Inspired by the Carrot Cake pancakes IHOP, these guilt-free “cakes” are as good as gold. Perfectly spiced and complemented with a drizzle of cream cheese frosting they are wholly worthy of their “cake” title – and yet still healthy enough for breakfast!
And with only 255 calories (and 7 little Smart Points), instead of 1120 (and 44!), there’s plenty of waist-friendly wiggle room to kick them up a notch with a dollop of light whipped topping and some tasty chopped walnuts.
Makes 4 servings
INGREDIENTS
1/4 cup light tub-style cream cheese
1 tablespoon + 1/3 cup granulated no-calorie sweetener, divided
1 teaspoon brown sugar
2 1/8 teaspoons ground cinnamon, divided
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1 large egg
2 large egg whites
1 1/2 cups buttermilk*
3/4 teaspoon vanilla
1 medium carrot, finely grated
(No buttermilk on hand? Add 1 1/2 tablespoons vinegar to a large measuring cup and fill cup with low fat milk to make 1 1/2 cups. Let sit for 5 minutes)
DIRECTIONS
1. In a small bowl, whisk the cream cheese, 1 tablespoon sweetener, brown sugar and 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon with 2 tablespoons water. Set aside. In a medium bowl, combine the flours, baking powder, soda, nutmeg, cloves, and remaining cinnamon and sweetener. Set aside.
2. In another small bowl, whisk together the egg, egg whites, buttermilk, and vanilla. Stir in the carrot, pour the mixture into the dry ingredients, stir until combined, and let the batter rest for 5 minutes.
3. Spray a nonstick skillet or griddle with cooking spray and place over medium heat. Pour ¼ cup of batter onto the skillet and spread into a 4-inch circle. Cook the pancake for 3 to 4 minutes, or until golden on the bottom. Flip, and cook until done, about 2 to 3 minutes. Stack on a plate and cover to keep warm.
4. To serve, stack 2 pancakes on a plate and drizzle with 1 ½ tablespoons cream cheese topping.
DARE TO COMPARE: An order of Carrot Cake Pancakes at IHOP has 1120 calories, the better part of a days’ worth of carbs (including 76 grams of sugar), and 47 grams of fat. Counting Smart Points? Eat that full order and you are looking at 44!!
NUTRITION INFORMATION PER SERVING (2 topped pancakes) : Calories 255 | Carbohydrate 37 g (Sugars 8g) | Total Fat 5g (Sat Fat 3g) | Protein 12g | Fiber 3g | Cholesterol 65mg | Sodium 500 mg | Food Exchanges: 2 ½ Starch, 1 Lean Meat | Carbohydrate Choices: 2 1/2 | Weight Watcher Smart Point Comparison: green 8, blue 7, purple 7
