Mini pancake cereal is a TikTok trend that puts an adorable twist on two of your favorite breakfast foods. Pancakes and cereal! Loads of warm crispy pancakes served in a bowl with a drizzle of maple syrup and a pad of melting butter!

Syrup being poured on a bowl of pancake cereal.

Everyone needs cute mini food, especially in the morning. Mini pancakes, in a cereal bowl, served hot with a pad of melting butter and deliciously sweet maple syrup. This would put a smile on anyone’s face! Bonus points for an iced vanilla latte on the side!

If you love adorable breakfasts, you have to try our cookie cereal!

About this recipe

  • Viral on TikTok: This viral TikTok trend has become increasingly popular and when something is this trendy you know it has to be worth trying. Kind of like feta pasta, s’mores cereal, nature’s cereal, pesto eggs, baked oatmeal, or Dalgona whipped coffee…both are good, and so are mini pancakes! This is not crispy cereal that just tastes like pancakes. These are actually teeny tiny crispy bites of warm pancakes that give you all of the comforts of your traditional stack but with a fun little twist!
  • Easy Shortcut for Batter: The batter comes together in minutes, using a homemade Bisquick mix, which makes it even easier. The only added tool you need is either a squeeze bottle or a Ziploc bag with the corner cut. And that’s it! The rest is your traditional homemade pancake recipe. There is a bit more time needed to flip that many little discs, but the end game is so worth it.
  • Ready for toppings: Serve with any of your favorite classic pancake toppings, and it’s up to you whether you want to add a little milk! They will get soggy so if your kids are slower eaters, you might want to stick to a little powder sugar and some sweet maple syrup. All that’s left is to decide whether you’re going to eat this adorable breakfast with a fork or a spoon!
Mini pancakes on a fork, held over a bowl of more.

What you need

  • Homemade Bisquick mix – Spooned and leveled. A super easy mix put together in minutes. Make lots and keep the rest for other recipes. Of course you may use store-bought as well, but we love using homemade!
  • Whole milk – Milk with a higher fat content will add richness to the batter. You can substitute with other types of milk, but keep in mind they may change the final result.
  • Egg – You’ll need just 1 for this recipe.
  • Granulated sugar – Since Bisquick mix doesn’t include sugar you’ll need to add it in for sweetness.
  • Vanilla extract – Always a warming ingredient in pancakes which gives it a nice flavor.
  • Butter – A pad of butter for serving in a warm bowl of tiny pancakes. So good!
  • Maple syrup – For serving, along with any other toppings you desire.
Overhead view of ingredients: Milk, bisquick, vanilla, sugar, egg.

How to make it

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the ingredients until combined with minimal lumps. Normally lumps in the batter wouldn’t be a bad thing, however, you need it fairly smooth to get through the small opening of the bottle.

Batter Consistency Tip!

You want the batter to be on the thicker side, but also easily pourable. If it is too runny that’s a problem, but if it’s too thin, that’s also a problem! Pay close attention to the recipe instructions and remember to level off the pancake mix when measuring.

Transfer the batter to a squeeze bottle and preheat a griddle. Use the bottle to squirt nickel-sized dollops of batter on the griddle, about 20 at a time.

Cook them for 1 minute until they bubble up on top and start to look dry around the edges. Use a spatula to flip them and cook for an additional 15 seconds.

Tip

You’re working with less surface area and a faster cook time, so it’s a bit easier for these little guys to burn. For regular pancakes, it’s no big deal to use butter on a nonstick griddle, but in the case of pancake cereal, you might want to stick with oil or a nonstick spray as the butter has a lower heat point and may start to brown quickly. This may make your pancakes look burnt even before they actually are.

Serve warm in a bowl with butter and maple syrup.

Close up view of syrup being poured on pancake cereal.

Pancake Cereal History

Depending on who you ask, two names are at the forefront of who created this TikTok recipe. Both Melanie Locke and Sydney Melhoff come up often when you look into who created this. The internet went crazy when they each made a video of their pancake cereal adventures. The truth is we may never know who really did it first.

How to Make them Without a Squeeze Bottle

If you don’t have a squeeze bottle (or any clean empty condiment bottle) use a Ziploc plastic bag with the corner snipped. Don’t snip off too much, just a very small corner!

How to make this fun twist on pancakes your own

  • Make them Gluten-Free: To make a gluten-free version of pancake cereal use a gluten-free all-purpose or buckwheat flour. They are small so you want a flour that will keep its structure.
  • Add Fresh Fruit: Serve with fresh fruit such as sliced strawberries, bananas, and blueberries, right in the bowl!
  • Make them Fancy: For special occasions, top with some whipped cream and sprinkles.
  • Add a sweet garnish: Drizzle with chocolate syrup or caramel sauce and serve as a fun dessert!
  • Add a warm spice: Add some cinnamon to the batter for an added layer of delicious, similar to these cinnamon pancakes.
Close up view of tiny pancakes.

Make Ahead, Storage, & Reheating

  • Make Ahead: As with most pancake batters, it’s a good idea to use it within the first half hour of making it. This batter comes together so quickly that if you can help avoid making it too far in advance, try not to. Otherwise, once your completed pancakes are cooled, you can absolutely freeze them for up to 3 months and thaw when you’re ready to serve them.
  • Storage: This cute mini pancake cereal will keep in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
  • Reheating: If you have lots to reheat at a time, you may want to place them on a sheet pan in the oven at 350ºF for 7-10 minutes to heat through. Smaller batches can be tossed in the microwave or toaster oven to be enjoyed all over again.
Butter melting on a bowl of pancake cereal, on a blue linen.

Get the Recipe: Pancake Cereal

Mini pancake cereal is a TikTok trend that puts an adorable twist on two of your favorite breakfast foods. Pancakes and cereal! Loads of warm crispy pancakes served in a bowl with a drizzle of maple syrup and a pad of melting butter!
5 from 2 rating

Ingredients

  • 1 cup homemade bisquick mix, spooned and leveled
  • ½ cup whole milk
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Butter for serving
  • Maple syrup for serving

Instructions

  • In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the ingredients until combined with minimal lumps.
  • Transfer the batter to a squeeze bottle and preheat a griddle to 275ºF or medium-low heat.
  • Use the bottle to squirt nickel-sized dollops of batter on the griddle, about 20 at a time, and cook them for 1 minute until they bubble up on top, then use a spatula to flip them and cook for an additional 15 seconds.
  • Serve warm in a bowl with butter and maple syrup.

Notes

  • Recipe makes about 4 cups mini pancakes.
  • Nutritional values do not include toppings.
  • An offset spatula works really well for flipping these.
  • If your griddle is older and not truly non-stick, use nonstick spray. A skillet may also be used to cook these.
  • These are the squirt bottles we use.
Serving: 2cups, Calories: 377kcal, Carbohydrates: 53g, Protein: 9g, Fat: 13g, Saturated Fat: 4g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 89mg, Sodium: 823mg, Potassium: 209mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 22g, Vitamin A: 217IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 187mg, Iron: 2mg