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Birthday breakfast waffles with rainbow sprinkles and vanilla icing taste like funfetti cake, whip up quick and easy in 1 bowl and 30 minutes, and are perfect for a special occasion breakfast or brunch.
What do you have for breakfast on your birthday?
Breakfast in bed is tradition in my family, and I always feel like it should be something special.
Ever since I was a little girl, I’ve enjoyed making birthday breakfast in bed for my loved ones. Starting with my mom when I couldn’t have been more than 5 years old and was too young to make anything other than toast, lol!
Today is my birthday (shoutout to my fellow Libras!), and I wanted to share a beautiful birthday breakfast to inspire you on your loved ones’ birthdays: waffles!
And not just any waffles, but funfetti birthday cake waffles. For the kids at heart, and the kid in all of us.
Let’s get this birthday breakfast party started!
The Perfect Birthday Breakfast Waffles Recipe
On your birthday, sprinkles aren’t only for dessert! Rainbow sprinkles are perfect to start the day off as a celebration.
These waffles start with my buttermilk pancakes recipe base, and then they get all wild and crazy. In a good way!
When I made these waffles I was fresh out of buttermilk, so I used my favorite substitute: a combination of sour cream and milk. If you have buttermilk on hand, feel free to use that instead.
Buttermilk Waffles
Buttermilk makes amazing pancakes and waffles, but if you’re out of it you can use a combination of sour cream and milk instead! I use full-fat sour cream and whole milk in a 3:2 ratio for the best flavor and texture. So for example, in this recipe you can use 1 1/4 cups of buttermilk or 3/4 cup full-fat sour cream + 1/2 cup whole milk.
Here we add rainbow jimmies to make confetti waffles (aka funfetti waffles). And just a touch of almond extract in addition to vanilla extract gives them a birthday cake flavor.
The end result is crisp outside, tender inside waffles that smell like birthday cake look like a party. And we don’t stop there; a quick butter glaze is the icing on the cake!
Not to mention a generous dollop of whipped cream, a maraschino cherry, and a hefty dose of rainbow sprinkles to really deck it out. After all, it’s a birthday!
Ingredients
In these sections, I explain the ingredients and give substitution ideas. For the full recipe (including ingredient amounts), see the recipe card below.
Funfetti Birthday Cake Waffle Ingredients:
- All-purpose flour – the base of our waffles
- Sugar – granulated white sugar
- Baking powder and baking soda – the leavening agents to make these waffles soft and fluffy inside with the perfect rise
- Salt – a natural flavor enhancer
- Vegetable oil – in this waffle recipe, we use oil instead of butter because it yields waffles that are crispy outside and tender inside
- Full-fat sour cream and whole milk – or you can substitute with 1 1/4 cups of full-fat buttermilk if you prefer
- Egg – acts as a binder and helps yield a fluffy waffle
- Vanilla extract and almond extract – these 2 extracts create a funfetti cake batter flavor
- Sprinkles – use rainbow sprinkles for a classic birthday look
- Clarified butter – this is to grease the waffle iron; or you can use coconut oil or nonstick cooking spray
Vanilla Butter Glaze Ingredients:
- Powdered sugar – this is the base or our pour-able glaze; for birthday waffles, this glaze takes the place of maple syrup
- Unsalted butter – for rich flavor
- Milk – to achieve a pour-able consistency
- Vanilla extract – for flavor and aroma
- Salt – just a pinch is all we need to pull out the flavors of everything else
How to Make Birthday Cake Waffles
Make the Waffle Batter
- Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda in a large bowl.
- Add the oil, sour cream, milk, egg, vanilla extract, and almond extract, and whisk just until combined, being careful not to over-mix.
- Fold in the sprinkles. Let the batter rest for 10 minutes, and then preheat your waffle iron.
Use a Waffle Iron to Cook the Waffles
- Once the waffle iron is hot, brush it with clarified butter or coconut oil, or spray it with nonstick cooking spray. Add the waffle batter.
- Spread the batter out evenly onto the waffle iron (read the manufacturer’s directions to find out how much batter your waffle iron holds).
- Cook until your waffle is done to your liking. (The amount of batter for each waffle and the cooking time will depend on your waffle iron’s make and model.)
Pro Tip: Use This Waffle Batter to Make Pancakes
If you don’t have a waffle maker, you can use this batter to make pancakes.
Make the Glaze
Add all ingredients for the glaze to a small bowl, and whisk to combine. Add more milk as necessary to make the glaze pour-able.
Variations
- Buttermilk. If you prefer to use buttermilk, omit the sour cream and milk and add 1 1/4 cups full-fat buttermilk.
- Sprinkles. These aren’t just birthday waffles. Swap out the sprinkles to match the season! For example, red + green for Christmas, green and white for St. Paddy’s Day, red for Valentine’s Day, etc.
- Almond extract. The blend of vanilla and almond extracts is what gives these sprinkle waffles their birthday cake flavor! However, if you prefer, you can use cake batter flavor instead.
Birthday Breakfast Waffles Recipe FAQs
How Long do Waffles Last in the Fridge?
You can store cooked and cooled waffles wrapped in the fridge for up to 3 days.
If you want to make a larger batch of waffles for breakfast meal prep, you can let them cool to room temperature, wrap them individually, and freeze for up to 3 months.
When I freeze waffles, I like to wrap each in freezer paper and place them in a plastic zip-top freezer bag. That way you can thaw them one serving at a time for weekday breakfasts.
What’s the Best Way to Reheat Waffles?
If you want to reheat waffles that aren’t frozen, the toaster oven is the best method. It only takes a minute or two, and the waffles crisp up beautifully.
Additionally, you can reheat waffles in the microwave. However, you definitely run the risk of soggy waffles with that reheating method!
Can You Reheat Waffles From Frozen?
Yes! There’s no need to thaw them, you can reheat waffles straight from the freezer.
You can use any of the following methods to reheat frozen waffles without defrosting:
- Toaster (or toaster oven)
- Air fryer (360F for about 5 minutes, flipping once halfway through)
- Oven (350F for 10 to 15 minutes)
More Birthday Breakfast Recipes
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Birthday Breakfast Waffles (Funfetti Birthday Cake Waffles Recipe)
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Equipment
Ingredients
Birthday Waffles:
- 19 tablespoons all-purpose flour 19 tablespoons = 1 cup + 3 tablespoons
- 1/3 cup granulated white sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil or avocado oil or canola oil
- 3/4 cup full-fat sour cream at room temperature
- 1/2 cup whole milk at room temperature
- 1 large egg at room temperature
- 1/2 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
- 3 tablespoons rainbow sprinkles
- Clarified butter or coconut oil or nonstick cooking spray (for the waffle iron)
Vanilla Butter Icing:
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter melted
- 2 1/2 tablespoons whole milk at room temperature (plus more as needed to achieve the right consistency)
- 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 pinch salt
Optional Serving Ideas:
- More sprinkles
- Whipped cream
- Maraschino cherries
Instructions
For the Waffles:
- Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda in a large bowl. Add the oil, sour cream, milk, egg, vanilla extract, and almond extract, and whisk just until combined, being careful not to over-mix. Fold in the sprinkles.
- Let the batter rest for 10 minutes, and then preheat your waffle iron.
- Once the waffle iron is hot, brush it with clarified butter or coconut oil, or spray it with nonstick cooking spray. Add the waffle batter, and cook until it’s done to your liking (the amount of batter for each waffle and the cooking time will depend on your waffle iron’s make and model).
- Cook the remaining batter the same way.
For the Icing:
- Add all ingredients to a small bowl, and whisk to combine. Add more milk as necessary to make the glaze pour-able.
To Serve:
- Serve the waffles warm, along with the icing to pour on top. If desired, top each serving with whipped cream, a maraschino cherry, and additional sprinkles.
Notes
- Nutritional Information: The nutrition information for this recipe was calculated for the waffles and icing only (without the optional serving ideas).
- Reheating the Icing: As the butter in the icing cools, it may stiffen up. To make the glaze pour-able again, heat it for 5-second intervals in the microwave, stirring between each.
- Storage: You can store leftover waffles wrapped in the fridge for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- Reheating: You can reheat waffles straight from the freezer without thawing them. They reheat well in a toaster (or toaster oven), air fryer (at 360F for about 5 minutes, flipping once halfway through), or in the oven (at 350F for 10 to 15 minutes).
Nutrition
Nutritional information is automatically calculated and should be used as an approximate.
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I’m the writer, recipe developer, photographer, and food stylist behind this blog. I love finding the human connection through something we all do every day: eat! Food is a common ground that we can all relate to, and our tables tell a story. It’s my goal to inspire you to get in the kitchen, try something new, and find a favorite you didn’t know you had.
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