I love the flavors of gingerbread and molasses so much.
So I made pancakes that taste like gingerbread cookies.
I recently posted recipes for Soft Molasses Coconut Oil Crinkle Cookies and Soft and Chewy Gingerbread Molasses Chocolate Chip Bars and wanted to branch out.
The cookies are likely my new go-to-and-forever recipe for soft molasses cookies, and the bars are one of the best things I’ve made in 2013. Like eating a piece of gingerbread-molasses fudge. Seriously decadent, spicy, bold, chocolaty, and rich. Couldn’t top either recipe.
But pancakes were unchartered territory and fair game.
They’re light, soft, fluffy and they’re pleasantly bold. The batter is standard pancake batter. A bowl of dry ingredients and a bowl of wet. Pour the wet over dry, stir, and griddle up your pancakes.
Buttermilk helps keep the pancakes tender and light, and the results just aren’t the same with regular milk. You can make buttermilk by souring your own milk. Add about 2 tablespoons vinegar or lemon juice to 1 cup milk, wait for 10 minutes for it to curdle, then use as indicated.
If you don’t routinely keep buttermilk on hand, I highly recommend this Powdered Buttermilk. If you don’t use buttermilk much, but sometimes see a recipe that needs a half cup, but because you think you won’t use the rest of the jug before it goes bad, you opt of trying the recipe, then this powder is your new best friend. Shelf stable, keeps for ages.
Since I was making gingerbread pancakes, not plain pancakes, I wanted them to taste like gingerbread. The only way to make 1 cup of white flour and buttermilk taste like gingerbread cookies is through plentiful use of cinnamon, ginger, allspice, nutmeg, cloves, and molasses.
There’s 5 1/2 teaspoons of spices for 8 average-sized pancakes, along with 3 tablespoons of molasses. Well-spiced without being overdone, but if you’re more sensitive to spices, tone them down to your liking, possibly even halving them; and dial the molasses back to taste, also.
I don’t have a griddle and make my pancakes in a non-stick skillet that holds four at a time, and I’m a horrible pancake flipper at that. I do the best I can to not mutilate them while flipping, and I get anxiety as the 3-minute mark is approaching and all of a sudden I have to flip four before they all char. Gah.
Most people fry their pancakes in lots of melted butter. I love butter as much as the next person, but in this season of excess and abundance, I try to cut corners where I can, and only used cooking spray. I didn’t miss the fat, calories, or any buttery taste, but use the real thing if you prefer.
Pancakes aren’t really pancakes unless they’re flooded with syrup. What you see here is only a fraction of what I use in reality, and it’s always the season of excess and abundance when it comes to syrup.
Plain maple syrup is, well, plain. I doctored up this syrup with molasses and ground ginger. I could literally drink molasses and could probably do a 1:1 ratio of molasses and syrup. I didn’t, but wanted to. Use what tastes good to you.
A tip to keep pancakes warm for up to 1 hour, is to transfer cooked pancakes to a baking sheet, and place in a preheated 200F oven to keep them warm.
The pancakes are the perfect warm, comforting start to any chilly winter morning, and they’d be a great brunch or breakfast-in-bed treat, or a fabulous Christmas morning breakfast.
I ate the leftover pancakes for brinner (breakfast-for-dinner) and it felt like I was eating gingerbread cookies for dinner. And I loved it.
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Soft and Fluffy Gingerbread Pancakes with Ginger Molasses Maple Syrup
Ingredients
Pancakes
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar, packed (light brown may be substituted)
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon allspice
- 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
- pinch salt, optional and to taste
- ¾ cup buttermilk
- 1 large egg
- 3 tablespoons light, medium, or dark molasses (not blackstrap; it’s too pungent)
- 1 tablespoon canola or vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Ginger Molasses Maple Syrup
- ½ cup maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon to 2 tablespoons light, medium, or dark molasses, or to taste
- ½ to 1 teaspoon ground ginger, or to taste
Instructions
- Pancakes – In a large mixing bowl, add first 11 ingredients, through optional salt, and whisk to combine; set aside.
- In a large glass measuring cup or medium bowl, add remaining 5 ingredients, through vanilla, and whisk to combine.
- Pour wet mixture over dry ingredients, stirring until just combined. Batter will be fairly thick and some lumps will be present; don’t try to stir them smooth.
- Pre-heat a skillet over medium heat and spray with cooking spray (or use melted butter if you prefer).
- Using a 1/4-cup measure sprayed with cooking spray for easy release, scoop batter onto warm skillet. Cook for about 2 1/2 to 3 minutes. Take a peek at the underside with a spatula, and when golden, flip over.
- Reduce heat to medium-low and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until done. Repeat process with the remaining batter, adding more cooking spray to the skillet as needed, and wiping any black residue with a paper towel as needed. Serve immediately. Tip – To keep pancakes warm for up to 1 hour, transfer cooked pancakes to a baking sheet and place in a preheated 200F oven to keep warm.
- Ginger Molasses Maple Syrup – Combine all syrup ingredients in a small bowl or serving pitcher and whisk until smooth. Warm syrup mixture in microwave for about 30 seconds if desired. Pour over pancakes. Extra syrup will keep airtight in the refrigerator for many months.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Have you had anything gingerbread or with molasses yet this season?
great
I chickened out and only used 2 TB of Grandma’s molasses … and they were too wonderful for words! Great texture and I skipped having any toppings at all because the flavors were fantastic. I will definitely do another round because these were as delicious as advertised.
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad these turned out wonderfully for you and you’ll make them again!
I chickened out and only used 2 TB of Grandma’s molasses … and they were too wonderful for words! Great texture and I skipped having any toppings at all because the flavors were fantastic. I will definitely do another round because these were as delicious as advertised.
I forgot to add that my family has finished all the pancakes already!! Not a bite left! Although these pancakes need to be watched a little more than regular pancakes when baking, they are worth it! I made a honey molasses syrup fpr the top but honesty, they are good just on their own! I will make again for special occasions certainly and it is going in my recipe book
Glad it’s going in your recipe book!
These were great BUT BUT BUT do not cook like regular pancake! These have tons of sugar so burn very easily! Use low heat. I used lowest setting and that was best. Also these stick easily even on my cast iron!
Thanks for the five star review and yes agreed about the lower heat because there is more sugar in them.
I forgot to add that my family has finished all the pancakes already!! Not a bite left! Although these pancakes need to be watched a little more than regular pancakes when baking, they are worth it! I made a honey molasses syrup fpr the top but honesty, they are good just on their own! I will make again for special occasions certainly and it is going in my recipe book
These were great BUT BUT BUT do not cook like regular pancake! These have tons of sugar so burn very easily! Use low heat. I used lowest setting and that was best. Also these stick easily even on my cast iron!
these had great flavour but I found that they stuck to my nonstick griddle quite badly. If I try again, I’ll add more oil next time.
Thanks for trying the recipe and glad it tasted great and yes, if they’re sticking just add a bit more oil next time.
Hey I just wanted to add that if you use the black strap molasses that it will add lots of iron!!! I use it every once and a while to up my levels of iron! You can also add it into smoothies with all sorts of spices and its great!
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe! Finally got a chance to make these this morning. They looked exactly like your pictures and tasted amazing.
Oh that’s wonderful! I hope you had a lovely Sunday morning with pancakes – sounds great to me :)
O.M.G Averie! These were dynamite … I just polished off 5!!!! My batter was slightly too frothy (maybe because I subbed 1/2c spelt flour in there?). Anyway, taste was beyond amazing – just what I needed on a grey, rainy (typical Seattle) morning. I’m just a terrible pancake flipper; can you please help convert this into a waffle recipe? Pour it in and walk away …. :) Thank you.
Frothy batter, yes, probably b/c spelt has very low gluten compared to AP flour so it would make sense the batter was that way but glad you loved them! Honestly, I would just make the batter as-is, maybe add 1/4 cup or so more flour, just until it’s sufficiently thick, pour into waffle maker, and walk away :)
Thanks so much; can’t wait to try the waffles! I really appreciate that you take the time to respond to all your readers comments/questions. Love your personal touch.
You’re welcome :) I try my best!
Finally made these and am so glad I did! The texture of the pancakes was spot on…so fluffy and high. Blogged about it and tracked back to you :) can’t wait to try your apple pie pancakes next.
https://everylittlecrumb.com/recipe/gingerbread-pancakes-and-a-happy-2014/
Thanks for trying them and yours look great! So happy you enjoyed them! Enjoy the apple version (or there’s a chocolate version with salted caramel that’s great too!)
i made this recipe this morning for a breakfast party and they came out incredible! so fluffy and delicious. i served them with your buttermilk cake (with blueberries) and savory waffles topped with a fried egg- the pancakes were a huge hit and the favorite!!
Sounds like a great breakfast and glad these were a hit with everyone! And that blueberry buttermilk cake is always a winner. Thanks for LMK you made these recipes!