Gingerbread, minus the problem that is nutmeg, is my pumpkin spice. There is no cozier flavour or homier smell; fall and winter are just made for gingerbread. I have a recipe for chewy gingersnaps I make all year, and my kids would choose them over chocolate chip cookies any day. I also have a recipe for gingerbread scones that are out-of-this-world good, but they’re kind of crumbly and fiddly to make and, since my kids love gingerbread as much as me, they don’t last long.
So for Christmas morning I decided I was going to make gingerbread pancakes.
Naturally, I did my research, because I am still a nerd, no change there. Some said molasses made them too dense, and brewed coffee was the way to go for the depth of flavour, but I wanted to use molasses. Others involved ingredients I don’t have handy, like coconut oil or fresh ginger. Too many called for elaborate whipped flavoured butters for topping, when I knew plain butter and maple syrup were all I wanted. I compiled everything I’d learned and got to work.
These are my new favourite breakfast, and I wouldn’t frown upon them as dinner either. I like to make a double batch and freeze some for busy school mornings – toasted or microwaved they are allllmost as good as fresh, and still make your kitchen smell inviting enough to lure reluctant school kids out of bed. I don’t know if I can go back to regular pancakes. Good thing I have Cinnamon Roll Pancakes to fall back on ;)
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup whole wheat flour (or all-purpose)
- 2 tablespoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- 1½ teaspoons ground ginger
- 2 large eggs
- 2¼ cups milk
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons fancy molasses (not blackstrap)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- Butter for griddle or frying pan
- In a large bowl, combine the flours, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, cloves and ground ginger. Whisk to combine.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, brown sugar, molasses, vanilla and oil. Whisk to combine.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry. Stir well, until no streaks of flour remain.
- Preheat a frying pan to medium heat or a griddle to 350°. Use spatula to spread butter over cooking surface to prevent sticking. Drop batter by approximately ⅓ cups onto preheated pan and spread into even circles. Cook for 3-4 minutes, until the top has bubbles that stay. Flip and continue to cook until golden, another 2-3 minutes.
- Place cooked pancakes on a cooling rack placed on a rimmed, metal baking sheet and keep warm in a 200° oven. Repeat with the remaining pancake batter, butter griddle between each batch. Serve warm with maple syrup and/or whipped cream.
I’m planning to make this recipe as a special Christmas Eve Pancake Supper for my family. Thank you for sharing this awesome recipe!
Love the planning ahead! This is a perfect special Christmas recipe :)
Love gingerbread! For sure have to try these
Definitely going to try these