Healthy Carrot Cake Pancakes

Healthy carrot cake pancakes with a lightened up cream cheese frosting are packed with everything you love about carrot cake, but made with real, good-for-you ingredients! They're a delicious spring or Easter breakfast!

This post was originally published March 2016 and has been updated.

Carrot cake is one of Mr. Table's favorite desserts. So naturally, I had to turn it into a healthier breakfast. Around here we like our breakfasts to taste like dessert and make us feel good, too. So I bring you, healthy carrot cake pancakes!

Why You'll Love These Healthy Carrot Cake Pancakes

These carrot cake pancakes are loaded with carrots, pecans, and a classic blend of carrot cake spices, all topped with a better-for-you cream cheese icing that makes them reminiscent of your favorite Easter dessert, but in the form of a nutritious breakfast. They're easy to make, delicious, and perfect for spring brunches or to meal prep for the week ahead.

What Makes These Pancakes Healthy?

I make these pancakes with a blend of oat flour (ground up oats) and whole wheat flour for a fiber-rich base. Flax seed and pecans add healthy fat, while you get a little veggie goodness from carrots. The pancakes are lightly sweetened with orange juice for a no-added-sugar base that get just the right amount of sweetness from the lightened up yogurt and cream cheese frosting. That means you get a filling, delicious breakfast without the blood sugar spike that comes with sugary white flour pancakes.

How To Make Healthy Carrot Cake Pancakes

Make the Carrot Cake Pancakes

1. Grind the oats into a flour in a food processor or blender.
2. Mix the oats with the whole wheat flour, flaxseed, spices, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
3. Add the egg, vanilla, orange juice and soda and mix well.
4. Stir in the carrots and pecans. Let the batter rest without stirring to thicken up.
5. Pour batter onto a hot griddle or skillet and spread with a spoon or bottom of the measuring cup. Cook until bubbles appear on the surfaces and edges become dry, then flip and cook an additional 1-2 minutes.

Make The Yogurt Cream Cheese Frosting

1. Whisk softened cream cheese, yogurt, vanilla and powdered sugar until smooth.
2. Add milk if needed to make it pouring consistency, then serve with pancakes. Top with shredded coconut flakes, if you want!

Pro Tips For Perfect Pancakes

• Oats will absorb liquid as they sit, so let the batter rest to thicken up after stirring in the carrots and pecans. Don't stir again before scooping it out to cook, or you'll release the air bubbles that give the pancakes a nice lift.
• Because these pancakes are so thick and absorb quite a bit of liquid, they take a little bit longer to cook than normal pancakes. Keep the heat lower than usual - about 300°F (a 3 on my gas stove is perfect) and cook a little longer. They usually take about 2-3 minutes per side.
• I used pre-shredded carrots here, but I actually prefer the texture of hand grated carrots.

Recipe Variations and Substitutions

• For a gluten-free version, you can use your favorite cup-for-cup gluten-free flour in place of the wheat flour.
• For dairy-free, use your favorite non-dairy cream cheese and yogurt alternatives in the frosting.
• You can use pineapple juice in place of orange juice.
• You can also use buttermilk in place of the soda. You may have to adjust the amount since buttermilk is thicker.
• Feel free to add coconut or raisins to the batter for a more loaded pancake. You can also sub the pecans for walnuts or leave them out completely.
• For baby led weaning friendly pancakes, make sure the carrots are very finely grated and either omit the nuts or grind them with the oats so they are very finely chopped. Serve with plain yogurt for baby.

More Carrot Cake Themed Recipes You'll Love

• Healthy Carrot Cake Baked Oatmeal
• Carrot Cake Kefir Overnight Oats
• Carrot Apple Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies

Did you make this recipe? Please leave a star rating in the comments!

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