Vegan Carrot Cake Pancakes are easy to make and deliciously spiced. Made with whole wheat flour, carrots, and walnuts, these pancakes are the perfect weekend or Easter brunch. Enjoy with warm maple syrup, vegan cream cheese frosting, and chopped walnuts.
You all have my precious little 9-year old daughter to thank for this recipe. We were sitting on the couch together and she said, “Daddy, you need to make a carrot cake pancake recipe for your blog.”
How could I say, no? And, what a great idea! Turning our favorite classic dessert into a pancake. Now, we can finally justify having carrot cake for breakfast any day of the week.
These vegan carrot cake pancakes are made with shredded carrots, whole wheat pastry flour, warming spices, and just like real carrot cake.
Did I mention they are also filled with walnuts, raisins, and topped with an amazing cashew cream cheese frosting? Well, they do.
If you’re starting to drool it’s ok. You’re in good company.
Bonus: This is a great way to get more veggies into your child’s diet. Carrots are super healthy and filled with lots of nutrients and fiber. But, your kids will be convinced they’re getting to eat dessert for breakfast.
You can enjoy this recipe for a special occasion like Sunday or Easter brunch. But, they’re easy enough to enjoy every day of the week for a light and healthy breakfast.
Table of Contents
Ingredients You’ll Need
Vegan carrot cake pancakes are made with simple wholesome ingredients. They’re also completely oil-free.
- Milk: use your favorite unsweetened dairy-free milk. I prefer almond milk or soy milk.
- Acid: apple cider vinegar when combined with the milk and baking powder works to make the pancakes light and fluffy. Don’t leave this out or the pancakes could turn out fairly dense.
- Carrots: you can’t have carrot cake with out carrots, obviously. Finely grated carrots add flavor, texture, and even sweetness just like in real carrot cake.
- Vanilla: pure vanilla extract adds a depth of flavor for sweeter recipes. It is to a sweet recipe what salt is to savory recipes.
- Flour: whole wheat pastry flour is my favorite. Organic unbleached all purpose flour works great too.
- Baking Powder: responsible for the bubbles in the batter, and for making the pancakes light and fluffy. Be sure you use baking powder and not baking soda. I also use a low-sodium baking powder to keep the sodium down.
- Sweetener: use any non-liquid sugar not made with animal byproducts like American made table sugar. Organic cane sugar, date sugar, coconut sugar, and maple sugar are good options.
- Spices: cinnamon and nutmeg are the warming spices that give carrot cake its signature flavor. You don’t need much, 1 teaspoon of each is perfect.
- Walnuts: I love the texture walnuts add to these vegan carrot cake pancakes. However, you can eliminate them if you are wanting to keep even lower in fat.
- Raisins: these can used as a topping or included in the batter. In this recipe, I incorporate them directly into the pancake.
Instructions For Making Vegan Carrot Cake Pancakes
Vegan Carrot Cake Pancakes are easy to make and absolutely delicious. Perfectly spiced, full of flavor, and the best weekend brunch.
- Preheat a non-stick pan or griddle over medium heat.
- Whisk together the milk, apple cider vinegar, and vanilla. Set aside.
- In a large bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, sweetener, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry mixture and stir until everything is well combined, but don’t over mix. A few lumps are ok and the batter might be slightly thick. Let the batter rest for at least 5 minutes to set up.
- Add the grated carrots, walnuts, and raisins then stir to combine.
- Spoon ¼ cup of batter onto the skillet and cook for about 1 minute until small bubbles form and the edges look a little dry. Flip with a spatula and cook for another 30 seconds or so. Set the pancakes aside as they cook and repeat with the remaining batter.
Vegan Cashew Cream Cheese Frosting
These vegan carrot cakes pancakes were made for cream cheese frosting. This part is purely optional but I wouldn’t skip it if you have the time.
The recipe is super simple and quick. Check out the ingredients:
- ½ cup raw cashews
- ¼ cup shredded coconut
- ¼ cup unsweetened almond milk or plant-based milk of choice
- 2 tablespoon pure maple syrup
- 2 tsp. lemon juice
Once you have all the ingredients simply toss them into your blender and process until everything is smooth and creamy.
Drizzle over your pancakes and top with walnuts, more shredded carrots, and warm maple syrup. Amazing, right?
How To Serve Vegan Carrot Cake Pancakes
This is the perfect recipe for Sunday brunch or Easter. And, they are excellent on their own. But, I tend to like a little something savory on the side with sweeter recipes.
Try serving up these carrot cake pancakes with one of these healthy and delicious plant-based sides.
More Vegan Pancake Recipes
- Vegan Blueberry Pancakes
- Best Fluffy Vegan Pancakes
- Vegan Pumpkin Pancakes
- Vegan Apple Cinnamon Pancakes
- Banana Oat Blender Pancakes
- Peanut Butter Pancakes
- 5-Ingredient Easy Vegan Pancakes
Notes and Tips For Perfect Carrot Cake Pancakes
- Don’t over mix the pancake batter or the pancakes will be too dense.
- Use oat flour or Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free Pancake Mix to make these pancakes gluten-free.
- Be sure and let your skillet completely heat up.
- Leave out the walnuts if you want to lower the fat.
- Allow the batter to rest for at least 5 minutes before making the carrot cake pancakes. This will help to lighten up and give you fluffy pancakes.
- Leave out the walnuts if you want low-fat pancakes.
I hope you enjoy these Vegan Carrot Cake Pancakes. Please leave a comment below with a star rating. And, be sure and share a picture on Instagram with the hashtag #shaneandsimple. I want to see your work. Enjoy!
PrintVegan Carrot Cake Pancakes
Vegan Carrot Cake Pancakes are easy to make and deliciously spiced. Made with whole wheat flour, carrots, and walnuts, these pancakes are the perfect weekend or Easter brunch. Enjoy with warm maple syrup, vegan cream cheese frosting, and chopped walnuts.
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 6–7 pancakes 1x
Ingredients
Vegan Carrot Cake Pancakes
- ¾ unsweetened almond milk
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
- 1 cup of whole wheat pastry flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder (low-sodium)
- 2 teaspoons organic cane sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- ½ cup finely shredded carrots
- ¼ cup chopped walnuts (optional)
- ¼ cup raisins (optional)
Cashew Cream Cheese Frosting (optional)
- ½ cup raw cashews
- ¼ cup shredded coconut
- ¼ cup unsweetened almond milk or plant-based milk of choice
- 2 Tbsp pure maple syrup
- 2 tsp. lemon juice
Instructions
To Make The Pancakes
- Preheat a non-stick pan or griddle over medium heat.
- Whisk together the milk, apple cider vinegar, and vanilla. Set aside.
- In a large bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, sweetener, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry mixture and stir until everything is well combined, but don’t over mix. A few lumps are ok and the batter might be slightly thick. Let the batter rest for at least 5 minutes to set up.
- Add the grated carrots, walnuts, and raisins then stir to combine.
- Spoon ¼ cup of batter onto the skillet and cook for about 1 minute until small bubbles form and the edges look a little dry. Flip with a spatula and cook for another 30 seconds or so. Set the pancakes aside as they cook and repeat with the remaining batter. (If making the cream cheese frosting proceed to the next step.)
- Cashew Cream Cheese Frosting: place the cashews, coconut, milk, maple syrup, and lemon juice in a blender and process until smooth and creamy.
- Serve the carrot cake pancakes with cashew cream cheese frosting, shredded carrots, chopped walnuts, and warm maple syrup.
Notes
Nutrition info is for pancakes only and does not include the cream cheese frosting.
Don’t over mix the pancake batter or the pancakes will be too dense.
Use oat flour or Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free Pancake Mix to make these pancakes gluten-free.
Be sure and let your skillet completely heat up.
Leave out the walnuts if you want to lower the fat.
Allow the batter to rest for at least 5 minutes before making the carrot cake pancakes. This will help to lighten up and give you fluffy pancakes.
- Prep Time: 10 mins.
- Cook Time: 15 mins.
- Category: Vegan Breakfast Recipes
- Method: Stove Top
- Cuisine: Vegan
- Diet: Vegan
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 pancakes
- Calories: 282
- Sugar: 12.5 g
- Sodium: 68.4 mg
- Fat: 8.4 g
- Carbohydrates: 49.4 g
- Fiber: 6.7 g
- Protein: 7.8 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
Keywords: vegan carrot cake pancakes, oil-free, vegan breakfast recipes, plant-based breakfast recipes, easy vegan breakfast recipes
These were very good! I did have to add quite a bit more milk to make it like batter. Even then I had to spread with a spoon once I got them on my griddle. Do you think it was way too thick because I used white whole wheat flour instead of the pastry flou?
★★★★★
Hi Char, it’s very possible. Whole wheat flour tends to be a little more coarse than regular flour.
Would I need to modify the recipe at all to make waffles?
It should work as it, but I have not personally tried it.
does this reallly contain 1 tablespoon baking powder for only i cup of flour, or is there an error. I’m guessing maybe 1 teaspoon of baking powder.
No, it’s 1 Tbsp of “low-sodium” baking powder.
https://amzn.to/3tBSfp6
Vegan Carrot Cake Pancakes are easy to make and deliciously spiced. Made with whole wheat flour, carrots, and walnuts, these pancakes are the perfect weekend or Easter brunch. Enjoy with warm maple syrup, vegan cream cheese frosting, and chopped walnuts.
★★★★★
Where has this recipe been my whole life?!? Thank you for this brilliant recipe! I’ve been feeling in a breakfast rut lately and THIS is going on my list to make for Sunday brunch this coming weekend. Can’t wait! 😋
Awesome, Lori! I hope you enjoy it.
If I use maple syrup instead of the sugar, would you recommend any modifications to the batter? Additional flour?
Hi, Kristine! No, you should be fine. I would replace with 2 Tbsp maple syrup.
Could these be baked as muffins?
I haven’t tried it but it should. Anything is worth trying…at least once:)