Christmas Santa Pancakes Recipe

This is a fun little treat we made in the days leading up to Christmas. We decided not to make them Christmas morning just because they are little time consuming to create and we all know the kids are all about the presents, so there's no time for cooking Christmas morning! (We actually make this Cinnamon French Toast Bake on Christmas morning — yummy, quick and easy!). So here's how to make these adorable Santa panckaes. All you need is a red fruit, whipped cream and chocolate chips.

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon white sugar

1 1/4 cups buttermilk (or milk)

1 egg

3 tablespoons butter, melted

1 tsp vanilla extract

Extras: Chocolate chips, apple or strawberry slices or raspberries, whipped cream and syrup

Directions

1. Combine dry ingredients in a bowl. Mix together then add remaining ingredients.

2. Spoon batter into greased flat pan over medium heat. Add chocolate chips and sprinkles then flip. Cook each side until golden brown.

3. Cut the top edge of the pancake if needed to fit the "hat" on santa. Make the hat out of your red fruit of choice, add whipped cream and chocolate chips eye, and enjoy!

Merry Christmas!!

New! Cinnamon Baked French Toast Recipe

Oh my goodness, if you want to make the best french toast casserole, here's your recipe. I got the original  recipe from a good friend who made this for us during a visit to her house. It's a variation of Pillsbury's Cinnamon Baked French Toast recipe using canned Pillsbury Cinnamon Rolls. I added extra cinnamon, nutmeg and sugar; and reduced the eggs so it didn't get soggy of overly fluffy. Per my friend's recommendation, I left off the maple syrup because it's plenty sweet enough without it. That's all there is to this easy french toast casserole -- great for overnight guests or as a family treat.

New recipe — now even better!

I recently (Dec. 2013) made some updates to this recipe to make it even better. It's now less fluffy and eggy and more moist and gooey. Also, a slightly shorter cook time. Let me know what you think of the new taste.

Ingredients

2 cans (12.4 oz each) Pillsbury flaky cinnamon rolls
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream (half & half works too)
3 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
Icing from cinnamon rolls
Powdered sugar, if desired

Directions
1. In a large glass bowl, melt butter then together with sugar. 

2. Beat in eggs, cream, cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla.

3. Open canned cinnamon rolls, slice each  cinnamon roll into eighths. Place cinnamon roll pieces into the bowl of egg mixture and toss to thoroughly coat.Then pour the pieces, coated in egg mixture, into a greased 9x12 casserole dish and spread out evenly. Any remaining egg mixture, you can brush over top of areas that look like they might get dry.

4. Sprinkle with pecans and then bake on 350˚ on a low rack for 35-40 minutes.

5. Remove bake from oven. Warm icing from cinnamon rolls in microwave for 15 seconds; pour evenly over bake. Sprinkle with powdered sugar if desired.

Serves: 6-8

*If you like this recipe, you'll love our Cinnamon Apple Strudel Bake, also using Pillsbury cinnamon rolls!

Our Family's Favorite Pancake Recipe

My kids are seriously crazy for pancakes. They ask — and sometimes demand them pretty much every weekend. When I am feeling generous (usually if they've given me enough time to have a cup of coffee first before they ask) I will make them their favorite breakfast: Mickey Mouse shaped pancakes with chocolate chips and sprinkles with maple syrup and whipped cream on top. Man, they are spoiled!  Don't worry, I do make sure they get a good teeth-brushing in afterwards and veggies later in the day. So, yeah. We've tried a lot of different recipes we've found on the ol' internet. We've finally settled on this one — our favorite pancake recipe.

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon white sugar
1 1/4 cups buttermilk (or milk)
1 egg
3 tablespoons butter, melted
1 tsp vanilla extract

Extras: Chocolate chips, sprinkles, whipped cream and syrup

Directions
1. Combine dry ingredients in a bowl. Mix together then add remaining ingredients.

2. Spoon batter into greased flat pan over medium heat. Add chocolate chips and sprinkles then flip. Cook each side until golden brown.

3. Top with whipped cream and syrup and enjoy!

Peaches and Cream Carrot Bread

Yesterday my mother-in-law gave me a bag full of fresh-picked peaches, ripe and ready to eat. I wanted to make something with them out of stuff I had on hand. With my littlest one being sick this past weekend, I didn't feel up to a trip to the store for special ingredietns. That and my grocery budget doesn't replenish until the 1st of next month. So... since I pretty much always have enough stuff to whip up some bread, that's what I decided to do. I love spiced breads with veggies hidden inside. They are so much healthier than donuts, danishes, etc. yet still satisfy that sweet tooth. I think you're going to love this recipe. It's a great way to use up peaches that are on their last day.

Ingredients
3 cups flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 tsp baking power
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
3/4 cup chopped pecans
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup cooking oil
2 tsp vanilla
2 cups diced fresh peaches

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 cup fresh shredded carrots


Directions
1. In a small bowl, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and pecans.

2. In a large bowl beat eggs, add sugar, oil and vanilla. Mix well.

3. Fold in peaches, cream and carrots.  Add dry ingredients until thoroughly moistened.

4. Pour into 2 greased loaf pans. Bake at 350˚ for 1hr.

Yield: 2 loaves

You might also like my Pineapple Zucchini Bread and my Chocolate Chip Banana Bread.

Pineapple Zucchini Bread Recipe

This is an amazing zucchini bread recipe I got from a lady named Helen Brookman who lovingly passed along her recipes, with the help of the Hospice of The Rapidan. My mom handed the recipe on to me with a few of her own touches. Everyone says this is the best zucchini bread they've ever had. It really is very good and I think what makes it is the pineapples and, believe it or not, the salt. Enjoy!

Ingredients
3 cups flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 tsp baking power
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
3/4 cup chopped pecans
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup cooking oil
2 tsp vanilla
3 cups shredded zucchini
1 8oz. can crushed pineapples

Directions
1. In a small bowl, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and pecans.

2. In a large bowl beat eggs, add sugar, oil and vanilla. Mix well. Stir in zucchini and pineapple, stir in dry ingredients until moistened.

3. Spoon into 2 greased loaf pans. Bake at 325˚ for 1hr 15 mins.

Yield: 2 loaves

You might also like my Peaches and Cream Carrot Bread and my Chocolate Chip Banana Bread.

Eggless Banana Bread

Here another excellent eggless recipe from my friend and awesome mom, Heather. Her son is allergic to eggs so she's been cooking up all sorts of recipes without eggs so he doesn't have to feel left out. Told you she was awesome!

1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup sugar 
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 cup flour
1 tsp salt
1tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1 tsp cinnamon
2 large or 3 small very ripe bananas
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup chopped walnuts 

1. In large bowl mix shortening, sugar and brown sugar.

2. Whisk together flour, salt, baking soda, nutmeg and cinnamon.

3. Mash bananas and mix in vanilla extract. Add nuts.

4. Spoon into greased baking dish; bake at 325˚ for 1hr. Serve cooled topped with butter.


Yield: 1 loaf

Eggless Pancakes Recipe

Since my friend's son is allergic to eggs, she's been whipping up some great recipes that normally call for eggs as one of their main ingredients — without eggs. Her secret substitute ingredient? A banana! She so generously shared this recipe with me so that others who are trying to cut out eggs can still enjoy delicious eggless foods. By the way, she's tried a bunch of different recipes and this is the version she and her son like best. Here it is, pretty simple:

Ingredients
2 cups Bisquick
1 cup milk
1/2 of a very ripe banana, mashed
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp vanilla extract

Directions

1. Mix together all the ingredients in a bowl.

2. Spoon batter into a skillet and cook over medium heat until each side is golden brown.

You might also like our Chocolate-Glazed Eggless Brownies Recipe.

Things you'll need to make this:

        

Baked Chocolate Chip Pancakes Recipe

Since my cinnamon french toast bake is by far the most loved recipe on this site, I have been mulling over why that recipe is so popular and have basically come to a few conclusions: First, it's sweet and delicious. Second, it's fast and super easy to make. Finally, you can make a bunch of it with minimal effort and few ingredients so it's great for when you have overnight guests or a large family to feed. And so, here is another recipe that may be right up your alley — Baked Chocolate Chip Pancakes. I have to give credit to the recipe that inspired this one, which you can find here. Here's how to make my version of this sweet, easy, homemade breakfast:

Ingredients

Spread out chocolate chips
evenly on top

3/4 cup milk
3/4 cup sour cream
4 tbsp butter, divide
1 egg
2 tbsp sugar
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup flour
4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup chocolate chips

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350˚. Grease the bottom and side of a 9x12 pan with 1 tbsp of butter.

2. Whisk together milk, sour cream, remaining butter, vanilla and egg then beat in sugar. In a separate bowl, mix together flour, baking powder and salt, then slowly add dry ingredients to egg mixture.

3. Pour batter into the greased baking pan and spread out evenly.

4. Sprinkle chocolate chips on top of the batter and bake for 22-25 minutes or until golden brown on top.

5. Cut and serve topped with butter and maple syrup.

Things you may need to make this: