Celebrate the onset of Spring with the FLUFFIEST vegan carrot cake pancakes! Perfect for meal prep, a cozy weekend brunch, or breakfast in bed.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Flax egg: While we don’t always use an egg replacer in our pancake recipes, the grated carrots, nuts, and raisins in this recipe benefit from a binder to help hold the batter together.
- Vegan buttermilk: A simple mix of almond milk (or any plant-based milk) and apple cider vinegar creates a tangy, vegan buttermilk that helps yield the fluffiest pancakes.
- Baking powder: Helps the batter rise and stay light. The key to tall, fluffy pancakes!
- Sugar: Cane sugar lightly sweetens the batter without overpowering the warm spices. Opt for organic sugar to ensure it’s vegan!
- Carrots, raisins, and walnuts: The ingredients that make carrot cake pancakes truly taste like carrot cake! If you’re nut-free, or prefer your carrot cake without nuts, feel free to omit the walnuts.
- Spices: Ground cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves add warmth and a classic, cozy carrot cake flavor to every bite.
For the Cream Cheese Drizzle
- Vegan cream cheese: Use your favorite store-bought or homemade vegan cream cheese. If you prefer to keep your pancakes oil-free, make our homemade version or opt for the brand Kite Hill.
- Powdered sugar: Adds sweetness and helps create a smooth, creamy consistency without any grittiness.
- Almond milk: Thins out the cream cheese drizzle to your desired consistency.
How to Make Vegan Carrot Cake Pancakes
- Make a flax egg. In a small bowl, combine the flaxseed meal and water and mix until uniform. Set aside for 10-15 minutes to thicken.
- Combine the wet ingredients. In a large bowl, whisk together the almond milk, apple cider vinegar, shredded carrots, vanilla extract, and flax egg until uniform.
- Add the remaining ingredients. Next, add the flour, baking powder, vegan cane sugar, salt, raisins, chopped walnuts, and spices. Combine everything until a uniform batter forms. Do not over-stir as this creates tough pancakes.
- Set aside for 10 minutes to become fluffy.
- Make the cream cheese drizzle. Add the vegan cream cheese, powdered sugar, and 1 tablespoon almond milk to a small bowl. Whisk together until smooth and creamy. Adjust the sweetness and consistency to taste, as needed. Set aside.
- Cook the pancakes for 2 minutes on each side. Lightly grease a non-stick pan or pancake griddle over medium heat. Once warm, add the pancake batter ¼ cup at a time. Flip once the edges dry and bubbles appear on the surface, about 2 minutes. Cook for a couple minutes more. Repeat until all of the pancake batter is used up.
Find the full printable recipe here: Fluffy Vegan Carrot Cake Pancakes