These fluffy gingerbread pancakes are perfect for a holiday winter breakfast! Spiced with cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, clove, and of course, a hint of molasses, they'll remind you of your favorite gingerbread cookies and are sure to be an easy recipe you make on repeat all season long.
I love the flavor of gingerbread and will eat gingerbread anything and everything! Creating a gingerbread breakfast option was a must and these pancakes did the trick! They're perfect for a Christmas morning treat.
INGREDIENTS
You'll need the following:
- All-purpose flour: You can aslo use whole wheat flour, if preferred
- Baking powder and baking soda
- Salt: a little bit of salt helps the flavors pop against the sweetness of the pancakes
- Gingerbread spices: cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and clove bring out the gingerbread flavor. You can play around with the ratio of each to your personal preference!
- Molasses: Use a full flavor, unsulphured molasses for these pancakes. The molasses really rounds out the gingerbread flavor, but if you like your molasses flavor on the mild side, Behr Rabbit makes a mild flavor molasses. I wouldn't recommend using blackstrap molasses as the flavor may be too sour.
- Eggs: These act as a binder for the ingredients as well as contribute to the fluffy texture.
- Butter: I used unsalted butter but you can substitute with salted butter and reduce the amount of salt added to ¼ teaspoon.
- Milk: Use whole fat milk for the best flavor and texture, but you can also substitute with lower percentages and most alternative kinds of milk.
Please see the full list of ingredients and measurements at the bottom of the post.
Please see the full list of ingredients and measurements at the bottom of the post!
Can I make these with a pancake mix?
These pancakes are so easy to make from scratch, but if you have a mix that you absolutely love and want to use as a base, simply add the spices and molasses to your mix to get the gingerbread flavor.
Do you need a special pan for pancakes?
You don't haaave to use a special pan, but it's definitely fun when you do! I used this Nordic Ware Holiday Pancake Pan to make pancakes with holiday designs featured in this recipe. They're perfect for adding a little cheer to your Christmas morning!
Tips for using this pan:
- Leave some of the spaces open. You'll probably need to flip the first pancake before you finishing pouring batter into each of them. You can also have a different design on each side this way!
- The batter will slightly expand inside each one of the spots, so start with less and add a little more until the space is almost full. There isn't much room between the pockets for overflow.
- The center space with the Santa Clause face will be the hottest spot on the pan. This pancake may cook faster than the rest of them so be sure to keep an extra close eye on it!
If you don't want to use this pan, no problem! You can also make these pancakes on a large skillet (I'd recommend a nonstick skillet) or an electric griddle.
What else do I need to make these pancakes?
You'll also need measuring tools, a whisk, and a large bowl for mixing the ingredients together.
If you're using the Nordic Ware pan featured in this post, a slender spatula is a lot easier to flip with. Whereas, when flipping pancakes made on a traditional hot griddle, a proper pancake spatula with a wide base is perfect.
Instructions
Whisk the dry ingredients together in a mixing bowl. This helps all the ingredients get distributed evenly throughout the batter.
Create a well in the center of your dry ingredients by pushing them to the sides of the mixing bowl, and forming an empty space in the middle. You don't need to see all the way to the bottom of the mixing bowl, but it's OK if you do!
Place the sugar, molasses, eggs, melted butter, and milk inside the well and whisk them together, staying inside of it as best you can. You don't need to stay perfectly inside it, but the idea is to get the wet ingredients mixed together before incorporating the dry ones. If you want, you can absolutely mix the wet ingredients together in a separate mixing bowl and then pour them into the well. By using a well you avoid dirtying one more dish and if I can avoid adding extra dishes to clean, I'll do it!
Once the wet ingredients are combined, slowly begin to mix in the dry until you have a uniform batter. Let the batter sit on the counter as you heat your pan over medium heat.
Then, scoop about ⅛ cup of batter for each pancake. It's easier to add a little more batter if you need it than it is to take some away. The pancakes will spread out slightly on your pan.
How long do I cook pancakes on each side?
The size of the pancake will affect how long to cook each side. For this recipe, the pancakes are on the smaller side and made with about ⅛ cup batter. They need one minute on the first side, flip and cook the second side for another thirty seconds. You’ll know the pancake is ready to be flipped when the edges start to firm and you can easily slide the spatula underneath the pancake. The final result should be a stack of fluffy gingerbread pancakes with a beautiful golden brown color.
What should I top them with?
You can top them with:
- butter
- a generous pour of maple syrup (my favorite!)
- powdered sugar
- sugared cranberries
- whipped cream
Whatever your favorite pancake topping, you can't go wrong!
Can I freeze leftovers?
Absolutely! Store extra pancakes in a freezer-safe, zip-top bag after they've fully cooled. When you're ready to eat, place the pancakes in the fridge to thaw and then reheat however you like! We like to reheat them for about a minute or two in the microwave.
If you know you're going to eat any leftovers the next day, no need to freeze them. Allow the pancakes to cool and then store them in an airtight container in your refrigerator.
Fluffy Gingerbread Pancakes
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoons ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ⅛ teaspoon ground clove
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons unsulphured molasses
- 2 large eggs
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted (4 tablespoons)
- 1 cup milk
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, add the flour, baking powder, soda, salt and spices. Mix with a whisk to evenly distribute the ingredients.
- Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the sugar, molasses, eggs, melted butter, and milk. Whisk the wet ingredients together inside the well and then mix tgoether the dry and wet ingredients. The batter will be a little lumpy.
- Let the batter sit while you preheat your pan over medium heat.
- Spray the pan with nonstick spray and pour ⅛ cup of batter into the pancake pockets.
- Cook until the edges of the pancake begin to firm up and bubble in the center, after cooking for about one minute, flip and cook the other side for thirty seconds.
- Once cooked, move the pancake to a serving plate and repeat with the remaining batter.
- When ready to serve, dust with powdered sugar and drizzle maple syrup on top.
Please note, Holiday Sweets N Treats isn't a professional nutritionist. Any and all nutritional information shared is an estimate. If you're following a specific diet or counting calories, we suggest you use the nutrition calculator of your choice. Calories can vary depending on the brands and products used.
Shelby
Oh my gosh these are so cute! The special pan is totally worth it and though the pancakes do come out tasty, it's the look on kids faces with the imprints that's the best!
Relle
These are the cutest ever and perfect for the holidays!
Jennifer
Not only are these the cutest pancakes in the world - gonna order that pan! I made them in a normal pan and they were so fluffy and flavorful. Perfect around the holidays!
JD Alewine
It's like having Christmas for breakfast, and I'm here for it!
Nicole
These are so delicious, and perfect for the holidays! My kids LOVED them!