My long-standing attitude towards red velvet cake is that its only actual purpose is to be a vehicle for cream cheese frosting. This sentiment says a lot about the cream cheese frosting and very little about red velvet cake. As a dessert, I’ve always found red velvet cake to be wishy-washy—Google “red velvet cake” and one of the related searches that comes up is, “is red velvet cake chocolate?” Give me a dessert with some certainty please. As a breakfast in the form of Skillet Red Velvet Pancakes, however, red velvet has me ready to join its hoards of fervent fans.
The red velvet cake craze will likely always remain a mystery to me. Why eat a cake only for the frosting? How can a cake with just a few tablespoons of cocoa powder purport itself as chocolate? You want me to add how many bottles of red food coloring?
At the same time I wonder at its dessert popularity, however, I’ve found that red velvet’s subtle flavors and signature ingredients—buttermilk, cocoa powder, and everlasting cream cheese frosting—work nicely at other times of day, namely breakfast. Red Velvet Cinnamon Rolls were my gateway to red velvet, and I’m continuing my journey with today’s easy red velvet pancakes, or rather pancake (singular), because the last thing that I want you doing this Valentine’s Day is standing at the stove, flipping dozens of red velvet pancakes.
About These Skillet Red Velvet Pancakes
Since buttermilk is an essential red velvet cake ingredient, it translates well into pancakes. I used one of my favorite ingredients, white whole wheat flour, to make these healthy pancakes (or at least healthier pancakes). I promise you can’t taste it, and it gives the red velvet pancakes a fiber boost, a quality I likely negated by dumping in a generous handful of chocolate chips. Oops. I suppose I needed some commitment in the red velvet chocolate department after all.
If you love the subtleness of red velvet flavor as is, you can omit the chocolate chips, and you will have a lovely, more classic red velvet pancake. Or, you can live dangerously and use Valentine’s Day as an excuse to eat chocolate at every meal. I think you know where I stand.
Since red velvet in any form, even pancakes, feels incomplete without its signature topping, I whipped together a lightly sweet Greek yogurt cream cheese glaze to drizzle over the top. It’s heavenly and you should absolutely add it, but I’m happy to say that this fluffy great big red velvet pancake is worth eating for just as much for the pancake as it is for the frosting.
More Delicious Pancake Recipes
- Vegan Pancakes
- Banana Oatmeal Pancakes
- Coconut Flour Pancakes
- Gingerbread Pancakes
- Skillet Red Velvet Pancakes
- Peaches and Cream Pancakes
Tools Used to Make This Recipe
Skillet Red Velvet Pancakes
Ingredients
For the Red Velvet Pancake:
- 1 cup white whole wheat flour
- 1/2 cup all purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons cocoa powder
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder, I prefer aluminum free
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 large eggs
- 1 1/4 cups low fat buttermilk
- 1/4 cup plain non-fat Greek yogurt
- 1/4 cup melted, cooled coconut oil or canola oil
- 2 teaspoons red food color or food coloring paste*
- 3/4 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
- Optional for serving: sliced berries additional chocolate chips
For the Cream Cheese Topping:
- 6 ounces reduced fat cream cheese softened
- 1/4 cup non-fat plain Greek yogurt
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Butter a large 10-inch cast iron or oven-safe skillet. (You can use a skillet that is up to 12 inches in diameter; note that the pancake will be thinner, and thus cooking time should be reduced.)
- In a large bowl, stir together the white whole wheat flour, all purpose flour, cocoa powder, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, buttermilk, Greek yogurt, oil, and food coloring until smooth and well blended. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients, then pour in the wet ingredients. Stir gently by hand, just until combined. The batter will be lumpy. Fold in the chocolate chips, reserving a few to sprinkle on top.
- Pour the batter into the prepared skillet, sprinkle remaining chocolate chips on top, then bake for 35-40 minutes, until the pancake is cooked through at the center and a toothpick inserted comes out clean. The cooking time may vary considerably depending upon your skillet type and size, so watch the pancake carefully.
- While the pancake cooks, prepare the cream cheese topping: In a mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese on medium speed for 2 minutes, until very smooth, light, and creamy. Beat in the Greek yogurt, vanilla, and salt for 1 additional minute. With the mixer on low, slowly add the powdered sugar. Beat in 1 tablespoon milk. Taste and add additional powdered sugar if a sweeter topping is desired and an additional tablespoon milk if a thinner topping is desired.
- To serve: Slice into wedges. Serve warm with cream cheese topping, sliced berries, and additional chocolate chips as desired.
Notes
Nutrition
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like you said, red velvet’s craze will remain a mystery..and i actually love the cupcake from sprinkles :) it must be the frosting, who knows.
How could a Valentine say no to this?! Gorgeous, friend!
oh yummy!! Now this would be good!
I’m thinking that cream cheese/Greek yogurt topping can go on just about anything! (Or maybe just grab a spoon and dig in…). Beautiful pics!
Red velvet everything is my obsession now- love the yogurt in here!
Now THIS is my kind of pancake. Large, fluffy, full of flavor (and a little sweet ;)). I might just make this for myself on Valentine’s Day.
I want a huge stack of these RIGHT NOW!
The first time I tried red velvet cupcakes some 7 years ago my mind was completely blow and I was in love – only to later find out it was just chocolate with food colouring.
Now, I always use beets to give it the red colouring and my love for it has returned full force! These pancakes sound absolutely delicious, I could probably have the whole skillet by myself!
It’s so fluffy I’m gonna die! LOVE.
I’m traditionally not a huge red velvet fan myself, but this looks delicious!
I am a huge red velvet fan – I don’t understand why – but I just am – and being a fan, I am drooling over this! I love cakes in a pan!
This looks divine! But I can’t get over how amazing your images are – especially of this. I just read your photography tip post but didn’t see lighting on your list. Do you shoot in natural light 100% of the time? Wondering if this recipe was shot with your 105 lens too?
Alison, I am blushing! Thank you so much <3 I shoot in natural light with minimal equipment—we are talking dollar store white foam board that I use to reflect light. These I actually shot with my 50 mm. I also used a tripod for all of them, except for the overhead shots, which I hand held. I hope that helps!
Just made these for my family to have for breakfast on Valentine’s Day! I sampled the pancake and the icing and they are delicious- sweet but not too sweet. Looking forward to serving this in the morning:-) I’m not a huge fan of food dye so I just added some strawberry purée to get a pink color and who doesn’t like strawberries and chocolate? Thanks for the recipe!
Hi Laura, that’s an excellent idea to add strawberries for a pretty pink and delicious flavor! I hope you all enjoy!