Description

These Homemade Cranberry Sauce Pancakes offer a creative and delicious way to use leftover jellied cranberry sauce from the holidays. With a sweet-tart flavor, these pancakes bring a festive twist to breakfast, combining pantry staples into a fluffy, tender pancake perfect for any morning treat. Ready in under 35 minutes, they balance sweet and savory well and make a delightful addition to any brunch or weekend breakfast.

Ingredients

Scale

Dry Ingredients

1.5 cups all-purpose flour (King Arthur all-purpose)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup dried cranberries (chopped slightly for even distribution)

Wet Ingredients

3/4 cup jellied cranberry sauce (Ocean Spray works perfectly)
4 tbsp maple syrup (pure, not pancake syrup)
2 tbsp melted butter (cooled slightly)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup heavy cream (cold)
2 large eggs (room temperature)

Instructions

Prepare the Cranberry Base and Wet Ingredients: Mash the jellied cranberry sauce slightly with a fork and heat gently in the microwave for 30-45 seconds or on low heat in a saucepan until warm and pourable. Transfer to a large mixing bowl and stir in maple syrup, melted butter, and vanilla extract until fully combined. Allow the mixture to cool for 2-3 minutes to warm, not hot, then whisk in the cold heavy cream. Set aside and let cool to room temperature for about 5 minutes to prevent cooking the eggs in the next step.
Combine Wet and Dry Ingredients: Once cooled, whisk in the room temperature eggs until the mixture is smooth. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour and salt. Pour the cranberry-maple wet mixture into the dry ingredients and gently fold with a spatula just until combined; the batter should remain slightly lumpy to keep pancakes tender. Finally, fold in the chopped dried cranberries evenly without settling.
Cook the Pancakes to Golden Perfection: Heat a lightly oiled griddle or non-stick skillet over medium heat until a drop of water sizzles softly. Using a 1/4-cup measure, pour batter onto the griddle in batches, leaving space between pancakes. Cook for about 2-3 minutes until bubbles form on the surface and edges look set, then flip and cook an additional 1 minute until golden brown. For best results, let the batter rest 1-2 minutes before cooking to improve rise and even cooking.
Serve Warm: Transfer cooked pancakes to a warm plate and serve immediately while hot. Optionally, top with a pat of butter and drizzle extra maple syrup for added sweetness and richness.

Notes

Use jellied cranberry sauce for a smooth batter; whole berry sauce can be used if warmed and mashed to break down chunks.
Let the melted cranberry mixture cool before adding eggs to avoid scrambling them.
Do not overmix the batter after adding flour to avoid tough pancakes; keep some lumps.
Cook pancakes on medium to medium-low heat to prevent burning due to sugar content in cranberry sauce.
Serve with savory sides like bacon, sausage, or eggs to balance sweetness.
Store pancakes in the refrigerator up to 4 days with parchment paper between layers; freeze up to 2 months.
Reheat refrigerated pancakes in the microwave for 30 seconds or toast frozen pancakes directly.
Substitute heavy cream with milk, half-and-half, or buttermilk for variation in richness and flavor.
Whole wheat flour can replace half of all-purpose flour for a heartier pancake; use gluten-free baking flour for gluten-free option.
Maple syrup can be swapped with honey, agave syrup, or pancake syrup.

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Category: Breakfast
Method: Stovetop
Cuisine: American

Keywords: cranberry sauce pancakes, cranberry pancakes, leftover cranberry recipe, holiday breakfast, festive pancakes, jellied cranberry pancakes, breakfast pancakes