Gingerbread pancakes combine the warmth of Christmas spices with fluffy pancakes, creating a cozy breakfast treat. The aromatic mix of cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and molasses gives these pancakes a delightful holiday flavor that’s perfect for a festive breakfast meal. I served these pancakes with an easy, 3-ingredient orange gingerbread sauce that takes these pancakes over the top!
Ingredients
Below you will find information about the ingredients and how to prepare the recipe. For the measurements and detailed instructions scroll down to the printable recipe card.
Here’s what you need to make this easy recipe:
This recipe calls for regular pancake ingredients and two ingredients that make these gingerbread pancakes special which are molasses and gingerbread spice mix.
Molasses adds a special flavor to them, sweetens them slightly, and contribute to a darker color of the pancakes. If you don’t have molasses, you can simply omit it and add 2 tablespoons flour less to the recipe.
Gingerbread spice mix is a blend of spices perfect for making anything gingerbread-flavored, like gingerbread cookies, gingerbread granola, or oatmeal. Instead of using individual spices each time, you can make a batch of this spice mix and use it for all your favorite gingerbread treats. But if you prefer, I’ve also listed below in the recipe card all the spices you will need for this particular recipe.
This recipe is based on my favorite basic pancake recipe made with milk (the recipe is coming soon). I also have a favorite buttermilk pancake recipe to which you could also add molasses and gingerbread spice mix to transform them into gingerbread pancakes. You need to add an additional 2 tablespoons of flour to the recipe to account for the addition of molasses.
How to make gingerbread pancakes step-by-step
To a large bowl, add melted and cooled butter, milk, eggs, molasses, sugar, vanilla, and orange zest.
(3 Tbsp/45g butter, 1 1/4c / 300g milk, 2 large eggs, 1/4 c / 87g molasses, 2 T brown sugar, 1 ts vanilla, zest from 1 orange)
Whisk until well combined.
Hang a sieve over the bowl, add flour, gingerbread spice mix, baking powder, baking soda, and salt to the sieve.
Stir together and sift into the bowl. (Sifting the dry ingredients is optional, you can also just stir them together in another bowl and add to the wet ingredients).
(2c + 2T flour (270g), 1 T b. powder, 1 T gingerbread spice mix (or 1 1/2 ts cinnamon, 1/2 ts ground ginger, 1/4 ts each: ground allspice, cloves, nutmeg, 1/8 ts cardamom), 1/4 ts b. soda, 1/4 ts salt).
TIP: How to measure flour: I’m using the “spoon and level method” so 1 cup of flour in my recipes weighs 125g. Fluff the flour by stirring it in the bag/flour container with a spoon. Spoon the flour and sprinkle it into your measuring cup. Sweep off the excess flour with the back of a knife.
Whisk until just combined. Don’t overmix the batter, small lumps are fine.
Heat a small amount of butter in a non-stick pan over medium heat (adjust the heat to your stovetop, it can vary depending on how powerful it is).
Scoop about 1/4 cup of batter per pancake. Allow space for spreading. When you see bubbles on top of the pancakes, the edges look set, and the bottom of the pancake is lightly browned, flip them over. Cook until cooked through and lightly browned. Transfer to a plate. Repeat with the remaining batter, adding more butter to the pan between each batch of the pancakes.
Optional: make orange gingerbread syrup: Add orange juice to a medium saucepan. Cook over high heat for a couple of minutes or until reduced about in half or 2/3 in volume. Add maple syrup and gingerbread spice mix. Cook, whisking, for about a minute. The syrup will be a little bit too runny at this point but it will achieve the right consistency once cooled down. Pour the syrup over the pancakes.
(The syrup on the photos is reddish in color because I used half regular orange juice and half blood orange juice for the syrup. I would recommend using freshly squeezed orange juice so it’s nice and tangy and not too sweet.)
I like to serve these pancakes with fresh orange segments.
Enjoy!
Storage
These pancakes reheat well. I grease a baking sheet with butter, place the pancakes on it, and place a small pat of butter on top. I bake it for a couple of minutes (4-5 minutes) at 325°F (160°C) until warm. You can also reheat them on a dry non-stick pan set over low heat.
Serving suggestions
- gingerbread orange syrup (pictured!)
- maple syrup
- whipped cream
- salted caramel sauce
- fresh fruit – especially fresh oranges are great with these pancakes
More pancake recipes you may like
- German Apple Pancake
- Dutch Baby
- Aebleskiver Recipe – Danish Pancake Balls
- Kaiserschmarrn (Austrian Torn Pancake)
- Carrot Cake Pancakes
- Blueberry Buttermilk Pancakes
- Savory Pancakes
- Apple Cinnamon Pancakes
Did you make this recipe? RATE THE RECIPE or tell me in the COMMENTS how you liked it! You can also add a photo of your dish. It would make me very happy and will help other readers. Thank you!!
Gingerbread Pancakes
Ingredients
for the pancakes:
- 3 tablespoons (45g) melted butter melted and cooled
- 1 1/4 cups (300g) milk
- 2 large eggs
- 1/4 cup (87g) unsulfured molasses not blackstrap, if you don't have it see notes
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- zest grated from 1 orange
- 2 cups + 2 tablespoons (270g) flour spooned and leveled, not scooped
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 tablespoon gingerbread spice mix or 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger, 1/4 teaspoon each: ground allspice, cloves, nutmeg, 1/8 teaspoon of cardamom
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
gingerbread orange syrup (optional):
- 2/3 cup orange juice preferably freshly squeezed
- 1/2 teaspoon gingerbread spice mix
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
Instructions
- Make pancake batter: To a large bowl, add butter, milk, eggs, molasses, sugar, vanilla, and orange zest. Whisk until well combined.3 tablespoons (45g) melted butter, 1 1/4 cups (300g) milk, 2 large eggs, 1/4 cup (87g) unsulfured molasses, 2 tablespoons brown sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, zest grated from 1 orange
- Hang a sieve over the bowl, add flour, gingerbread spice mix, baking powder, baking soda, and salt to the sieve. Stir together and sift into the bowl. (Sifting the dry ingredients is optional, you can also just stir them together in another bowl and add to the wet ingredients).2 cups + 2 tablespoons (270g) flour, 1 tablespoon baking powder, 1 tablespoon gingerbread spice mix, 1/4 teaspoon baking soda, 1/4 teaspoon salt
- Whisk until just combined. Don’t overmix the batter, small lumps are fine.
- Cook pancakes: Heat a small amount of butter in a non-stick pan over medium heat (adjust the heat to your stovetop, it can vary depending on how powerful it is).
- Scoop about 1/4 cup of batter per pancake. Allow space for spreading. When you see bubbles on top of the pancakes, the edges look set, and the bottom of the pancake is lightly browned, flip them over. Cook until cooked through and lightly browned. Transfer to a plate. Repeat with the remaining batter, adding more butter to the pan between each batch of the pancakes.
- Optional: make orange gingerbread syrup: Add orange juice to a medium saucepan. Cook over high heat for a couple of minutes or until reduced about in half or 2/3 in volume. Add maple syrup and gingerbread spice mix. Cook, whisking, for about a minute. The syrup will be a little bit too runny at this point but it will achieve the right consistency once cooled down. Pour the syrup over the pancakes.2/3 cup orange juice, 1/2 teaspoon gingerbread spice mix, 1/4 cup maple syrup
- I like to serve these pancakes with fresh orange segments.
- Enjoy!
Notes
- If you don’t have molasses, you can simply omit it and add 2 tablespoons flour less to the recipe.
- How to measure flour: I’m using the “spoon and level method” so 1 cup of flour in my recipes weighs 125g. Fluff the flour by stirring it in the bag/flour container with a spoon. Spoon the flour and sprinkle it into your measuring cup. Sweep off the excess flour with the back of a knife.
- Calories = 1 serving (4 pancakes) or 1/4 of the recipe, with the syrup. This is only an estimate!
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