These Mini Stuffed Pancakes Are the Bite-Sized Breakfast Of Your Dreams

I recently scrolled by these mini banana pancake bites by @maddisonskitchen on Instagram, and realized they might just be the cutest, easiest, and most fun breakfast creation I've ever seen. Banana slices take a quick dunk in pancake batter, then sizzle away on a griddle until reaching fluffy, golden perfection. Drizzle with chocolate sauce (or maple syrup), and breakfast is ready in no time. Immediately, I was intrigued by the possibilities of even more packed mini pancake creations.

Bananas are the perfect sweet and stable vehicle for a dunk in pancake batter, but what other favorite fillings could hold up? I had sweet dreams of Nutella-filled flapjacks and blueberry jam-stuffed cakes, so I dolloped little disks of various fillings onto a sheet of parchment paper to freeze overnight, hoping the ingredients would set into a solid form. Unfortunately, my jams and jellies were still a sticky, unstable mess by the next morning, so I had to scratch that plan.

From this pancaking experiment, I ultimately learned the best way to make dip-and-cook pancake bites was with solid foods only. Trust me—as much as I would adore a plate of mini peanut-butter stuffed breakfast bites, messing with these spreads will only add stress to your morning.

That being said, there are still plenty of pancake bite fillings that will be just as satisfying. Think sliced strawberries, sliced peaches, a bite of pineapple or even, for the savory-sweet lovers, a hot breakfast sausage ball or strip of smoky bacon. Use pre-made pancake batter to make assembly even easier, and get your kids involved in the process. Dip into a bowl of warm syrup or cover with whipped cream. When everybody chooses their own fillings, it'll be all smiles at the breakfast table.