Start a frigid morning off right with a big stack of these fluffy and melt in your mouth gingerbread pancakes. These pancakes are so tender, and loaded with molasses and warm and cozy spices!
This is one of my Breakfast recipes I know you’ll want to keep on hand!
Are you a big breakfast person? I’m normally not very hungry in the morning, but I love breakfast for dinner!
Pancakes are a classic for a reason; they’re just that delicious, and versatile.
These gingerbread pancakes are fantastic on a cold winter morning (or evening, no judgement), and for holiday breakfasts/brunches!
Why you’ll love this recipe!
- Cozy – there’s something ultra comforting about the warm spices and molasses flavor of these pancakes.
- Freezer-friendly – freezing these makes it so you can have a homemade breakfast in no time!
- Homemade – no mixes and weird ingredients here, just regular food!
What do I need to make this recipe?
- Flour – nothing fancy here, just regular all purpose flour.
- Sugar – I like to use granulated sugar in these pancakes.
- Baking powder – this is what helps the pancakes puff up and get nice and fluffy.
- Spices – in this recipe, these are ground cinnamon and ground ginger.
- Salt – I use kosher salt. Other varieties can be used, you’ll just want to use a bit less.
- Milk – I use whole milk, since that’s what we keep on hand. I haven’t tested lower fat milks or non-dairy milks.
- Sour cream – this is probably throwing some people, but using sour cream adds a subtle tangy that pairs well with all the sweetness. The acid also acts with the baking powder, creating pancakes that are super moist and fluffy.
- Egg – this recipe was tested and developed using large eggs.
- Molasses – molasses are a key component of gingerbread, so I don’t recommend substituting it. In the grocery stores near me, Grandma’s Molasses (the original flavor), is readily available, and what was used for this recipe.
- Butter – I like to use salted butter, but unsalted can be used if you prefer (just add a pinch of salt).
How to make sweet gingerbread pancakes:
This is just an overview; the full ingredients and directions are in the recipe card toward the bottom of this post.
- Combine dry ingredients. You can use a whisk or a fork for this.
- Combine wet ingredients. Using two bowls ensures that the batter is combined well, without over-mixing.
- Add dry to wet. You want to mix until they’re just combined.
- Batter. This picture is just to show you what you want the batter to look like.
- Scoop and cook. I use a 1/3 cup measuring cup.
- Flip, cook, and serve. The secret to pancakes is to cook them low enough that they don’t burn, but hot enough that they cook through. So don’t worry if you have to adjust the temperature a bit as you’re cooking.
Helpful Tip!
Go easy on the whisking. Pancake batter is easy to over-mix, which means your pancakes won’t be as fluffy and soft as they should be. When whisking the dry and wet ingredients together, just stir until you don’t see streaks of flour. Lumps are perfectly fine; you don’t need to whisk those out.
Variations of this recipe
- Buttermilk – using buttermilk instead of regular milk will give the pancakes a slight tang, and it also reacts with the leavening agents in the batter (the baking powder and baking soda) to help the pancakes rise and get even fluffier.
- Sugar – try swapping half of the granulated sugar for light brown sugar. It will add a caramel-y flavor that goes really well with gingerbread.
- Flour – all purpose flour can be substituted with whole wheat flour, the pancakes might just look a bit darker in color.
- Butter – unsalted butter can be used, you might want to add a pinch of extra salt in the batter.
FAQ’s
Butter is a classic, and what I use most of the time, although sometimes I use a spritz of nonstick cooking spray. However, for the best crispy edges and boost of flavor, try using a bit of bacon drippings!
To test your baking powder, add a bit to hot water. If it bubbles and fizzes, you’re good to go! However, if your baking powder is older than 6 months, it’s best to just get a new can. To test your baking soda, add some to a bowl, then add a few drops of an acidic ingredient (vinegar or lemon juice). If it fizzes right away, it’s still good!
Making pancakes ahead of time
Unfortunately making the batter ahead of time doesn’t work very well, since the leavening agents (the baking powder), will start activating as soon as the ingredients are mixed.
This means when the pancakes are cooked, they won’t rise and turn into fluffy goodness.
However, you can combine the dry ingredients (flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, ground ginger, and salt), and keep it at room temperature in an airtight container.
Freezing
If you end up with way too many leftover pancakes, you can freeze them!
Just make sure they’ve completely cooled down, then add the pieces to a wax paper lined baking sheet. Place the whole thing in the freezer for 1-2 hours, until the pancakes are hard.
Add the pancakes to a freezer container, label it with the date, and freeze for up to 3 months.
Thaw in the refrigerator and warm up in whichever way you like best.
Storage
Leftover pancakes should be refrigerated in an airtight container and eaten within 3-4 days.
How to tell when pancakes are ready to flip?
This is a common question, so if you’ve been wondering and not sure how to ask… I’ve got you covered.
There are two main things I look for when deciding if I should flip my pancakes.
- Bubbles. As the pancakes cook, bubbles form and rise to the surface. When those bubbles have come through and about half of them have popped, it’s a good sign the pancake is ready.
- Edges. The edges of the pancakes will start off looking very wet, and as they cooks, they’ll dry out and appear set.
More Sweet Breakfast Recipes:
My Favorite Skillet!
I want to be transparent that these pans are the ones I use in my kitchen. They are definitely pricey though, so while I’ve linked to them, you can use any non-stick skillet or griddle. I just prefer ceramic over traditional non-stick.
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @the_chunky_chef on Facebook and Instagram!
Ingredients
Dry ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 4 tsp baking powder this is 1 Tbsp + 1 tsp
- 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 3/4 tsp ground ginger
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
Wet ingredients
- 2/3 cup whole milk
- 2/3 cup sour cream full fat is recommended
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 cup molasses unsulphured is best
- 4 Tbsp salted butter melted then cooled
Serving
- maple syrup
- cinnamon whipped cream ** see chef tips #2 below **
Instructions
Prepare
- Melt 4 Tbsp salted butter and set aside to cool down slightly.
Combine dry ingredients
- In a small mixing bowl, add 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour, 1/4 cup granulated sugar, 4 tsp baking powder, 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon, 3/4 tsp ground ginger, and 1/4 tsp kosher salt. Whisk or use a fork to combine well.
Combine wet ingredients
- In a separate large mixing bowl, add 2/3 cup whole milk, 2/3 cup sour cream, 1 large egg, 1/4 cup molasses, and the cooled melted butter from earlier. Whisk to combine.
Make batter
- Add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, whisking and stirring to mix it all together. Once it's just combined and you don't see streaks of flour, stop mixing. The batter will be thick. If you over-mix, your pancakes won't be light and fluffy.
Cook pancakes
- Set pancake batter aside and heat up a large skillet or griddle over MED-LOW heat. Once hot, add a bit of cooking spray to the preheated griddle and spread it out. You can also use a bit of melted butter or bacon drippings.
- Use a 1/3 cup measuring cup to scoop the pancake batter onto the griddle or skillet. Slowly pour it onto the surface, circling outwards, spreading the batter out to make a nice circle.
- Let the pancake cook about 2 minutes. You'll notice bubbles popping up on the surface of the pancake, and once about half of those bubbles have popped, and if the edges look set, carefully flip the pancake over. Cook another 2 minutes on the other side, or until cooked through and golden brown.
- Remove to a plate and cover with a kitchen towel. Alternatively, you can place the pancakes on a baking sheet and keep it in a low heat oven (175-200 degrees), until you're ready to serve.
- Repeat with remaining batter, adding more cooking spray (or butter or bacon drippings) to the skillet/griddle as needed.
Serve
- Serve hot, drizzled with maple syrup and/or cinnamon whipped cream.
Want to save this recipe for later? Click the heart in the bottom right corner to save to your own recipe box!
Chef Tips
- Recipe makes approximately 8 slightly larger than medium sized pancakes, which you are free to divide up into as many servings as you’d like.
- To make the cinnamon whipped cream:
- Add 1 cup of heavy cream to a cold bowl. Add 1/2 tsp of ground cinnamon and 3 Tbsp of powdered sugar.
- Beat with a mixer on MED speed until stiff peaks form. This just means when you invert the beaters, the little mountain shape of the whipped cream stays standing upwards.
Nutrition Disclaimer
The Chunky Chef is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
emm says
These look delicious! I’m not the biggest fan of plain pancakes, but give me all the dressed up/fun/flavored/seasonal pancakes! Yum, I will definitely be trying these 🙂