What better way to wake up than with a big stack of these Red Velvet Pancakes with Cream Cheese Icing? Whether for a holiday or a special treat, these red velvet pancakes are light and fluffy and quick to whip up.

Say yes to red velvet for breakfast! Along with these red velvet pancakes, serve up some Red Velvet Muffins, Red Velvet Waffles, or Red Velvet Crepes.

For those of you that have been with me for awhile, you know that I’ve got a little red velvet obsession. In fact, I even wrote a whole book about it – The Red Velvet Lover’s Cookbook. And in years past, I’ve done full weeks dedicated to it.

Now, this recipe isn’t a new one. I had a red velvet pancake recipe that I posted back in 2011. But when I went to write my cookbook, I knew I needed to really perfect it. It’s kind of funny, because anytime anyone would ask me what the hardest recipe to develop was in the book, I would tell them that it was these pancakes. You wouldn’t expect pancakes to be that difficult, though, right?

As it turns out, I’m pretty picky with pancakes. I can’t even remember how many rounds of testing I did for these pancakes, but it was a lot. But now that means that you all get the most perfectly light and fluffy red velvet pancakes ever.

Ingredients

Flour: Just all-purpose flour. I have not tried substituting part or all for whole wheat, so I’m not sure how that would turn out.
Sugar: Regular granulated sugar.
Baking Powder: To get good, fluffy pancakes, you’ll need the full tablespoon of baking powder.
Cocoa Powder: This gives the pancakes their slightly chocolate flavor. All you need is 2 teaspoons!
Salt: I like to use sea salt, but table salt will also work.
Milk: I use 2% because that’s what I keep on hand, but buttermilk would be even better!
Eggs: My biggest tip for these pancakes is one that I learned from my mom, who has been making pancakes this way since I was a kid. It’s all about the eggs. The whites and yolks get separated. The whites get whipped and then folded into the pancake batter. This makes these pancakes so light and fluffy, but still so full of flavor. If you don’t like light and fluffy pancakes, you can skip this step, but who doesn’t like light and fluffy pancakes?
Vegetable Oil: You could use melted butter in place of the vegetable oil, if desired.
Food Coloring: You may also think that 2 tablespoons is a lot of food coloring. But this is red velvet, after all. You could cut it back if you want more of a pink color, but I wouldn’t leave it out completely.
Cream Cheese: This is for the cream cheese icing. Make sure it is at room temperature.
Powdered Sugar: Also for the cream cheese icing.
Vanilla Extract: For best flavor, make sure it is a pure extract, not imitation.
Salt: A little bit of salt will add a lot of depth to this icing!
Milk: You can add more or less to your liking. I like for the icing to drizzle, so I’ll be a little more heavy handed.

How to Make Red Velvet Pancakes

Whisk the dry ingredients together – the flour, sugar, baking powder, cocoa powder and salt.
In another bowl, whisk together the milk, egg yolks, oil and red food coloring.
Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix just until there are no dry spots. The batter will be lumpy – that’s ok!
Place the egg whites in a small bowl and beat with a hand mixer until stiff peaks form. Stir one-third of the whipped egg whites into the batter, then gently fold in the remaining two-thirds of the whites. Don’t overmix – just fold in until no white streaks remain.
Heat a griddle or skillet over medium heat. Pour about 1/3 cup of the batter onto the hot griddle and cook until the pancake is bubbling and the edges are starting to dry out. Flip and cook the second side. Continue until all of the batter has been used.
To make the cream cheese icing, combine the cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla, and salt in a bowl. Start beating, and add milk until you have a pourable consistency.

Make Ahead, Storage, and Freezing

Make Ahead

These pancakes are best when served right after making them, but if you do want to make them ahead of time, store them in the refrigerator. I like to avoid the microwave when reheating (they get rubbery in the microwave). My favorite way to reheat them is in the toaster. If you have a lot to reheat, though, you can put them in a single layer on a baking sheet, cover with foil, then reheat in the oven at 350ºF for just a few minutes.

Storing

When storing leftover pancakes, make sure they are completely cooled, then place them in a ziplock bag, a lidded container, or wrap with foil. Refrigerate for up to a week.

Freezing

If you’d like to freeze some for later, I like to place them in a single layer on a baking sheet and place it in the freezer for about 30 minutes until the pancakes are frozen. Then they can be stacked at frozen in a freezer safe container or in a ziplock bag. To reheat, use the toaster or the oven method listed above. They may take a few extra minutes to reheat.

More Red Velvet Recipes

Red Velvet Cupcakes
Red Velvet Gooey Butter Cookies
Red Velvet Ice Cream Cake
Red Velvet Cheese Ball
Baked Red Velvet Donuts

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