Funfetti Pancakes

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These Funfetti Pancakes will make a birthday shine or give an ordinary day a special start. A cake mix gives it that well-loved cake batter flavor, but these still have a wonderful pancake texture.  And don’t forget the buttercream glaze on top!

Summertime is the season of birthdays in our family. In our house, no birthday is complete without sprinkles. I love starting the day with a healthy breakfast, but on birthdays all bets are off. The sugar comes out in full force and the best way to start the day is with a stack of birthday pancakes.

Funfetti Pancakes have been a huge hit at birthday sleepovers and family birthday breakfasts. Kids LOVE the rainbow sprinkles inside. They brighten up that stack of hotcakes.

stack of funfetti pancakes with glaze and sprinkles

About this Funfetti Pancakes Recipe:

  • Flavor: “They taste like wedding cake!” What else is there to say? If you love funfetti cake mix, you’ll love this stack of sweet birthday pancakes.
  • Texture: Soft fluffy pancake texture and a buttercream glaze that melts in your mouth.
  • Method: This recipe starts with a cake mix and adds extra ingredients to extend the batter. You’ll cook the pancakes on a hot griddle or skillet, then serve.

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ Reader Erica says, “Absolutely AMAZING! They were the perfect combination of cake and pancake with an obscure but delicious amount of sprinkles!!! Personally I can’t tolerate overly sweet things so I eliminated the extra 2 tbs of sugar and they were almost perfect as far as sweetness goes. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe, its most definitely a family favorite!”

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ Reader Christine says, “I just made these for a birthday breakfast and they turned out wonderfully! The kids and adults loved them. I splashed a little more milk into the frosting to make it more “pourable” but other than that I followed the recipe exactly and it was perfect!”

Can you make pancakes with a cake mix?

Yes! These pancakes are made with a box of Pillsbury Funfetti cake mix. We’ve showed you how to make a  cake mix pancake recipe before and they’ve been a favorite ever since.  

Why change a good thing, you ask?  For these Funfetti Pancakes, I wanted more of a pancake texture instead of a cupcake texture.  A little firmer, not as “cakey”, but still super soft and fluffy. And of course, birthday cake flavor.

To get the texture I wanted, I started with my favorite pancake recipe I adjusted the ratio of the ingredients just a bit, then added in a Funfetti cake mix.  After a couple test pancakes and adjustments, I had my perfect pancake texture.

How to Make Funfetti Pancakes

  • Mix the dry ingredients. In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, sugar, salt and cake mix. Set aside. 
  • Mix the wet ingredients. In another small bowl, mix together the oil, eggs and milk. 
  • Combine the wet into the dry. Add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix just until combined. Fold in the sprinkles. Batter will be thick. (If you’d like thinner pancakes, you can add a bit more milk.)
  • Preheat the griddle. Heat a griddle to about 250-275 degrees Fahrenheit (low heat so the pancakes do not burn). Spray the griddle with cooking spray. 
  • Cook the pancakes. Ladle the pancake batter onto the hot pan and cook the pancakes for about 1-2 minutes or until bubbles start forming in the batter. Flip the pancake and cook for an additional minute or until cooked through.

Can you freeze these pancakes?

Yes! These pancakes freeze well. Place wax paper or parchment paper between each pancake and seal them in a Ziploc bag. Freeze for up to 6 weeks.

The wax paper will help them separate easily so you can pull out the exact amount of servings that you need.

3 pancakes with glaze and sprinkles on a plate

Pancake Toppings

Don’t forget the melt-in-your mouth vanilla buttercream glaze on top.  It’s your classic vanilla buttercream turned into a fantastically sweet drizzle to spoon over your freshly made pancakes.

Syrups such as maple syrup or blueberry syrup are great options, too.

a stack of funfetti pancakes
a stack of funfetti pancakes

Funfetti Pancakes from a Cake Mix

4.55 from 68 votes
These Funfetti Cake Batter Pancakes will make a birthday shine or give an ordinary day a special start. A cake mix gives it that well-loved cake batter flavor, but these still have a wonderful pancake texture. And don't forget the buttercream glaze on top!
Servings 11 servings
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes

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Ingredients
 

Frosting:

Instructions
 

  • In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, sugar, salt and cake mix. Set aside. 
  • In another small bowl, whisk together the oil, eggs and milk. 
  • Add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix just until combined. Fold in the sprinkles. Batter will be thick. (If you'd like thinner pancakes, you can add a bit more milk.)
  • Heat a griddle to about 250-275 degrees Fahrenheit (low heat so the pancakes do not burn). Spray the griddle with cooking spray. 
  • Ladle the pancake batter onto the hot pan and cook the pancakes for about 1-2 minutes or until bubbles start forming in the batter. Flip the pancake and cook for an additional minute or until cooked through.
  • This recipes makes about 22 5″ pancakes.

For the Frosting

  • In a small bowl, stir together the powdered sugar, softened butter, cream and vanilla. This frosting will be at a spreadable consistency.
  •  If you’d like to drizzle the frosting, microwave the frosting for about 10 seconds and stir, then drizzle over the pancakes.
  •  Double the frosting recipe, if desired.
  • Drizzle the glaze overtop the pancakes.
  • Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.

Video

Notes

  • If you’d like buttermilk pancakes, use buttermilk in place of the milk, then reduce the baking powder to 1 teaspoon and add ½ teaspoon baking soda.
  • Use jimmies or nonpareils. The color may start to come off the sprinkles and color the batter, so add them at the very end.
  • These pancakes freeze well. Place wax paper between each pancake and put them in a Ziploc bag. The wax paper will help them to separate easily.
The calories shown are based on the recipe making 22 pancakes, with 1 serving being 2 pancakes. Since different brands of ingredients have different nutritional information, the calories shown are just an estimate. **We are not dietitians and recommend you seek a nutritionist for exact nutritional information. The information in the nutrition box are calculated through a program and there is room for error. If you need an accurate count, I recommend running the ingredients through your favorite nutrition calculator.**

Nutrition

Serving: 75g | Calories: 435kcal | Carbohydrates: 70g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 64mg | Sodium: 495mg | Potassium: 211mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 40g | Vitamin A: 228IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 207mg | Iron: 2mg
Course Breakfast
Cuisine American
Calories 435
Keyword birthday, cake mix recipe, easy pancakes

Frequently Asked Questions

What are some add-ins I could add to this pancake batter?

Mini chocolate chips, white chocolate chips or fresh berries such as blueberries, raspberries or strawberries are a great option.

How long do you cook funfetti pancakes for?

This depends on the temperature of the skillet and how large you are making the pancakes, but a good starting point is about 2 minutes on each side.

Can I use water instead of milk for the pancake batter?

Yes, but the pancakes will have a slightly different texture and flavor.

Pancake Recipes

Our family loves to make pancakes on Saturday mornings or for a weeknight brinner. If you are looking for a new type of pancake, give one of these a try:

About Julie Clark

I'm Julie Clark, CEO and recipe developer of Tastes of Lizzy T. With my B.A. in Education and over 30 years of cooking and baking, I want to teach YOU the best of our family recipes.

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Reyna
3 years ago

I just tried to make this ended up with a goopy thick batter …. Where did I go wrong!

Janet
9 years ago

Happy Birthday! How festive and fun. No birthdays but we will be having a bridal shower this month for my daughter. Thanks for the recipe.

Paula Keeney
3 years ago

do you think you could make these on a sheet pan and then just cut them into squares and serve?

Holly Farnell
3 years ago

5 stars
Just made these. I have made many times before. I love them For birthday mornings: but thought I would comment. Don’t use the non pareil sprinkles. The little balls, in your batter. The color just mixes with batter and turns it like a muddled gray:/

Sian
3 years ago

Hi,
I was just woundering if you have to use the funfetti cake mix!😢😮😮😉😊😁😁😁😀😀😀😄😄😄😄😃😃😃😂😂😂

Stevie Smith
3 years ago

Can you use this recipe in a waffle maker?

Averie @ Averie Cooks
9 years ago

Adorable, awesome & pinned 🙂

Erica
2 years ago

5 stars
Absolutely AMAZING! They were the perfect combination of cake and pancake with an obscure but delicious amount of sprinkles!!! Personally I can’t tolerate overly sweet things so I eliminated the extra 2 tbs of sugar and they were almost perfect as far as sweetness goes. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe, its most definitely a family favorite!

Ryan
2 years ago

A few notes. I’ve made these twice. 1: batter will be very thick like brownie batter. Leave it. 2: you might try making it without added sugar first. Ours were too sweet. 3: the low heat is imperative. Don’t expect these to cook like normal pancakes. 4: cook these very small… like silver dollar size, and low heat. They’ll burn and be raw in the middle if you try to cook them like average pancakes. They cook slowly. 5: Make ahead of time if you have company over because they cook very slowly. 6: DONT use Annie’s funfetti cake mix… Read more »

Kristin
3 years ago

How can you cut this in 1/2?

Jessica Wilshusen
5 years ago

Can you tell me the recipe without using a cake mix? Or can you point me to someone who can develop this recipe without using a store bought shortcut? I want to make these from scratch. Thankss

Christine
6 years ago

5 stars
I just made these for a birthday breakfast and they turned out wonderfully! The kids and adults loved them. I splashed a little more milk into the frosting to make it more “pourable” but other than that I followed the recipe exactly and it was perfect!

Amanda
7 years ago

5 stars
Delicious! Huge hit, especially the frosting! Used this as the birthday cake for our breakfast get together! Definitely double the icing, you’ll want it.

Amy
7 years ago

Oh, these look delicious!!! I’d love to make them tomorrow for dinner (breakfast for dinner is my fav!). I don’t have funfetti cake mix on hand but I have a box of yellow cake mix. Will that work just as well?

Anonymous
8 years ago

Should the temp be changed if making these in a mini muffin tin?