Funfetti Pancakes

These Funfetti Pancakes make every day feel like a celebration!

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Who doesn’t like the weekend? Lazy mornings, farmer’s markets, movie time…it’s all right there. Oh, and pancakes. Any person knows that while Saturday mornings are reserved for cereal and cartoons, just like the good ol’ days, Sundays? Well, Sundays are for pancakes. That’s right—fluffy, light, moist, and delicious, pancakes are the best brunch, and the most customizable. Whether you dip them in syrup, top them with powdered sugar, or pile them high to see how tall of a stack you can eat, there’s really no wrong way to eat them.

But I think kids are really the true masters of pancakes. While we’re out here making ‘protein’ pancakes and loading our batters with cottage cheese, kids are loading their platters with sprinkles! While they may not be as flavorful as fresh fruit or as sinful as semi-sweet chocolate chips, sprinkles make every dish they adorn an adventure unto themselves. And well, when you add sprinkles to any ‘cake’ of any kind, as Pillsbury taught us long ago, it becomes ‘Funfetti.’ It’s all in the name! Fun confetti, sprinkles just make everything more festive.

This recipe requires putting the sprinkles right into the pancake batter, giving it that ‘Funfetti’ flair, but if you’d rather keep your pancakes plain and use the toppings to jazz it up in a festive way, simply omit the sprinkles from the pancake batter and make the ‘Funfetti’ frosting from this recipe instead. Keep in mind, this is Greek yogurt frosting, meant to be healthier and, you guessed it, more protein-packed. If you’d rather just go all in and splurge, you could even top these pancakes with some Chocolate Whipped Cream that really feels like a weekend celebration!

Are Funfetti Pancakes Healthy?

While health isn’t the first thing that comes to mind when you read this recipe, there are definitely tweaks you can make to make it work for you and your dietary needs. For instance, to ramp up the fiber while also giving your pancakes a bit of a bite, replace at least half of the flour with oat flour! As a whole grain, oat flour offers more nutrients—and fiber—than white flour, and has the added benefit of giving your pancakes a bit of a bite and heft.

You can also replace the butter with coconut oil and regular milk with a plant-based milk like almond or oat to make these pancakes vegan-friendly, along with replacing the eggs with an egg substitute or applesauce. Simply replace 1 egg with 1/4 cup applesauce to bump up the nutrients in these pancakes while also making them vegan. Throw in a teaspoon of cinnamon with your dry ingredients if replacing your eggs with applesauce to give them that familar ‘apple-cinnamon’ appeal.

What Do Funfetti Pancakes Taste Like?

Honestly, the name does quite a good job in describing this dish—it’s exactly as it sounds, with an added bonus: it tastes like a twist between a light, fluffy birthday cake and soft-on-the-inside, crisp-on-the-outside pancakes! They often feature a light buttery back note that truly lingers on the palate, and can be topped in a myriad of ways, from whipped cream and chocolate chips to frostings, glazes, and/or syrups.

FAQs & Tips

How Do I Store Leftovers?

Cooked pancakes can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. To store them for up to 3 months, simply freeze them in an airtight, freezer-safe container or Ziploc bag, placing parchment paper between the pancakes to easily grab single servings. To reheat the pancakes, microwave them in 15 to 20-second intervals or pop them in a toaster to really retain their crisp, outer texture.

How Do I Make Sure My Pancakes Are Fluffy?

For pancakes that are extra fluffy, let the pancake batter ‘rest’ for at least 10 minutes before cooking. You can always heat the skillet while the batter is resting, starting on high and then reducing the heat to medium once you pour the batter into the pan to ensure even cooking. Additionally, folding the sprinkles into your pancake batter, rather than mixing them in, ensures that you won’t overmix the batter and develop the flour’s gluten too much, resulting in a tough, chewy pancake.

How Do I Customize These Pancakes For The 4th of July?

Luckily, sprinkles come in all colors! In fact, that’s what makes them so perfect for a theme. Use a red, white, and blue sprinkle mix to make your pancakes ‘Independence Day appropriate.’ In fact, you can ‘theme’ them multiple ways! Want to make Christmas pancakes? No problem: red and green are the colors for you. Is your child currently obsessed with the color purple? Load on the purple sprinkles!

Serving Suggestions

Like I said, these pancakes are highly customizable, so if you want them to taste like, say, cheesecake, just top them off with this Cream Cheese Crêpe Filling—after all, Crêpes are just another breakfast and brunch delight!

Speaking of brunch, these pancakes can 100% be a part of a delicious, fun-filled brunch spread for the whole family. Pair them with these Crock-Pot Breakfast Potatoes, some Breakfast Sausage, and a cup of Strawberry Yogurt for a balanced brunch that’s both delicious and satisfying. You could even throw in a Zucchini Smoothie for your daily dose of greens to boot!