Red Velvet Pancakes
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My red velvet pancakes were inspired by a local diner famous for its light and fluffy pancakes. They are easy to make with pantry staples and perfect for a special brunch or weekend breakfast.
Elegant and easy red velvet pancakes
I love making these red velvet pancakes to switch up my family’s usual pancake routine. They have the perfect balance of cocoa and sweetness without tipping into full-on chocolate pancakes.
I tested this recipe multiple times to replicate our favorite diner-style version- light, fluffy, and almost like eating a cloud. I like to layer each pancake with cream cheese frosting, but vanilla Greek yogurt makes a great lighter option. They’re elegant yet surprisingly easy to make, with no complicated ingredients.
My secret? Buttermilk! It not only gives the pancakes extra height, but also adds the subtle tang that red velvet cakes are known for.
Key Ingredients
Find the printable recipe with measurements below.
- Flour. White all-purpose flour is preferred, but I also tested it using whole wheat flour, and it worked just as well. It’s also a sneaky way to pack in some nutrition because no one will be able to tell.
- Sugar. Use either white sugar, brown sugar, or coconut sugar.
- Baking soda and baking powder. Baking powder provides structure, and baking soda contributes to some rise.
- Buttermilk. Reacts with the baking soda to make thick and airy pancakes. If you don’t have buttermilk, make your own using one cup of milk with one tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice.
- Eggs. Room temperature eggs are best.
- Vanilla extract. A must for pancakes!
- Red food coloring. I initially tested these pancakes using blended beetroot, and it was just too much effort. If you’re concerned about food dyes, I used all-natural red food coloring (the Watkins brand).
- Salt. To balance all flavors.
- Cocoa powder. Sifted, to prevent any clumps.
How to make red velvet pancakes
Step 1- Mix dry. Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl.
Step 2- Make the batter. Make a well and add the buttermilk and eggs. Whisk until a thick batter remains. Stir in the vanilla and red food coloring. Rest for 5 minutes.
Step 3- Cook. Add oil to a skillet or griddle. Pour 1/4 cup portions of batter and cover. Cook for 2-3 minutes, flip, and repeat the process until all the pancakes are cooked.
★★★★★ REVIEW
“I tweaked the ingredients to moisten the batter, but they came out great! They also freeze so well!” – Sandy
Arman’s recipe tips
- Don’t overmix the batter. Mix the pancake batter just until no lumps remain- overmixing results in chewy and rubbery pancakes.
- Don’t skip the rest. Resting the batter lets the gluten in the flour release into the wet ingredients (known as hydrating), which results in a smoother pancake batter.
- Cover the pan. If you’ve made any of my other pancake recipes, you’ll know I always state this as a top tip. Covering the pancakes traps the heat in, which forces the pancakes to rise even more.
- Know when to flip. Once the edges of the pancakes start to bubble, they are ready to be flipped. Through testing, I found 2 1/2-3 minutes to be the sweet spot to flip.
- Add mix-ins. Add chocolate chips or red berries to intensify the red color, or sprinkle them on top. I find white chocolate chips to be such a fun addition.
Storage instructions
To store: Leftover pancakes can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week.
To freeze: Wrap leftover pancakes in parchment paper and freeze in a shallow container for up to three months.
Reheating: Reheat in the microwave or in a large skillet over medium heat, flipping often until warm.
More pancake recipes
- Eggless pancakes
- Cottage cheese pancakes
- Banana protein pancakes
- Keto pancakes
- Chocolate chip pancakes
- Healthy pumpkin pancakes
If you tried this Red Velvet Pancakes recipe, please leave a star rating and comment. It helps others thinking of making this.
Red Velvet Pancakes
Video
Ingredients
- 2 cups all purpose flour sifted
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 1/2 teaspoon red food coloring
- 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
Instructions
- Combine flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Make a well and add the buttermilk and eggs. Whisk until a thick batter remains. Stir in the vanilla and red food coloring.
- Let the batter sit for 2-3 minutes to thicken.
- Add oil to a non-stick pan and place over medium heat. Once hot, drop ¼ cup portions of the pancake batter and cover the pan. Cook pancakes for 2-3 minutes, flipping halfway through.
- Repeat the process until all the pancakes are cooked up.
Notes
- Layering: I decorated my pancakes with a simple cream cheese frosting (store-bought). These pancakes are just as delicious on their own. You can also use Greek yogurt for a high-protein option.
- DIY buttermilk: One cup of milk with one tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar.
- Leftovers: Pancakes keep in the fridge, covered, for up ot 3 days. You can freeze them for up to 3 months.
- Gluten-free: I tested these using gluten-free all-purpose flour (with added xanthan gum), and it worked well. I used Bob’s Red Mill brand. I can’t vouch for other brands or other non-gluten flours.
This might be the ONLY way I can stomach (pun intended) beets! Well done.
Was wondering can I use beet powder instead of mashing the beets?
Hi there Heb! You most certainly can- Several other readers have! Just be sure to adjust the liquids 🙂
Thanks for linking up at our Gluten Free Fridays Party! I have tweeted and pinned your entry to our Gluten Free Fridays board on Pinterest! 🙂 I can’t wait to see what you share next time!
-Cindy
Thank you for hosting, Cindy!
I’m Polish and beets are big in Poland. The cooked kind, not the tinned. I love it that in UK I can buy ready-cooked beets. Saves so much work and hand scrubbing!
The recipe sounds delicious and pictures look great too xx
#recipeoftheweek
Joanna- Thank you SO much for your kind words! Don’t even get me STARTED on cleaning beets- mum made me do it once and they still were gritty!
an inspired idea and i love beetroot #Recipeoftheweek
Thank you so much 🙂
We can’t buy unprocessed beetroots here unfortunately 🙁 Would vacuum-packed ones be okay?
P.S. Your cream cheese icing recipe is amaze, my lactose intolerance is crying right now.
I have a lactose free alternative if you like 🙂 The vacuum packed ones would be EVEN better! (I remember seeing them at Costa and being jealous!)
Er, yes please to lactose-free cream cheese frosting??!!
Amazed that the vacuum-packed beetroot would work so well, this is exciting news!
I only started using beetroot last year. It still shocks me sometimes how it makes everything blood red. I am a bit sensitive but that’s a totally different story… I love the idea to make red velvet pancakes with beet root instead of using artificial food coloring. I should give it a try. Until now I mainly juice them. It gives such an earthy and rich flavor to any juice. I quite enjoy that. But I see that earthy pancaces might not be a win. But I see nothing bad in using a big big batch of cream cheese frosting. YUM 🙂
You are NOT a twat! Ever. At all. No. You mentioned white and Labor Day. The old fashioned saying is: “Never wear white between Labor Day and Easter Sunday.” I live in steamy Charleston, South Carolina. We disregard the white rule. We say: “No white after the first freeze.” We had a freeze this past weekend. So no white til Easter! Street food…I’m not a big street food fan (we have some food trucks but not many street carts), but when I traveled in France, Paris had crépe carts on every corner. It was seriously like hotdog stands in New York. Everywhere you turned, there was a crépe cart. During my 2 weeks in Paris, I frequented a special crépe cart….daily….and ordered a plain crépe, slathered in Nutella, with an Orangina on the side. It was amazing. I loved watching the vendor make my crépe in front of me. It’s a small personal touch. But I loved it!
Haha thanks Mary! Oh wow. I LOVED the crepe van in Paris- I think I OD’d on the sugar and lemon ones!
Thanks to Irish friends I actually know beetroot and beets are the same. Otherwise, I would be confused. I LOVE beets!! And I would never think to have put them in pancakes. The only thing I do with beets is roast them. We don’t travel much so weird street foods aren’t something we encounter. Would you consider the hot dog truck in NYC weird or questionable? Possibly!
I will get a hot dog from those trucks next week and let you know…they do smell good though!
I love beets, they’re one of my favorite root vegetables, but my mom bought WAYYY too many last week and she is notorious for not eating 90% of what she buys. This is ok because I just do the clean up with my tornado appetite, but that also means I’ve been peeing (and…the other one I’ll spare you) red all week. I find it quite amusing. I think I am still 12.
Pass the pancakes, please.
LOL. You are 12. Inside. Maybe out.
we ate beet root every day in NZ. and uhh, we turned red, if you get my drift. Do they have burger fuel over there? if so, try the beet root burger. And then send me some pancakes.
Ohhh I don’t think we do- We have Grill’d which is pretty delicious!