In March, I stumbled across a podcast called R2C2, hosted by CC Sabathia (a baseball player for the New York Yankees) and Ryan Ruocco (a broadcaster). That evening, I listened to their two most recent episodes, where they invited other current Yankee players to talk about baseball and life in general, and as soon as those ended…
I was totally hooked. I jumped back to the very beginning of their podcast and binge-listened to every episode as I baked, photographed, and washed dishes while testing new recipes to share with you. I especially loved when they took tangents to discuss food and restaurants… It sounds like CC is as big of a foodie as I am!
In the new episode they released to kick off the start of the baseball season at the end of March, the topic of food arose once again. CC shared more about the vegan cleanse he started in January, including how his personal chef had been instrumental to the process. According to him, he wouldn’t have cooked for himself and would’ve stuck with oreos and potato chips without his chef!
Ryan asked CC a few more questions about his personal chef, and CC revealed that the chef never cooked from a recipe. He reached for ingredients and made things up as he went, but that meant he could never precisely recreate the same dish in the future… Including the red velvet pancakes he had prepared for CC during his chef interview six years earlier.
At that, my ears perked up. I love putting fun twists on familiar flavors! Maybe you’ve noticed?… With my apple pie thumbprint cookies, almond joy bran muffins, cinnamon roll scones, and carrot cake oatmeal cookies? Just to name a few…
So today’s Healthy Red Velvet Pancakes recipe was completely inspired by CC Sabathia and the R2C2 podcast! These pancakes are light and fluffy and have the same iconic flavors as red velvet cake, that unique chocolaty vanilla taste. Yet unlike the classic dessert, these are definitely healthy enough for breakfast—and only 131 calories!
Nerd alert! I learned a lot about the history and science of red velvet cake when developing my ultimate healthy red velvet cupcakes recipe. You can read all of that info here (and find my recipe there, too!), but I’ll summarize for you here as well.
Velvet cakes became popular during the first half of the 20th century. During the time of the Depression and World Wars, baking ingredients like cake flour were scarce and expensive, so home bakers turned to cheaper all-purpose flour and other ingredients to make their cakes turn out as tender as when they used cake flour.
Those other ingredients were usually cornstarch, potato starch, and cocoa powder. Back then, cocoa powder had a slightly different acidity, so when it was mixed into the batter along with vinegar and baking soda, it dyed the cake a reddish hue. (Since cocoa powder is less acidic now, present-day bakers depend on red food coloring for that bright pop of color!)
The second characteristic aspect of red velvet cake is how it uses baking soda, buttermilk, and baking soda to rise and achieve its tender texture. Baking soda is a base, while vinegar and buttermilk are acids. When combined, they create lots and lots of air bubbles—and that’s what makes the cake rise and end up really moist!
For even more nerdy information about red velvet cake, check out my post here!
So with that red velvet cake science out of the way… Let’s go over how to make these healthy red velvet pancakes—entirely from scratch!
You’ll start with a combination of white whole wheat flour (like this!) and cocoa powder (like this!). White whole wheat flour actually exists—and it’s not a combination of white (aka all-purpose) flour and whole wheat flour! It’s made by finely grinding a special type of soft white wheat (hence the name!), whereas regular whole wheat flour comes from a heartier variety of red wheat. This gives white whole wheat flour a lighter taste and texture, which lets the iconic red velvet flavor of these pancakes truly shine!
Hint: It’s similar to the difference between green grapes and red grapes. They both have the same health and nutritional benefits, despite their different colors!
As for the cocoa powder, use regular unsweetened, like this! I don’t recommend Dutched or special dark because those (a) have a more subtle flavor, (b) are darker in color, and (c) aren’t as acidic as regular unsweetened cocoa powder. This is the cocoa powder that I use because it’s so readily available in US grocery stores!
Many classic red velvet cake recipes call for a very small amount of cocoa powder compared to flour, which means you basically can’t taste the chocolate notes. Yet while in college, when I tried a red velvet cupcake from a local bakery, they added a lot more cocoa powder—and it transformed the red velvet flavor from something “ho-hum” into “WOW!” I love that strong chocolaty vanilla flavor, so I use more cocoa powder in my red velvet recipes. You can easily use less and increase the amount of flour if you prefer!
Just like traditional recipes, you’ll also use baking soda, vinegar, and buttermilk in your healthy red velvet pancakes to achieve that light and fluffy texture. You’re only adding a very small amount of vinegar—just enough to react with the baking soda—so I promise you can’t taste it!
Since today’s cocoa powder doesn’t react with those ingredients above to dye the batter, you’ll also mix in some red food coloring. I just use the regular liquid kind, like this. I haven’t found a way to get that bright bold color with natural sources, like beets. (They just seem to stain the batter a brownish mahogany, which isn’t nearly as striking or beautiful!)
Yet unlike traditional recipes, you’ll only add a very small amount of sweetener to these healthy pancakes, in the form of pure maple syrup (like this!). Because my family usually covers their plates of pancakes in more maple syrup, I found that adding more to the batter was completely unnecessary… Especially when I added the drizzle at the end! But I’m getting ahead of myself…
We still need to cook the batter first! I have a big guide here on how to cook (and flip!) the perfect pancakes, so I highly recommend going over that—especially the bit about cooking pans and temperatures! However, one additional thing to note…
This batter is on the thick side because I prefer my pancakes on the thicker and fluffier side!
But when you add thick batter to your pan, it doesn’t spread… So you’ll need to spread it a bit yourself using a spatula, the back of a spoon, or the bottom of a measuring cup to get that nice, circular pancake shape.
Still with me?? We’re almost done—I promise! I just want to mention one last thing…
The drizzle! Traditional red velvet cakes are topped with cream cheese frosting, so you could easily finish your pancakes with this cream cheese drizzle recipe. I’m also a big fan of this vanilla drizzle recipe because it’s even easier to make!
Ready to make—and eat—a big stack of these healthy red velvet pancakes?? ♡ And when you make your own, remember to snap a picture and share it on Instagram using #amyshealthybaking and tagging @amyshealthybaking IN the photo itself! (That guarantees I’ll see your picture! ?) I’d love to see your pancakes!
| Healthy Red Velvet Pancakes | | Print |
- ¾ cup (90g) white whole wheat flour or gluten-free* flour (measured like this)
- 6 tbsp (30g) unsweetened cocoa powder (measured like this)
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 tsp unsalted butter or coconut oil, melted
- 1 large egg white, room temperature
- 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
- ½ tsp white vinegar
- 1 ½ tbsp (22mL) liquid red food coloring
- ¼ cup (60g) plain nonfat Greek yogurt
- ½ cup (120mL) low-fat buttermilk
- 1 tsp pure maple syrup
- ¼ cup (60mL) water
- optional: vanilla drizzle or cream cheese drizzle, for serving
- Whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the butter, egg white, and vanilla. Stir in the vinegar and food coloring. Stir in the Greek yogurt, stirring until no large lumps remain. Stir in the buttermilk and maple syrup. Alternate between adding the flour mixture and the water, beginning and ending with the flour, stirring just until incorporated. (For best results, add the flour mixture in 3 equal parts.)
- Lightly coat a large nonstick pan or griddle with nonstick cooking spray, and briefly preheat over low heat.
- Using a scant 2 tablespoons of batter for each pancake, dollop the batter onto the hot pan, and spread into a circular shape using a spatula or back of a spoon (if desired). Let the pancakes cook for 2-3 minutes, or until a slight skin starts to form around the edges and the top turns a deeper shade of red. Slide a spatula underneath, and flip. Continue to cook for another 1-2 minutes or until cooked through. Re-coat the pan with nonstick cooking spray, and repeat with the remaining batter.
Whole wheat pastry flour, regular whole wheat flour, or all-purpose flour may be substituted in place of the whole wheat flour.
I recommend using regular unsweetened cocoa powder, like this. Dutched or special dark cocoa powder (a) have a more subtle flavor, (b) are darker in color, and (c) aren’t as acidic as regular unsweetened cocoa powder.
I prefer my red velvet cake (and therefore pancakes!) to have a stronger “chocolaty vanilla” taste. If you like your red velvet cake on the less chocolaty side, decrease the cocoa powder by 2 to 4 tablespoons (10-20g), and increase the flour by the same amount (15-30g).
Remember to measure the flour and cocoa powder correctly, using this method or a kitchen scale. (← That’s the one I own and love!) Too much of either will dry out your pancake batter, and too much cocoa powder may make your pancakes taste bitter.
Regular red food coloring will give the brightest color. Liquid natural red food coloring may also be used, but the color will be more of a mahogany shade. I have not tried anything else (i.e. gel food coloring or beets) and don’t know how other options will turn out.
To make “homemade” buttermilk, add 1 teaspoon of white vinegar to a measuring cup. Add enough milk to total ½ cup. Let that mixture set for at least 5 minutes.
Honey or agave may be substituted for the pure maple syrup.
Because my family usually covers their plates of pancakes in more maple syrup, I found that adding more to the batter was unnecessary (especially when I topped these with this vanilla drizzle recipe or this cream cheese drizzle recipe!). However, if you prefer sweeter pancakes, increase the maple syrup by 2-3 tablespoons, and reduce the water by the same amount.
This batter is on the thick side because I prefer my pancakes on the thicker and fluffier side! Thick batter = thick pancakes. Thin batter = thin pancakes. However, when you add thick batter to your pan, it doesn’t spread, so you’ll need to spread it a bit yourself using a spatula, the back of a spoon, or the bottom of a measuring cup to get that nice, circular pancake shape.
For even thicker pancakes, decrease the water by 2 tablespoons, or omit it altogether.
For thinner pancake batter, add more water or buttermilk until you achieve your desired pancake batter consistency.
For more cooking tips, see the text and pictures in this blog post of mine.
This recipe is easily doubled to make more. If you have any leftovers, they freeze really well too!
{gluten-free, low fat, low sugar, higher protein}
View Nutrition Information + Weight Watchers Points
You may also like Amy’s other recipes…
♡ Healthy Baked Red Velvet Donuts
♡ The Ultimate Healthy Red Velvet Cupcakes
♡ Healthy Peach Pie Pancakes
♡ Healthy Cinnamon Apple Pancakes
♡ Healthy Carrot Cake Pancakes
♡ The Ultimate Healthy Buttermilk Pancakes
Hey Amy
Please suggest the substitute of eggs and can we use beet root for the red colour ?
Thanks
I really appreciate your interest in my recipe Priyanka! I’ve actually covered your beet question already in the Notes section, located directly underneath the Instructions. I know it can be easy to miss that! 😉 My brother is actually allergic to eggs, and Ener-G is my favorite substitute. Ener-G is a shelf-stable powder that keeps for ages. It works perfectly as an egg replacer in nearly all of my recipes, including this one! For my recipes, use 1 ½ teaspoons Ener-G + 2 tablespoons warm water for each egg white (and you’ll need an additional ½ tablespoon of butter or coconut oil {or Earth Balance, if you’re vegan!} for each egg yolk, but that’s not applicable for this particular recipe!). I can’t wait to hear what you think of these pancakes!
I loved the texture of these pancakes, but for some reason (perhaps it was the vinegar), they turned out very, very bitter. Maybe that was originally intended with the recipe. However, we had to drench them in syrup to be able to eat them. Next time, I think I’ll not the vinegar I think.