Walnuts and raisins on a stack of carrot cake pancakes.
4.75 from 108 votes

These Carrot Cake Pancakes are sweet, fluffy, and delicious! Made with a mix of all-purpose and whole wheat flour, freshly grated carrots, vanilla, ground cinnamon, a little bit of nutmeg, and brown sugar, these flavorful pancakes are absolutely the BEST. Easily make them vegan and/or make them ahead of time. Perfect for a healthy everyday breakfast recipe or a next-level weekend brunch!

Prep: 15 Cook: 20 Total: 35
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Carrot Cake Pancakes Recipe

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These Carrot Cake Pancakes are sweet, fluffy, and delicious! Made with a mix of all-purpose and whole wheat flour, freshly grated carrots, vanilla, ground cinnamon, a little bit of nutmeg, and brown sugar, these flavorful pancakes are absolutely the BEST. Easily make them vegan and/or make them ahead of time. Perfect for a healthy everyday breakfast recipe or a next-level weekend brunch!

Easter is coming up this weekend and my mind is on one thing: spring-inspired and Easter brunch ideas! I love these Carrot Cake Pancakes for brunch with family and friends on the weekend, but I also love making them ahead of time for quick, easy, healthy breakfasts throughout the week.

Angled photo of carrot cake pancakes.

Why You’ll Love these Carrot Cake Pancakes

These pancakes are sweet, fluffy, wholesome, and SO perfect for the entire family! My kids love them (I make a vegan version for my toddler with a dairy allergie), and they are incredibly easy to make. Not to mention, a great way to add in some more veggies! If you’ve been on the search for a spring-inspired healthy breakfast idea, you’ll love these yummy Carrot Cake Pancakes!

RELATED: Carrot Cake Overnight Oats

Carrot Cake Pancake Ingredients

Here’s what you’ll need for this recipe:

Ingredients for Carrot Cake pancakes.
  • Grated Carrots – The grated carrots in this recipe are what makes these pancakes next-level! Thankfully, carrots are easy to grate with a box grater (opens in a new tab) or food processor. You’ll love the spring flavor they add to this recipe!
  • Flour – I used a mix of all-purpose flour and whole wheat flour. Feel free to use a mix like I did, or just one kind (totaling 1 cup).
  • Baking Powder/Soda/Salt – A mix of baking powder, baking soda, and salt give these pancakes their perfectly fluffy texture!
  • Cinnamon/Nutmeg – The cinnamon and nutmeg in this recipe bring out the carrot cake flavors. They’re so good!
  • Egg – The egg in this recipe can easily be replaced with a vegan egg substitute (opens in a new tab) if desired.
  • Vanilla Extract – Adds depth and so much flavor!
  • Milk – I used regular milk, but feel free to use any type of milk that works best for you!
  • Brown Sugar – A little bit of brown sugar adds the perfect amount of sweetness.
  • Butter or Coconut Oil – Melted butter, coconut oil, (opens in a new tab) avocado oil, or any type of vegetable oil works great for cooking these pancakes! Start with 1 Tablespoon and add more as needed throughout the cooking process.

How to Make Carrot Cake Pancakes

Carrot Cake Pancakes are SO easy to make! Here’s how in 7 simple steps:

  1. Grate the carrots.
  2. Mix the dry ingredients together in a large bowl.
  3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the liquid ingredients.
  4. Add in the grated carrots, then combine the wet ingredients with the dry ingredients.
  5. Add about 1/4 cup of batter to a nonstick pan, (opens in a new tab) skillet, or griddle with butter (or coconut oil) over medium heat.
  6. Cook pancakes for 2-3 minutes on each side.
  7. Add your favorite toppings and enjoy!
Syrup being poured over carrot cake pancakes.

Grating The Carrots

There are many ways to grate carrots for recipes like these pancakes! The easiest way is to use a box grater, sliding the carrot in a downward motion to grate it. The next easiest option is to use a food processor! (opens in a new tab) Simply pulse the food processor a few seconds at a time, stirring the in-between pulses, until you end up with grated carrots. Be careful not to over-blend the carrots, as this could result in more of a puree texture and add too much moisture to pancakes!

You’ll Also Love: Healthy Carrot Cake Muffins

Carrot Pancakes Recipe Variations

Want to make Vegan Carrot Cake Pancakes? Simply swap out the egg for a flax egg recipe or vegan egg substitute and a dairy-free milk option, such as almond milk, soy milk, oat milk, or coconut milk. That’s it!

More Ideas: 9 Easy Healthy Pancakes Recipes

How to Make Carrot Cake Pancakes Using Pancake Mix

To make Carrot Cake Pancakes using pancake mix, simply make the pancakes according to the mix directions. Grate carrots with a box grater or food processor, then add to the pancake mix. Cook according to directions and enjoy!

Close up of Carrot Cake pancakes.

Toppings for Carrot Cake Pancakes

One of my favorite things about these pancakes are all of the toppings! There are so many options. Here are a few ideas for how to top Carrot Cake Pancakes:

How to Store Carrot Pancakes

Make a big batch of these pancakes and refrigerate or freeze for later! Here’s how to make Carrot Cake Pancakes ahead of time and store.

Refrigerator – Let the cooked pancakes fully cool, then place in an airtight container with a lid. Store in the refrigerator for 3-5 days!

Freezer – Let the pancakes cool and store each serving in an airtight container with a lid in the fridge for about an hour. Move the containers to the freezer and keep frozen for up to 3 months! When ready to reheat, simply reheat the pancakes in the microwave for 1-2 minutes, flipping halfway though and checking often.

Carrot cake pancakes stacked with toppings.

More Breakfast Recipes You’ll Love

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Did you make this recipe? Be sure to give it a rating below and tag your photos  @jar.of.lemons! (opens in a new tab)

Walnuts and raisins on a stack of carrot cake pancakes.
ServingsServes 9
4.75 from 108 votes

Carrot Cake Pancakes

These Carrot Cake Pancakes are sweet, fluffy, and delicious! Made with a mix of all-purpose and whole wheat flour, freshly grated carrots, vanilla, ground cinnamon, a little bit of nutmeg, and brown sugar, these flavorful pancakes are absolutely the BEST. Easily make them vegan and/or make them ahead of time. Perfect for a healthy everyday breakfast recipe or a next-level weekend brunch!
Prep: 15 minCook: 20 minTotal: 35 min

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup grated carrots (about 1 large carrot)
  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 cup milk (of choice)
  • 3 Tablespoons brown sugar
  • 2 Tablespoons coconut oil or butter (for cooking)

Instructions

  1. Grate the carrot(s) using a box grater or a food processor, then set aside.
  2. Mix the all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg together in a large mixing bowl.
  3. Whisk the egg, vanilla, milk, and brown sugar together in a separate bowl.
  4. Stir in the grated carrots.
  5. Pour the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until combined.
  6. Heat up 1 Tablespoon of the butter or oil in a non-stick cooking pan or skillet of medium heat.
  7. Add about 1/4 cup of the pancake batter to the pan.
  8. Cook the pancakes for 2-3 minutes on each side.
  9. Repeat until all of the batter is gone.
  10. Serve with your favorite toppings and enjoy!

Notes

  • Easily make these vegan by swapping out the egg for a flax egg recipe or vegan egg substitute and a dairy-free milk option, such as almond milk, soy milk, oat milk, or coconut milk.
  • To make Carrot Cake Pancakes using pancake mix, simply make the pancakes according to the mix directions. Grate carrots with a box grater or food processor, then add to the pancake mix. Cook according to directions and enjoy!
  • Make a big batch of these pancakes and refrigerate or freeze for later! Refrigerate for 3-5 days or freeze for up to 3 months.

Nutrition

Calories: 112 kcal | Carbohydrates: 17 g | Protein: 3 g | Fat: 4 g | Saturated Fat: 2 g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1 g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1 g | Trans Fat: 1 g | Cholesterol: 29 mg | Sodium: 219 mg | Potassium: 124 mg | Fiber: 1 g | Sugar: 6 g | Vitamin A: 1943 IU | Vitamin C: 1 mg | Calcium: 78 mg | Iron: 1 mg

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What Do You Think

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15 Comments

  1. Karen Stanley

    Thanks Christine,
    The recipe was easy and worked out perfectly. I totally missed the word ‘cake’ in the title … and yes, it’s an accurate title. Sweet but absolutely delicious! I will make them again.

    1. Jar Of Lemons

      Thanks, Karen. I’m glad you enjoyed this pancake recipe. I appreciate the review!

  2. Razan

    Great recipe my toddlers enjoyed great w add y to sneak in veg. I also added all spice and walnuts.

    1. Jar Of Lemons

      Those sound like delicious additions. Thanks for the review, Razan!

  3. Ro

    This was a delicious recipe but a little too sweet. I would make it again with only half the amount of sugar, if that.

  4. Mary D

    Looks delicious! Can this recipe be used to make waffles?

    1. Christine McMichael

      I haven’t tried these as waffles, but I think they would work great!

  5. Shannon

    I doubled the recipe, added a 1/4 cup melted butter and an 8 oz can drained pineapple tidbits (crushed would be better) and baked it on a large sheet pan with raised edges at 425 degrees for 20-25 mins.. Served with syrup, a dollop of cream cheese topping (8 oz softened cream cheese whipped with 1/4 cup sugar, 2 teas vanilla and 1/2 cup of heavy cream) and a sprinkle of toasted pecans. Sooo good!

    1. Jar Of Lemons

      Thanks for the review, Shannon. So glad you enjoyed this!