Packed with rainbow sprinkles and topped with vanilla icing, these buttermilk birthday cake pancakes are the sweetest way to wake up in the morning. A stack of these colorful pancakes makes for an extra-special start to a birthday, a fun ending for a sleepover party, or any celebratory occasion that calls for sprinkles for breakfast!
I originally published this recipe in 2014 and have since added new photos, a video tutorial, and more success tips. I have also made a few small changes to the recipe, which are reflected in the printable recipe below.
For the most part, I try to make healthy, wholesome (but still tasty!) breakfasts for my family, like these fluffy whole wheat pancakes and whole wheat banana pancakes. But there are a few special dates on the calendar every year when normal rules donโt applyโฆ and thatโs when itโs time to break out the sprinkles and make a batch of birthday cake pancakes!
I started with my favorite buttermilk pancake recipe (in my first cookbook!) as the base for this funfetti-style version. I love this classic buttermilk pancake recipe because it makes the fluffiest, softest, most tender pancakes ever. Have you tried them?
I changed the recipe by adding a touch more baking powder and sugar, a little almond extract, extra vanilla extract, and a whole lotta sprinkles. The extracts, along with the melted butter, gives these pancakes the most delicious buttery cake batter flavor. Paired with sweet vanilla icing (and maybe a little whipped creamโwhy not go all out!?), itโs absolutely considered dessert. For breakfast.
Living the dream.
What Youโll Love About These Birthday Cake Pancakes
- Quick and easy to make
- Fluffy, buttery, and tender
- Loaded with colorful rainbow sprinkles
- Flavors of vanilla and almond extract make them taste like cake batter
- Topped with sweet vanilla icing (and more sprinkles!)
- Almost like having confetti cake for breakfast!
One reader, Lisa, commented: โThese were a huge hit with my kids, and my husband and I loved them, too. They were so light and fluffy, and while they are definitely sweeter than a standard pancake, it isnโt overpowering. They were great the next morning as well, popped into the toaster to heat them up. Thanks, Sally! โ โ โ โ โ โ
By the way, if you have a little extra time on your hands youโll also love these sprinkle loaded birthday cake cinnamon rolls!
Key Ingredients to Use & Why
- Butter: Melt the butter first, to give it a chance to slightly cool before you mix it into the other wet ingredients.
- All-Purpose Flour: The base of the pancakes. See recipe Notes for info on using whole wheat flour and my whole wheat pancakes recipe.
- Granulated Sugar: Just enough to sweeten the batter, because youโll add sweet toppings like vanilla icing or maple syrup.
- Baking Powder + Baking Soda: Both give these fun pancakes some serious fluffiness.
- Salt: To balance the sweet.
- Eggs: To bind the ingredients together.
- Buttermilk: Buttermilkโs lactic acid, as well as its subtle tangy flavor and creamy texture, is required. Though I often suggest a DIY buttermilk substitute using regular milk and vinegar/lemon, I highly recommend using real buttermilk in these pancakes. I usually use low fat, but full fat works too.
- Vanilla Extract: A kiss of vanilla is the perfect flavor enhancer. You could also use vanilla bean paste.
- Almond Extract: This flavor addition is what makes these pancakes taste like cake batter. It doesnโt really taste like almondsโitโs the flavoring we always use in sugar cookies! By the way, have you ever tried this cake & cookie bakery emulsion? You can use this flavoring to replace almond or vanilla extracts in certain recipes, including todayโs.
- Rainbow Sprinkles: Make sure you use the โjimmiesโ style of rainbow sprinkles, the waxy strands. Rainbow confetti quins (the flat pastel-colored discs) work, too. Other types of sprinkles, such as nonpareils, will bleed their color in the batter, turning it muddyโwhich isnโt the look weโre going for here!
Make the Pancake Batter
Preparing the batter takes just a couple minutes. Whisk the dry ingredients in 1 bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients in another, then pour wet into dry and whisk together to combine. I like to use a large mixing bowl with a pour spout. Makes pouring the batter onto the pan/griddle much easier.
Success Tip: Let Your Batter Take a Nap
Let the batter rest for a few minutes while you preheat your griddle/pan and make the icing. This gives it a chance to thicken up, which makes for even fluffier birthday cake pancakes.
How to Keep Sprinkles From Bleeding Their Color?
Because there are so many brightly colored sprinkles going into this birthday pancake batter, let me take a moment to emphasize how important it is to avoid over-mixing.
Over-mixing your pancake batter will turn it a putrid purple/green/brown from all the sprinklesโ color. Not at all appetizing. Here are my success tips for beautiful rainbow pancakes:
- Use sprinkles that donโt easily bleed their color.
- Wait to add the sprinkles until youโre ready to cook the pancakes.
- Fold them in gently. Use a light hand and stir slowly.
Also! Over-mixing will give your pancakes a dense, tough texture. A far, far cry from the fluffy stack of rainbow pancakes you see here today.
The best temperature for cooking pancakes is 375ยบF (190ยบC). If youโre cooking on an electric griddle, you can simply set it to heat to that temperature. If youโre cooking in a griddle pan or large skillet on the stove, allow the pan to preheat for several minutes over medium heat. Donโt be tempted to crank the heat up to high; that will lead to unevenly cooked, burnt pancakes.
To test if the pan is ready, flick a few drops of water from your fingers onto the pan. If they sizzle in place and disappear, itโs not quite hot enough yet. If they โdanceโ around on the surface before sizzling out, your pan is good to go!
Many pancake recipes instruct you to flip when you see bubbles forming on the surface, but youโre actually looking for holes. Your pancakes are ready to flip when the bubbles are popping, forming little holes in the surface. Cook until the edges look set and you notice holes in the pancakeโs surface around the border, about 2 minutes. Flip, then cook for another minute.
For more pancake-perfecting tips, read this article on 10 Pancake Common Mistakesโand How to Avoid Them.
Easy Vanilla Icing
Vanilla icing is the perfect finishing touch for a tall stack of birthday cake pancakes. This addition definitely makes it feel like you are eating confetti cake for breakfast. I halved my original vanilla icing recipe because you donโt need as much.
Whisk together sifted confectionersโ sugar, a little milk, and a little vanilla extract. So simple!
The sweet buttery pancakes are amazing even without the vanilla icing on top (and this is coming from a pancake condiment junkie). The candle and extra sprinkles on top, however, are obviously necessary.
*Make a wish!*
More Pancake Recipes:
- Whole Wheat Pancakes & Whole Wheat Blueberry Pancakes
- Whole Wheat Oatmeal Pancakes
- Greek Yogurt Lemon Poppyseed Pancakes
- Strawberry Buttermilk Pancakes
- Pumpkin Pancakes
- Homemade Crepes
Birthday Cake Pancakes
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 4 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 14โ16 4-inch pancakes
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Cooking
- Cuisine: American
Description
Packed with rainbow sprinkles and topped with vanilla icing, these buttermilk birthday cake pancakes are the sweetest way to wake up in the morning. Let the batter sit for a few minutes to thicken as you heat the stove.
Ingredients
Pancakes
- 6 Tablespoons (85g) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
- 2 and 1/4 cups (281g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1/3 cup (67g) granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs
- 2 cups (480ml) buttermilk*
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract (or vanilla bean paste)
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract*
- 1/2 cup (85g) rainbow sprinkles (not nonpareils)*
- for cooking: butter or nonstick spray
Icing
- 1/2 cup (60g) confectionersโ sugar, sifted
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1โ2 Tablespoons milk
- for serving: whipped cream and more rainbow sprinkles
Instructions
- Melt the 6 Tablespoons of butter first. Microwave or stovetopโeither is fine. Set aside to slightly cool. You do not want it piping hot.
- In a large bowl preferably with a pour spout, whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together. Set aside.
- In another large bowl, whisk the eggs, buttermilk, vanilla, and almond extract together until combined, and then whisk in the cooled melted butter. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and gently whisk to combine. Make sure there are no patches of dry flour at the bottom of the bowl. The batter is thick and a few lumps are fine.
- Let the batter sit for 5 minutes as you heat the stove in the next step. This gives the batter a chance to thicken. You will fold in the sprinkles right before cooking.
- Meanwhile, heat a griddle or large skillet over medium heat. Coat generously with butter or nonstick cooking spray. Once itโs hot, fold the sprinkles into the batter.
- Drop/pour a heaping 1/4 cup of batter on the griddle. Cook until the edges look set and you notice holes in the pancakeโs surface around the border, about 2 minutes. Flip and cook the other side until cooked through, about 1โ2 more minutes. Coat griddle/skillet with butter or nonstick spray again, if needed, for each batch of pancakes.
- Keep pancakes warm in a preheated 200ยฐF (93ยฐC) oven until all pancakes are cooked.
- Make the icing: Whisk the icing ingredients together and pour over pancakes before serving. Feel free to add whipped cream and more sprinkles on top, too.
- Serve pancakes immediately. Cover and store leftover pancakes in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Notes
- Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: Pancakes freeze well up to 3 months. Reheat frozen pancakes in the microwave. Or you can reheat frozen pancakes in a 350ยฐF (177ยฐC) oven. Place pancakes on a lined baking sheet and cover with aluminum foil. Bake for 6โ8 minutes or until defrosted and warm.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Mixing Bowls (preferably with a pour spout) | Rainbow Whisk | Silicone Spatula | Electric Griddle, Griddle Pan, or Shallow Skillet/Pan | Pancake Turner
- Can I make the batter the night before? No, I donโt recommend it. Baking powder is activated once wet. You can, however, mix the dry ingredients and wet ingredients together and keep them separate and covered in the refrigerator until the morning. (But do not add the melted butter until ready to cook, because that will solidify in the refrigerator.)
- Can I make waffles instead? Absolutely. Use todayโs batter and follow the same cooking instructions as these gingerbread waffles.
- Can I use whole wheat flour? I recommend making my whole wheat pancakes instead, and using 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, and adding the almond extract and sprinkles.
- Buttermilk: Though I typically suggest a DIY buttermilk substitute using regular milk and vinegar/lemon, I highly recommend real buttermilk for these pancakes. I use low-fat buttermilk, but full fat works too. I do not suggest any substitutions. If you have leftover buttermilk, you can use it in any of these recipes.
- Almond Extract: This flavor addition is what makes these pancakes taste like cake batter. It doesnโt really taste like almonds. I also really like this cake & cookie bakery emulsion flavoring. You can use this flavoring to replace the almond or vanilla extracts.
- Sprinkles: Use rainbow sprinkles/jimmies. Do not use nonpareils (the tiny balls), which are prone to bleeding their color no matter how lightly you fold them into batter. In the photos, I used these rainbow sprinkles in the pancake batter, and these round confetti sprinkles on top of the cooked pancakes for serving.
- Update in 2023: This recipe used to call for 1 and 1/4 teaspoons baking powder, 1/4 teaspoon almond extract, and 2/3 cup rainbow sprinkles.
- Adapted from Sallyโs Baking Addiction Cookbook Blueberry Buttermilk Pancakes recipe.
Reader Comments and Reviews
Below the recipe, you listed the SPECIFIC changes made in the last update. That is SO helpful! I hate it when the author says they changed the recipe, but I have to compare every line to figure out what is different from the one I originally copied. It also helps when evaluating older comments. THANKS!
You know I can just use pancake mix and sprinkles and add whipped cream to it for less expence????
My toddler is requesting these for his birthday party. Any suggestions as to whether I can make this ahead? Iโm thinking just assemble before serving, top with whipped creamโฆbut they wonโt be warm. Unless I unlock some Mom Wizard level and figure out how to make warm pancakes and host a partyโฆthe things we do.
Hi Taylor, we donโt recommend making the batter ahead of time. The leaveners will be activated once the wet and dry ingredients are mixed together and itโs best to bake the pancakes shortly thereafter. You could completely bake the pancakes and then reheat in the microwave or in the oven to your liking. Hope theyโre a hit!
Birthday pancakes for the win! Easy to make, delicious, and the kids got a big kick out of the sprinkles and whipped cream topping. I didnโt make the vanilla icing, but maple syrup was sufficient sweetness for my over-sugared toddler!
made a double batch of these as waffles this morningโhappy birthday to me! they were PERFECT. i didnโt have buttermilk on hand so i used oat milk and lemon juice and it worked fine. the other major change i made was separating the eggsโthe yolks went with the other wet ingredients and i beat the whites to soft peaks and folded them in after rest of the batter was mixed and before letting it sit / before adding sprinkles. itโs fiddly but when i remember to do it yields the fluffiest waffles. โจ thank you so much for this lovely birthday treat.
I love your recipe itโs so good
My family LOVES this recipe!!! the pancakes are fluffy & thick every time. Sally, I really appreciate all the testing you do in order to create RELIABLE & DELICIOUS recipesThank you!
These were fantastic! Would this recipe work in a sheet pan?
Hi Sukie, we havenโt tested sheet pan pancakes but let us know how it goes if you give it a try!
Perfect
Making these right now as waffles and they are expanding like crazy! Sadly my blue and green sprinkles are also running badlyโฆbut the taste is great! Not sure whether itโs something I did wrong in the batter, or if thatโs just how it is for waffles?
Is there a specific egg substitute youโd recommend for this recipe?
Hi Cory, we havenโt tested any egg substitutes in this recipe. If you try anything out, please do let us know how it goes!
I used egg replacer by Bobs red and the recipe was an absolute hit. I made them for my daughters second birthday and she devoured them, especially the sprinkles.
I recently made this for my grandmother and WOW. This is truly the best Funfetti pancakes I have ever tried. Keep up the good work Sally!
Iโve been making this recipe for years! Itโs the best birthday breakfast! By the way, Happy Birthday Sally!!!
Thank you so much, Rachel!
Love the โ cook modeโ feature! A nice convenience!
Glad you find it useful!
Hi! Assuming the melted butter gets whisked in with the eggs and buttermilk after it cools slightly? These sound amazing, canโt wait to make them!
Hi Natalie, yes thatโs correct.
My husband is a waffles man BUT when I made these pancakes (without the sprinkles or icing) and served with warm Vermont maple syrup and soft, real butter, he absolutely loved them! Doesnโt care if he has another waffle in his future. Thank you Sally for a delicious recipe. The almond really tastes awesome paired with vanilla.
These were delicious! Made them for my daughters Birthday breakfast. So fun!
This recipe was great , i didnt have almond extract so i added some cinnamon and i left out the sprinkles for normal pancakes. My batter was extremely thick so i added half a cup of milk to thin it out. Other than that it was great.
I just made this this morning โฆ exactly as the recipe written but cut in 1/2. All 3 kids thought they were AWESOME (obviously, they have sprinkles!!). While cleaning up, I shoved one in my mouth โฆ omg so yummy!! (I grabbed a second one!)