Carrot Pancakes With Warm Honey-Orange Syrup

Serves 4-6
Vegetarian / Vegan

While I usually prefer savory dishes for breakfast, these pancakes are a really nice treat when I have the time to make them. They are not at all too sweet, and are really nutritious because of the oats and the carrots. Make extra and heat them up the next morning in the toaster for an on-the-go but very homemade breakfast.

¾ cup of flour (whole wheat or white is fine)
¾ cup of dried rolled oats
a handful of chopped pecans or almonds (optional)
2 teaspoons of baking powder
2 big pinches of salt
2 big pinches each of cinnamon, nutmeg, ground ginger
1 egg
¼ cup packed brown sugar
a few big squeezes of honey
1 cup of milk or soy milk
2 cups grated carrot
a few splashes of vanilla extract
2 tablespoons of butter
2 large oranges
½ cup of honey

In a bowl, combine the flour, oats, nuts, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, ginger, and nutmeg.
Add the egg, brown sugar, milk, carrots, and vanilla; mix well. Allow the batter to rest for a bit while you make the honey-citrus syrup.

Melt the butter in a small saucepan. Add the zest and juice from both oranges and the honey to the pot. Let the syrup cook on a low heat, with a lid, while you cook the pancakes.

Grease a large skillet or griddle with canola oil or butter. Make sure the heat isn’t too high, and drop down big spoonfuls of batter. DON”T TOUCH THEM WHILE THEY COOK! No foolin’, if you mess around with the pancakes before they fully cook on one side, you will ruin them. Wait a minute or two, and peek under a pancake to make sure it is brown before you flip over the rest of them. Bubbles around the sides are a good sign that they are ready to flip.

Cook the pancakes in small batches, and keep them warm in a 200° oven or toaster oven until you are ready to serve.

Pour on the syrup and enjoy!

If you want to be truly decadent (and who doesn’t every once and a while?) skip the honey-orange syrup and mix some cream cheese with a splash of milk, some cinnamon, and a little powdered sugar for a sweet cream cheese frosting. Carrot cake for breakfast anyone?