Julie Clark
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Cake Mix Pancakes
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Transform any boxed cake mix into delightful, fluffy Cake Mix pancakes. The perfect combination of cake batter and morning pancakes.
Tired of the same old breakfast options every morning? Introducing a game-changer: Cake Mix Pancakes. This breakfast recipe takes your favorite boxed cake mix and transforms it into fluffy, irresistible pancakes.
Whether you’re a chocolate lover, a fan of funfetti, or crave red velvet, this versatile recipe allows you to experiment with a variety of flavors. Perfect for Saturday morning, weekend brunches, birthday breakfasts, or just a regular Tuesday morning, our Cake Mix Pancakes will soon become a staple in your breakfast rotation.
What readers are saying:
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ Reader Paolo says, “I tried this recipe to basically use up a box of cake mix. They were a hit! I substituted almond milk for regular milk and the pancakes still turned out perfect.”
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ Reader Chef Brendan says, “I made lemon blueberry with lemon cake mix and fresh blueberries 🤤🤤🤤 no syrup needed.”
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ Reader Darnisha says, “My kids wanted confetti pancakes but I was out of sprinkles but I had confetti cake mix and came across this recipe. Pancakes came out warm and fluffy. I tried one right off the griddle for a taste test and it tasted like a warm cupcake. Will definitely repeat this recipe in the future.”
Why cake mix pancakes?
Pancakes made from cake mix aren’t just another trend. Here’s why they are a classic:
- Experiment with flavors: Ever thought about having a lemony breakfast or a carrot-flavored start to your day? By making pancakes with cake mix, every box of cake mix offers a new breakfast adventure.
- Budget-friendly breakfast: Have a box of cake mix sitting in your pantry that needs used? Transform it into cake pancakes.
- Kids love them: Getting children to the breakfast table won’t be a chore anymore. With this pancake recipe, you offer them a breakfast that’s not just delicious but also fun to make and eat, especially when topped with colorful toppings or paired with their favorite syrup.
Choosing the Right Cake Mix Flavor
Here are some ideas to kick start your thinking. Choose the category you are interested in, then pick a flavor to begin.
- Classic Choices: Chocolate, vanilla, red velvet or yellow cake mix.
- Fun Flavors: Funfetti cake mix, which introduces colorful sprinkles into every bite. Carrot Cake for a hint of spice, or lemon cake mix for summer on a plate.
- Unique suggestions: Butter pecan or cherry chip make some of the best pancakes. 😋
Tips and Tricks for the Perfect Pancake:
Making pancakes is easy, but here’s how you can perfect them:
- Do Not Over Mix: When you mix the ingredients together, mix just until combined. This will keep your pancake texture soft and fluffy.
- Consistency Matters: Your batter shouldn’t be too thick or too runny. If it’s spreading too much on the griddle, add a little flour. If it’s too thick, add a splash of milk. Work to find the consistency you like in a pancake.
- Griddle vs. Pan: An electric griddle provides more space, allowing you to cook multiple pancakes simultaneously. It also heats more evenly, preventing burning. If you don’t have an electric griddle, try a cast iron skillet on the stovetop with butter or oil.
- Temperature Control: Maintain a consistent medium-high heat. If the pancakes are browning too quickly, turn the heat down a bit. Remember, patience is key for that golden-brown perfection.
Pancake Toppings
100% pure maple syrup is a classic pancake topping, but with cake mix pancakes, you might want something different:
- Butter and brown sugar. Just try it. Trust me.
- Raspberry sauce
- Strawberry topping
- A drizzle of warm peanut butter
- Hazelnut spread
- Fresh berries
- Powdered sugar glaze
- Whipped cream and sprinkles
For the Holidays:
Red velvet cake mix makes an impressive stack of pancakes for Valentines Day, July 4th or Christmas.
Chocolate cake mix with an orange glaze or frosting and chocolate chips on top is spooky for Halloween.
Cherry chip cake mix will make your mom smile on Mother’s Day.
Storage Instructions
Pancakes taste best when fresh, but they can be enjoyed later too:
- Storing Leftovers: Stack pancakes with parchment paper or wax paper in between each, then store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
- Freeze Leftovers: For longer storage, consider freezing them in a single layer before transferring to a zip-top bag.
Cake Mix Pancakes
Cake for breakfast?! You bet! These quick, 5-ingredient cake mix pancakes are a festive and easy way to make pancakes. Choose any flavor cake mix you’d like!
Servings 18
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 box cake mix choose your favorite flavor, 15.25 ounces
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour 65 grams
- 2 large eggs
- 2 1/2 cups milk *
- 1/4 cup canola oil or vegetable oil
Instructions
- In a large bowl, use a whisk to stir together the cake mix, flour, eggs, milk and oil together just until combined. Do not over mix.
- Heat a griddle to medium heat and spray with cooking spray (or grease with butter or oil) so the pancakes flip easily.
- Scoop a ladle of pancake batter onto the hot griddle and cook until the top of the batter starts to bubble. (2-3 minutes, but watch them clsoely).
- Flip the pancake and cook for another minute on the other side until cooked all the way through.
- Continue until all of the batter is used. Serve with butter and syrup or your favorite toppings.
Video
Notes
- Use less milk if you’d like a thicker pancake.
- The exact number of pancakes will depend on how much milk you use and how big you make the pancakes.
- There’s no need to add leavening such as salt, baking powder or baking soda since the cake mix already has those ingredients.
Nutrition
Calories: 171kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 23mg | Sodium: 222mg | Potassium: 75mg | Fiber: 0.4g | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 63IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 106mg | Iron: 1mg
I really liked this recipe cause I was craving pancakes and this was much easier than running to the store just to get the baking powder to make normal pancakes from scratch. Really came in handy.
I made these this morning and they are great! I tried to reduce the milk because I was using one of those cake mix pouches and I knew it would be smaller. (I didn’t reduce all ingredients because I wanted to keep the 2 eggs as I love fluffy pancakes, and I thought keeping the flour the same would help with the extra egg volume.) Even halving the milk, I ended up adjusting with more flour because they were runny. But, once I got everything right, these were fluffy and yummy! Thanks for the idea!
These are a hit with my family. We have tried them with several different types of cake mix’s from butter recipe, chocolate, yellow, and from name brands to store brand. We use a 1/4 less milk unless chocolate mixes then you might take the extra 1/4 cup as they turn out a little thicker with less milk. One person mentioned theirs were like plastic or elastic – Don’t over beat them or they can. Make sure your griddle or pan is hot enough and not cook to slow. Make them rise quick, but not to hot to burn them. They… Read more »
Just mad these incredible eats. They were delicious, fluffy and light.
Not a huge fan of this recipe. The pancakes had more of plastic/elastic texture than I expected. They did taste like Red Velvet cake, but a bit less sweet.
My son’s birthday brunch party is Saturday morning. Can I make this these the night before? Would they still be as good? And do you recommend serving these warm like pancakes? Or cold like a cake?
Also, is there a frosting/glaze you’d recommend? He doesn’t love cool whip/whipped cream.
Thanks!
Would you be able to use water instead of milk? If so is it the same amount? More? Less?
I’m definitely going to try these 🙂 !! Just curious, what would happened if you just prepared the cake batter like it says on the box and proceed to make pancakes with it?
These look wonderful. Can’t wait to try them. Do you recommend homemade whipped cream or Cool Whip on top? Thank you.
Awll. Thank you so much Lizzy for replying. I actually forgot that I wrote a question on here. I just popped back on this site to go Ahead and finally try to make those pancakes now, when I was pleasantly surprised to see that you wrote me back the next day so soon. Lol 😀 Even though I hardly ever go on websites are ask any questions or leave comments, the few times I have, people don’t usually reply back, because By the time I end up finding their website, It’ll be like a year or at least months later… Read more »
I wasn’t sure if flour was needed, bc at the top of the page, listed in a paragraph I’m assuming Lizzy wrote, it didn’t say to use flour. But at the bottom of the page when summarizing again, what would be needed to make the cake pancakes, it listed flour. So I’m not sure. lol : \ I’m assuming the flour is needed, and maybe they jus forgot to list it at the top of the page. Could someone please write me back and let me know. Better to be safe than sorry. 😀 Ty sooo much!
what type of cake mix do you typically use?
I am new to homemade cooking, what kind of oil do I use?
What a cool idea! I tried them and the only downshot is it seemed like the 2 1/2 cups of milk was too much (I used skim, if that matters); it turned the pancakes more into crepes (not that there’s anything wrong with that ;-)).
I will definitely try this recipe again with a new cake batter (I did yellow) and less milk. This was certainly a hit with my 5 year old son!
Mmmmm these are so vibrant! I’ve not tried cake mix pancakes and I’m not sure what to make of them, but they look amazing! Thank you so much for linking up with me this week at Tasty Tuesdays! I’ve pinned this & shared it with my followers! Please be sure to stop back by the party and check out some of the other links!
These are perfect for 4th of July! Gorgeous!