Carrot Cake…in pancake form. AND made with only 3 ingredients? Yes please! These fluffy Carrot Cake Pancakes are packed with warm spices, shredded carrots, and hearty oats. Perfect for a lazy Saturday morning or an Easter brunch that you forgot you were hosting. Plus, no weird ingredients – just simple stuff you probably already have in your pantry.
For more carrot-inspired vegan recipes, try this Vegan Carrot Cake, Maple Roasted Carrots, or easy Apple Carrot Muffins.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Simple ingredients – Made with only 3 ingredients and some spices, these pancakes are so quick and easy to throw together.
- Customizable – Use different spices or any number of delicious toppings to put your own twist on these pancakes.
- Allergy-friendly – Choose gluten-free oats and oat milk and you’re set for your Celiac friends. These carrot pancakes are also nut-free, dairy-free, egg-free, etc. They’re a great recipe for accommodating multiple allergies!
Ingredients
- Rolled oats – Swap for quick oats or oat flour (see recipe card for details).
- Oat milk – Or almond milk, or coconut milk — any non-dairy milk will work.
- Fresh carrots – Use a box grater or zester to shred these as finely as possible. You’ll want about 1 1/2 cups of carrots.
- Spices – All the classic carrot cake flavors: ground cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, ground ginger, allspice.
- Optional – 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract in the batter or real maple syrup for topping
Helpful Equipment
In addition to measuring cups and spoons, the following equipment is helpful for this recipe:
- Blender (or food processor)
- Box grater or zester
- Large Non-stick pan or electric griddle
- Spatula
- Airtight container
How to Make
This is a detailed step-by-step guide on how to make this recipe including photographs. For the quick version, skip ahead to the recipe card below!
Throw your rolled oats into the blender and let that thing work its magic until you’ve got a fine oat flour. Then, toss in the grated carrots, oat milk, and all of the spices, and blend again until smooth. The batter should be thick but pourable. Do not let the batter sit for any length of time. The oats will start to absorb moisture and the batter will become super dense and the pancakes will be chewy.
Heat up your nonstick skillet over medium heat and pour batter in portions. If you do not have a non-stick skillet, use a little bit of Crisco or coconut oil on the pan before pouring each pancake to prevent sticking.
Use a measuring cup for even sizes if desired. Using a 1/3 cup yields about 12 pancakes.
Cook for 1-2 minutes on each side until golden brown and little bubbles start popping up on the surface. That’s your cue to flip.
That’s it! Serve and enjoy!
How to Serve
Top with a drizzle of maple syrup or go all out with a vegan cream cheese frosting.
Add some crushed walnuts for that extra carrot cake vibe or top with fresh berries and vegan whipped cream.
These are also delicious with coconut yogurt or almond butter if you’re looking for a different flavor.
Variations
- Swap the spices for pumpkin pie spice for a Fall vibe to these pancakes.
How to Store
- Fridge – Toss any leftover pancakes into an airtight container and pop them in the fridge. They’ll stay good for up to four days.
- Freezer – You can also freeze these pancakes for up to 3 months. Just reheat in a nonstick skillet or toaster oven to bring them back to life.
More Tips
- Not Vegan? Use dairy milk or add 1 egg to the pancake mix.
- Gluten-Free? Stick with gluten-free oats and oat milk and you’re all set!
FAQ
Yep! Any liquid will work.
For best results, yes. Blend them into oat flour for that smooth, fluffy texture.
Really, really. These pancakes are still fluffy without a leavening agent.
When you see little bubbles on the surface and the edges look slightly dry. And when your gut tells you it’s time. Trust the process.
Absolutely! Let your sweet tooth shine! Add up to 1/3 cup sugar. You may need to adjust the liquid slightly to maintain the pourable texture.
Carrot Cake Pancakes
Equipment
- Blender (or food processor)
- Box grater or zester
- Spatula
- Airtight container
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cup rolled oats
- 2 ¼ cup oat milk
- 2 medium carrots shredded
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- ¼ tsp cardamom
- ¼ tsp cloves
- ¼ tsp ginger
- ¼ tsp allspice
Instructions
- Add the rolled oats into a blender and blend into a fine oat flour. Then, toss in the grated carrots, oat milk, and all of the spices. Blend again until smooth. The batter should be thick but pourable. Do not let the batter sit for any length of time, it will become too thick.
- Heat up your nonstick skillet over medium heat and pour batter in portions. If you do not have a non-stick skillet, use a little bit of Crisco or coconut oil on the pan before pouring each pancake to prevent sticking.
- Use a measuring cup for even sizes if desired. Using a 1/3 cup yields about 12 pancakes.
- Cook for 1-2 minutes on each side until golden brown and little bubbles start popping up on the surface. That’s your cue to flip.
- That’s it! Serve and enjoy!
Notes
More Tips
- Not Vegan? Use dairy milk or add 1 egg to the pancake mix.
- Gluten-Free? Stick with gluten-free oats and oat milk and you’re all set!
Nutrition
Please note, while all ingredients used in this recipe have been verified to be vegan and free of applicable allergens at the time of recipe creation, different brands may differ in their ingredients or processing procedures and may change their ingredients at any time. For some recipes, I do include ingredients that are processed in a facility that processes other allergens. Please make sure to check the ingredients and processing procedures for your specific purchases to ensure they meet your dietary needs.
These taste just like carrot cake, but made with only a few ingredients!