Cake Batter Pancakes.
I’m fairly convinced that the world would be a better place if more sprinkles were involved.
I know. I just made pancakes. It seems I have an unnatural obsession with cake batter. Well I do.
But hear me out.
When I develop recipes, I try to make all of them for a purpose. We really hate to waste food in this house. Crab cakes for dinner, cake for a birthday party, quinoa as a side dish… it all works out. I get to share it with you and we get to eat it.
Then sometimes, I get ideas in my head. Ideas that get me so worked up that I must attempt the recipe and give it a shot as soon as possible, even if it isn’t something we will eat every day. Otherwise, I cannot stop thinking about it. These are the things that keep me up at night.
Case in point: it isn’t anyone’s birthday. It’s not even really close to anyone’s birthday.
But I don’t need an excuse to eat cake and sprinkles. I believe it should be a daily occurrence.
And because pancakes always need some sort of topping, I went with a sprinkled glaze.
Because nothing goes better with cake than more sugar!
These are just plain fun.
Sure, they would be best for a special occasion like a birthday, but they also work on a random Saturday in January when it’s -2 degrees outside and all you want to see is some sunshine.
And you don’t feel like getting on the treadmill, so you decided to eat cake instead.
That wasn’t me. I swear.
And yes, this means you will have an open box of cake mix, just like you did with the cake batter bark. This is okay. You will manage. Sure, you may find yourself mixing cake mix with odd ingredients, but so what? Mother Lovett always had an open box of cake mix in her pantry. Given hers were usually about 4 years old… but still.
Just do it.

Cake Batter Pancakes
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 2/3 cup yellow cake mix
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
- pinch of salt
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1-2 cups milk, I used vanilla almond milk
- assorted sprinkles
glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1/2 tablespoon milk
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- assorted sprinkles
Instructions
- Combine flour, cake mix, baking powder, sugar and salt in a bowl and mix. Add 1 cup of milk, egg and vanilla extract and stir until smooth. You want the batter to look like regular pancake batter; not too thin, not too thick. This will vary greatly on the brand of cake mix you use. Start with 1 cup of milk and add more if needed. I suggest a small taste test as well to see if the pancakes are flavored enough.
- Preheat a skillet on medium heat (I use an electric grilled and turn it to 250 degrees). Fold desired amount of sprinkles into batter. Pour batter in 1/4 cup measurements onto skillet and let cook until bubbles form on top, about 2-3 minutes. Flip and cook for 1 minute more. Serve with vanilla glaze.
glaze
- Mix milk, extract and powdered sugar until glaze forms. You may need to add a little more sugar or water/milk to reach desired consistency. Mix into glaze and drizzle on pancakes.
Did you make this recipe?
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I appreciate you so much!
Maybe the secret to choking down broccoli is throwing sprinkles on top?
Wishful thinking…
674 Comments on “Cake Batter Pancakes.”
You’re kind of evil in a sweet kind of way. This totally beats out coldstone’s cake batter ice cream.
That is my favorite ice cream ever!
AGREED!! But birthday-cake pancakes may be the best birthday (or -2 temp) breakfast to date!
This is way too fun! My mom would die for these – two of her favorite things are birthday cake and sprinkles!
LOVE it! These really are fun pancakes, and would make any kid (or kid-at-heart-adult) a very happy birthday girl/boy. Or a very happy kid/adult on a Saturday morning ;).
These will be perfect for my daughter’s birthday breakfast…. in July…. maybe we will have to make them before that!
Have you ever seen the comedian Jim Gaffigan’s bit about cake for breakfast? This totally reminded me of it! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-o-u4IwXkbE
As a big sprinkle fan myself, these look amazing!
I don’t think I have, but I am going to watch it now!
I have. It’s hilarious.
You make me so happy, you bring tears to my eyes. Cake Batter Pancakes. I heart you.
Your recipes make my boyfriend fall in love with me over and over and over again.
Thank you. :D
First Red Velvet Pancakes and now this?! Jess, you are a genius! :-D
These are so much fun!!! It’s so rare that I make pancakes, but I’m always looking for a unique recipe. This is brilliant!
omggg. They look so cute! Who wouldn’t be happy eating that for breakfast?
If I had time this morning, this would be on my plate instead of granola in a bowl. I just made swedish pancakes last weekend, I will have to try these out this one! Thank you so much.
I’ve never had swedish pancakes. Gotta try those too!
OMG me too… LOVE Swedish pancakes!!
I love how you give me excuses to eat dessert for breakfast!
This is plain wrong. I find myself wanting these!!
-EVERYTHING- is better with sprinkles. Thanks very much for this, it looks like such a fun breakfast! I think I might make it this weekend to celebrate the lazy Saturday ahead.
My birthday is tomorrow – I’ll take these please!!! :D
These look delicious, I should not be looking at these at 6:30 in the morning.
I know… I’m sorry.
I’m jumping for joy! I’m gonna request these on my birthday! Totally makes me feel like a kid again! And I want them served on that “You Are Special” plate too :)
These look good, but I’m still holding out for cake batter dip.
GAH…you would! i need these…please come over and make them for me?
I LOVE fun pancakes to start the day! We have no food rules here. Tony ate lemon meringue pie and wine for dinner last night. That covered all the food groups!
Hahaha! That sounds like my kind of dinner. ;)
These remind me of the traditional Australian kids birthday party food – fairy bread! For those who have missed out on this delicacy, fairy bread is white bread spread with butter and then covered thickly with sprinkles. Sugar overload!
Never heard of that but I doubt I’d pass it up!
My granddaughter LOVES fairy bread!! She’s addicted to sprinkles too!
Oh My Goodness!!! These look sinfully but yet divinely decadent!!! What a great option for breakfast on someone’s birthday.
These are way too cute for words! Kids would LOVE these :) (and grown up kids too )
This looks SO FUN!
How fun! What a cute birthday breakfast-love it.
Those ARE so fun! I love the cheery sprinkles… just what is needed on a gloomy winter morning!
You’re a genius! Thanks for the recipe!!!!
Haha I have been known to put sugar on my broccoli – so sprinkles aren’t that far off! Those look really fun :)
These are too cute. They would be fun for a birthday breakfast (or dinner) and SO fun for kids, too.
It’s like funfetti pancakes!
I lOVE sprinkles! These are too cute! My daughter’s favorite ice cream is birthday cake from a local ice cream parlor(Brusters). These would make her day! And they incorporate the rainbow colors just like the food pyramid tells us too!
I’m drooling over the pictures as I type!! But I have a question – did you mean to put syrup in the glaze instructions???? Not that syrup is a bad thing but I thought I would ask. Yesterday I caught my 23 year old son “tasting” the syrup from the bottle. Gosh I love that kid!!!
Ooops sorry! I meant extract. And that’s funny… hahaha.
I’m fairly certain you and i are soul mates. Do you have any idea how many recipes ive got kicking around the old noggin for cake batter related things? I’ll give you a hint; millions.
We must share a brain.
I have this one idea… It’s been brewing for a while now, and even though it doesn’t even exist yet, I find myself craving it. Just you wait. I won’t let you down ;)
I absolutely love these! I’ve been drooling over your cake batter bark and haven’t had a birthday to make it for. However, the hubby’s birthday is coming up and I think I might have to make him these for breakfast and the bark for dessert! It could be a birthday cake themed day! I agree about rainbow sprinkles, I think the world would be a better place if everyone ate more rainbow sprinkles.
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Ok so now I HAVE to make these now! Off to buy some cake mix…
How cute do those look? I think if I had made those for the kids at the child care center when I worked there, I would’ve been anointed MVT (Most Valuable Teacher) of the Year, by all the kids!! LOL.
Course, now that I think about it, I may have had to get stuck tending to them as they bounce off the walls after all the sugar rush. Hmph.
oh em geeeeeee….i love sprinkles!!!!
The cake looks so tie-dyed! Love all the colors :)
We just had pancakes for dinner last night! But they were plain old blueberry pancakes, nothing like these! I already told you my love for sprinkles – I’m making these for mike’s birthday. Or for my own birthday. Or for Valentine’s Day…or all 3.
I made Funfetti pancakes in December! Are they not the best?! I topped mine with whipped cream. :)
I am obsessed with Funfetti! I need to get a box. It has been far too long.
Oh my gosh, what a PERFECT birthday breakfast!! It reminds me of funfetti icing…which I’m guess might be delicious smeared across the top. You know– because these aren’t decadent enough :-)
These look like the best pancakes ever! I totally need to try making these. They remind me of a funfetti cake which is my absolute favorite! Yummy!
What a great idea! I’ve never thought of making something like this.
It’s official. I’m flying you down for the next birthday. Not mine because it’s too far away. Just anyone’s. If I meet someone who’s birthday is next week, you better be ready to hop on a plane.
Jessica you are a genius. This would be so adorable for a birthday breakfast — you are so right!I love the taste of cake batter. When I visited my sister and brother in law in Oklahoma last summer they took me to Braum’s — an ice cream place and they had Cake Batter Ice Cream that was out of this world! I wish we had that chain up here in MN :(
What a fun breakfast! These will definitely help chase away the winter blues!
So wrong and so funny lol. My 3yo would love these anytime but I think they’d need to be reserved for a special occasion :) Very pretty and festive!
Yeah, these are a dream come true ;) Funfetti for breakfast? yes please!
That looks like a fantasy! Now I want to have children just so that I have a valid excuse to make those… but then again, why must I have an excuse?! I will be trying these amazing cake batter pancakes very, very soon. Thank you goddess of sprinkles!
yum!!!! you come up with such unique and exciting recipes! This looks adorable and so delicious. It could get featured in a magazine!