I have a little confession: I’m obsessed with cream cheese frosting. I would happily spread it on nearly any dessert, and I’ve done just that—on cinnamon French toast casserole, oatmeal cookie sandwiches, and pumpkin donuts. That said, cream cheese frosting is at its very best on carrot cake, and because of that I’ve grown fond of carrot cake flavors. The cozy cinnamon, the sweet shredded carrot, and the tangy frosting all come together in a perfect pairing. Wanting to enjoy that combination for breakfast, I developed these Healthy Carrot Cake Pancakes. They taste like cake for breakfast—warm, comforting, and satisfying—while being made with wholesome ingredients.
Ingredients for Healthy Carrot Cake Pancakes
These pancakes are designed to be lighter than traditional carrot cake while keeping the flavors you love. The recipe is naturally gluten free when you use gluten-free oat flour and almond flour, and it avoids refined sugar by relying on coconut sugar and a touch of pure maple syrup. The cream cheese frosting is lighter too—sweetened only with maple syrup and made without butter. Swap in dairy-free cream cheese to make the whole dish dairy free.
Pancake Ingredients
- Almond flour — 1 1/2 cups
- Oat flour — 1 1/2 cups
- Coconut sugar — 1/4 cup
- Pure maple syrup — 2 tablespoons
- Almond milk (or milk of your choice) — 1 1/4 cups
- Egg — 1 large
- Shredded carrot — 1 cup, packed
- Applesauce — 3 tablespoons (for moisture)
- Vanilla extract — 1 teaspoon
- Cinnamon — 2 teaspoons (or more to taste)
- Baking powder — 2 teaspoons
- Salt — 1/4 teaspoon
Cream Cheese Frosting
- Cream cheese — 4 oz, softened
- Pure maple syrup — 1 tablespoon
- Vanilla extract — 1/2 teaspoon
How to Make Healthy Carrot Cake Pancakes
These pancakes are quick to mix and cook, and the assembly is simple. The batter is slightly thicker than traditional pancake batter because of the almond flour, which gives richness and a tender crumb.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the almond flour, oat flour, coconut sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt until evenly combined.
- Add the wet ingredients: almond milk, egg, applesauce, pure maple syrup, vanilla extract, and the shredded carrot. Stir gently until a uniform batter forms. Let the batter rest a few minutes to hydrate the flours if needed.
- Heat a skillet or griddle over medium-low heat and lightly grease it. If you use an electric griddle, set it to about 350°F (175°C). Cook a small test pancake first to check the heat: pour about 1/4 cup of batter for each pancake.
- Cook pancakes 2–3 minutes per side, or until bubbles form, the edges look set, and the bottom is golden. Flip carefully and cook until cooked through. Adjust heat as needed, since stoves and pans vary.
- While pancakes cook, make the frosting by beating the softened cream cheese with the maple syrup and vanilla extract until smooth and spreadable. If you prefer a thinner drizzle, add a small splash of milk.
- Stack the pancakes, spread or dollop the cream cheese frosting between layers or on top, and finish with an extra sprinkle of cinnamon, a few shreds of carrot, and a generous drizzle of maple syrup if you like.
- Serve warm and enjoy a breakfast that tastes like carrot cake.
Recipe Card
Healthy Carrot Cake Pancakes
- Author: Kayla Berman
- Prep Time: 30 Minutes
- Cook Time: 30 Minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 4-5 Servings
- Category: Breakfast
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Carrot Cake Pancakes
- 1 1/2 cups almond flour
- 1 1/2 cups oat flour
- 1 1/4 cup almond milk
- 1 egg
- 3 tbsp applesauce
- 2 tbsp pure maple syrup
- 1 cup shredded carrot
- 1/4 cup coconut sugar
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 4 oz cream cheese, softened
- 1 tbsp pure maple syrup
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl: almond flour, oat flour, coconut sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt.
- Stir in the almond milk, egg, shredded carrot, applesauce, maple syrup, and vanilla until a batter forms.
- Heat a greased pan or griddle over medium-low heat. Add about 1/4 cup batter per pancake and cook 2–3 minutes per side. Adjust heat and time after testing the first pancake.
- Mix the cream cheese, maple syrup, and vanilla until smooth to make the frosting.
- Serve pancakes warm with the cream cheese frosting, extra cinnamon, shredded carrot, and optional maple syrup.
- Enjoy!
More Recipes to Try
- Lovely Lemon Loaf
- Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies
- Healthy Mint Chocolate Chip Smoothie
- Chocolate Chunk Tahini Cake Bars
Connect with Me
If you make these Healthy Carrot Cake Pancakes, I’d love to see your photos. Tag @wellnessbykay on Instagram so I can see and share your recreations.
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