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If you get excited about a stack of pancakes, you’ll love these delicious and nutritious Fluffy Gingerbread Pancakes! They’re made with whole wheat flour, aromatic spices, and the heavenly caramel flavors of sweet coconut sugar. These soft, fluffy pancakes are perfect for a slow be-kind-to-yourself autumn brunch with friends!
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Fluffy Gingerbread Pancakes
Do you remember the first time you ate pancakes? I love that feeling of eating something new for the very first time, especially when that something is as good as pancakes!
I was first introduced to American-style pancakes on a family holiday in Florida when I was 15 years old. We ate our breakfast at a buffet-style diner. Wow. I’d never experienced anything like it. You could have anything you wanted—hot food, cold food, savory, sweet – heck, all the above on one plate. I had never before seen anyone drizzle maple syrup over a plate of pancakes topped with breakfast potatoes, bacon, and eggs. It was all new to me.
In the UK at that time, you just didn’t eat pancakes for breakfast. Not in my world, anyway. Pancakes were reserved for Shrove Tuesday, aka pancake day, once a year. And even then, it would be crêpes with lemon and sugar, certainly not American-style pancakes with syrup.
If you’re looking for more delicious breakfast ideas, I’ve got plenty more for you to choose from. Head over to the breakfast page, where you’ll find everything from Frittatas to Smoothies, Oatmeal, and a Healthy Full English Breakfast.
What Makes a Pancake Healthy?
Thanks to restaurants embracing international cuisines and the rise of food blogs, pancakes for breakfast have become more common in the UK. But pancakes can often be high in simple carbohydrates, like white flour and refined sugar. And that combination, my friends, won’t leave you feeling particularly great mentally or physically.
Refined carbs will send your blood sugar skyrocketing. And when it plummets back down, you’re going to be left feeling tired, irritable, and craving more sugary carbs to boost your energy levels. Not great if you’re trying to manage your appetite. And, problematic if you are trying to lose weight.
Now, I’m not a regular at eating pancakes for breakfast. I find it too tempting to overindulge. But when you get that feeling like nothing else will do, take comfort in knowing there’s a healthier option that will taste just as good and will leave you feeling good too.
These gingerbread pancakes are made with wholegrain plain pastry flour. They do come out a little more dense than your standard all-purpose flour pancake. That’s because whole grains have all their nutrients intact, including fiber. And that, together with the healthy fats and protein from the eggs in this recipe, will slow down digestion and help stabilize your blood sugar levels. You should fill yourself up sooner and keep yourself feeling fuller for longer – keeping hunger at bay until lunch.
Now, if you’re like me and want to keep those pesky cravings firmly locked away behind closed doors, avoid topping your pancakes with sugary drizzles – and give the lemon cream a try.
What Type of Whole Grain Flour Should I Use?
When people think about using wholegrain flour in baking, they’re often put off as it produces a more dense batter and a distinctive whole wheaty flavor. To counter this, many off-the-shelf products that say they’re wholegrain will often contain 50% whole wheat and 50% wheat.
Here we’re going to be using 100% whole wheat for the extra nutritional benefits. But that doesn’t mean you’ll be sacrificing flavor.
To make the lightest pancakes that are 100% wholegrain, you’ll want to use finely milled wheat that is suitable for cakes and pastries, and NOT the strong whole grain kind that is better kept for making bread. My favorite flour to use for pancakes is Marriage’s Golden Wholegrain Plain Pastry Flour. I think in the U.S., you call it White Wholewheat Flour.
The flavor is mild and slightly nutty and pairs well with the ginger and mixed spices in this recipe.
Wholemeal Gingerbread Pancakes: Step-By-Step
Here’s how to make your real food pancakes in nine illustrated steps:
- Gingerbread Pancakes Ingredients
Grab your pancake ingredients, so you have everything to hand.
- Combine Ingredients
Combine dry ingredients in a mixing bowl.
- Make a Well
Make a well in the flour and add wet ingredients.
- Pancake Batter
Lightly beat the ingredients until just combined. Rest for 5 minutes.
- Lemon Cream Ingredients
Meanwhile, grab your ingredients for the lemon cream.
- Mix Lemon Cream
Mix the ingredients together in a small bowl. Set to one side.
- Pour Pancake Batter
Pour the pancake batter into a skillet and cook on the first side until small craters appear.
- Flip Pancake
Flip the pancake, and continue to cook for another couple of minutes until the pancake is cooked through.
- Keep Warm
Keep pancakes warm in the oven until all the batter has been used up.
Find the recipe card with exact ingredients and full recipe instructions at the bottom of this page. ⇩
More “Sweet” Breakfast Recipes
If you enjoyed this pancake recipe, you might also like these delicious breakfast recipes:
- Chunky Nut Healthy Granola
- Creamy Porridge Custard with Strawberry Rhubarb Coulis
- Coconut Blueberry Wholemeal Muffins
- Chia Seed Cereal
- Black Forest Fruits Chia Pudding
- Pineapple Passion Collagen Smoothie
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Printable Recipe Card
Recipe
Wholemeal Gingerbread Pancakes with Lemon Cream
If you love this recipe, rate it with 5 stars below!
PRINT PIN RATEIngredients
- 1 ¾ cups (220 grams) wholegrain plain pastry flour
- 2 tablespoons coconut sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 2 teaspoons mixed spice, or pumpkin spice mix
- ½ teaspoons sea salt flakes, fine
- 1 cup (240 ml) milk
- 2 large eggs
- 1 ½ tablespoons avocado oil, divided
- 1 cup (120 grams) reduced fat cream cheese, softened
- 1 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 teaspoons lemon zest
Instructions
- Prepare: Gather and prepare your ingredients. Warm the oven (275°F/ 140°C / Gas Mark 1) to keep the cooked pancakes warm.
- Pancake Batter: In a large bowl, combine the wholegrain plain pastry flour, coconut sugar, baking powder, ground ginger, mixed spice, and salt. Make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients and add the milk, eggs, and 1 tablespoons of the avocado oil. No need for a separate bowl. That's too much washing up! Just give the egg yolks a prod to break them open so they will incorporate into the other ingredients easier. Then gently whisk all the ingredients together until just combined. Don't over-mix the batter, or the pancakes will end up too dense. A few lumps are absolutely fine. Leave to rest for 5 minutes.
- Lemon Cream: Meanwhile, make the lemon cream by combining the cream cheese, maple syrup, lemon juice, and lemon zest together in a small bowl. Sit to one side while you make the pancakes.
- Make Pancakes: Warm a skillet over medium-low heat and grease with a little of the remaining avocado oil. Drop a quarter cup or large dessert spoon of batter onto the skillet, leaving plenty of room between dollops for the batter to spread. Leave the pancakes alone to cook for 2-4 minutes until craters start to form on the surface. Give the pancakes a little lift at the edges to make sure they are nice and golden on the bottom, and then carefully flip them over with a spatula. Cook on the second side for a minute or two until the batter is completely cooked through. Keep the pancakes warm in the oven while you make all 10 pancakes.
- Serve and Enjoy! Serve each pancake with a dollop of lemon cream and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition Information (Per Serving)
Nutrition Disclaimer: Nutritional information is estimated using an online nutrition calculator. For accuracy, we recommend you calculate using the exact ingredients and brands you used.
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