6. July 2026

Pink Velvet Pancakes

Naturally coloured, beautifully fluffy, and topped with a silky vanilla cheesecake cream—these pancakes prove that looking after what you eat doesn't mean settling for boring food.

Tony Says…

"No food colouring, no funny business—just a humble beetroot doing all the hard work. Who knew vegetables could clean up this well?"

The Story Behind the Dish

Some recipes happen completely by accident. This was one of them.

I've always loved the idea of Red Velvet desserts—the beautiful colour, the hint of vanilla and that irresistible cream cheese topping—but I never liked the idea of adding bottles of artificial food colouring just to achieve it.

So after a bit of experimenting (and a few pancakes that looked more questionable than Instagram-worthy), I discovered that beetroot juice creates the most beautiful naturally pink batter while adding almost no noticeable flavour of its own.

The result is soft, fluffy pancakes topped with a silky vanilla cheesecake cream and piles of fresh berries. They're proof that indulgent food and mindful eating can happily share the same plate.

Recipe Information

• ⏱ Prep Time - 15 minutes
• ⏳ Rest Time - 20 minutes
• 🥞 Cook Time - 15–25 minutes (depending on pan size)
• ⌛ Total Time - 50–60 minutes
• 🍽 Serves - 4
• ⭐ Difficulty - Easy
• 🔥 Calories - 545 kcal per serving
• 💪 Protein - 19g
• 🌾 Carbohydrates - 62g
• 🥑 Fat - 16g

Kitchen Essentials

• Large mixing bowl
• Medium mixing bowl
• Balloon whisk
• Ladle
• Silicone spatula
• Non-stick frying pan or crêpe pan
• Palette knife or spoon (for the cheesecake cream)
• Thermomix Users - This recipe has been tailored for the TM6, but it should also work perfectly with the TM5 and TM7 models with little or no adjustment. If using a Thermomix you will not be needing the large mixing bowl or the balloon whisk

Gather Your Ingredients

Pink Velvet Pancakes

• 300g plain flour
• 60g erythritol
• 1½ tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
• ¼ tsp fine salt
• 2 eggs
• 320g natural beetroot juice (no added sugar)
• 10g white wine vinegar (or apple cider vinegar)
• 20g rapeseed oil
• 1 tsp vanilla bean paste

Vanilla Cheesecake Cream

• 300g light cream cheese
• 50g honey
• 40g 0% Greek yoghurt
• 2 tsp vanilla bean paste

To Finish

• Fresh berries such as strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries
• Powdered erythritol (optional)

Method

1. Prepare the Batter - In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, erythritol, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, cinnamon and salt. Add the eggs, beetroot juice, vinegar, rapeseed oil and vanilla bean paste, then whisk until smooth with no dry flour remaining. Allow the batter to rest for 20 minutes. This gives the raising agents time to work and results in beautifully fluffy pancakes.
2. Make the Vanilla Cheesecake Cream - While the batter is resting, combine the light cream cheese, honey, Greek yoghurt and vanilla bean paste in a bowl. Mix until smooth, thick and silky. Place in the fridge until ready to serve.
3. Cook the Pancakes - Lightly spray a non-stick frying pan with oil and place over a medium heat. Using a ladle, pour enough batter into the pan to create pancakes around 10cm in diameter—roughly the size of a CD... if you're old enough to remember those. Cook for around one minute, or until small bubbles begin appearing across the surface. Flip and cook for another minute. Repeat until all the batter has been used.
4. Serve - Stack the pancakes high, spoon generously over the Vanilla Cheesecake Cream and finish with plenty of fresh berries. If you've made powdered erythritol, finish with a light dusting for that final café-style touch.

Thermomix Method

This recipe has been tailored for the Thermomix TM6, but it should also work with the TM5 and TM7 models with little or no adjustment.

1. Prepare the Batter - Add the flour, erythritol, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, cinnamon, salt, eggs, beetroot juice, vinegar, rapeseed oil and vanilla bean paste to the mixing bowl. 15 sec | Speed 5. Scrape down the sides. .10 sec | Speed 5. Transfer the batter to another bowl or jug and allow it to rest for 20 minutes.
2. Make the Vanilla Cheesecake Cream - Clean and dry the mixing bowl. Add the light cream cheese, honey, Greek yoghurt and vanilla bean paste. 15 sec | Speed 3. Scrape down the bowl. 30 sec | Speed 3. Transfer to a serving bowl and refrigerate until needed.
3. Cook the Pancakes - Lightly spray a non-stick frying pan with oil and place over a medium heat. Using a ladle, pour enough batter into the pan to create pancakes around 10cm in diameter—roughly the size of a CD... if you're old enough to remember those. Cook for around one minute, or until small bubbles begin appearing across the surface. Flip and cook for another minute. Repeat until all the batter has been used.
4. Serve - Stack the pancakes high, spoon generously over the Vanilla Cheesecake Cream and finish with plenty of fresh berries. If you've made powdered erythritol, finish with a light dusting for that final café-style touch.

Tony's Tips

• Resting the batter really does make a difference—don't skip it.
• One spray of oil is plenty. It's an easy way to keep unnecessary calories in check without affecting the final result.
• Fresh vanilla bean paste gives the cheesecake cream a beautiful flavour and those lovely little vanilla specks.
• If you're cooking for a crowd, keep the finished pancakes warm in a low-heat oven while you finish the rest.
• Blitz around 10g of the erythritol in a Thermomix, coffee grinder or spice grinder to make a fantastic sugar-free icing sugar for dusting over the finished pancakes.

Good to Know

• The batter will naturally darken slightly while resting—this is completely normal.
• The pancakes freeze beautifully. Place a sheet of baking paper between each one before freezing.
• The Vanilla Cheesecake Cream will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days.
• These pancakes are just as delicious served slightly warm as they are fresh from the pan.

At Tony's Table…

Some recipes remind us that eating well doesn't mean giving up the foods we love.

These pancakes look like something you'd order in your favourite brunch café, yet they're naturally coloured, thoughtfully balanced and every bit as satisfying. That's exactly what Tony's Table is all about—creating recipes that feel indulgent, bring people together, and prove that good food should never be boring.

...and remember, there's always room at Tony's Table.