Perfect for fall, these fluffy gingerbread pancakes are flavored with cinnamon and ginger and served with a lemon sauce.
- Prep Time:
10 mins - Cook Time:
20 mins - Total Time:
30 mins

How did it get to be almost fall already. The official first day is in 10 days! I feel I should be more prepared given that I’ve been guzzling pumpkin spice lattes as soon as they were released a couple of weeks ago but I’m still getting back into the regular work routine and planning my posts now that the kids are back in school.
Fortunately, I recently made a batch of these gingerbread pancakes with lemon sauce for Sunday breakfast and realized I had not shared this recipe yet. And they’re perfect for fall. The fact that I got this recipe almost 20 years ago from the owners of a bed & breakfast we stayed at in Maine and it still remains a family favorite tells you how good it is.
This recipe is quick to mix together and if you simmer the lemon sauce while frying up the pancakes, you can be sitting down with your family enjoying a stack of hot pancakes within 30 minutes.
The lemon sauce may seem like an unlikely pairing for gingerbread but I promise it really is worth the extra step. There’s nothing wrong with maple syrup as a topping but I dare you to try the lemon sauce with these gingerbread pancakes and not agree it’s the winning combination.
I guess I can be ready for fall as long as I have these gingerbread pancakes to ease the transition. But, please, no one put up any holiday decorations yet.
Gingerbread Pancakes with Lemon Sauce
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: About 18 (3-1/2 inch) pancakes
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Description
Perfect for fall, these fluffy gingerbread pancakes are flavored with cinnamon and ginger and served with a lemon sauce.
Ingredients
For the pancakes
- 1 1/3 cups flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 1/4 cups milk
- 1/4 cup molasses
- 1 large egg
- 3 tablespoons canola oil
For the lemon sauce
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- a pinch of ground nutmeg
- 1 cup hot water
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1/2 tablespoon freshly grated lemon zest
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Instructions
For the pancakes
- Mix dry ingredients. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ginger and cinnamon. Set aside.
- Mix wet ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk together milk, molasses, and egg. Whisk in oil until combined. Add milk mixture to the flour mixture and stir just until combined (batter can be a little lumpy).
- Cook pancakes. Heat a heavy non-stick skillet over medium-high heat until hot (To test it, flick a little water into the pan. The water should skitter across the surface.) Lightly coat the skillet with non-stick cooking spray. Working in batches, for each pancake, pour a scant ¼ cup of the batter into the skillet and cook until bubbles form on the surface, the edges are a little dry and the underside is lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Flip the pancakes and cook until the bottoms are browned, 1 to 2 minutes more.
- Serve. Serve hot with Lemon Sauce.
For the lemon sauce
- Make sauce. In a medium saucepan mix sugar, cornstarch, and nutmeg together. Gradually whisk in water. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until mixture is thick and clear. Remove mixture from heat. Whisk in butter, lemon zest and lemon juice; stirring until butter melts. Serve warm.
Sarah says
This absolutely feels like dessert for breakfast and I have no regrets about it. Any suggestions for what to do with the extra lemon sauce?
Nguyet Vo says
Make more pancakes, of course! I think you could also freeze the extra sauce. Re-warm the sauce on the stovetop over low heat whisking constantly to preserve the texture. I hope that helps.