Make these fluffy Instant Pot pancake bites for your next family breakfast! They’re so easy and quick to make, and they’re really fun to eat! Bite-size pancakes with different flavors, blueberry, chocolate chip, the possibilities are endless!
I know I mentioned this so many times, but the Instant Pot changed my life. I mean, really, is there anything that the magic pot cannot do? There’s a reason why I have THREE Instant Pots in my kitchen. I make everything in them from soups and sides, to mains, homemade yogurt, and desserts!
If you don’t have an Instant Pot yet, it’s worth considering getting one. Check out my Instant Pot recipe collection and see all of the different things that you can make in it!
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Instant Pot Pancake Bites
These pancake bites are one of my favorite things to make in the Instant Pot. All you have to do is make the pancake batter, I use my plain classic pancake recipe. Then pour the batter into my silicone egg molds make sure that you buy the ones with the silicone cover as otherwise, you’ll have to use foil to cover them which isn’t very convenient.
The pancake bites are then steamed in the Instant Pot, and turned in light and fluffy bite-sized pancakes that taste like a real treat. These pancake bites are loved by kids and adults, and will make everyone excited for breakfast!
What is your favorite breakfast food? Let me know in the comments below! We LOVE pancakes, and either make these pancake bites or just classic pancakes. Oh and I make these sheet pan eggs almost every weekend, they’re SO easy to make and perfect to feed a crowd!
The Ingredients
To make the pancake bites, you will need the usual pancake ingredients:
- All-purpose flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar.
- Butter, egg, milk, and pure vanilla extract.
How to Make Pancake Bites in the Instant Pot?
You can probably use boxed pancake mix if you like (some readers reported excellent results using boxed mix, and others said it didn’t work so I cannot guarantee any results as I haven’t tried it myself). I always make pancakes from scratch. I find it much healthier, and it’s also very simple and easy to make. Check out my classic pancake recipe.
To make the batter. First, melt the butter in the microwave and allow it to cool slightly.
In a bowl, start with the dry ingredients. Sift the flour, baking powder, salt, and add in the sugar. And set aside.
In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the milk and egg, then whisk in the melted butter.
Pour the milk mixture into the dry mixture, and lightly whisk until just combined. A few lumps are ok. DO NOT overmix the batter, so your pancakes stay fluffy and light. Allow the batter to sit for a few minutes.
Spray the molds and pour the batter filling 3/4 of the molds as the pancake bites will rise a little. Cover, and place on a trivet.
Add 1 cup of water to the Instant Pot stainless steel insert. Then lower the trivet into the pot (you can stack 2 or 3 on top of each other). Secure the lid and set the vent to SEALING. Select the PRESSURE COOK/MANUAL setting and set the cooking time for 7 minutes at high pressure.
NOTE: The molds that I’m using are 1.5 inches in diameter, so each pancake bite is 1.5 inches in width. If you are using bigger ones like 7.5 inches then you might need to add 1 minute to pressure cooking. According to Amazon this is my molds dimensions: 6.3″ x 6.3″ x 1.38″.
The Instant Pot will take around 6-7 minutes to come to pressure and start cooking. When the cooking program ends, allow the steam to be naturally released for 5 minutes, then release the rest of the steam manually. Make sure not to let the steam release naturally till the end, as the pancake bites will become dry. Carefully open the lid. And take out the molds.
Allow them to cool down a little bit before you take the pancake bites out. Squeeze the sides a little, then push each from the bottom slowly onto a plate so you don’t break them.
Variations
There are many flavors to choose from when it comes to traditional American pancakes, so the possibilities are endless! The same applies to these little Instant Pot pancakes! You can add your favorite flavorings, and below are my favorite:
- Plain, drizzled with pancake syrup or maple syrup.
- Blueberry – add a few fresh blueberries to the batter.
- Chocolate chip – add 1/2 cup of chocolate chips to the batter.
- Lemon – add lemon essence or fresh lemon juice to the batter (2 tablespoons).
- Cinnamon – add 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon to the batter.
NOTE: I usually make plain batter, add it to the mold and then add things like blueberries, and chocolate chips right into the molds. You can add these flavorings straight to the batter though like you will have to do for cinnamon or lemon. But it works either way for blueberry and chocolate chips.
Storing Tips
- Fridge: Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Please remember that pancakes contain perishable ingredients such as eggs and milk so you have to consume them within 5 days if stored in the fridge.
- Freezer: Store in a ziploc bag in the freezer for up to 2 months.
- Reheat: Place on a microwave-safe plate, and reheat for 1-1.5 minutes or until heated through. Or reheat in the oven by placing the pancake bites on a cookie sheet, cover with foil and reheat until heated through.
Recommended Tools to Make This Recipe
- Instant Pot. This is the one that I own and love!
- Mixing bowl. I have Pyrex glass bowls of all sizes, they’re durable and perfect for everything from mixing to marinating.
- Whisk. A kitchen essential.
- Silicone egg molds. Make sure that you get ones that have silicone covers, otherwise, you will have to use foil which is not very convenient.
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!
Instant Pot Pancake Bites
Equipment
- Instant Pot
Ingredients
- 1 ¾ cups (200 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar granulated
- 1¼ cups (300 ml) milk warm
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
Instructions
- In a bowl sift the flour, baking powder, salt, and add in the sugar. And set aside.
- In a second mixing bowl, whisk together the milk and egg, then whisk in the melted butter and vanilla extract.
- Pour the milk mixture into the dry mixture, and lightly whisk until just combined. A few lumps are ok. Allow the batter to sit for a few minutes.
- Spray the molds and pour the batter into the egg silicone mold filling ¾ of each of the molds as the pancake bites will rise a little. Cover, and place on a trivet.
- Add 1 cup of water to the Instant Pot stainless steel insert. Then lower the trivet into the pot (you can stack 2 or 3 on top of each other). Secure the lid and set the vent to SEALING. Select the PRESSURE COOK/MANUAL setting and set the cooking time for 7 minutes at high pressure.
- The Instant Pot will take around 6-7 minutes to come to pressure and start cooking. When the cooking program ends, allow the steam to be naturally released for 5 minutes, then release the rest of the steam manually. Carefully remove the lid. And take out the molds.
- Allow them to cool down a little before you take the pancake bites out. Squeeze the sides a little, then push each from the bottom slowly onto a plate so you don’t break them.
Notes:
- After melting the butter, set it aside and allow it to cool down a little. If you add hot melted butter to the milk and egg, it can cook the egg.
- Do not overmix the batter. Mix until just combined, and leaving a few lumps is fine. If you overmix the batter, the pancakes will be super dense rather than fluffy and light.
- Make sure not to let the steam release naturally till the end, as the pancake bites will become dry. So only do 5 minutes natural release, then quick release.
- You can probably use boxed pancake mix if you like (some readers reported excellent results using boxed mix, and others said it didn’t work so I cannot guarantee any results as I haven’t tried it myself). I always make pancakes from scratch. I find it much healthier, and it’s also very simple and easy to make. Check out my classic pancake recipe.
- The molds that I’m using are 1.5 inches in diameter, so each pancake bite is 1.5 inches in width. If you are using bigger ones like 7.5 inches then you might need to add 1 minute to the cooking time.
Variations
There are many flavors to choose from when it comes to pancakes. Below are my favorite:- Plain, drizzled with pancake syrup or maple syrup.
- Blueberry – add a few fresh blueberries to the batter.
- Chocolate chip – add 1/2 cup of chocolate chips to the batter.
- Lemon – add lemon essence or fresh lemon juice to the batter (2 tablespoons)
- Cinnamon – add 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon to the batter.
Nutrition Information
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
© Little Sunny Kitchen
Marissa says
These were excellent! Both my sons and I enjoyed the flavor and texture of these pancakes. My toddler even assisted on making them. Thanks for a great recipe that is now going to become one of my go-to’s for breakfast. I was wondering if you have ever tried adding any breakfast meats to these or have a suggestion on how to incorporate maybe a ground breakfast sausage cooked in advanced?
Diana says
Hi Marissa! Thank you for the wonderful feedback and review. You can definitely add browned and drained ground sausage to the mixture!