Get ready to celebrate! These homemade Funfetti Pancakes from scratch will be your go-to birthday breakfast idea to brighten any special day. Also known as birthday cake pancakes or confetti pancakes, they are filled with rainbow sprinkles and topped with a silky 3-ingredient vanilla glaze.
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For more fun pancake recipes try Nutella stuffed pancakes to elevate any weekend brunch. Or, satisfy your sweet tooth with chocolate baked oatmeal or tiramisu French toast next time!
Of course, you can use store bought funfetti pancake mix in a pinch and add extra sprinkles, but there is something magical about making pancakes from scratch. This funfetti pancakes recipe is simple to make and adds a cozy homemade taste.
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Why You'll Love Funfetti Pancakes
- A fun way to make any morning festive, not just a birthday morning. Colorful funfetti pancakes are perfect for a sweet Mother’s Day breakfast, the first day of school, or any special occasion.
- These fluffy pancakes are a creative birthday breakfast idea or an alternative to birthday cake. If you’re hungry for the ultimate birthday breakfast, look no further!
- A kid-friendly breakfast idea, fluffy pancakes made from scratch are fun for the whole family.
Ingredients
You probably have everything already in your pantry to cook these birthday pancakes, especially since they are pancakes without buttermilk. See the recipe card for measurements:
- Sprinkles (also known as jimmies)
- All purpose flour
- Baking powder
- Milk
- Egg
- Butter
- Sugar
- Vanilla extract
Variations
Rainbow sprinkles pancakes are fun and festive any time of the year. But it's easy to change out the color of sprinkles in pancakes to make a variety of different colors for special occasions.
For example, you can make:
Christmas pancakes with these red and green sprinkles.
Halloween pancakes with orange, purple and black sprinkles.
Valentine's Day or Mother's Day pancakes with pink, red, and white sprinkles.
Fourth of July pancakes with these patriotic sprinkles.
How to Make Funfetti Pancakes
To start making this funfetti pancake recipe you will need two bowls – a medium sized bowl and a large mixing bowl.
Step 1: Add all of the dry ingredients (except the sprinkles) to the large bowl. Gently stir to mix. Next, in a medium sized bowl, add all of the wet ingredients and whisk until the egg yolk has broken up.
Step 2: Add the bowl of wet ingredients to the bowl of dry ingredients. Gently mix until a batter forms. It’s important not to overmix the batter. Finally, it’s time to add the sprinkles to the batter and gently fold them in.
Step 3: Let the batter rest for at least 15 minutes.
Step 4: Melt butter or oil in a large skillet on medium-high heat or on a hot griddle. Scoop desired amount of batter, I use a ¼ cup of batter to make one pancake, and gently pour pancake batter onto the griddle (or skillet).
Step 5: Cook on medium-heat until tiny bubbles appear and pop on the surface of the pancake. Flip with a spatula and cook for an additional two minutes until golden brown.
How to Make Vanilla Glaze
Drizzling vanilla glaze, or icing, over these pancakes with sprinkles adds a special touch to this birthday breakfast. Of course, a fruit compote or maple syrup tastes delicious on pancakes, but funfetti pancakes with a vanilla glaze is an extra special treat!
Bonus, the 3-ingredient vanilla glaze only takes seconds to make.
Step 1: In a small bowl, mix powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract. The liquids will dissolve the powdered sugar. Stir the mixture until it is silky smooth.
If you prefer your glaze thinner in consistency, add a little more milk. Store any leftover vanilla glaze in an air tight container in the refrigerator.
The vanilla glaze is a unique optional topping, but feel free to top these fluffy cake batter pancakes with maple syrup, homemade blackberry syrup, whipped cream, ice cream, or a simple berry compote, if you prefer.
Expert Tips
- Use warm milk when mixing the wet ingredients. If you mix melted butter and cold milk together, the butter will start to harden and form clumps. You can still make the pancakes if this happens, but the butter will not be evenly distributed throughout the batter. I heat the milk in the microwave for about 30 seconds.
- Don't overmix the batter! If you overmix the batter your pancakes will be dense and chewy instead of light and fluffy. Lumps in the batter is OK. The lumps will dissolve with resting and cooking.
- Give the batter time to rest. Ideally, let the pancake batter rest for 30 minutes. You can even let the batter rest in the refrigerator overnight. If your in a pinch and just can't wait to taste these delicious pancakes, try to let the batter rest for at least 15 minutes. Resting the batter will allow even hydration of the flour and help dissolve some of the lumps.
- Don't overheat the griddle. Overheating the griddle (or skillet) will cause your pancakes to burn. The sprinkles in the funfetti pancake won't show through if your pancake burns, so cook pancakes on medium heat. If the griddle becomes overheated and causes the pancakes to burn, turn it off and let it cool down for a couple minutes before starting to cook again.
FAQ's
Cooking pancakes on a griddle is better than a skillet because of the larger surface area. A couple of the best griddles for pancakes are this reversible griddle and this electric griddle.
When you start to see bubbles pop on the surface of the pancake, it's time to flip. It should take about 2-3 minutes before you see popping bubbles (or small holes form on the pancake surface). Once you flip the pancake, cook for an additional 2 minutes on the other side.
YES! Pancakes are a great make-ahead food, so make a bunch and freeze them for a quick breakfast on the go. To freeze pancakes, wrap them individually in plastic wrap and place them in a freezer-safe bag or an airtight container.
Storage
Store leftover pancakes in an airtight container, or ziplock bag, in the refrigerator for up to a week.
To reheat pancakes, preheat the oven to 350 °F. Lay pancakes in a single layer on a baking sheet and cover with foil to prevent the tops from burning. Cook pancakes for 5 minutes or until heated through.
You can also heat them in the microwave for 30 seconds.
Hungry for More?
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If you try this recipe or any recipe from Happy Honey Kitchen, please rate the recipe and leave a comment below! Enjoy!
Funfetti Pancakes
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Equipment
- Griddle (or skillet)
- Spatula
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients for Pancakes
- 1 ½ cups all purpose flour
- 3 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 Tablespoons sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ⅔ cup sprinkles (also called jimmies)
Wet Ingredients for Pancakes
- 1 ¼ cups milk warm
- 3 Tablespoons unsalted butter melted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 egg
Vanilla Glaze (optional)
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 Tablespoons milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Add the dry ingredients (except the sprinkles) to a large bowl. Gently stir to mix the dry ingredients.
- Melt butter. Warm milk in the microwave for 30 seconds. Then in a medium sized bowl, add all of the wet ingredients and whisk until combined.
- Pour the bowl of wet ingredients into the bowl of dry ingredients. Gently mix until just combined and a batter forms. Don't overmix the batter, lumps are ok. Add the sprinkles to the batter and gently fold them in. Rest the batter for at least 15 minutes.
- Grease griddle with butter or oil. Add ¼ cup of batter to the griddle and cook on medium heat until bubbles form on the surface and begin to pop, about 3 minutes. Flip pancake and cook for an additional 2 minutes until cooked through. Repeat until all the batter is cooked.
- To make Vanilla Glaze: in a small bowl mix powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract. Stir the mixture until smooth. If you prefer a thinner glaze consistency, add a little more milk.
- Serve funfetti pancakes with vanilla glaze drizzled on top. Add whipped cream and extra sprinkles, if desired.
Notes
- Optional toppings for pancakes: maple syrup, whipped cream, or jam/jelly.
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