The strangest thing happened to me the other day. It was like some next level identity theft. I received an email from a professor at a University, who shall not be named (not that this story is that serious, I just wanted to set the atmosphere you get me?). Anyways, the email says that one of the professor’s students claimed to have interviewed me at an event where I said I was, amongst other things, a ‘sustainability freak’.
(Just to clarify, I’m all about sustainability, but within reason. I mean, we do the best we can afford to do).
Of course I clarified with the professor that I did not say this nor attend the event I was supposedly at. But honestly I find the whole situation rather flattering – I didn’t realise I was that famous! Also, if you are the student and you’re reading this, sorry for baiting you out to your professor, and if you want to interview me in real life just send me an email, lol.
Talking of things posing as other things, these carrot cake pancakes are basically cake posing as breakfast food. And if that doesn’t sum up SLF, I don’t know what will. I mean, cake, but healthy enough that it’s a socially acceptable breakfast? TAKE MY MONEY.
What ingredients will I need to make carrot cake pancakes?
These vegan carrot cake pancakes are made with 12 ingredients. Sounds like a lot, but trust me when I say that they are all sitting in your pantry/fridge right now. Here’s exactly what ingredients you’ll need to make your cake-for-breakfast dreams come true:
- Ground flaxseeds. We’re using a flaxseed egg here to keep things vegan. The basic flax egg recipe is 1 tbsp ground flaxseed + 2.5 tbsp water. Once we mix it together, it forms a paste with an egg-like consistency perfect for use as an egg replacement!
- Dairy-free milk. Soy, almond, coconut, oat…whatever floats your boat. Although I HIGHLY recommend hazelnut milk – it’s my latest obsession!
- Date sugar. I like using date sugar to naturally sweeten my pancakes. You can sub soft light brown sugar if that’s what you have on hand, or omit it completely and go OTT with the maple 😉
- Spices. It wouldn’t be carrot cake without a little spice! We’re using ground cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg in this recipe to recreate that classic carrot cake flavour.
- Baking powder. For extra FLUFFY pancakes.
- Wholewheat flour and Oats. Wholewheat flour makes the bulk of the dry ingredients in this recipe, but I love adding 1/4 cup oats for extra texture. Using oats in this vegan breakfast recipe also means it will keep you fuller for longer.
- A pinch of salt. Not to be missed in any sweet recipe! Adding a pinch of salt helps to round out all the flavours. Trust me, when you start adding a pinch of salt to your baked goods, you’ll never go back to that sans-salt life.
- Carrots. Of course! We are adding grated carrot right into the pancake batter here. I find using a fine grater works best in this recipe. If the carrot is grated too large, it will a) be harder to form neat round pancakes and b) will not have enough time in the pan to cook.
- And finally…walnuts. I love adding walnuts to carrot cake for extra crunch, but you can totally omit them if you have a nut allergy or just aren’t feeling them.
Tips for making perfect pancakes every time:
Have you ever had a pancake catastrophe? I’ve had my fair share of times when I tried to make pancakes and they were, well a flop. A bigger flop than that terrible pun, would you believe it. (Sidenote: why do we food bloggers all seem to be so pun-obsessed?)
You’ll be happy to hear I have perfected my pancake-making skills over the years and am now ready to share them with you!
- Please, please PLEASE use enough oil in the pan. Especially when using an oil-free batter like this, you’ll want to grease your frying pan so the pancakes don’t stick. Using a spray oil won’t work here – it’s best to have about 1/2-1 tsp of oil in the pan at a time. And don’t be afraid to add a little more oil if your pan looks dry after the first few pancakes.
- Flip them once and just once! When you see little bubbles on top of the pancake, flip it. Do not, and I repeat DO NOT, flip the pancake before you see the bubbles. Just don’t. It’s considered a crime in the pancake community and you will be highly sanctioned. Just kidding (but lowkey not)
- Don’t try to save time and cook three pancakes in one frying pan at the same time. It will only end in disaster. Unless your frying pan has a surface area the size of India – then go crazy 😉
Healthier carrot cake ‘frosting’
Let’s be real, the best part of carrot cake is that sweet buttercream frosting on top. Given that this is a breakfast recipe and excessive sugar consumption before 12pm is frowned upon, I’ve come up with a healthier alternative to buttercream frosting: coconut yoghurt!
Topping these pancakes with a dollop of coconut yoghurt and a drizzle of maple syrup keeps things dairy-free, vegan, and naturally sweetened. Aka kinda sorta good for you!
You can also use whipped coconut cream if you wish.
Storage and reheating:
Leftover pancakes can be stored in the fridge for 1-2 days to enjoy later. You can reheat them on the stovetop, microwave, or even in the toaster!
You can also store these carrot cake pancakes in the freezer for up to 1 month. They’re the perfect thing to meal prep on a Sunday to enjoy throughout the week.
More vegan pancake recipes:
- Banana oat pancakes (gluten-free) – my all time favourite and go-to pancake recipe!
- Sweet potato pancakes – oh yes, I went there.
- Vegan crepes – technically not a pancake, but still sweet breakfast recipe not to be missed 🙂
Now you’re ready to ace these pancakes! Don’t forget to tag me on Instagram @shivanilf when you make these – I love seeing your creations!
Carrot Cake Pancakes
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp Ground Flaxseed
- 1 cup/ 215 ml Non-dairy milk I like hazelnut
- 2 tbsp Date Sugar sub light brown sugar, or omit completely
- 1/2 tsp Cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp Ground Ginger
- 1/4 tsp Ground Nutmeg
- 1 tsp Baking Powder
- 1/2 cup/ 65 grams Wholewheat flour sub plain flour
- 1/4 cup/ 30 grams Porridge Oats
- pinch Salt
- 1 cup/ 90 grams Finely Grated Carrot I used a medium carrot
- 1/4 cup/ 25 grams Walnuts optional
To serve:
- Coconut Yoghurt
- Maple Syrup
Instructions
- Prepare the flaxseed egg by mixing 1 tbsp ground flaxseed with 2.5 tbsp water in a large mixing bowl. Set aside to thicken whilst you peel and finely grate the carrot.
- Once the flax egg has thickened, whisk in the dairy-free milk and date sugar. Add the spices, flour, baking powder, and salt. Whisk until few lumps remain.
- Add the oats, grated carrot and chopped walnuts, if using. whisk to Combine.
- Add 1 tsp oil to a frying pan over medium-low heat. Once the pan is hot, add about 2 tbsp of batter to the frying pan and spread into a circle measuring roughly 4 inches/ 10 cm in diameter.
- Once you see bubbles appear on top of the pancake, flip it. They will take 1-2 minutes on each side – watch them carefully!
- Repeat with the rest of the batter. Enjoy hot with coconut yoghurt and maple syrup!
Shivani’s Tips
- Leftover pancakes can be stored in the fridge for 1-2 days to enjoy later. You can reheat them on the stovetop, microwave, or even in the toaster!
- You can also store these carrot cake pancakes in the freezer for up to 1 month. They’re the perfect thing to meal prep on a Sunday to enjoy throughout the week.
NUTRITION
Serving size: 4 pancakes served with 1.5 tbsp coconut yoghurt and 1 tbsp maple syrup. Calories: 532 kcal | Fat: 23.2g | Saturated Fat: 9.8g | Cholesterol: 0mg | Sodium: 175mg | Carbohydrates: 74g | Fiber: 8.6g | Sugar: 30.1g | Protein: 13.8g 
Did you make this recipe?
Tag me on Instagram @shivanilf and use the hashtag #shivanilovesfood!
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Can’t wait to try these, and I love the way you write too.
Thank you! <3
Hi Shivani,
This recipe looks fantastic. Definitely goes on my “foods to try” list 😊
Quick question on the dates sugar – do you use store bought or make it at home? If it is the latter, I was wondering if we could use dried dates to make this sugar instead of going through the whole process of drying the dates out in the oven and then processing them. Please advise. 🙂
Hi Gayatri,
Apologies for the late response! I usually buy my date sugar but you can definitely make your own too! You could also try blending a few dates into the pancake batter before adding the carrots and walnuts. All the best 🙂