Gingerbread Pancakes

Fluffy, tender Gingerbread Pancakes that boast the flavors of ginger, spice and everything nice are perfect for the holidays or make an everyday breakfast special!

Gingerbread Pancakes with Text Overlay

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If you ever find yourself in Austin, Texas, Kerby Lane Cafe should be on your list as a breakfast or brunch destination. And if you ever make it to Kerby Lane, expect to wait for a table and be prepared for a difficult time deciding what to order amongst so many enticing choices. But whatever you do, you must try their gingerbread pancakes, even if that requires that you order two breakfasts.

Not that I've ever done that or anything (*cough*).

Gingerbread Pancakes with a Pat of Butter Served with Cinnamon Apples

Alas, if you never make it to Kerby Lane, today I'm sharing with you the next best thing. This dish is adapted from a recipe I found floating around the web across multiple locations, from online recipe communities to message boards, and I even discovered a hard copy of it in an old cookbook put together by the parents where I used to teach elementary school. In each place that I encountered this recipe, it was identical, and in each place, it claimed to be the original Kerby Lane recipe for gingerbread pancakes. So who am I to argue?

Gingerbread Pancakes ~ perfect for a holiday breakfast or any day! (a copycat recipe of Kerby Lane Cafe) | {Five Heart Home}

I did make a few adjustments to the recipe that just made sense in my mind. I replaced a ½ cup water with additional buttermilk, I cut back on the ground cloves (because I've always thought that it's reeeally easy to overdo them), I added a tad more brown sugar and a bit of salt, and I decreased the leavening agents because, at the called-for amounts, I was afraid of being able to taste the baking powder.

Perfect Bite of Gingerbread Pancakes Stabbed on a Fork

And the results? Wow...pretty darn tasty. If you love gingerbread, you will go crazy over these. But is this recipe Kerby Lane authentic? I honestly don't know. If memory serves me correctly, however, these pancakes are a pretty good copycat of the real deal.

Close-Up of Bite Cut Out of Stack and Syrup on Plate

Kerby Lane actually sells their gingerbread pancake mix at grocery stores across Texas (and beyond?). I tried it a few years back and it was really good. However, in my opinion, making these pancakes from scratch, which allows you to control the ingredients at a fraction of the cost, is even better.

Close-Up

These pancakes are scrumptious year round, but they seem particularly appropriate as we near the holiday season. Whether you're expecting overnight guests for Thanksgiving or you're trying to put together a magical breakfast for Christmas morning featuring the flavors of the season, these fluffy, perfectly-spiced gingerbread pancakes are for you! Top 'em with a drizzle of cinnamon syrup and you'll never be the same.

Close-Up of Gingerbread Pancakes Piled on a White Platter

Not only will your house smell heavenly, but your tummy will be happy. I pinky swear it. 😉

More Easy Breakfast Recipes

Gingerbread Pancakes ~ perfect for a holiday breakfast or any day! (a copycat recipe of Kerby Lane Cafe) | {Five Heart Home}

Gingerbread Pancakes

Fluffy, tender pancakes that boast the flavors of gingerbread are perfect for the holidays or make an everyday breakfast special.
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Servings: 5 servings (Appoximately 10 4-inch pancakes)
Calories: 368kcal
Print Pin Rate

Ingredients

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 2 teaspoons ground ginger
  • 1 teaspoon nutmeg
  • teaspoon cloves
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • ½ cup coffee, cooled
  • 4 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled
  • 2 eggs
  • ¼ cup brown sugar

Instructions

  • In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ground ginger, nutmeg, and cloves. In a medium bowl, mix together buttermilk, coffee, butter, eggs, and brown sugar until well incorporated. Gradually add wet mixture to flour mixture and mix until just blended. Do not overmix! Batter should have some lumps.
  • Heat a large griddle or skillet over medium heat and melt a pat of butter, tilting pan to coat it evenly. Use a ⅓-cup measuring cup to scoop batter onto skillet, spacing pancakes about 2 inches apart. Cook for a couple of minutes, or until bubbles start to appear on the surface of the pancake and the edges look dry. Flip pancake over and cook until underside is golden brown, about another minute.
  • Serve hot with maple syrup. You may also keep pancakes warm by placing them on a cooling rack set over a baking sheet and putting it in a 180°F oven.

Notes

  • Every stove is different, so the temperature at which you'll need to cook your pancakes may take some trial and error. If you sprinkle water on your skillet and it bounces around and sizzles, you're ready to cook. Start at medium heat and adjust up or down based on how quickly the first batch browns.
  • This pancake batter is supposed to be thick, so I usually spread it out just a bit with the back of my measuring cup so that it still results in thick, fluffy pancakes. However, if you prefer a thinner batter, just add a little more buttermilk.

Nutrition

Calories: 368kcal | Carbohydrates: 54g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 95mg | Sodium: 613mg | Potassium: 341mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 454IU | Calcium: 162mg | Iron: 3mg
Made this recipe? I'd love to see on IG!Mention @FiveHeartHome or tag #FiveHeartHome!

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42 Comments

  1. What a delicious sounding recipe! I'm not sure I'll ever make it to Austin, Texas, but I really hope to- and whenever I do, I'll definitely check out Kerby Lance. But in the meantime, I'm going to try your recipe- sharing with our Pinterest followers as well.
    Thanks for linking up at Saturday Dishes. We hope you'll continue to join us as we take over the party!

    1. Thanks so much, Jamie! I hope you get to visit Austin and enjoy these pancakes! 😉 Congratulations on taking over Saturday Dishes...I look forward to visiting y'all in January!

  2. Thanks for sharing. This recipe looks great! I don't drink coffee though. Can you suggest a substitution or can I just leave it out?

    1. Hi G! You can definitely eliminate the coffee. I would just substitute an extra 1/2 cup buttermilk (or slightly more, since buttermilk is thicker than coffee) in its place. Thanks for the great question...hope you enjoy these!

  3. Wish I had found your blog earlier--we were in Austin last week & would have loved going to Kirby Lane! Your pancakes look Devine! I think I'll give them a try during Christmas while we are home visiting. The apple dish beside the pancakes also looks yummy. Would you mind sharing the recipe for them, too? Another recipe site to follow. Appreciate your hard work in making the rest of us look like experts in the kitchen!! 😉

    1. Thanks so much for the sweet comment, LeAnn! You will definitely have to hit Kerby Lane next time, but these pancakes should tide you over in the meantime. 🙂 For the apples, I just sauteed some thinly sliced apples in butter until golden and then hit them with a bunch of cinnamon and sugar. Not much of a recipe, but always popular around here! 😉 Thanks so much for stopping by and I'm excited to hear that you're planning on visiting again. Have a great week!