Pancake art and pancake faces don’t require an art degree! They are easy – give it a try. Our ultimate guide to pancake art shows you 6 different ways and gives examples for you to duplicate. Make someone smile with a pancake face today!
There are different types of pancake art:
The level of difficulty increases with each one, but there are step-by-step instructions with example to inspire for each type of pancake art.
- Pancake art with pancake shapes: pouring pancake shapes that look like animals & objects, etc.
- Using a cookie cutter: cut your shape out with a cookie cutter like cookie dough.
- Using a specialty pancake pan: there are special pancake pans and pancake/egg silicone molds to make impressions or a specific shape.
- Creative toppings: add toppings to a pancake to make it look like a face, animal, holiday picture, etc.
- Squeeze bottles: drawing with pancake batter in squeeze bottles (pancake pens) onto a griddle. You don’t have to use color. There are 2 ways to do this: make just an outline (like a snowflake), or filled in allowing some parts to cook longer and appear a darker shade.
- Tinted pancake batter: painting with tinted pancake batter in squeeze bottles with several colors on a griddle.
Click on the table of contents above to jump ahead to the style of pancake art that interests you.
Or, look through all of the examples to see what inspires you by clicking “next page” below.
Pancake Art with Simple Pancake Shapes
Strategically place round pancakes or make your pancake a specific shape, then add fruit, whipped cream or poured syrup to create your happy work of art.
Use a Cookie Cutter to Make a Pancake Shape
This is a fun way to make breakfast special on seasonal holidays. There are always a large selection of themed cookie cutters for every holiday.
How to create this gingerbread man masterpiece:
- put one pancake on plate and spread with nutella
- cut a shape out of a second pancake using a cookie cutter (gingerbread man)
- put second pancake on top of first one on plate
- decorate with powdered sugar, sprinkles, candy shapes and fruit as desired
- use the cut out shape on a different plate to create new pancake art
Use a Pancake Pan to Make an Impression or a Silicone Mold for a specific shape.
There are special pancake pans and silicone molds to make all sorts of pancakes. They can be round with an impression to create the art, or a silicone mold to make the shape.
Star Wars Yoda Pancakes
There are 2 ways to make pancakes:
- pour batter on just the head impression for a Yoda shaped pancake
- pour batter on whole pancake maker for round pancakes with Yoda’s face in center.
Available on Amazon.
Painter Bob Ross Pancake & Waffle Iron
Wake up to Bob Ross at your breakfast table with these fun pancake/waffles.
Available on Amazon.
Mandalorian The Child Pancake/Waffle Maker
It’s baby Yoda!
Cute pancakes for the Mandalorian fan.
Available on Amazon.
Cute Animals Pancake Pan
Make mini- pancakes with different animal impressions on them with this pancake pan.
7 different animals: cat, sheep, turtle, owl, cow, elephant & llama.
Available at Amazon.
Emoji Face & Smiley Face Pancake Pan
These mini pancakes were made using an Emoji Smiley Face Pancake Pan that has 7 different faces.
Just make & serve to everyone’s delight. No need to get creative.
Fast & easy fun.
Available on Amazon.
Autumn Themed Pancake Maker for Thanksgiving
Autumn/Thanksgiving mini-pancake pan makes a special breakfast for the holidays.
Compatible with induction stoves.
Available on Amazon.
Christmas Pancake Maker for the Holidays
And of course there is a Christmas pancake pan for holiday pancakes – especially for Christmas Day.
Using a pan that makes holiday impressions is a fast & easy way to make specialty pancakes.
Compatible with induction stoves.
Available on Amazon.
Winter Wonderland Snowflake Pancake Pan
Pancakes brighten up a winter morning, and snowflake silver dollar pancakes make the day special.
7 Different snowflake patterns.
Snowflake pancake pan is available at Amazon.
Zoo Animal or Jungle Safari Fun Pancakes
Kids go through a jungle animal safari stage where they love to pretend to visit Africa or go to the zoo.
Put on a plastic pith helmet or an explorer’s outfit and enjoy zoo animal mini-pancakes for breakfast and Zoodles for lunch!
Zoo animal pancake pan from Amazon.
Mermaid Mini-Pancakes
Mermaid mini-pancake maker is a fun way to start a birthday, or a swim-in-the-pool day.
7 different mermaid poses.
Available at Amazon.
Fantasy Pancake Maker
The fantasy pancake pan creates mini-pancakes that both girls & boys will enjoy.
Get them to the table quickly with dragon and princess pancakes!
Available at Amazon.
Unicorn Mini-Pancake Pan
Unicorn pan cake pan for all ages. Because unicorns are fun.
7 different unicorn poses.
Available at Amazon.
Fairy Friends Mini-Pancakes
Fairy Friends pancake pan with fairies, fairy wand and toadstool home mini-pancake impressions.
Pancakes that must be eaten in a fairy costume.
Available on Amazon.
Heart Mini-Pancakes
For valentine’s day, anniversary, or any day you feel romantic (or want to get out of the dog house), here is a heart pancake pan.
Don’t you love how they cut the watermelon and orange slices into heart shapes with a cookie cutter, too.
Heart mini-pancake pan available on Amazon.
Dinosaur Mini-Pancakes
Dinosaur pancake pan for the Jurassic specialist in your home.
7 different dinosaur impressions.
Available at Amazon.
Kitten Friends Cat Pancakes
Cute kitten pancake pan features 7 different cat poses.
A non-stick pan for easy cleanup.
Available on Amazon.
Car and Truck Mini-Pancakes
Car and truck pancake maker will make their day!
Get them to the table with these special pancakes.
7 different vehicle pancakes.
Available on Amazon.
These pancakes are fast & easy, just as easy as regular pancakes. Next, is how to create pancake art with toppings.
Make a Work of Pancake Art with Toppings
Feeling creative? Get your fruit and pancake toppings out and get inspired!
Want to show your artistic ability in pancakes? Next, is how to make pancake art using squeeze bottles or pancake pens. Let your inner Banksy express itself!
How to Make Pancake Art Using Squeeze Bottles & Pancake Pens
You can use condiment squeeze bottles as pancake pens, or you can purchase containers specifically made for pancake art.
Pancake Art Tips: The Basics
These pancake art tips are by a pro who knows, Krivas at Instructables.
Sift your flour or pancake mix before you make your batter paint so lumps won’t clog the bottle tip. (If you do get a clog, don’t squeeze harder! You’ll end up with a mess. Use a toothpick to dislodge it.)
The batter paint will ooze out of your pancake pen when you least expect it. You can prevent this by:
- mixing batter in a bowl and filling pancake pen with a funnel
- only filling container 3/4 full
- don’t let the batter sit too long in the squeeze bottle
Don’t make your batter too thin. It will run, flowing where you don’t want it, making it difficult to create your masterpiece. It shouldn’t flow from the bottle when turned upside down – if it does, it’s too thin. It should have to be gently squeezed before it comes out, and when it does, it should draw a uniform line.
Don’t make your batter too thick. If you have to squeeze hard, the lines you draw won’t be nicely uniform. They’ll twist and be thinner in one part than another. If this happens, thin your batter a little.
Cook on low heat. You don’t want it to brown like regular pancakes, this will destroy the outline or colors you used in your drawing.
Know when to flip. If you flip your pancake too soon, your creation will rip. Just like regular pancakes, watch for the bubbles. Allow it to bubble until the surface seems dry, not shiny.
Now that you know the basics, try the easiest first. Pancake art with just the outline. It’s beautiful – it looks like lace.
Pancake Art with Just the Outline
Use the pancake pen to squeeze-draw the outline of your object, and leave the rest open.
Now that you know how to use the pancake pen to make an outline, next is how to draw with pancake batter and then fill it in, drawing with just plain ole pancake batter.
Pancake Art Using Plain Pancake Batter
Plan the areas that you want darker, and draw these first. Allow them to cook longer that the rest of the pancake so they appear a darker color and stand out.
Do you want the darker, more prominent parts to be an all over outline? Or maybe the ears and facial features for a dog face pancake?
Thinking of the outline first, and then what the pancake looks like after you flip it is practice for the last level of pancake art. Drawing with tinted batter!
Drawing Pancake Art with Tinted Batter
Get inspired.
Plan what you’d like to draw. Simple is better, especially in the beginning.
If you have an idea of what you’d like to draw, or even a theme, do an internet search. If you use the term + icon like robot icon, you’ll find simpler drawings that are easier to duplicate.
Next, plan the colors required to draw the icon. Will you be using an outline color?
Pancake art equipment.
Of course you’ll need a griddle. (A frying pan can work but it’s easier to draw on a large, flat surface.)
Next, you’ll need squeeze bottles for the batter paint. Use small ones for drawing your outline because they are easier to manage. Use large ones for filling in your outline because they hold more pancake batter.
Then you’ll require pancake mix (or the ingredients to make from scratch if you wish) and gel food coloring in order to tint the batter paint.
Preparing your batter paint.
As mentioned above, sift your pancake mix and add the ingredients per package into a bowl or pancake pen with a mixer ball. Then test the consistency of the batter and adjust until it draws a uniform line.
Then, using the gel food coloring, add drops to your batter and stir, then add more drops and stir again, until the batter is the color you’re desiring.
Pour your batter paint into a squeeze bottle with a funnel. If the bottle isn’t clear, label it with a piece of masking tape.
Drawing your work of pancake art
**When using colored batter, draw your creation on the griddle when it is turned off. No heat.**
After you have drawn your outline and filled it all in to your satisfaction, turn the griddle on. But on low heat. Let your pancake cook slowly. You don’t want it to brown like regular pancakes – that would destroy all the gorgeous colors.
First, outline the sections of your drawing. You can use the color that you will use to fill it in, or use black to look like a pencil sketch. (After you’re more experienced you can do it all freehand, but even then you’ll probably find it easier to draw this way – just like drawing on paper.)
Then fill in each part with the corresponding color. Each color should touch so when cooked it is one whole pancake without holes. (That makes it easier to flip without breaking.)
Remember that the griddle side will look different than top side when complete. It doesn’t have to be perfect.
For a pancake painting
For a pancake drawing
Pancake art is a great way to put more play in your day – especially for the holidays. You get to be creative and make pancake works of art, and your family & friends build wonderful, happy memories. It’s win/win.
It’s your turn. Tell us what you think.
Did you make pancake art? Put a photo in the comments. We want to see!!
