

Close up of a stack of Carrot Cake Pancakes with a few pieces cut out
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Carrot Cake Pancakes with Cream Cheese-Maple Syrup

Carrot Cake Pancakes with Cream Cheese-Maple Syrup are a perfect and healthy breakfast yet they taste like dessert. Packed with carrots, oats and yogurt they will satisfy even picky eaters. Serve them for Easter breakfast or any special weekend treat | Imagelicious
Course Breakfast
Cuisine American
Prep Time 10 minutes minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes minutes
Total Time 30 minutes minutes
Servings 14 pancakes
Calories 103kcal
Author Julia

Ingredients

Carrot Cake Pancakes

  • 3/4 cup carrot purée (homemade or from a jar)
  • 3/4 cup plain yogurt
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon oil
  • 3 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1+1/4 cup flour
  • 1/4 cup quick oats
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 cup chopped pecans
  • oil for frying pancakes (I like using coconut oil)

Cream Cheese-Maple Syrup

  • 1/4 cup cream cheese (room temperature)
  • 1/4 cup plain yogurt
  • 1.5 tablespoon dark maple syrup (or more for sweeter syrup)

Instructions

For the Carrot Cake Pancakes

  • In a large bowl whisk together all the wet ingredients until well combined.
  • Add all the spices, dry ingredients, chopped pecans and whisk just until flour disappears. Do not over mix. Batter will be lumpy.
  • Heat pan on medium heat, lightly brush with oil and add heaping tablespoons of batter.
  • Cook for 3-4 minutes until bubbles start to appear and the batter looks no longer glossy.
  • Flip and cook for another 3-4 minutes. Repeat with the rest of batter.

For the Cream Cheese-Maple Syrup

  • Whisk all the ingredients really well until smooth and creamy.
  • Serve Carrot Cake Pancakes with Cream Cheese-Maple Syrup and some extra pecans on the side.

Video

Notes

If you are making your own carrot  purée then for 3/4 cup you need about 2 medium carrots. You may end up with a bit more purée though. To make it yourself, steam the carrots and then purée in a food processor until very smooth, you may need to add a couple of tablespoons of steaming water if they are too chunky.
 
I like keeping pancakes in 200F oven while making them in batches.
 
Cream Cheese-Maple Syrup doesn't have a lot of maple syrup so you could add more for more sweetness. Also, for an adult treat add a splash of rum.

Nutrition

Calories: 103kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 34mg | Sodium: 36mg | Potassium: 141mg | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 125IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 72mg | Iron: 0.5mg
Tried this recipe?Leave me a comment with a star rating!
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Nutrition Facts
Carrot Cake Pancakes with Cream Cheese-Maple Syrup
Amount Per Serving
Calories 103 Calories from Fat 54
% Daily Value*
Fat 6g9%
Saturated Fat 1g5%
Cholesterol 34mg11%
Sodium 36mg2%
Potassium 141mg4%
Carbohydrates 9g3%
Sugar 5g6%
Protein 2g4%
Vitamin A 125IU3%
Vitamin C 0.1mg0%
Calcium 72mg7%
Iron 0.5mg3%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Carrot Cake Pancakes with Cream Cheese-Maple Syrup are a perfect and healthy breakfast yet they taste like dessert. Packed with carrots, oats and yogurt they will satisfy even picky eaters. Serve them for Easter breakfast or any special weekend treat | Imagelicious

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Filed Under: Breakfast, Easter, Pancakes, Recipe Tagged With: pecans

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Comments

  1. Elaine says

    April 10, 2019 at 8:11 pm

    These carrot cake pancakes look wonderful, can’t wait to make them. Can these be frozen?

    Reply
    • Julia says

      April 11, 2019 at 10:53 am

      Thank you. I’ve never frozen them so I’m not sure

      Reply
  2. Molly Kumar says

    March 31, 2017 at 5:27 am

    I’ve never tried making carrot pancakes at home although I eat them outside so many times 😉 Your recipe looks so easy and the pictures are making me absolutely hungry!!! I’ve to try them at home now 🙂

    Reply
  3. Kylee from Kylee Cooks says

    March 30, 2017 at 1:09 pm

    Now THAT is a stack of pancakes! I’d think I’d died and gone to heaven if that was on my plate!

    Reply
  4. WholeYum says

    March 30, 2017 at 8:59 am

    Oh my gosh carrot cake pancakes! We would love to see this recipe on WholeYum!

    Reply
    • Julia says

      March 30, 2017 at 4:27 pm

      I actually submitted this recipe to WholeYum on Monday, so hopefully it’s there. Thanks!

      Reply
  5. Kelly @ Trial and Eater says

    March 29, 2017 at 2:11 pm

    Oh man, these look amazing! Cream cheese maple syrup, yes please! Definitely pinning for future reference.

    Reply
  6. Heather says

    March 29, 2017 at 12:25 pm

    Wow these are absolutely stunning!!!

    Reply
  7. Jennifer A Stewart says

    March 29, 2017 at 12:03 pm

    I am absolutely loving this! These carrot cake pancakes will be great for Easter or Mother’s Day! These will also get me out of making an actual carrot cake!! How fun!

    Reply
  8. Denise @Urbnspice says

    March 29, 2017 at 11:34 am

    These look so amazing! I cannot wait to try them.

    Reply
  9. Christine McMichael says

    March 29, 2017 at 9:12 am

    Oh my gosh. These look AMAZING! Wow! So perfect for weekend brunch. Definitely need these Carrot Cake Pancakes in my life!

    Reply
  10. Noel Lizotte says

    March 28, 2017 at 7:27 pm

    My dad would stand in the kitchen for hours on a Saturday morning flipping pancakes for everyone who showed up.
    And – Real Maple Syrup (Vermont) was the only way to go, in his mind!

    Carrot cake pancakes would be a perfect Easter brunch treat, I’m adding them to the menu.

    Reply
  11. Stephanie@ApplesforCJ says

    March 28, 2017 at 12:47 pm

    Wow..these look and sound amazing. I would have never thought of this combination but need to try this soon. I love a good hearty breakfast especially on weekends.

    Reply
  12. Sarah @ The Fit Cookie says

    March 28, 2017 at 11:23 am

    We’ve been stuck in a pancake rut lately in our house – same recipe every week for months! I need to try this recipe for my kids for Easter, I think they would love it!

    Reply
  13. Gloria @ Homemade & Yummy says

    March 28, 2017 at 9:01 am

    Ok…so I totally love carrot cake. This is such a great way to use carrots in a delicious breakfast/brunch dish. Weekday breakfasts are something I don’t spend a lot of time one. However…brunch is a whole other ball game. Then there is my favourite “breakfast for dinner”…and these would be perfect for that too. YUMMMMMM!!!!

    Reply
  14. Capo says

    March 28, 2017 at 5:25 am

    I’m sooooo happy they’re sans calories! 🙂

    I’d think about using Canadian Maple Syrup from Ontario, Canada.

    Thank you for sharing!

    Cheers,
    Capo

    PS: Have you ever made them with grated carrots as opposed to pureed?

    Reply
    • Julia says

      March 28, 2017 at 7:08 am

      Puréed carrots add bulk to the batter, sort of like yogurt. So, substituting for grated carrots wouldn’t work, you’d need to most likely add more yogurt or milk instead and texture would change too. I think you could use both puréed and grated if you’d like. And yes, ontarian maple syrup is the way to go! I’m from Ontario

      Reply
      • Capo says

        March 28, 2017 at 11:18 pm

        Hi Julia,

        Makes good sense about the bulk and texture. 🙂

        Another Canuck… Go Canucks!

        Thanks again, eh! 🙂

        Cheers!

  15. Traditionallymodernfood says

    March 28, 2017 at 2:33 am

    I love pancakes this a healthy treat with carrots

    Reply
  16. Sara @ Modern Little Victories says

    March 27, 2017 at 10:32 pm

    These pancakes might actually be my love language. Wow! I would do bad things to eat them right this second! Lol!

    Reply
  17. Gillian Thompson says

    March 27, 2017 at 9:18 pm

    These look so delicious I want to eat my screen. Totally agree these would make the perfect Easter Pancake. I’ve added to my pancake board.

    Reply
  18. Heather | Boston Girl Bakes says

    March 27, 2017 at 7:23 pm

    I love carrot cake anything! And an excuse to eat it for breakfast? Oh mean yes please! And I love this topping too, sounds crazy good!

    Reply
  19. Dene' V. Alexander says

    March 27, 2017 at 6:24 pm

    That stack of pancakes looks absolutely delicious!!! And knowing that they’re carrot cake makes the stack even better!!! YUMMMMM

    Reply
  20. peter @Feed Your Soul Too says

    March 27, 2017 at 5:28 pm

    i am not sure about the carrots but the color makes it so tempting. and the cream cheese syrup. I am sure that is an amazing topping!

    Reply
  21. Prasanna Hede says

    March 27, 2017 at 5:04 pm

    This is super fun! I never thought about carrot cake in this way! gosh!your post is awesome!

    Reply
  22. Melissa says

    March 27, 2017 at 2:48 pm

    Cream cheese maple syrup? I’m in!

    Reply
  23. Veena Azmanov says

    March 27, 2017 at 2:44 pm

    This is so cool Julia. I never thought of adding veggies to the kids pancakes. I do add veggie purees to the tortilla and chaapti though. Love the idea. These look so delicious – can’t wait to try.

    Reply
  24. Byron Thomas says

    March 27, 2017 at 1:10 pm

    Ok, that is just sinful! My all time favourite dessert is carrot cake. Turning that into pancakes, my second favourite thing, just tossed my Monday diet right out the window. These seriously look delicious!!!

    Reply
  25. Razena says

    March 27, 2017 at 12:44 pm

    Haha if I made this for breakfast I would feel positively virtuous all day because I had my serving of veggies already!

    Reply
  26. Emily @ Recipes to Nourish says

    March 27, 2017 at 12:41 pm

    Swoon! I am all about all things carrot cake and I love pancakes! These are so beautiful, I need make some soon WITH that yummy cream cheese-maple syrup!

    Reply
  27. Platter Talk says

    March 27, 2017 at 11:06 am

    OK. These are some of the best looking pancakes that I’ve ever seen! On this weekends Sunday brunch menu!

    Reply
  28. Mary says

    March 27, 2017 at 10:27 am

    What a great stack of pancakes! I work from home and definitely enjoy a nice weekday breakfast!

    Reply
  29. Brandi Crawford says

    March 27, 2017 at 10:27 am

    That’s one gorgeous stack of pancakes! And cream cheese is my favorite.

    Reply
  30. Bintu - Recipes From A Pantry says

    March 27, 2017 at 10:03 am

    You had me at carrot cake pancakes. How delish do these look. Can you count these as one of your five a day 😉

    Reply
  31. Becca @ Amuse Your Bouche says

    March 27, 2017 at 9:48 am

    Oh gosh, these look amazing. I love how there’s actual veggies in these – can trick myself into thinking it’s a super healthy breakfast hehe 😉

    Reply
  32. sue | theviewfromgreatisland says

    March 27, 2017 at 9:19 am

    These are spectacular, I think I’d be in heaven if I woke up to that!!

    Reply
    • Julia says

      March 27, 2017 at 9:53 am

      Thank you so much! I’d be in heaven too if I woke up to them… haha. But I have to settle on making them myself

      Reply

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Hi, I'm Julia and I love cooking simple, easy, and healthy meals. My favourite meal of the day is breakfast so you'll see many pancakes. Cooking and baking shouldn't be complicated, let me show you how.

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