My Gingerbread Pancakes are my fave easy holiday breakfast to throw together. I keep them fluffy but mix in molasses, nutmeg, and cinnamon for holiday spice throughout. Plus I make an easy homemade eggnog maple syrup that really levels them up.
This post may contain affiliate links. Read our disclosure policy.

Gingerbread pancake ingredient tips
- Cake Flour & Baking Powder: They create a lighter base than using AP flour.
- Warm Spices: Ground ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg. Swap in pumpkin pie or apple pie spice.
- Sour Cream and Half-and-Half: Swap in plain greek yogurt or heavy cream.
- Granulated Sugar: Get even more rich flavor by swapping in homemade brown sugar made with granulated sugar.
How to make gingerbread pancakes
Step 1: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, ground ginger, ground cinnamon, ground cloves, ground nutmeg, and salt until combined.
Step 2: In another large bowl, whisk together the sour cream, eggs, molasses, melted butter, and vanilla until combined.
Step 3: Stir in the half and half.
Step 4: Gently stir the wet ingredients into the dry just until combined-the batter will have some lumps. Let sit for 10 minutes to hydrate for fluffier pancakes.
Step 5: 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 ¼ cup of batter to the skillet.
Step 6: 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. Transfer cooked pancakes to 200°F preheated oven to keep warm.
Want to Save This Recipe, Boo?
Step 7: Add eggnog and maple syrup to a medium sized pot over medium high heat. Whisk together and heat until warmed.
Step 8: Serve eggnog syrup over pancakes and garnish with sugared cranberries if desired.
Gingerbread Pancakes
Want to Save This Recipe, Boo?
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
- ¾ 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 ¼ 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 200°F.
- 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 ¼ 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.
Notes
How to store & reheat gingerbread pancakes
Store any leftover pancakes in the fridge or freezer in an airtight container. When you want to reheat, place them in a covered baking dish and wrap them in foil. Just reheat in a 350° F oven for 10-12 minutes or until heated through.How long will they last in the fridge?
Any leftover ginger pancakes will last in the fridge for up to a week.Can I freeze gingerbread pancakes?
Absolutely boos! Just lay leftovers on a baking tray and freeze them individually. Next transfer them to a freezer-safe container and pop in the freezer. This way you can easily pull out the exact number of pancakes you wanna indulge in.Nutrition
Recipe Tips
- Go Room Temp: Make sure the eggs, sour cream and half-and-half are all room temp so the batter ends up mixing smoothly.
- Don’t Overmix Boos: Lumps are fine. Don’t keep going because you will end up with super tough pancakes y’all.
- Give it a Rest: These pancakes require a 10 minute resting period so the batter can perfectly hydrate resulting in fluffier pancakes.
Recipe help
I believe in cooking my pancakes in oil. Butter has a lower smoke point so those flapjacks can burn super quickly as the heat cranks up. Using oil allows you to get that nice crisp edge without burning your pancakes.
Honesty boos, it is best to make the batter fresh to keep those pancakes super fluffy. However, if you wanna save some prep time, you can mix the dry ingredients and wet ingredients separately the night before, then combine them right before cooking them up!
Welcome to my club, girl! I’m absolutely in love with pancakes and I actually can’t wait to make them for Christmas. So yummy. They must taste absolutely delicious with a cup of hot chocolate :). Breakfast of champions, heh :)?
Oh my gosh, that stack of pancakes!
Wow Jocelyn! These look incredible. So perfectly holiday! Wish I had that plate full in front of me right now!
Well this is another bit of amazing-ness from you! LOVE the eggnog syrup
You truly are the pancake queen! These look incredible, I love all the warm, seasonal flavors!
Your “spirit animal” lol! They are mine too! These look amazing, I especially love the syrup!
My students are so into spirit animals. I’ve always had a hard time imagining mine, but if it’s food, well then, yeah. That’s much easier to think about! And pancakes are a great choice. With eggnog syrup, too, and I had no idea that was a thing!
This looks yummy! you have inspired me to attempt this recipe!
OMG I WANT EGGNOG SYRUP
We are all about pancakes especially during the holidays! Love the gingerbread and eggnog syrup!