Want to make breakfast special? These Funfetti Pancakes are a celebration of color and fun in the form of fluffy pancakes. Plus, they come together in just 20 minutes and are sure to make you smile!
Reminiscent of the classic Funfetti cake, these sprinkles pancakes are loaded with rainbow color and sweet flavor. But what truly makes them special is the buttery crisp outer layer encapsulating the light and airy pancake center!
This is a from-scratch recipe with no cake or pancake mix.
Funfetti Pancakes Ingredients
Here’s everything you need:
- Milk. Really any kind of milk will do. You can use anything from skim to whole cow’s milk, or even your favorite unsweetened nondairy milk.
- White distilled vinegar. Or lemon juice. This will be added to your milk to make your own buttermilk, giving you a thicker pancake batter.
- All-purpose flour. It acts as the base of your pancake batter.
- Brown sugar. For that coveted caramelization on the outside of your pancakes.
- Baking powder. For that fluffiness we are seeking. You can use 2/3 teaspoon of baking soda in its place in a pinch.
- Salt. To ramp up all the other natural flavors.
- Egg. To bind your batter together and help the pancakes rise. A flax egg works here, too, if you want to make these vegan!
- Vanilla extract. For extra flavor.
- Rainbow sprinkles. Or you can choose a color and stick to it!
- Butter. This is just to fry your pancakes in. Nondairy works here, too. Just make sure it’s unsalted.
- Maple syrup for serving (optional). This is optional, as these fun pancakes are sweet enough without it, but it does add some much welcomed moisture!
Sprinkles Pancakes Tips and Tricks
Start by Making Your Buttermilk
This recipe calls for acidified buttermilk. This will give you a thicker pancake batter and thus, fluffier Funfetti Pancakes. Unlike storebought buttermilk, acidified buttermilk can just be made quickly at home and can be made with any type of milk (dairy or not!).
I always choose to make this quick version of buttermilk for my recipes because I rarely have buttermilk on hand (if ever), and I don’t want to buy a whole carton just to make the occasional batch of homemade pancakes.
Green tip: Of the billions of tons of food wasted annually, it is estimated that 50% of food waste happens at home. Hacks like making exactly the amount of buttermilk you need instead of buying a whole carton can help you reduce your contribution to food waste.
To make your buttermilk, add 1 tablespoon of white distilled vinegar (or lemon juice) to 1 cup of milk and set it aside. I usually make mine in my measuring cup. In just minutes, the milk will slightly curdle and thicken. Don’t worry, it’s definitely still safe to consume!
Start with Your Dry Ingredients
Once you’ve set your buttermilk aside, grab a large mixing bowl to make your pancake batter in.
Start by adding your flour, brown sugar, baking powder, and salt to the bowl. Use a whisk to mix them together. Pre-whisking the dry ingredients will just ensure you don’t end up with any lumps in your batter.
Whisk in Your Wet Ingredients
Next, it’s time to add your wet ingredients! Add your egg, vanilla extract, and buttermilk mixture and whisk until smooth.
It’s always best practice to crack your egg into a separate bowl first, instead of cracking it directly into your batter. It helps you to identify if any eggshells fall into your bowl and gives you an opportunity to remove them before the egg gets added to the batter.
It also means that if in the small chance you got a bloody egg, you won’t have to waste the rest of your ingredients that are already in the bowl.
Fold in Your Sprinkles
I like to fold my sprinkles right into my batter using a spatula. Please note that the longer the sprinkles sit in the batter, the more likely the color from the sprinkles will bleed into the batter.
This will give you almost a tie dye effect by the time you are pouring your last few pancakes. It’s beautiful and tastes delicious!
However, if you want a cleaner look, you can always add the sprinkles to each pancake after pouring them into the pan.
This also means that if you only plan to fry up half the batter, and save the rest to make more pancakes later, it’s best to only add sprinkles to the batter you are using.
Get the Butter Hot in the Pan
Before you even add your batter, get your frying pan or pancake griddle nice and hot on the stove with about 1 tablespoon of butter.
The butter should be melted, and the pan should be nice and hot before you add your pancake batter. This will get you that perfect golden-brown crispy exterior and make it so that your pancakes don’t spread and flatten too much.
Green tip: Look for organic and palm oil-free butter if you can. Buying organic means you are supporting farms that do not use damaging pesticides and fertilizers, and palm oil production is a huge driver behind deforestation.
Time to Fry Them
Once your butter is nice and hot in your pan, you’re ready to fry your Funfetti Pancakes! I like to transfer my batter from the mixing bowl to a measuring cup or other container with a spout. This just makes pouring your batter into the pan much easier.
Make sure to leave at least an inch of space in between each pancake so you have enough room to work with your spatula and flip. I typically make no more than 3 homemade pancakes at one time in an 11-inch pan.
Pro tip: For thicker, perfectly round pancakes, use these pancake molds!
Each pancake will take about 3 minutes on each side over low-medium heat. You’ll know they are ready to flip when you see little air bubbles forming in the pancake batter (as pictured below).
Fry until they are golden brown on each side, making sure to add more butter as needed (you may not need all three tablespoons of butter).
Should You Have Leftovers
These Fluffy Funfetti Pancakes will last in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. You can also freeze them to last up to 3 months.
There are two preferred ways to reheat your pancakes. You can either refry them in a pan (no extra butter needed!) or reheat them in the oven at 350°F for about 5 minutes (or until heated thoroughly).
Of course, in a pinch, you can microwave on high for 10-15 seconds (per pancake). Just know that microwaving may make them a little bit rubbery if you overdo it. It’s also best to not stack the pancakes while microwaving them for more even heating.
If you do freeze your pancakes, just allow them to thaw them overnight in the fridge before reheating the homemade pancakes using one of the methods listed above.
Funfetti Pancakes Frequently Asked Questions
What are Funfetti Pancakes?
Funfetti Pancakes are essentially pancakes with rainbow sprinkles in them, making them extra fun and celebration-worthy!
Funfetti originated as a cake mix by Pillsbury that consists of classic birthday cake mix filled with rainbow sprinkles. Now, they’ve expanded the Funfetti flavor into icing, donuts, brownies and even pancake mixes!
This Funfetti Pancakes recipe takes a fluffy pancake batter and adds a generous amount of rainbow sprinkles to give you the classic Funfetti cake flavor in pancake form!
What is the secret to good pancakes?
Though many factors play into the success of your pancakes, the most critical step is frying them.
Make sure you always have some hot butter in your pan. This means allowing your pan to heat up and butter to melt before frying your first pancake.
This also means adding more butter as needed as you continue to fry more and more pancakes.
Is it better to make pancakes with milk or water?
Making pancakes with milk rather than water will yield thicker and fluffier pancakes. This Sprinkles Pancakes recipe uses homemade buttermilk for a thicker batter to give you the fluffiest pancakes possible.
Why You Should Make these 20-Minute Fluffy Funfetti Pancakes
- They’re fun! Sweetness and color from the sprinkles make each bite a party in your mouth!
- The texture. So light, so fluffy, and buttery and crispy on the outside!
- They’re quick. Ready in just 20 minutes.
If you’re loving these 20-Minute Fluffy Funfetti Pancakes and want more breakfasts worthy of celebration, check out this Epic Oreo French Toast and these Cinnamon Rolls with Apple Pie Filling.
20-Minute Fluffy Funfetti Pancakes
Print Save RateEquipment
- Pancake Molds (optional)
Ingredients
- 1 cup milk (cows or unsweetened nondairy)
- 1 tablespoon white distilled vinegar (or lemon juice)
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup rainbow sprinkles
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter (for frying)
Instructions
- In a measuring cup or small bowl, add the vinegar to the milk and set aside to slightly curdle to make buttermilk.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, brown sugar, and salt.
- Add the egg, vanilla extract, and your buttermilk mixture, and whisk until smooth, careful not to overbeat.
- Fold in the rainbow sprinkles and transfer batter to a measuring cup or other container with spout for easy pouring.
- Add butter to your griddle or pan and allow it to heat up on medium-high until the butter is melted. For the thickest, most perfectly round pancakes, use pancake molds. Pour batter into your molds or freeform circles onto the pan and cook over medium heat.
- When it's ready to flip, the batter on the uncooked side will start to form little air bubbles. Use a spatula to flip the pancakes, and allow them to cook on the other side for 2-3 minutes.
- Repeat steps 5 and 6 until the pancake batter is used up, adding butter before each batch to keep your griddle greased. Option to top with whipped cream and extra sprinkles. Serve warm with maple syrup. Try them with these Vegan Breakfast Sausage Patties!
Pro Tips
- You can easily make this recipe vegan by using any unsweetened non-dairy milk, vegan butter, and a flax egg. Just make sure if you are using sweetened or flavored milk, you adjust the other ingredients accordingly.
- You can use cooking spray instead of butter for a lighter version, but these pancakes taste really good with a little crisp on the outside. Please note, you may have to leave them on your pan or griddle a bit longer to get them golden-brown if you’re using spray.
- If you’re like me and love starting your day with pancakes, you’re gonna need to check out the collection of my best pancake recipes!
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