‘Tis the season for some festive food and what better way to celebrate the holidays than with pancakes!  Kidding…kind of 😊

Pancakes are one of those items we have once or twice a year but when we do have them, we remember how much we enjoy them.  They are filling, a hearty meal for cold weather, can be enjoyed any time of day (raise your hand if you’re a fan of brinner…breakfast for dinner), and can be prepared in a variety of flavors.  Since it is holiday season, what better way to enjoy pancakes than in some traditional holiday flavors?  That is my goal with this blog post; to provide you with some yummy new recipes and hopefully give you recipe ideas for Christmas morning or another meal around the holidays.

I present to you (drum roll please)…

• Grinch Pancakes with a Cream Cheese Icing and Whipped Cream
• Eggnog Pancakes with Vanilla Syrup
• Cinnamon Roll Pancakes with a Cream Cheese Glaze
• Gingerbread Pancakes with Cinnamon Syrup

 

All 4 recipes are delicious in their own way.  The Grinch Pancakes will remind you of the classic childhood movie, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, and are festive with the red and green coloring.  The Eggnog Pancakes will remind you of a traditional holiday drink and are the sweetest / fluffiest pancakes I’ve ever had.  The Gingerbread Pancakes will remind you of making gingerbread houses and the smell of molasses in the kitchen.  The Cinnamon Roll Pancakes will remind you of cinnamon scents throughout the house this time of year and another favorite breakfast pastry.  I honestly can’t pick my favorite!

Grinch Pancakes are a traditional buttermilk pancake mix (homemade by the way) that has green food coloring added.  They are topped with a cream cheese icing and green whipped cream.  The cream cheese icing is really what got me with these pancakes.  It adds a hint of sweetness to each bite, but the cream cheese takes the bite away and prevents it from being too sweet….if that makes sense.  I didn’t even need to use maple syrup on these pancakes.  The cream cheese icing is plenty!  The green whipped cream is also homemade and is your typical whipped cream with food coloring added.  It’s so light and fluffy, and pairs really well with the cream cheese icing.

The recipe can be found here.

Start by making the cream cheese icing.  I prefer to use my stand mixer, but you can also use a handheld mixer.  Add the cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla, and milk to the bowl of the stand mixer.  Beat together until smooth and creamy.  Set aside.

Next, make the green whipped cream.  Same as above, I prefer to use my stand mixer, but a handheld mixer will also work.  Add the heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar, vanilla, and a few drops of green food coloring to the bowl of a stand mixer.  Use the whisk attachment and beat on low until the ingredients start to come together.  If you want a deeper shade of green, add additional food coloring.  Gradually increase the speed to high and continue to beat the ingredients until stiff peaks form.  Place the bowl in the refrigerator until ready to use (up to one hour).

Finally, prepare the pancakes.  Add the flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda to a large bowl and whisk to combine.  Set aside.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg and buttermilk.  Pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture and stir until just combined.

Add the sugar, melted butter, vanilla, and green food coloring.  Mix until well blended.  If you want a deeper shade of green, add additional food coloring.

Heat a griddle over medium heat.  Lesson learned – my griddle is nonstick and does not need to be greased.  I did not pay enough attention to this and greased the griddle.  Let’s just say my first batch of pancakes came out quite dark from the grease.  So, if you use nonstick, maybe don’t grease the griddle, or use a teeny tiny amount.  Just don’t do what I did 😊

Scoop about ¼ – ½ cup of the pancake batter onto the griddle.  Repeat until you don’t have room for more pancakes.  Cook until bubbles begin to form on the surface and the bottom start to turn golden brown.  Then, flip and cook on the other side until lightly browned.  Remove from the griddle and repeat until you have used all the batter.

I transfer my pancakes to a plate and loosely cover it with aluminum foil to help keep the pancakes warm while the next batch cooks.

Finally, you will assemble the pancakes.  I like to place a warm stack of pancakes on a plate (3-4 seems to be a good amount).  Then, I spread some (or a lot) of the cream cheese icing on the top pancake.  Since the pancakes are warm, the icing may start to drip down the sides.  I top it off by adding a big dollop of the green whipped cream and some red sprinkles.  I use a spoon to add the whipped cream.  You could add it to a pastry bag and pipe a fun design or simply have a more decorating “blob” on top, but I figure we are going to dig in right away, so it doesn’t have to be fancy 😊 I recommend having any extra icing and whipped cream on the table so you can add more as needed.

Alternately, you can arrange the pancakes around the plate and drizzle the icing over the top.  Unlike the stack of pancakes, each pancake will then have icing and more won’t need to be added later.  You can still add a dollop of whipped cream, but I suggest adding a smaller dollop to each pancake….more goodness in each bite!

Serve warm and enjoy!

The recipe can be found here.

Eggnog Pancakes follow a similar recipe to traditional buttermilk pancakes, but the buttermilk is replaced with eggnog.  The pancakes are incredibly moist and dense.  I mentioned it earlier, but I honestly think these are some of the best pancakes I have ever had.  The flavor is spot on!  Eggnog comes through in every bite.  They are topped with a delectable vanilla syrup that is to die for!  Well, I maybe wouldn’t go that far but it is good, lol.  It’s sweet, but not too sweet, and pairs well with the eggnog flavor.  Same as before, you can probably skip the maple syrup with this recipe and just use the vanilla syrup.  It’s homemade and makes quite a bit so there is plenty to go around.  I’ll admit, we did a taste test and the vanilla syrup actually tasted better with the pancakes, but you be the judge.

The recipe can be found here.

Start by making the vanilla syrup.  Add the water, sugar, and cornstarch to a saucepan.  Whisk together then bring to a boil.  Continue to boil, whisking constantly, for about 3 minutes.  The sauce should start to thicken a bit.

Reduce the heat.  Then add the butter (unmelted), salt, and vanilla.  Stir until the butter has completely melted.  Add the heavy cream and stir to combine.  Simmer for 1-2 minutes, then remove from the heat and set aside.

Next, prepare the pancake batter.  In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, vanilla, and melted butter.  Add the eggnog and whisk to combine.

Pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture and whisk / stir to combine.  It will be thick!  If you are having a hard time mixing or think the batter is too thick, add more eggnog.  I think I added an additional ¼ cup total, and the consistency was perfect.

Heat a griddle over medium heat.

Scoop about ¼ – ½ cup of the pancake batter onto the griddle.  Repeat until you don’t have room for more pancakes.  Cook until bubbles begin to form on the surface and the bottom start to turn golden brown.  Then, flip and cook on the other side until lightly browned.  Remove from the griddle and repeat until you have used all the batter.

I transfer my pancakes to a plate and loosely cover it with aluminum foil to help keep the pancakes warm while the next batch cooks.

Finally, you will assemble the pancakes.  I like to arrange the pancakes around the plate and drizzle the vanilla syrup over the top.  Unlike a stack of pancakes, each pancake will then have syrup and more won’t need to be added later (unless you want 😊).  Sprinkle some nutmeg over the top and enjoy!

The recipe can be found here.

Cinnamon Roll Pancakes are a traditional pancake mix but with a cinnamon swirl that is added while the pancakes are cooking.  You can even use store bought pancake batter for the base if you prefer.  These are a basic pancake that you add toppings to.  The pancakes are light and fluffy and have the perfect amount of cinnamon…like eating a cinnamon roll.  The amount of cinnamon in each bite is up to you.  You can add a little cinnamon filling or a lot of cinnamon filling.  My preference is to use a squeeze bottle so I can get a nice spiral shape.  The opening is pretty small on the squeeze bottle, so the cinnamon taste isn’t overpowering.  You can also use a Ziploc bag and snip off one of the tips.  Depending on the size of the hole, you can add more or less cinnamon filling to your pancakes.  The cream cheese glaze is glaze is the cherry on top!  It has a frosting like consistency that melts when you spread it on the warm pancakes.  It’s absolutely delicious.

The recipe can be found here.

Start by preparing the pancake batter.  Add the flour, baking powder, and salt to a large bowl.  Whisk to combine.

Beat the eggs in a small bowl.  Add the eggs, milk, and oil to the dry ingredients.  Whisk until the batter is just combined.  It’s OK if you have some lumps.  Add additional milk to thin out the batter to the desired consistency.  Then set the batter aside.

Next, prepare the cinnamon filling.  Melt the butter in a microwave safe bowl.  Once melted, add the brown sugar and cinnamon.  Stir to combine all ingredients.  Add the mixture to a Ziploc bag or squeeze bottle, then set aside.

Heat a large skillet or griddle over medium-low heat.

Scoop about ¼ – ½ cup of the pancake batter onto the griddle.  Repeat until you don’t have room for more pancakes.  Squeeze the cinnamon filling in a spiral pattern on top of the batter.  Or be creative and make a fun cinnamon pattern.

Cook until bubbles begin to form on the surface and the bottom start to turn golden brown.  Then, flip and cook on the other side until lightly browned.  Remove from the griddle and repeat until you have used all the batter.

I transfer my pancakes to a plate and loosely cover it with aluminum foil to help keep the pancakes warm while the next batch cooks.

Once the pancakes are done cooking, prepare the cream cheese glaze.  You could also do this before cooking the pancakes and just set it aside until ready to use.  I found it difficult to watch the pancakes and prevent them from burning while also heating/mixing the glaze, so I made the pancakes and then moved on to the glaze.  Of if you have some helpers in the kitchen they could work on the glaze while you cook the pancakes.

Melt and butter and cream cheese in a microwave safe bowl.  Add the powdered sugar and vanilla and whisk until smooth.

Finally, assemble the pancakes.  I like to arrange the pancakes around the plate and spread the cream cheese glaze over the top.  I do put any extra glaze on the table so everyone can add more as needed.  Enjoy!

The recipe can be found here.

Gingerbread Pancakes with Cinnamon Syrup are perfectly spiced!  The aromas that fill your kitchen are amazing…it’s a burst of molasses, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves.  All wonderfully seasonal flavors.  The pancakes are light and fluffy and pair well with the cinnamon syrup, which is basically maple syrup with some ground cinnamon mixed in…complicated stuff!  These pancakes are probably the easiest to make out of all the recipes I’m sharing with you today.  You only need to prepare the pancake batter, cook the pancakes, and heat the syrup.  Easy peasy when you are trying to feed a crowd or want to have a quick breakfast before being out and about with family for the holidays.

The recipe can be found here.

Start by preparing the pancake batter.  Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, 1 ½ tsp cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and nutmeg to a large bowl.  Whisk to combine.

Add the brown sugar, molasses, eggs, and melted butter to a separate bowl.  Whisk to combine.  Then, pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients.  Whisk until just combined.  It’s OK if you have some lumps.

Heat a griddle over medium heat.

Scoop about ¼ – ½ cup of the pancake batter onto the griddle.  Repeat until you don’t have room for more pancakes.  Cook until bubbles begin to form on the surface and the bottom start to turn golden brown.  Then, flip and cook on the other side until lightly browned.  Remove from the griddle and repeat until you have used all the batter.

I transfer my pancakes to a plate and loosely cover it with aluminum foil to help keep the pancakes warm while the next batch cooks.

 

While the last batch is cooking, make the cinnamon syrup.  Combine 1 cup of maple syrup with ½ – 1 tsp cinnamon in a microwave safe bowl (or gravy boat – these work well for pouring!).  Heat in the microwave for 30-60 seconds or until warm.  Set aside until all pancakes are cooked.

Finally, assemble your plates.  I like to arrange the pancakes around the plate and pour the cinnamon syrup over the top.  You can also stack the pancakes on a plate and pour the syrup over the top and let it drip down the side.  Either way, make sure you have plenty of syrup to go around!  Plain maple syrup also tastes great with these pancakes if you want to skip the cinnamon syrup.  Enjoy!

The recipe can be found here.

You will want to finish off your meal with some sausage links or bason, maybe some scrambled eggs or an egg bake, fresh fruit, etc.  And don’t forget the mimosas!

Happy Holidays and Happy Cooking!