Easy Grinch Pancakes (Christmas Pancakes)

Why You’ll Love ChristmasPancakes

• Made with simple ingredients and pantry staples
• Bright, vibrant green color thanks to green food coloring
• Fun and festive breakfast for Christmas morning around the Christmas tree
• Soft, fluffy and sweet pancakes with an easy cream cheese glaze
• No pancake mix needed — made completely from scratch
• Perfect addition to a themed breakfast or Christmas party
• Have an egg allergy or egg intolerance? This recipe is egg-free!

Tools Needed

• Mixing Bowls
• Spoon
• Frying Pan or Griddle
• Spatula
• Sifter, optional but recommended
• Piping Bag & Tip
• Butter, or cooking spray, if needed for your pan

Ingredients

All of these ingredients are common and easy to find!

For the pancakes:

• Vegetable Oil
• Whole Milk – whole milk works best; other types may also work. This recipe was tested with whole milk and soy milk. Both work well.
• White Vinegar
• Green Food Coloring – Gel food coloring is what I prefer but liquid green food coloring (such as McCormick Green Food coloring) will also work. Adjust the amount and color of food coloring as desired. 
• All-Purpose Flour
• Granulated Sugar – Only white granulated sugar has been tested with this recipe.
• Baking Powder – yes, it is 1 ½ TABLESPOONS, this amount of baking powder is needed due to this recipe not containing eggs.

Cream Cheese Glaze:

• Canned Cream Cheese Frosting – you can use vanilla frosting if you prefer. 
• –OR–
• Cream cheese, softened
• Butter, at room temperature
• Vanilla extract
• Whole milk or heavy whipping cream
• Powdered sugar

Green Whipped Cream:

• Cool Whip, thawed
• Powdered Sugar, sifted
• Green Food Coloring
•  –-OR– 
• Homemade Whipped Cream with Green Food Coloring

Optional Toppings

• Red candy hearts or red sprinkles
• Maple syrup

Exact measurements are listed in the printable recipe card below.

How to Make Grinch Pancakes

This Grinch Pancake recipe is really easy to put together.

Pancakes

1. Preheat a large skillet or griddle to medium-low heat or about 350°F. Lightly spray cooking spray over the hot griddle.
2. In a large bowl,whisk together the dry ingredients: flour, sugar, and baking powder. Create a well in the center of the dry ingredients.
3. Add the vegetable oil, whole milk, and white vinegar to the well in the dry ingredients. Add a few drops of green food coloring. Mix until combined well.

4. Heat your pan or griddle to medium to low heat. Coat with melted butter or cooking spray.
5. Use a small ladle or an ice cream scoop to scoop 1/4 to 1/3 cup of batter onto the hot skillet or griddle. For silver dollar pancakes, use a small amount; for larger pancakes, use about ¼ cup batter per pancake.
6. Cook for 2-3 minutes until bubbles form on the edges and the bottom is golden brown. Flip and cook the other side until golden brown.
7. Set aside to cool slightly while making the other parts of this recipe.

Cream Cheese Glaze

1. Melt the frosting for 30-60 seconds in the microwave, or until it’s pourable
2. –OR– follow the steps below for the homemade Cream Cheese Glaze.

Green Whipped Cream

1. Make the green whipped topping by stirring together the Cool Whip, sifted powdered sugar, and food coloring, then place in a piping bag with your favorite tip
2. –OR– follow the instructions here for homemade whipped cream, adding food coloring to the heavy whipping cream before whipping it.

Assembling

Assemble your pancakes by stacking a few pancakes on top of each other, pouring the cream cheese frosting on top (as you would syrup), and then piping some whipped topping on top of that, then enjoy!

How to Make the Cream Cheese Glaze

If you’re not melting premade cream cheese frosting for the glaze, you can use this homemade cream cheese icing

1. In a medium bowl, beat the softened cream cheese, butter, and vanilla extract until smooth and creamy.
2. Gradually add in the powdered sugar, followed by a few tablespoons of milk or heavy cream. Beat until you have a smooth, pourable consistency.
3. Taste the glaze — if you want a sweeter glaze taste, add a little more powdered sugar.
4. Transfer the glaze into a piping bag, squeeze bottle, pastry bag, or even a Ziploc bag with the corner snipped off for easy drizzling over the top pancake.

Pro Tips for the Best Grinch Pancakes

• Use medium heat or medium-low heat to cook pancakes slowly. Keep the heat low to avoid losing the bright green color. If your stove goes from 1-8 with the heat, you should be around a 2-3.
• Don’t overmix the pancake batter — mixing until just combined keeps them light and fluffy.
• Use gel food coloring for a brighter, more vibrant green color.
• If preparing ahead, stack pancakes between sheets of wax paper or parchment paper and store in an airtight container or freezer bag.
• Reheat pancakes gently in the microwave or toaster oven.
• Add a swirl of whipped cream or green whipped cream to a stack of fluffy green pancakes for an extra festive touch.
• Use a strawberry heart instead of heart sprinkles if you want to add some fruit to your pancakes.
• When adding the powdered sugar to the Cool Whip, be sure to sift it into the Cool Whip to avoid clumps of sugar in your piping bag.

Grinch Pancakes FAQ

Storage Instructions

Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days, or freeze.

To freeze, cool completely, then flash freeze, and then store in a freezer-safe bag or container.

From themed pancakes to festive desserts, you’ll have so much fun celebrating this special time of year with a little extra Grinch spirit.