Happy New Year you guys!!
It still may be December 31st for some of you but I know there are places where it's already 2016. That's crazy, right?! I mean, 2016???? I know I'm being repetitive because everyone says this every year but I feel like the older I get the faster time flies! How come it's almost two years since I graduated high school? Wasn't it yesterday when we were patiently (or maybe impatiently waiting for 2012 to come so we could find out whether or not it would be the end of the world? Oh wow. Remember that? I was actually considering it at one point haha. It feels just like yesterday but it also seems ages ago, right? Sooo much has happened since. Am I making sense?
Either way, what I'm getting at is I'm wishing you the best and I hope 2016 is your best year yet! May all your wishes come true, and I hope that you achieve all your goals!
And the best way to start this great year is how you ask? With PANCAKES, obviously!!
I'm gonna stop going on about New Year and time running too fast (every time I try to type 'New Year', I end up with 'New York'.. Coincidence? I think not.) and I'm gonna talk about these delicious pancakes instead! I know you're probably thinking 'What are you doing posting Christmas pancake recipe in January? Shouldn't you be posting it in the beginning of December??'. Well, first off, I did want to post it before Christmas but since I was in New York for the better part of December and I was too busy walking around almost 24/7, I didn't. And I'm sorry I didn't post this earlier but I don't think it matters since, for me at least, Christmas isn't over until the end of January. We always have our tree up until February, if not longer. I love Christmas and I want to enjoy it for as long as I can so if I want to have Christmas pancakes in the middle of January while watching Home Alone, who's to blame me?
So no, I don't think it's weird that I'm posting this so ''late''. It's actually freezing outside (finally! well, not really since I wanted snow in December, but still.) so it's quite fitting.
These are great for a lazy Sunday and preferably eaten in bed. With a generous helping of chocolate cream(vegan), I might add. AND a drizzle of nut butter.
Would you like to save this recipe?
I'm one of those people who go crazy for breakfast recipes. And in case you are too, you're definitely at the right place! Breakfast recipes are my favorite to make and create. But when I find one I really like, I'm guilty of cooking it over and over again every single day. I guess that makes finding a great flavor combination that much more precious and delicious when you eat almost the same thing for breakfast every day.
I LOVE these gingerbread pancakes. I love the combination of the spices. For me, this is what Christmas smells like. The warm deep smell of cinnamon, cloves, and a touch of ginger is to die for. In the Czech Republic, our gingerbread cookies don't actually include ginger in the recipe. Weird, right? But the Czech version doesn't have the word 'ginger' in the name, they're called gingerbread in English because the taste is almost the same, however, ours have slightly different spices. Cinnamon, cloves, allspice, but also star anise, fennel seeds, and vanilla (I didn't include those extras in this recipe since I wanted to stick to the American/English version of gingerbread).
And since I like the gingerbread flavor so much, I already posted other recipes including the spices. You can check them out below:
I eat cinnamon all year round, but during Christmas, I add it to anything and everything I can because it just enhances the Christmas 'feel'. You can't deny it. I actually tried to boil some water with these spices for the first time yesterday. I've heard about it from a lot of different people and I finally tried it and loved it. Your house smells like Christmas afterward without burning any candles. Just pour some water into a saucepan, add whole spices such as cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, star anise, allspice, and other fragrant stuff like orange peel or apples (dried or fresh). Bring it to boil, then lower the heat and let it simmer or just steam to make your house smell wonderful!
I wanted to top these with something fancier than just plain maple syrup so I thought I'd do my regular Chocolate Sauce recipe (you can check out the recipe, it's really easy to make!), but then I realized I had leftover coconut meat from a coconut I cracked open earlier so I added it to make it creamy and oh my was I happy about the results! I knew canned coconut milk wouldn't work and I didn't have time to refrigerate it to separate the cream from the water. The coconut meat I had was pretty thick so when I added a few tablespoons of maple syrup, the texture was just right. It was sweet, creamy, and overall a great topping for these pancakes.
Oh and to make it extra special, I added hazelnut butter which made the whole thing taste like Nutella and you can't say no to Nutella, right?
Whenever I make a new flavor of pancakes I say they're the best I've ever made so here goes. Guys, these are THE BEST pancakes I've ever made!! No, but seriously, they're insanely delicious. They're like gingerbread cookies and cake combined. Drowned in chocolate cream and hazelnut butter. DO I NEED TO SAY MORE?
Just make them. And if not tomorrow, then the day after that or the following week, but make them. You'll be happy you did. ;)
And if you'd like to try my other pancake recipes, below are the links:
- Colorful Pancakes with Chocolate Sauce and Berries
- Blueberry Vanilla Pancakes with Caramelized Figs and Mango Sauce
Happy New Year!
Print📖 Recipe
Gingerbread Pancakes
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 20 mins
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4-6 (16-18 pancakes) 1x
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
These Gingerbread Pancakes are the best sweet breakfast or brunch for the holiday season! Serve them at your Christmas Day brunch and add some homemade gingerbread syrup if you're feeling extra fancy!
Ingredients
- 2 cups flour (I use Bob’s Red Mill gluten-free 1:1 blend)
- 2 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- 2 tsp gingerbread spice (or Christmas spice)
- 2 tbsp cacao powder
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tbsp honey (or maple syrup)
- 3 tbsp melted unsalted butter
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ tsp sea salt
- 2 cups buttermilk (see notes for dairy-free buttermilk)
- Butter or oil for cooking
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, gingerbread spice, and cacao powder. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, honey, melted butter, vanilla extract, and sea salt until well mixed.
- Add buttermilk and whisk again.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in two batches and whisk just until the batter is combined. Don’t overmix it, it’s okay if there are a few lumps.
- Set a large pan over medium heat and add about a teaspoon of butter or cooking oil.
- Spoon the batter into the pan to form pancakes. Don’t overcrowd your pan, I make 3 pancakes at a time on a 12-inch pan.
- Cook the pancakes for 2-3 minutes on each side. You’ll know they’re ready to flip when bubbles start to appear and the edges are set. The pancakes should be easy to flip.
- Repeat with the rest of the batter adding more butter or oil as needed.
- You can keep the pancakes warm on a baking sheet in the oven at 200F (90C) while you finish cooking the rest of the batter.
- Serve them with toppings of your choice and enjoy!
Notes
- Vegan buttermilk: Measure 2 cups almond milk and remove 2 tbsp. Add 2 tablespoons lemon juice or apple cider vinegar and stir gently. Let the mixture sit for 5-10 minutes. It’s ready when it slightly thickens and curdles.
- Storing: Store in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Freeze in a freezer-safe container or a freezer bag for up to 3-4 months.
- Reheating: Reheat on a pan, in the oven at 300F (150C), or in a toaster until warmed through. You can reheat them from frozen or defrost them in the fridge overnight first. The oven method is the best for heating them up from frozen.
- The nutritional info is only an estimate and counted with Bob's Red Mill gluten-free flour.
Leave a Reply