These Healthy Red Velvet Pancake recipe with Sweet Chocolate Cream Cheese Butter have no dye but use pureed beets instead. And no, you don't have to cook and peel beets (do you think I'd do that to you?!) This recipe uses CANNED BEETS so it's super quick, easy, healthy and so delicious! My kids LOVE this recipe~!
You may be thinking of ways to show your sweetheart(s) how much you love them this Valentine’s Day. Well, this heart-shaped breakfast will definitely send that message. If you make one recipe for Valentine’s Day, make it this one! Use a cute heart shaped cookie cutter and you are sure to win them over. And although this recipe is great for Valentine's Day, I make them all year 'round.
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I LOVE the Loveless Cafe's Red Velvet Pancake Recipe so much so that they inspired me to create this recipe and make healthier red velvet pancakes! They are 8 WW points on the blue plan (without the chocolate cream cheese butter) so they are clearly an indulgence. But they are a lot healthier than the original! And I'm not a big fan of dye in my food, so I replaced it with beets. And that is also the reason they are not red.
💭Beets in Red Velvet Pancakes
The use of beets in red velvet became commonplace when foods were rationed during the second world war. Bakers used boiled beet juices to enhance the color of their cakes and beets were also found in some red velvet cake recipes, where they were used to retain moisture. But beets also add lots of nutrients to a dish; they are an especially good source of folate and vitamin B. You can read more about the nutritional value of beets HERE.
🥘 Ingredients
Healthy red velvet pancakes from scratch are made with low-fat milk and vinegar instead of buttermilk. This, along with baking powder, makes the pancakes both light and fluffy. These pancakes are quick and easy to make, with wholesome ingredients!
For this recipe, you'll need:
- whole wheat flour
- all-purpose flour
- cocoa
- eggs
- pureed beets (canned, for convenience),
- powdered sugar/icing sugar
- baking powder
- salt
- low-fat milk
- vinegar
- white granulated sugar
- vanilla
- cream cheese (I use light or fat-free
- unsalted butter
- red sparkling sugar (optional)
*You won't miss the extra fat or food coloring!
📖 Variations
Heart Shaped Pancakes
Sometimes breakfast is all you have with loves ones on Valentine's Day. And heart shaped pancakes are a great way to to share a special breakfast or brunch with your loved ones. If you're really lucky, it falls on a weekend or a day off and you get brunch! But whether you save your celebration for the weekend or celebrate on the actual Valentine's Day, these red velvet pancakes are ideal because they are quick OR you can make them ahead and freeze.
Sweet Chocolate Cream Cheese Butter
You can eat these red velvet pancakes without the sweet chocolate cream cheese butter, but trust me, you don't want to! The sweet chocolate cream cheese butter is the crowning glory.
WW friendly: You can use light/low-fat cream cheese or fat free cream cheese to lighten them up.
🍽 Equipment
All you need is a non-stick frying pan and a heart shaped cookie cutter (affiliate link).!
🌡️Storing
REFRIGERATOR: Store these pancakes and sweet cream cheese butter in separate sealed containers in the fridge for up to 3 days.
FREEZING: Both the red velvet pancakes and chocolate sweet cream cheese butter will freeze well for up to 3 months. Cool pancakes, then stack and freeze in a zip lock freezer bag. Chocolate cream cheese butter can be frozen in a freezer friendly plastic container.
So, if you are searching for red velvet pancake recipes, breakfast ideas for Valentine's Day, Valentine's brunch ideas or special breakfast that will make your love one(s) swoon, look no further than these Healthy Red Velvet pancakes!
And if you like healthy Red Velvet Recipes, check out my Healthy & Natural Red Velvet Cookies !
⭐ REVIEWS
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📋 Healthy Red Velvet Pancakes Recipe (with Sweet Cream Cheese Butter)
Ingredients
Pancakes:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup whole wheat flour
- ½ cup cocoa
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 ½ cups low-fat milk
- 2 teaspoon vinegar
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup white granulated sugar
- 1 -398 ml/140z can sliced beets, drained and pureed
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Sweet Chocolate Cream Cheese Butter
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened
- 4 oz light cream cheese (½ 8 oz package) softened * or use fat-free cream cheese to further reduce fat and calories
- 1 ¼ cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup cocoa
Garnish:
- cocoa
- powdered sugar
- red sparkling sugar
Instructions
Pancakes
- Preheat griddle/frying pan (preferrably non-stick teflon) to medium and spray with non- stick cooking spray. * Do not cook these too high heat or they will burn. You have to watch them closely.
- Stir vinegar into milk and set aside.
- Puree beets in food processor and set aside.
- Sift all dry ingredients together, except granulated sugar.
- Mix eggs, milk mixed with vinegar, granulated sugar, vanilla and pureed beets in a separate bowl.
- Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients in thirds, just until it is combined (will still be a little lumpy). Do not over-mix.
- When frying pan is hot, add pancake mix to pan – add about ¼ cup mix for each pancake.
- Flip when the first few bubbles start to break on the surface of the pancake.
- When the other side is soft and pillowy to the touch, it’s done. Cut into heart shapes, if desired.
Sweet Chocolate Cream Cheese Butter
- With an electric mixer, whip butter and cream cheese together for 3-5 minutes until smooth, scraping sides to ensure proper blending.
- Add vanilla extract and the powdered sugar and cocoa a little at a time until blended.
Assemble
- Stack one pancake on a plate and spread on a layer of Chocolate Cream Cheese Butter spread. Repeat with remaining pancakes, dividing cream cheese butter evenly between pancakes.
Garnish
- Sprinkle the top with powdered sugar or powdered sugar mixed with cocoa and red sparkling sugar (as in photo). Serve with syrup, if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
🍳More Healthy Breakfast Recipes!
- Healthy Mediterranean Breakfast Burritos
- Sheet Pan Pumpkin Pie Pancakes
- Mexican Sheet Pan Eggs
- Raisin Cookie Overnight Oats in a Jar
Sue
These look delicious and interesting reading about the history of the use of beets. I can see it would be a great Valentine treat or anytime for that matter.
Terri Gilson
Thanks, Sue! My kids love these pancakes so the heart-shaped cookie cutter comes out a lot! )
Dawn
How fun are these for Valentine's Day? Plus, they sound delicious! A big stack of these and plenty of coffee and I'm set 🙂
Terri Gilson
That's how I eat them too, Dawn :)!
Jo Vanderwolf
Definitely pinning these to try for Valentine's! Love the use of beets for coloring.
Terri Gilson
Thanks, Jo! Hope you enjoy 🙂
Leanne | Crumb Top Baking
I love that you added a whole can of beets to these pancakes! Gorgeous colour. These would absolutely be perfect for a Valentine's Day breakfast!
Terri Gilson
Thanks, Leanne 🙂 Yes, we always eat them on Valentine's Day and my son's birthday (he requests them)!
Fouzia Husainy
I am sure my grand kids would love these beautiful red velvet pancake hearts. Using beet juice is such a healthy choice which makes them visually appealing as well. Thanks so much for sharing.
Terri Gilson
Yes, it's my kids' fave, Fouzia! I hope your kids enjoy it too 🙂
Denise feom Urbnspice
What fun! I love your recipe idea for Valentines Day, Terri, and it is so appealing to have “chocolate anything” for breakfast, isn’t it? Thanks so much for sharing your Red Velvet Pancakes with that dreamy creamy chocolate cream cheese filling. ?
Terri Gilson
Thank you, Denise! Yes, and I agree - love being able to justify eating chocolate for breakfast!