These Healthy Red Velvet Pancakes (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 or special occasions, I make them all year round.
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I LOVE the Loveless Cafe's Red Velvet Pancake Recipe so much that they inspired me to create this recipe and make healthier red velvet pancakes!
If you love healthier versions of pancakes, then be sure to try my Harvest Grain and Nut Pancakes (IHOP copycat) or my healthy Pumpkin Pie Sheet Pan Pancakes!

🥘 Ingredient Notes
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.
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!
You won't miss the extra fat or red food coloring!
For this recipe, you'll need:

- Whole wheat flour and all-purpose flour. I use a combination because using only whole wheat flour creates a denser pancake.
- Pureed beets. I use canned beets for convenience. You can use whole or sliced canned beets. It doesn't matter because you are pureeing them anyway. I also use canned beets in my Healthy Red Velvet Cookies.
- Low-fat milk (1%) and a little vinegar. This combination is an excellent low-fat buttermilk replacement.
- Cream cheese. I use light or fat-free to keep it lower fat.
- Powdered sugar. Powdered sugar is also known as Icing Sugar or Confectioners Sugar.
- Unsalted butter. I use unsalted butter because I like to control the salt in my recipes.
*Please see recipe card for full list of ingredients and quantities.

📖 Variations & Substitutions
- Canned Beets: If canned beets aren't available, you can use pre-cooked vacuum-packed beets or roast and puree fresh beets in advance. Be sure to cool the beets before pureeing to avoid affecting the pancake batter's consistency.
- Milk: You can use skim milk instead of 1% milk or whole or 2% milk.
🔪How to Make Healthy Red Velvet Pancakes
PREP: Preheat the griddle/frying pan (preferably non-stick ) 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.

Step 1: Stir vinegar into milk and set aside.

Step 2: Puree beets in food processor and set aside.

Step 3: Sift all dry ingredients together, except granulated sugar.

Step 4: In a large bowl, mix eggs, milk mixed with vinegar, granulated sugar, vanilla extract and pureed beets.

Step 5: Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients in thirds, just until it is combined (will still be a little lumpy). Do not over-mix.

Step 6: When the frying pan is hot, add pancake mix to a nonstick pan or electric griddle– add about ⅓ cup of batter for each pancake. * I use an 8-inch frying pan

Step 7: Cook over medium heat, flipping when bubbles start to break on the surface of the pancake and the edges start to brown

Step 8: When the other side is soft and pillowy to the touch, it’s done. Repeat with the remaining batter.

Step 9: Cut into heart shapes with a large heart-shaped cookie cutter, if desired. *If you cut them into shapes, you can keep the leftover pancake to eat (it still tastes great! )

Step 10: Make 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.

Step 11: Add vanilla extract and the powdered sugar and cocoa a little at a time until blended. *If you try to add it all at once it will end up all over your kitchen counter.

Step 12: 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.

Alternatively, you can make the pancakes smaller and cook more at once if you know you want to cut them into heart shapes.
Recipe Tips
- Perfect Pancake Texture. When mixing the batter, don’t overmix! Overmixing activates the gluten in the flour, making your pancakes tough instead of light and fluffy. A few lumps in the batter are perfectly fine.
- Let the Batter Rest: Allow the batter to sit for 5-10 minutes before cooking. This gives the baking powder and vinegar time to react, creating air bubbles that make the pancakes fluffier. But don't let it sit any longer or they won't cook up as fluffy due to the baking powder losing its potency.
- Extra Fluffy Pancakes. Add an extra egg for fluffier pancakes!
- Keep Pancakes Warm. Place cooked pancakes on a baking sheet in a 200°F (93°C) oven while you cook the remaining batch. This ensures all pancakes stay warm and ready to serve together.
- Clean Cuts: For neat heart shapes, press the cookie cutter straight down through the pancake without twisting. Clean the cutter between each use for sharper edges.
- Don't Skimp on Whipping Time. Whip the butter and cream cheese for the time recommended - it's what creates the luscious texture of the chocolate cream cheese.
- Make It Ahead. You can prepare the Sweet Chocolate Cream Cheese Butter up to three days in advance and store it in the fridge. Bring it to room temperature before spreading, for easy application. You can also make the pancakes 3 days in advance.
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🥗 What to eat with Red Velvet Pancakes
You can eat these fluffy 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. It's similar in taste to cream cheese frosting.
But you can reduce the calories and ww points by using Chocolate Cream Cheese Spread instead. These pancakes are also delicious topped with fresh strawberries, whipped cream and maple syrup!
I serve turkey bacon, air fryer turkey sausage, or Old Fashioned Fruit Salad (shown) with these Red Velvet Pancakes!

👪 Serving Size
This Healthy Red Velvet Pancake recipe makes 10 pancakes. However, it can be halved, doubled or tripled. * ALL MY RECIPES HAVE ADJUSTABLE SERVINGS- just click on the servings amount and select the number of servings you'd like, and the ingredient amounts will adjust accordingly.
🔢WW Points
This recipe is 8 WW points (without the chocolate cream cheese butter) so they are clearly an indulgence. But they are a lot healthier than the original!
You can use light butter and fat-free cream cheese to lighten up the Chocolate Cream Cheese Butter. You could also reduce the ww points by using Chocolate Cream Cheese Spread instead.
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.
🌡️Storing
REFRIGERATOR: Store these fluffy red velvet 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.
REHEATING: Reheat pancakes in the microwave for 20–30 seconds or in a toaster oven at 350°F (175°C) for 3–5 minutes. For larger batches, you can reheat them in the oven, covered with foil, at 300°F (150°C) for about 10 minutes.
❔Recipe FAQ's
It’s best to make the batter fresh for optimal fluffiness, but you can prepare the wet and dry ingredients separately in advance. Store them in airtight containers and combine just before cooking.
Yes, heart-shaped pancakes freeze just as well as whole ones! Lay them flat on a parchment-lined baking sheet to freeze individually before transferring them to a freezer-safe bag to prevent sticking. Or stack them in a Ziploc freezer bag between layers of parchment, but be sure to lay them flat in the freezer.
Pancakes are ready to flip when bubbles form and pop on the surface, and the edges start to look dry. Once flipped, cook until the other side is golden and feels firm but pillowy when pressed lightly.
Yes, a blender works well, a Vitamix being the best! If needed, add a small amount of water to help the blender process the beets into a smooth puree.
Sometimes breakfast is all you have with loved ones on Valentine's Day. And heart-shaped pancakes are a great way 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!
So, if you are searching for red velvet pancake recipes, breakfast ideas for Valentine's Day, Valentine's brunch ideas, or a special breakfast that will make your loved one(s) swoon, look no further than these Healthy Red Velvet pancakes without food coloring! They are guaranteed to be loved by the whole family!
And if you like healthy Red Velvet Recipes, check out my Healthy & Natural Red Velvet Cookies !
🍳More Healthy Breakfast Recipes!
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📋 Healthy Red Velvet Pancakes Recipe (with Sweet Cream Cheese Butter)
Equipment
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 large 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.
- In a large bowl, mix eggs, milk mixed with vinegar, granulated sugar, vanilla extract, and pureed beets.
- 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 nonstick pan or electric griddle– add about ¼ cup of batter for each pancake.
- Cook over medium heat, flipping when the first few bubbles start to break on the surface of the pancake. Repeat with remaining batter.
- 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. *If you try to add it all at once it will end up all over your kitchen counter.
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 maple syrup, if desired.
Notes
-
- Perfect Pancake Texture. When mixing the batter, don’t overmix! Overmixing activates the gluten in the flour, making your pancakes tough instead of light and fluffy. A few lumps in the batter are perfectly fine.
-
- Let the Batter Rest: Allow the batter to sit for 5-10 minutes before cooking. This gives the baking powder and vinegar time to react, creating air bubbles that make the pancakes fluffier. But don't let it sit any longer or they won't cook up as fluffy due to the baking powder losing its potency.
-
- Extra Fluffy Pancakes. Add an extra egg for fluffier pancakes!
-
- Keep Pancakes Warm. Place cooked pancakes on a baking sheet in a 200°F (93°C) oven while you cook the remaining batch. This ensures all pancakes stay warm and ready to serve together.
-
- Clean Cuts: For neat heart shapes, press the cookie cutter straight down through the pancake without twisting. Clean the cutter between each use for sharper edges
- Don't Skimp on Whipping Time. Whip the butter and cream cheese for the time recommended - it's what creates the luscious texture of the chocolate cream cheese.
-
- Make It Ahead. You can prepare the Sweet Chocolate Cream Cheese Butter up to three days in advance and store it in the fridge. Bring it to room temperature before spreading, for easy application. You can also make the pancakes 3 days in advance.
Nutrition
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!
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 🙂
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)!
Jo Vanderwolf
Definitely pinning these to try for Valentine's! Love the use of beets for coloring.
Terri Gilson
Thanks, Jo! Hope you enjoy 🙂
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 :)!
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! )