Red Velvet Pancake Tacos With Strawberries [Recipe]
I’m not a huge fan of pancakes, I must admit, but when you fuse one of my favorite cakes with them, they go up pretty high on my dessert list. Red Velvet Pancake Tacos with Strawberries are the best ones I’ve tried to this day! Just like the cake, they are moist, spongy, and, most importantly, tangy! Pancake tacos are a new, untraditional way of serving everyone’s favorite breakfast, perfect for Valentine’s Day!
Why will you love this recipe?
- Interesting twist – Fusing classic American pancakes and Red Velvet Cake in one bite is a superb idea. The pancakes have all the characteristic ingredients of the cake but in different ratios. Instead of drowning the pancakes in the syrup, make cream cheese-based frosting to elevate the flavor. In the end, fresh strawberries merry impeccably with the classical red velvet taste profile.
- Unique serving – Serving pancakes like tacos is always eye-catching. That way you can eat it by hand, plus every pancake gets its fair share of filling.
- Cake experience – Creating a decadent breakfast experience feels like indulging in a slice of red velvet cake, but in a pancake form. Due to the vinegar and cocoa in the pancake batter and cream cheese frosting, the flavors resemble cake impeccably. So, you have the taste, the layers, and the looks, all in 15 minutes!
- Flavor symphony – The warmth of pancakes contrasts with the cool cream cheese-based frosting, enhancing both flavors. Each bite is tangy, sweet, and rich, with hints of chocolate.
Ingredients
This list is pretty simple with a touch of red:
- All-purpose flour – for gluten-free pancakes, go for almond or coconut flour
- Cocoa – adds layers of chocolate with a touch of bitterness
- Sugar – you’ll need granulated sugar for the batter and powdered for frosting
- Baking powder – to make the pancakes fluffy
- Salt
- Milk – to achieve the right texture. You can use plant-based, too
- Vinegar – to add the signature tanginess
- Eggs – for richness and fluffiness
- Oil – use vegetable or any other neutral oil
- Red food dye – use liquid or paste
- Cream cheese – use whatever you like, I went for quark
- Strawberries – for the freshness
Tools you’ll need
How to make red velvet pancake tacos with strawberries?
- Making the batter: Combine the dry ingredients: flour, cocoa, baking powder, granulated sugar, and salt. In a bowl, merry milk and vinegar and let it sit for about 2 minutes. Add the yolks and oil, and mix egg whites to stiff peaks in a different bowl. Mix dry ingredients and milk mixture, and incorporate some red food dye. With a spatula, slowly fold in egg whites.
- Cooking the pancakes: In a non-stick pan, pour 1/3 cup of batter and let it cook over low heat. When the bubbles appear on top, flip the pancake.
- Making the filling: Mix cream cheese until silky and add powdered sugar. Mix again until there are no lumps of sugar left.
- Assembling the pancakes: Place a tablespoon of cream cheese filling on top of the pancake and top it with diced fresh strawberry. Fold like a taco and serve.
Recipe alternations
- Change the fruit: Besides strawberries, raspberries are my top choice. Actually, any other kind of berry is amazing: blueberries, blackberries, mulberries, red, or black currants, and cranberries. Also, cherries, kiwis, and clementines are fine choices. Anything that gives a bit of tang and juiciness will work like a charm.
- Add some chocolate: Adding any kind of chocolate is a good idea. If you choose white chocolate, I recommend incorporating it into cream cheese filling. It truly enriches the flavor. If you’re more on the dark chocolate side, go for drizzling it on top like syrup or directly on the pancake.
- Add the crunch: To add some texture, you can add some crushed Oreos or nuts. I like pecans the most! Dehydrated berries are excellent here, as well. They add a slight crunch but still have a melt-in-mouth feel.
- Drizzle with syrup – Any pancake syrup you fancy is perfect, like maple, buttermilk, strawberry, blueberry, agave, or honey. It adds additional sweetness and traditional smack!
Tips
I have a few tips on how to make a perfect pancake taco and how to keep the red untouched:
- Make the thinner batter: A bit runnier batter than usual makes the pancakes come out thinner. That’s good because you want to fold them like a taco. If they are too thick, they will look messy and probably rip on the bottom.
- Add food color slowly: When coloring the batter, add drop by drop of color, until you are satisfied with the shade. That depends solely on what brand of food dye you’re using. If you want to deepen the red a bit, add a dab (only a dab!) of black. Still, don’t add any black before you incorporate cocoa.
- Cook them on the low: Red food dye is very prone to burning, so it is best to cook the pancakes over low heat. It takes a bit longer, but they will look nice. As soon as a few bubbles appear on top, flip them.
- Cook one by one: If you want the perfect shape, cook only one pancake in the pan. Here, you’ll need a tad larger pancake because you want to fold them effortlessly, so probably more than one won’t fit at all.
- Let them cool: Allowing pancakes to cool before filling is to make sure the cream cheese topping won’t drip. They taste great when cold!
Storing instructions
- Pancakes: Store pancakes in the fridge wrapped in plastic foil or in airtight containers. Keep in mind to place a piece of parchment paper in between, so they don’t stick to each other. They can last up to a week like that and a few months in the freezer.
- Cream cheese filling: If you have leftover cream cheese filling, store it in the fridge in a span of two hours. In airtight containers, it will remain safe to eat for up to 2 weeks in the fridge, but of course, check if it is spoiled. Cream cheese smells pretty acidic if it goes bad.
- Strawberries: It is best to store strawberries unwashed, but if you already did that, pat them dry. Choose glass containers, as they stay fresh the longest there. Also, in an ideal case, arrange them in one layer and don’t let them touch at all, so the air flows freely. I find them last about a week like that, but that depends on the fruit quality, as well.
Other recipes you’ll love
Red Velvet Pancake Tacos with Strawberries
This recipe is perfect breakfast treat to serve, especially on the Valentine's morning. Pancakes inspired by Red Velvet Cake are super moist, slightly tangy, and whole lot delicious! I like serving them as tacos with fresh strawberries on the side, to make them look fancy. Red Velvet Pancake Tacos with Strawberries are my number 1 recommendation for romantic breakfast for two!
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 3 tbsp granulated sugar
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 2 tbsp cocoa
- a pinch salt
- 1 ½ cup milk
- 1 tbsp vinegar
- 2 eggs
- 3 tbsp vegetable oil
- red food dye
- 12 strawberries
- 8 oz cream cheese
- ⅓ cup powdered sugar (or more, to taste)
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
Instructions
Making the Batter
- Combine the dry ingredients: flour, cocoa, baking powder, granulated sugar, and salt.
- In a bowl, merry milk and vinegar and let it sit for about 2 minutes.
- Add the yolks and oil into the milk mixture. Stir.
- Mix egg whites to stiff peaks in a different bowl.
- Mix dry ingredients and milk mixture, and incorporate some red food dye. With a spatula, slowly fold in egg whites.
Cooking the Pancakes
- In a non-stick pan, pour 1/3 cup of batter and let it cook over low heat.
- When the bubbles appear on top, flip the pancake.
Making the Filling
- Mix cream cheese until silky and add powdered sugar. Mix again until there are no lumps of sugar left. Incorporate a few drops of vanilla extract.
Assembling the Pancakes
- Place a tablespoon of cream cheese filling on top of the pancake and top it with diced fresh strawberry. Fold like a taco and serve.
Nutrition
Serving: 1pieceCalories: 216kcalCarbohydrates: 22.6gProtein: 4.9gFat: 11.9gSaturated Fat: 5.2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2.5gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0.03gCholesterol: 50mgSodium: 188.2mgPotassium: 130.5mgFiber: 1gSugar: 9.2gVitamin A: 344.3IUVitamin C: 7.1mgCalcium: 124.3mgIron: 1.2mg
Before diving into the nutritional details, please review our Nutritional Disclaimer page for important context and clarifications.
