It’s easy for me to find inspiration for fall recipes. I think about fall food, and it brings to mind many of my favorite things: pecans, butterscotch, caramel, pumpkin (duh), honeycrisp apples… you get the picture. For me, it also conjures up cornbread. I don’t know why… maybe because cornbread dressing is a Thanksgiving staple? And I definitely associate fall with Thanksgiving? But now I’m getting ahead of myself. It’s only September (but almost October!! Omg).
Since dating S.O., I’ve had the good fortune of experiencing three Thanksgiving dinners every year. One with my family, one with his mother’s side, and one with his father’s side. The ambiance of them couldn’t be more different! But more on that later. A few years ago, S.O.’s sister-in-law, Elisha, brought cornbread. It was just a pan of cornbread, nothing fancy, but it was the most moist and fluffy and AMAZING cornbread I’ve ever had. I could.not.stop.eating.it.
There’s something to be said for relying on classics and keeping things simple though. Not every recipe needs to have an offbeat and quirky spin on it. Just stick to the basics and find the perfect version of that. It’s why my Grandma’s old Lemon Bars recipe is still popular today… they’re simple, yes, but they’re good. So, so good. They’ve been perfected over time. This reminds me, I *must* get the cornbread recipe from Elisha. Even though it was just cornbread, it was knock-your-socks-off delicious.
Her divine cornbread was the inspiration behind this Cornmeal Pancakes recipe, which, incidentally, I did try to make a little original and out of the ordinary. Did I succeed? Yes, indeed. I feel that I did. Hopefully you’ll feel the same way. They’re moist and fluffy and taste like cornbread in a pancake. (How’s that for a compelling description? Ugh, I suck.) Aaaaand they have pecans and brown sugar stuffed into them. Aaaand a homemade caramel sauce on top that is super quick and easy. It tastes in-freaking-credible with the pancakes. Turns these almost into a dessert, which, is a good way to start your mornings. Dessert pancakes for breakfast. Just do it.
These are splurge-worthy, but you could skip the caramel sauce if you want these to be even simpler to make, and healthier. But why would you want to do that? Or you could just slather these in some butter. I may have eaten two that way… before then proceeding to dump caramel sauce over two more and devouring them.
Cornbread Pecan Pancakes with Homemade Caramel Sauce
Ingredients
Pancakes:
- 1 c. whole wheat flour or oat flour
- 1 c. cornmeal
- 1/3 c. packed brown sugar
- 2 tsp. baking powder
- 1 c. evaporated milk
- 1/4 c. water
- 1/4 c. oil
- 1 egg
- 1/2 c. chopped pecans
Caramel Sauce:
- 1 c. packed brown sugar
- 1/2 c. unsalted butter
- 1/2 c. heavy cream
- 1 tsp. vanilla
Instructions
Pancakes:
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In a large bowl, combine the first 4 ingredients. Add in all wet ingredients and mix until just combined. Fold in pecans.
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Heat a griddle or large saucepan over medium-high heat.
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Lightly coat pan with butter or non-stick spray and pour approximately 1/3 c. batter for each pancake, or to desired size.
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Cook for 2-3 minutes, or until edges are dry and the middle is mostly set. Flip, and cook an additional 1-2 minutes. You'll probably want them to be golden brown, of course! 🙂
Caramel Sauce:
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In a saucepan over medium heat, combine all ingredients and whisk well.
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Stirring continuously, bring the mixture to a rolling boil, and allow it to boil for 1 minute.
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Remove from heat and allow it to cool, but continue stirring it occasionally to whisk out any foam on the top. It will be smooth and glossy.
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Serve over warm pancakes and enjoy!!
Totally worth the indulgence.
Stacey @ Bake.Eat.Repeat. says
September 30, 2014 at 12:10 pmCornbread pancakes?! That sounds incredible. Not too sure about the caramel sauce, but then I don’t care for lots of caramel. I’m weird that way. The rest of the family would love it though! And adding pecans to pancakes sounds like a great idea, I need to do that!
Sarah says
September 30, 2014 at 12:29 pmHey Stacey! What’s new with you? Yes, the caramel sauce makes these pretty much dessert. Haha. But I liked the idea of ramping these up and caramel sauce sounded good at the moment. It was quick and easy too! These are really good with just butter or regular ol’ maple syrup though. We make pancakes most Saturday mornings and no matter what kind, we throw in pecans. They just add a little something! Hope you’re having a good week! 🙂
Kristen @ A Mind Full Mom says
September 30, 2014 at 8:20 pmThese look AMAZING!! I love pancakes and new combinations. This is perfect for fall. Pinned.
Sarah says
September 30, 2014 at 9:43 pmHi Kristen! Thanks so much for stopping by here! These are great with just butter and maple syrup too, but I was feeling the fall spirit, and caramel sauce was sounding delicious to pair with them. I also felt a little inspired by Ihop’s pancakes that always sound more like dessert! Haha. 🙂 Have a great week!
Zainab says
October 2, 2014 at 8:25 pmOh my this is such a great idea!! Love love love it!!
Sarah says
October 2, 2014 at 9:26 pmThank you, Zainab! Thanks for popping over here! I’ve been admiring your photography lately, btw! It’s all so pretty and I’m working at learning my new “real” camera – such a struggle!! Haha. Have a great night! 🙂
FilipinaMacBarbie says
October 4, 2014 at 9:37 pmThis looks heavenly! OMG!
Sarah says
October 4, 2014 at 10:39 pmOh thank you! Thanks so much for stopping by! 🙂
Andrea Fogleman says
October 5, 2014 at 9:11 amOMGosh this looks so yummy. My taste buds are watering just looking at it. Thanks so much for linking up for Scraptastic Saturdays. I’m sharing this on Scraptastic FB page, Twitter feed and Pinterest Board. Thanks for linking up!
Sarah says
October 5, 2014 at 9:38 amHi Andrea! Thank YOU so much for hosting a great party! I appreciate your kind comment, and thank you for sharing the recipe! Hope you are having a wonderful weekend! 🙂
Amy @ Permanent Kisses says
October 6, 2014 at 9:02 pmOoooh carmel sauce, that sounds devine! Corn bread pancakes… not so sure that the gritty of cornmeal does it for me in a pancake, but I could be convinced, potentially.
Sarah says
October 6, 2014 at 9:22 pmHi Amy! They are actually very soft and fluffy! And they’re super moist. But I hear ya – different strokes for different folks. 🙂 Thanks for stopping by!
Cathy says
October 9, 2014 at 12:12 amThese look amazing! Thank you for sharing at the Social Media Mixer! I am putting together a christmas time giveaway – I would love for you to join us! Have a terrific week!
Sarah says
October 9, 2014 at 8:23 amThanks, Cathy! I’d love to – thank you for the invite! Have a great week too! 🙂