Birthday Buttermilk Funfetti Pancakes
Birthday buttermilk funfetti pancakes! Say that 5 times fast! These pancakes the perfect celebratory breakfast! Crisp and buttery on the outside, perfectly moist and fluffy on the inside and flavorful and sweet throughout! Not only are they delicious but they are super easy to whip up making for a super fun bonding activity with kiddos.
These pancakes are a great way to incorporate funfetti into items other than the traditional birthday cake like these cookies!
Enjoy a fresh stack with a frosting glaze, maple syrup or fruit compote!
key ingredients
All purpose flour. A sturdy flour that perfect for soaking up breakfast syrups and toppings.
Cultured buttermilk. Adds a sweet and slightly tangy flavor to the pancakes and makes the pancakes lighter. Also, cultured buttermilk is thicker and helps the pancakes reduce spread during cooking!
Canola oil. Since this fat is liquid at room temperature it makes the pancakes pillowy-soft when cooked.
Egg. Helps to bind everything together and offers additional structural assistance.
Brown sugar. Just enough for a warm, sweet flavor.
Baking powder & soda. Leavening power that works while the batter rests as well as during cooking for maximum rise
Sprinkles. They make this recipe fun!
tips for making the best birthday buttermilk pancakes
- Lumps are good! It prevents the pancake from spreading out too thin and also helps trap air for a fluffy pancake.
- Grease the pan or griddle with butter! Both the butter and the pancake will caramelize resulting in a perfectly thin and crisp layer on the outside with a touch of sweetness from the milk solids.
- Let the pancake batter sit for 10 minutes. This gives you better pancakes for a couple of reasons.
First, it gives the flour time to absorb liquid making the pancake lighter and fluffier and also ensures that the lumps (which are good) aren’t just dry clumps of flour).
Second, it gives the leavening agents a little time to work- this way you get maximum rise from your ingredients! - Don’t wait for large bubbles to form on top before flipping the pancake. This dries out the pancake and could possibly cause one side to be overcooked or burnt. Before flipping the pancake the top center of your pancake should still be wet – its ok, the pancake will cook through once flipped.
- Jimmies are the best option for this recipe since they do not bleed colors easily and take a little time dissolve. Quins are a close second since they also do not bleed easily but once cooked they can leave behind a slight texture comparable to undissolved jimmies.
Nonpareils are not recommended for this recipe since they bleed and start to dissolve almost on immediate contact with any moisture so instead of a confetti effect your ice cream will likely end up with one single color as a result of all the colors mixing. - What to substitute for buttermilk? This recipe not only relies on the tangy sweet flavor of buttermilk but also on its viscosity. If you need to use a substitute opt for a mixture of plain, full-fat yogurt and milk – for this recipe – ¾ cup of plain, full-fat yogurt with ¼ cup of milk.
how to make these birthday buttermilk pancakes
Step 1. Combine all the dry ingredients in a medium mixing bowl and mix together until evenly incorporated. This ensures that the baking soda and baking powder are evenly distributed and won’t cause any unsavory spots in your pancake!
Step 2. Add the brown sugar, egg, buttermilk, oil and vanilla extract to the dry ingredients and mix until generally combined but lumps are still present.
Lumps make the batter thicker so it doesn’t spread as much during cooking so you end up with a thicker pancake. Plus the lumps also trap air making the pancake a lot fluffier!
Allow the batter to sit for at least 10 minutes before cooking.
Step 3. Fold in the sprinkle jimmies being careful not to make the batter smooth and still retain the lumps.
Step 4. Bring your pan to temperature over medium-high heat. Add butter to the pan, allowing it to melt and cover the surface of the pan. If the butter starts to smoke the heat is too high.
Step 5. Scoop pancake batter onto the hot pan, leaving about 2 inches of space between each to allow for the batter to spread a little and space for flipping. Using a ⅓ measuring cup should yield 8 medium-sized pancakes.
Allow the pancakes to cook for about 2 minutes on each side flipping the pancake once the edges are cooked and you can touch them without your finger (or turner) getting smudged with batter. Waiting until the entire pancake starts to get bubbles on top can overcook/burn on side of your pancake and dries it out.
Step 5. Enjoy with maple syrup or the optional confectioners’ sugar glaze!
Equipment
- 1 pan or griddle
- 2 mixing bowls 1 medium & 1 small
- 1 mixing spatula
- 1 turner
Ingredients
Birthday Buttermilk Pancakes
- 1¼ cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup neutral-flavored oil I used canola
- 1 cup cultured buttermilk
- 1 large egg
- ⅓ cup brown sugar
- 1 TBSP vanilla
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp salt heaped (do not level)
- 2½ TBSP sprinkle jimmies
- butter for pan
Frosting Glaze (Optional)
- ¾ cup confectioner's sugar
- 2½ TBSP milk
Instructions
- Combine all the dry ingredients in a medium mixing bowl and mix until evenly incorporated
- Add the brown sugar, egg, buttermilk, oil and vanilla extract to the dry ingredients and mix until generally combined but lumps are still present.
- Fold in the sprinkle jimmies being careful not to make the batter smooth and still retain the lumps.
- Bring your pan to temperature over medium-high heat. Add butter to the pan, allowing it to melt and cover the surface of the pan.
- Scoop pancake batter onto the hot pan, leaving about 2 inches of space between each to allow for the batter to spread a little and for flipping
- Allow the pancakes to cook for about 2 minutes on each side flipping the pancake once the edges are cooked and you can touch them without your finger (or turner) getting smudged with batter.
- Enjoy pancakes warm with your choice of syrup/topping!
Optional Frosting Glaze
- Mix the confectioner's sugar and milk together in a small bowl until smooth and set aside until ready to use.
