Fluffy Rainbow Pancakes Recipe

Looking to make breakfast more fun for the kids, celebrate a birthday or have the perfect St. Patrick’s Day breakfast? This rainbow pancake recipe is the perfect one to make! Fluffy pancakes made from scratch with only a handful of ingredients. The bright colors of the rainbow make for a magical way to start the morning. Serve these fun colored pancakes in a stack or in the shape of a rainbow and the kids will love the fun twist on a breakfast they love!

Rainbow Pancakes Recipe

Making holidays extra fun for the kids is one of my favorite things to do! This year for St. Patrick’s Day our breakfast menu includes rainbow pancakes. This is a recipe I have made for many years and thought it was the perfect one to share with you guys for a fun St. Patrick’s Day breakfast idea. 

Most years I make Leprechaun Toast with Rainbow Yogurt covered Bananas for the kids for breakfast. This year I wanted to change things up and add some more rainbows to enjoy for breakfast and the plan is to make these amazing rainbow pancakes.

I have made this rainbow pancakes recipe for kid’s birthdays, or just because I wanted to make our breakfast for dinner more fun but they are perfect for getting started celebrating St. Patrick’s Day! 

These homemade pancakes are easy to make and are made with simple ingredients. The fun twist of rainbow colored pancakes is something that the kids will love!

Rainbow Recipes

• Rainbow Cupcakes
• Rainbow Cake
• Rainbow Grilled Cheese
• Unicorn Lemonade 
• Unicorn Cupcakes
• Lucky Charms Cupcakes

How to Serve Rainbow Pancakes

In a pancake stack. Stack the different colors of pancakes so they are in the order of the rainbow, red, orange, yellow, green, blue and purple. Then on top of the pancake stack add some whipped cream or cool whip.

Rainbow shape. Using a larger plate or serving tray place the pancakes in an arch shape with the pancakes in the order of red, orange, yellow, green, blue and purple next to each other. On either side of the arch use whipped cream to make clouds. 

Toppings. When it comes to serving pancakes we like to add some butter, maple syrup and whipped cream. Other great options are a sprinkle of powdered sugar, rainbow sprinkles or chopped fruit.

Tips for Making Rainbow Pancakes

Use gel food coloring. You can use liquid food coloring if that is what you have on hand but gel food coloring will give you more vibrant colors. 

Add food coloring a few drops at a time. Add a few drops of gel food coloring to each bowl and mix well until you achieve the desired color. Start with a small amount and gradually add more if needed.

Use separate utensils. To avoid mixing colors unintentionally, use separate utensils (spoons or spatulas) for each colored batter.

Cook on low and cook slow. Normally with pancakes, you cook them on medium heat when using a griddle or medium-high heat when using a skillet. So your pancakes do not have brown on the coloring you want to cook them at a low temperature and for a longer period of time than you normally do when making pancakes.

Use a non-stick pan. You do not want to put non-stick cooking spray or butter on the pan like you normally would when making pancakes because it will distort the coloring, so it is important to use a nonstick pan. 

Flip carefully. Once you see bubbles forming on the surface of the pancakes and the edges look set, carefully flip them using a spatula. 

Change up the flavors. While making homemade pancakes I always use vanilla extract, with this recipe you can change that up and use different flavors. Use cherry extract for the red pancakes, banana extract for the yellow pancakes, orange extract for the orange pancake and so on to change up the pancake flavors.

What Colors can I make Rainbow Pancakes?

You can make rainbow pancakes in any colors that you want. For mine when taking the photos I used green, purple, blue, and red. Many times I also include yellow and orange when making this rainbow pancakes recipe. 

How to Make the Full Rainbow With Pancakes

If you want to make rainbow pancakes in a full rainbow set up, then you will want to make pancakes in the colors red, orange, yellow, green, blue and purple and stack them in that order. 

Can I make one pancake with all of the rainbow colors?

Yes! If you want to have each pancake be a rainbow on its own you totally can. There are 2 ways to make pancakes so they have multiple colors in each pancake.

Layered Colors. You will want to use the layering method of making each pancake. Pour one color of batter onto the griddle or pan and let it cook for a bit. Then, carefully pour the next color on top. Repeat until you’ve used all the colors that you want the pancake to be.

Swirled Colors. For a marbled or tie-dye effect, drop different colored batters onto the griddle in random patterns. Use a toothpick or skewer to swirl the colors together.

How to Store Leftover Pancakes

Allow the cooked pancakes to cool completely and then place the pancakes in an airtight container or a zip-close freezer bag and store them in the fridge. 

How to Freeze Pancakes

Stacks of Pancakes. Allow the cooked pancakes to cool completely. Stack the pancakes into serving size stacks that your family eats. Wrap each stack with plastic wrap tightly. Then place each stack of wrapped pancakes into a freezer zip-close bag and place in the freezer. Pancakes are best when consumed within 1-2 months of freezing.

Loose Pancakes. Allow the cooked pancakes to cool completely. Then place the pancakes on a baking sheet and place the baking sheet in the freezer for at least 1 hour, until the pancakes are frozen. Once the pancakes are frozen, transfer them to a freezer bag or container.

How to Reheat Frozen Pancakes

Reheating frozen pancakes is easy. It is also super quick, which makes them perfect for quick and easy breakfasts in the morning. 

Place the frozen pancakes on a microwave-safe plate. Microwave on high for 30 seconds and then flip the pancakes and heat again for another 30 seconds. Continue heating in short increments and flipping or rearranging the pancakes between intervals until the pancakes are fully reheated. 

The time needed for heating may vary depending on the size and thickness of the pancakes, as well as the power of your appliances.

Once the pancakes are done being heated, enjoy your pancakes with your favorite toppings, such as maple syrup, butter, fruit, or whipped cream.

Rainbow Pancake FAQ

Can I make rainbow pancakes with boxed pancake mix?

Yes. If you have boxed pancake mix follow the instructions on the box for making the pancake batter and then add the food coloring. 

How do I make sure my pancakes are fluffy?

The secret to achieving fluffy pancakes is in the pancake batter. It’s important to avoid overmixing, as this can result in tough pancakes. Allowing the batter to rest for a few minutes before cooking is also a helpful step in achieving that desired fluffy texture.

Can I make these into mini pancakes?

Yes! These rainbow pancakes make for great mini pancakes. Just make the pancakes smaller in size than your traditional 2 inch sized pancake. 

Rainbow Pancakes Recipe Ingredients

• All purpose flour.
• baking powder.
• salt.
• sugar. White granulated sugar is what you need to use.
• milk. You can use whole milk, 2% milk, or skim milk with this recipe.
• egg.
• butter. Melted butter is important in this recipe, be sure it is fully melted before adding it to the pancake batter.
• vanilla extract. I prefer to use homemade vanilla extract, but you can use store bought. I suggest using real vanilla extract instead of imitation vanilla for the best flavor. You can use other flavors of extracts including cherry, orange, lemon, banana and almond to change the flavor of the pancakes.
• Food Coloring. Food coloring is used to create the vibrant and colorful layers in rainbow pancakes. Gel food coloring is often preferred

How to Make Rainbow Pancakes

In a large mixing bowl add the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar. Mix well with a whisk to combine flour and other dry ingredients.

In a medium bowl add the milk and egg. Whisk together to combine.

Pour the milk mixture into the bowl with the dry ingredients and gently mix just until combined. It will still be a bit lumpy, but that is ok.

Next, add the butter to a small bowl and microwave the butter until it is melted.

Pour the butter and vanilla extract mixture into the flour and milk mixture and gently mix. DO NOT OVER MIX.

Divide the pancake batter into equal portions into separate bowls. If you are making 4 different colors, use 4 different bowls, if you are making 6 different colors use 6 bowls. You want one bowl for each color batter. Add 10-15 drops of food coloring into each bowl and mix to color the pancake batter.

Heat a medium-sized skillet or non-stick frying pan over low heat. If using a griddle heat griddle to low heat.

Turn the pan down to medium-low heat and pour the pancake batter into the pan. You can make full sized pancakes or silver dollar pancakes.

When the pancake bubbles form around the edges of the pancake, gently flip the pancake over to finish cooking.

St. Patrick’s Day Recipes

• Rainbow Pinwheel Cookies
• St. Patrick’s Day Marshmallow Pops
• Lucky Charm Cupcakes
• Green Pasta
• Shamrock Shake
• Slow Cooker Corned Beef and cabbage
• Bangers and Mash