This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
These birthday cake pancakes turn any morning into a celebration! Fluffy, tender pancakes are studded with colorful sprinkles and topped with sweet syrup or whipped cream for a fun, festive breakfast that feels just like cake—only easier and quicker to make.
My Chocolate Chip Pancakes are another family favorite, as are these classic Fluffy Homemade Pancakes!
Fun, festive birthday cake pancakes!
These birthday cake pancakes are not like your everyday pancake recipe.
Sure, they may look just like simple pancakes with rainbow sprinkles folded in the batter. But they are actually yellow cake mix cooked like pancakes. So, it’s basically like starting off the day with cake!
The pancakes are super fluffy like typical pancakes and loaded with sprinkles for that funfetti effect. This colorful breakfast treat is the best way to start your birthday — or really any day!
Why you’ll love these cake batter pancakes:
- Instant celebration on a plate: These fluffy pancakes look festive and fun with almost no extra effort. They are perfect for birthday celebrations!
- Soft, fluffy, and tender: The batter makes light, cake-like pancakes every time.
- Kid-approved and adult-loved: They’re sweet, cheerful, and perfect for special mornings.
- Simple ingredients: You just need sprinkles and boxed cake mix!
- Ready in minutes: A fun birthday breakfast without the stress of baking a cake.
Table of Contents
Ingredients You’ll Need
You’ll just need a boxed cake mix plus the ingredients needed to bake the cake and some colorful sprinkles!
You’ll find the full ingredient list with measurements in the recipe card below.
- Yellow cake mix – Any brand will work. You’ll also need the ingredients on the box.
- Eggs, vegetable oil, and water – In other words, all the ingredients called for on the cake mix box.
- Sprinkles – I use rainbow, but red and green would be fun for a Christmas breakfast! Use pink and red for a fun Valentine’s treat or use whatever sprinkles you have on hand.
How to Make Birthday Cake Pancakes
These cake mix pancakes come together in just a few simple steps!
- Make the batter: In a large bowl, mix together the ingredients following the instructions on the back of the boxed cake mix. Fold in the sprinkles to the batter and mix well.
- Cook: Scoop the batter onto the prepared skillet and cook just like pancakes. Wait until the batter starts to bubble like regular pancakes and flip to cook the other side. Cook until the sides are golden brown.
Serving Suggestions
This birthday cake pancake recipe is awesome with:
- Maple syrup or pancake syrup
- Whipped cream
- Fresh berries
- Powdered sugar
- Birthday candles
- A side of crispy bacon or sausage for a sweet-and-savory plate
Storage Suggestions
- Refrigerator: Store birthday cake pancakes in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- Freezer: Freeze pancakes in a single layer, then transfer to a freezer bag for up to 2 months.
- Reheating: Warm in the toaster, microwave, or oven until heated through.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! Any type of sprinkles will work. If you want to avoid the colors from blending together, avoid nonpareil sprinkles. They will bleed into the batter and make the colors harder to distinguish.
While these pancakes are not traditional funfetti pancakes, they fall into the same family. Just like funfetti pancakes they, are filled with sprinkles, however, these birthday pancakes are made using a boxed cake mix and not traditional pancake batter. They are basically like if pancakes and cake mix had a baby. They have an almost cake batter pancake-like flavor.
Yes—or any other flavor too! Strawberry would also be fun.
Yes. Cook the pancakes and store them in the refrigerator or freezer until ready to reheat.
More Pancake Recipes You’ll Love
Breakfast
Nutella Stuffed Pancakes
Pancakes
Sheet Pan Pancakes
Breakfast
Peanut Butter Pancakes
Breakfast
Oatmeal Pancakes
💌 Love easy recipes? Join my newsletter and get my Top 10 Reader-Favorite Recipes eBook FREE! Sign up here.
Need help with this recipe?
Click the buttons below to summarize it, adjust for diets, swap ingredients, or ask your own questions!
Birthday Cake Pancakes
Ingredients
- 1 box of yellow cake mix
- 1/4 cup sprinkles plus more for garnish
Instructions
- In a large bowl, make the yellow cake mix on the box as directed.
- Add 1/4 of the sprinkles into the cake mixer and fold in gently.
- Prepare a skillet with grease or butter and heat to low-medium heat. Add 1/4 of the batter to the prepared skillet and wait until bubbles start to form on the surface. When serval bubbles are present, flip to cook the other side of the pancake. Cook until the edges are golden brown.
- Top with any extra sprinkles and serve with powdered sugar, whipped cream, or any other topping of your choice.
Notes
- Use jimmies-style sprinkles so the colors stay bright and don’t bleed.
- Fold the sprinkles in gently at the end.
- Make the cake mix according to the package instructions, with the same amount of oil, eggs, and water listed.
So easy and practical. Love how quick this is for a weeknight side.
These look so fun and festive — definitely a breakfast everyone will love!
Love how simple yet impressive this idea is— perfect for birthdays!
Love how hearty and wholesome this looks!
Now this is my kind of quick and yummy cake!
The breakfast
So sweet! We did the same thing for Kaydee’s birthday, she loved them.
They sure are yummy!