I always start my recipes with a little bit of what inspired them. In this case, I think it’s pretty straightforward. I love pancakes and I love anything birthday cake flavored. That’s really what drove me to create this take on my popular pancake poppers. These birthday cake pancake poppers are a fun riff on the first variation, chocolate strawberry.
While I love pancakes, I don’t always love the act of standing there flipping them. Plus, they’re kind of an odd shape to just snack on if you’re not looking to plate them. If you follow me on IG, you’ve likely watched me eat leftover pancakes like a savage. Tasty, but not ideal. That’s why I love these pancake poppers. They’re a perfect little poppable breakfast option, and at just 1 WW point and 42 calories each, you can enjoy a bunch without compromising your healthy lifestyle.
A healthier pancake base
Whereas regular pancakes are made with flour, sugar, butter, etc, my version leans heavily on nonfat Greek yogurt. It’s a WW staple and super versatile ingredient that I use constantly. From making these Bagel Hotdogs to these Nutella Cinnamon Buns, Greek yogurt remains the star.
In the case of my Healthier Greek Yogurt Pancakes (which you can also make in cinnamon swirl and pumpkin varieties), Greek yogurt lends an incredible texture, lots of protein, and a delicious bit of tang. It’s extremely similar to the base of these pancake poppers, so each bite isn’t just better for you – it keeps you fuller longer too!
Making birthday cake pancake poppers
If you thought regular pancakes were easy to make, then you’re going to love these. It’s the same concept – mix dry ingredients, mix wet ingredients, combine, but without having to stand there flipping anything. In the case of the poppers, you just pour your batter into a mini muffin pan and bake it all at once. One less thing to worry about, and they’re all done at the same time – woo!
In one bowl, you’ll combine:
- Flour (all purpose)
- Sugar
- Baking powder
- Salt
In another, you’ll mix up:
- Nonfat Greek Yogurt (I only use Fage 0%)
- Vanilla and almond extract, which give the birthday cake flavor
- Eggs
- Unsweetened almond milk (any milk works)
Lastly, you’ll fold in some sprinkles, spray your pan well, pour, and bake. Once done, just store these in the fridge in an airtight container and pop them in the microwave for 15-20 seconds before enjoying.
Birthday Cake Pancake Poppers
Equipment
- Mixing Bowls
- Mini Muffin Pan
- Oven
Ingredients
- 1 cup Nonfat Greek Yogurt I like Fage 0%
- 1 cup All purpose flour
- 1 1/2 tsp Baking powder
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1 tsp Vanilla
- 1/2 tsp Almond extract
- 2 Eggs
- 1/3 cup Unsweetened almond milk
- 2 tbsp Sugar
- 3 tbsp Sprinkles
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F.
- In a small mixing bowl, combine eggs, milk, greek yogurt, vanilla and almond extract and stir until uniform.
- In another bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, sugar, salt. Pour wet ingredients into dry, and stir until well combined. Gently fold in sprinkles.
- Prepare mini muffin pan by spraying well with cooking spray. Divide batter into 24.
- Bake for 18-20 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes, and then enjoy!
5 thoughts on “Birthday Cake Pancake Poppers”
Hi! Could you use Kodiak pancake mix instead of the dry ingredients??
Hi there! The texture would definitely be different – kodiak is a lot denser, whereas these are more light/fluffy. While I haven’t tried it with kodiak, you could try to make kodiak mix pancakes as is and then add the flavorings + sprinkles for more of a bday cake flavor!
Could use oat flour with the regular?
Also is it ok if not use almond extract?
Oat flour is much denser so I don’t think it would be a great substitute. You could try a gluten free 1:1 flour (like Bob’s Red Mill) if you’re looking to make these GF. Almond extract is what gives these a birthday cake flavor, so I wouldn’t skip that either. If you do omit it, you can add a bit of extra vanilla and have more of a vanilla flavor. Enjoy!
Love the texture of these and tang from the Greek yogurt! I didn’t have a mini muffin pan so made 12 poppers in full size. Came out perfect! Can’t wait to try the other flavors .