IHOP Cupcake Pancakes - CopyKat Recipes (2024)

IHOP Cupcake pancakes are sweet pancakes covered with sprinkles and a cream cheese cupcake frosting. These pancakes are also known as funfetti pancakes, but these cupcake pancakes are made from scratch! You can celebrate a special day, or even birthday with these easy to make cupcake pancakes..

There is nothing more satisfying than tackling a vast stack of hot pancakes straight off the griddle on a lazy Sunday morning. For generations, folks have piled into the family car and headed to their local IHOP to enjoy the seemingly endless variety of ways the restaurant serves up this classic American breakfast. One of the most festive and unique varieties of pancakes on offer is a relatively new addition to the menu, Cupcake Pancakes. The IHOP Cupcake Pancakes are smothered in icing and rainbow sprinkles and then topped with a dollop of whipped cream, turning everyday breakfast into the ultimate birthday pancakes. If you have never had the chance to give this American classic a try before, today is your lucky day. Follow the recipe below to make these fantastic pancakes from scratch and without cake mix at home!

Where Did This Madness Come From?

Combining icing and rainbow sprinkles with a pancake might sound a bit over-the-top, but it is sure as heck delicious! For over 50 years, IHOP has been shaking up the breakfast game, and back in 2016, the franchise introduced the concept of Bakery Favorites as a special promotion. For the first time, customers could order Cupcakes Pancakes along with Red Velvet Crepes and Cinnamon Swirl Brioche French Toast. Although the Bakery Favorite promotion was supposed to be only available for a limited time, the Cupcake Pancake proved to be so popular that IHOP’s customers continued to ask for it by name long after the promotion ended. This popularity eventually earned the recipe a permanent spot on the restaurants’ menus.

It is interesting to note that the inspiration for IHOP’s Cupcake Pancake might not have come from a cupcake at all but a cake. Back in 1989, Pillsbury introduced a white cake mix that included rainbow sprinkles in the batter and topped with a layer of icing. Pillsbury called this unique cake, Funfetti, and it soon became extremely popular among younger kids. It wasn’t until 2019, when the company was celebrating Funfetti’s thirtieth anniversary, that Pillsbury created a boxed mix to make Funfetti pancakes.

Tips For Making and Serving IHOP Cupcake Pancakes

• • Use an electric or stovetop griddle for the best results. You can use any heavy-bottom pan to make pancakes, but if you can, opt for an electric or stovetop griddle pan. Not only will you be able to prepare more pancakes at one time, but you won’t have to worry about uneven heating either.
  • Don’t mix up your batter too far in advance. Although you need to give the baking soda enough time to leaven the batter, don’t let it rest too long. The color from the rainbow sprinkles tends to bleed into the batter.
  • Keep the pancakes warm in the stove. If you are making birthday pancakes for a crowd, keep them warm in the oven. Set your oven to the lowest setting, and remember to cover them with tinfoil to prevent them from drying out.
  • Serve with bacon or sausage. You might think that sausage or bacon wouldn’t go with cupcake pancakes, but sweet and savory is a natural combination. However, you may want to keep the eggs for another day.

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Ingredients

Here’s what you need to make funfetti pancakes:

• • • All-purpose flour
    • Baking powder
    • Baking soda
    • Sugar
    • Salt
    • Buttermilk
    • Vegetable oil
    • Egg
    • Sprinkles
    • Butter
    • Cream cheese
    • Powdered sugar
    • Milk
    • Vanilla extract
    • Whipped cream

How to Make IHOP Cupcake Pancakes

• • 1. Place flour, baking powder, sugar, salt, and baking soda in a bowl. Whisk them to mix.
    2. Add buttermilk, oil, and egg. With a spoon, mix all ingredients until smooth.
    3. Add and stir in sprinkles.
       
    4. Heat a skillet or a griddle over medium-low heat. Brush with a little oil or spray with nonstick cooking spray.
    5. Pour in batter until it spreads to the desired size.
    6. Let the batter start to show small bubbles on top before you turn the pancake over to finish cooking.
    7. Cook the pancakes until golden on both sides.
    8. Make the icing by mixing butter and cream cheese with a mixer.
    9. Blend until smooth then add powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract.
    10. Place pancakes in a stack and drizzle with icing. Top with more sprinkles and whipped cream.
    11. Serve warm with your favorite syrup.

Love IHOP pancakes? Try these copycat recipes

• • • Buttermilk Pancakes
    • Cinnamon Bun Pancakes
    • Griddle Pancake
    • Caramel-Banana Pancakes
    • Cannoli Pancake
    • Pumpkin Spice Pancakes

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