These Gingerbread Pancakes Recipe with Eggnog Syrup will change your Christmas morning breakfast for years to come. The flavors of molasses, nutmeg, cinnamon and maple come together to create the ultimate Christmas flavor infused pancakes.
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The Perfect Holiday Breakfast: Gingerbread Pancakes Recipe!
In the 1980s and 1990s, my husbandโs family carried out an annual tradition of having a formal sit down breakfast every Christmas morning. Growing up, mornings were hectic in his household and having a daily breakfast together was almost never possible. Christmas was a chance to slow down, eat and bond with family. The holiday breakfast consisted of pancakes, sausage, bacon, biscuits, eggs, grits and cinnamon rolls.
I developed this gingerbread pancake recipe with my husbandโs family in mind. I have always loved the image of his family coming together in that moment over food and laughter. These new pancakes would have fit in perfectly with their Christmas morning feast.
What Are Gingerbread Pancakes?
Gingerbread cookies are a fan favorite come holiday season but they arenโt quite ideal for breakfast (though they are perfectly acceptable in my mind). This gingerbread pancake recipe combines the flavor of gingerbread cookies with the tradition and presentation of pancakes. It doesnโt get any better than that!
A stack of these pancakes easily hold their own on the holiday breakfast table and give you all the sensational flavors you know and love during this time of year. The pancake batter is one of my favorite traditional batters with added gingerbread flavors such as molasses, ginger and cinnamon to liven it up.
So get with the season and make a stack of these, along with eggnog syrup that your family will not be able to refuse. โTis the season to make things as decadent as humanly possible.
How to Make Gingerbread Pancakes
We all have our version of the โperfectโ pancake. But today, weโre going to focus on my ideal because I think itโs best. Sorry not sorry!
I want crispy edges, fluffy middles and butter that coats the tongue with every bite. Iโve worked really hard to perfect my pancake techniques and I achieve my ideal every time. Hereโs how I do it!
Preheat Your Griddle or Skillet
Your cooking tool of choice should be preheated to a medium-high heat. Itโs hot enough when you sprinkle a bit of water on it and the water evaporates.
Be sure to butter your griddle properly before ladling on the batter. Gotta make sure those precious pancakes donโt stick!
Measure Out Your Pancake Batter
Using a measuring cup, pour ยฝ cup of batter onto the griddle or skillet. By measuring out the batter you create not only visually uniform pancakes but you ensure that they cook at the same speed.
Watch Your Pancakes Carefully
You have to be pretty hands on when it comes to pancakes. They have the ability of going from zero to burnt in seconds. Bubbles will form in the batter as your pancakes cook. When the bubbles start to pop youโre ready to flip! Let the pancake sit for about another minute and then remove it from the heat.
Eggnog Syrup Recipe
Eggnog is one of my favorite things about the holiday season. Eggnog is a traditional Christmas drink made from eggs, sugar, milk, booze and nutmeg. The drink is creamy, sweet, warm and slightly spiced. Itโs the perfect drink to curl up with on a cold, Christmas afternoon.
The syrup recipe I developed for these gingerbread pancakes is a mixture of both pure maple syrup and classic eggnog. The result is a rich syrup layered with flavors of toffee, caramel and nutmeg. The pairing of this syrup with the gingerbread pancakes creates the ultimate holiday treat. The best part? Itโs a really simple recipe to make.
Other Gingerbread Recipes and Eggnog Recipes To Try
- GINGERBREAD CUPCAKES
- GINGERBREAD CAKE
- GINGERBREAD CRINKLE COOKIES
- EGGNOG POUND CAKE
- EGGY EGGNOG FRENCH TOAST
- EGGNOG PANCAKES WITH MAPLE CRANBERRY SYRUP
- EGGNOG ICED BUTTER COOKIES
Gingerbread Pancakes
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Ingredients
For the Pancakes
- 2 cups cake flour 266 grams
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ยพ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup sour cream room temperature, 227 grams
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons molasses
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter melted and cooled 28 grams, plus more for cooking and serving
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/4 cup half-and-half room temperature, plus up to ยผ cup, as needed 320 grams
- vegetable oil or other neutral oil for cooking the pancakes
For the Eggnog Syrup (optional)
- 1 cup eggnog
- 1 cup pure maple syrup
- 1/8 tsp kosher salt
- sugared cranberries for garnish for garnish, optional
Instructions
For the Pancakes
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, ground ginger, ground cinnamon, ground cloves, ground nutmeg, and salt until combined.
- In another large bowl, whisk together the sour cream, eggs, molasses, melted butter, and vanilla until combined. Stir in the half and half. Gently stir the wet ingredients into the dry just until combined-the batter will have some lumps. Let sit for 10 minutes to hydrate-this will give you fluffier pancakes.
- Place a large rimmed baking sheet in the oven and preheat to 200ยฐF.
- Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium-low to medium heat until hot. Grease the surface with a small pat of butter and a small drizzle of oil. When the oil starts to shimmer and the butter foam subsides, add about ยผ cup of batter to the skillet. If the batter is not pourable, add 2 more tablespoons of half and half to loosen it up a bit.
- Cook until bubbles begin to form on top and the pancakes are golden brown on the bottom, 2 to 3 minutes, then gently flip and cook until golden on the bottom, 2 to 3 minutes. Resist the urge to flip the pancakes back and forth, as it will only toughen their texture.
- Transfer the cooked pancakes to the oven to keep warm and repeat with remaining batter, adding more butter and oil to your skillet as needed and adjusting the heat to prevent the pancakes from burning without cooking through.
For the Syrup
- Add eggnog and maple syrup to a medium sized pot over medium high heat. Whisk together and heat until warmed then serve with pancakes. Optional: Garnish with sugared cranberries.
These were amazing! The pancakes alone were so light, fluffy and full of flavor. I love egg nog and this syrup just took it to another level. thank you thank you!
Wonderful!!!
I’m totally making these tomorrow morning ! ๐
Wow these pancakes with eggnog syrup….are you serious…ummm looks absolutely delicious. I will make these for sure.
I tell everyone this – but I seriously cannot make pancakes – maybe by Fat Tuesday I will have the art perfected so I can make this awesome flavor combo – suitable all winter long ๐
YES! You can totally make pancakes. I believe in you!