Celebrate a birthday morning with a stack of these incredibly fluffy funfetti pancakes that taste like birthday cake! Peppered with rainbow sprinkles and topped with vanilla glaze, these fun pancakes are quick and easy to throw together to surprise a loved one on their special day.
If you want to make a large batch of these pancakes to have on hand, feel free to double the recipe and freeze the pancakes. See the FAQ section for full details. For more pancake recipes, try my lemon ricotta pancakes, banana pancakes, and blueberry pancakes.
Ingredients
Flour — all-purpose flour is perfect for this funfetti pancake recipe.
Sugar — since the vanilla glaze is quite sweet, the funfetti pancakes themselves only need a little granulated sugar.
Leavening — baking powder and baking soda help the pancakes puff up.
Salt — salt balances the flavors in this recipe.
Buttermilk — use full-fat buttermilk for the most tender pancakes.
Large eggs — eggs help to bind the pancake batter.
Vanilla extract — try my homemade vanilla extract recipe, or use your favorite brand of good vanilla extract!
Almond extract — while optional, almond extract makes these pancakes taste just like a bakery birthday cake, so I recommend including it!
Butter — melted butter adds richness and flavor. Use unsalted butter since this easy recipe already includes salt.
Sprinkles — rainbow jimmies are the best option.
Vanilla icing — for the vanilla glaze, you need powdered sugar, milk, vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt.
Funfetti Pancakes Recipe
Equipment
- Large nonstick skillet or griddle
Ingredients
For the Pancakes:
- 1¾ cups all-purpose flour (210g)
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 1¾ cups buttermilk (360mL)
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract optional
- ¼ cup butter melted and cooled (56g)
- ⅓ cup rainbow jimmy sprinkles plus more to serve
For the Icing:
- 1½ cups powdered sugar (180g)
- 3 tablespoons milk
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pinch salt
- Whipped cream optional
Instructions
For the Pancakes:
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
- In a medium bowl whisk together the buttermilk, eggs, vanilla, and almond extract, if using.
- Pour the buttermilk mixture into the flour mixture. Add the butter then fold together to make a lumpy batter. Add the sprinkles and stir gently to combine. Let the batter rest while heating the skillet.
- Heat a large nonstick skillet or griddle over medium-high heat. Once hot, coat it with 1 additional teaspoon of melted butter. Working in batches, add ¼ to ⅓ cup of batter to the pan for each pancake, leaving space in between.
- Reduce the heat to medium and cook for 3 to 4 minutes until golden on the bottom and bubbles start to appear on the top. Flip over and cook for 1 to 2 more minutes or until golden brown.
- Repeat with the remaining pancake batter, adjusting the heat higher or lower as needed. (The pancakes can brown more quickly in subsequent batches.)
For the Vanilla Icing:
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, milk, vanilla, and salt until very smooth.
- Serve the pancakes drizzled with some icing and topped with whipped cream, if you like.
Notes
- Weigh the flour. Adding too much flour is a common mistake that yields dry funfetti pancakes. Weigh the flour with a scale if you have one. If not, fluff your flour, then spoon it into your measuring cup and level it off with a knife.
- Don’t have buttermilk? You can substitute whole milk instead, but the pancakes won’t be quite as fluffy. Since regular milk is thinner than buttermilk, start with 1½ cups (360mL). Add the remaining ¼ cup of milk incrementally until the batter reaches your desired consistency. Or, make homemade buttermilk with whole milk and lemon juice!
- Leave room between each pancake. This is important so there’s enough space to flip them easily. If you overcrowd the skillet, the pancakes can either spread and touch, or you can smash them while trying to flip another pancake.
- Keep funfetti pancakes warm in the oven. To keep them warm while you cook each batch, place a wire rack on a baking sheet in the oven at 200°F and add the cooked funfetti pancakes to the rack in a single layer as you make them. The wire rack will help air circulate underneath so they don’t trap steam and become soggy.
- To store leftover pancakes, place room temperature funfetti pancakes in an airtight container. Refrigerate them for 4 to 5 days.
Nutrition
How To Make Funfetti Pancakes
1. Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, eggs, vanilla extract, and almond extract (if using).
3. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Add the melted butter and fold together to make a lumpy batter. Add the sprinkles and stir gently to combine. Let the pancake batter rest while heating the skillet.
4. Heat a large nonstick skillet or griddle over medium-high heat. Once hot, coat it with 1 teaspoon of melted butter. Add ¼ to ⅓ cup of batter to the pan for each pancake, leaving space in between. You will need to work in batches.
5. Reduce the heat to medium heat and cook for 3 to 4 minutes until golden on the bottom and bubbles start to appear and pop on the top.
6. Flip the funfetti pancake and cook for 1 to 2 more minutes or until golden brown. Repeat with the remaining pancake batter, adjusting the heat higher or lower as needed. Make the vanilla icing in a medium bowl by whisking together the powdered sugar, milk, vanilla, and salt until very smooth. Serve the pancakes drizzled with glaze and topped with whipped cream, if you like. See the How To Serve section for more topping ideas.
Tips for Fluffy Birthday Cake Pancakes
- Use buttermilk. Buttermilk’s acidity activates the baking soda, which helps the pancakes rise and become fluffy.
- Don’t overmix the batter. A slightly lumpy batter is actually better for fluffy funfetti pancakes! Not only will over-mixing cause them to turn out tough, but it can also cause the sprinkles to bleed into the batter.
- Let the batter rest. The batter will thicken slightly as the flour hydrates, and the leavening ingredients will activate for the fluffiest pancakes.
- Don’t flip the pancakes too soon! When the bubbles that form on top of the pancake pop, the pancake is ready to flip. Only flip pancakes once, or they can become dense.
What Type Of Sprinkles Should I Use?
Rainbow jimmies are the best sprinkles for homemade funfetti pancakes. Betty Crocker is my preferred brand, as the sprinkles don’t bleed while being mixed into the batter. I use them for all of my funfetti recipes, including funfetti cookies, funfetti cake, and funfetti cupcakes!
You can also use homemade sprinkles! Or, depending on the special occasion, you can change up the color of the sprinkles to go with your theme. Avoid nonpareils, which will bleed into and discolor the batter.
How To Serve
A generous drizzle of homemade vanilla icing and a dollop of whipped cream is so good on these birthday cake pancakes, but here are some other toppings you could try:
- Butter or honey butter
- Powdered sugar
- Extra sprinkles
- Fresh fruit
- Maple syrup
- Hot fudge sauce
- Caramel sauce
Pro Tips For Making This Recipe
- Weigh the flour. Adding too much flour is a common mistake that yields dry funfetti pancakes. Weigh the flour with a scale if you have one. If not, fluff your flour, then spoon it into your measuring cup and level it off with a knife.
- Don’t have buttermilk? You can substitute whole milk instead, but the pancakes won’t be quite as fluffy. Since regular milk is thinner than buttermilk, start with 1½ cups (360mL). Add the remaining ¼ cup of milk incrementally until the batter reaches your desired consistency. Or, make homemade buttermilk with whole milk and lemon juice!
- Leave room between each pancake. This is important so there’s enough space to flip them easily. If you overcrowd the skillet, the pancakes can either spread and touch, or you can smash them while trying to flip another pancake.
- Keep funfetti pancakes warm in the oven. To keep them warm while you cook each batch, place a wire rack on a baking sheet in the oven at 200°F and add the cooked funfetti pancakes to the rack in a single layer as you make them. The wire rack will help air circulate underneath so they don’t trap steam and become soggy.
- To store leftover pancakes, place room temperature funfetti pancakes in an airtight container. Refrigerate them for 4 to 5 days.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! Once the birthday cake pancakes have cooled completely, stack them in a freezer-safe container with sheets of parchment paper between layers to prevent sticking. Freeze for up to 3 months. Reheat them in the oven at 350°F for 5 to 10 minutes or in the air fryer at 300°F for 3 to 5 minutes.
I recommend sticking with the skillet method instead. If you have an electric griddle or a larger stovetop one, you can cook a larger batch at one time.
After a couple of minutes of your skillet preheating, sprinkle a little bit of water on the surface of the pan. If the pan is ready, the droplets should dance around the pan and evaporate within 5 to 10 seconds. If the droplets just sizzle and are slow to evaporate, the pan is not yet ready.
If you’ve tried this funfetti pancakes recipe, then don’t forget to rate it and let me know how you got on in the comments below. I love hearing from you!
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