Pancake Cups with Cream Cheese and Strawberries

Pancake Cups with Cream Cheese and Strawberries

These delicious pancake cups start with a homemade pancake batter that bakes up soft and fluffy. Then, I make a sweet and tangy cream cheese and strawberry filling and add it to the center of each pancake cup. It’s an easy, delicious twist on pancakes that are perfect on their own or with other savory breakfast options. However I serve it, I always know one thing for sure. Everyone devours them!

Why You’ll Love This Pancake Cup Recipe

• They are super easy to make and all you need is a muffin tin and a few simple ingredients that you might already have.
• They’re absolutely delicious and the combination of fluffy pancakes filled with a sweet cream filling and topped with fresh strawberries is simply irresistible.
• They’re versatile and can be drizzled with maple syrup, and dusted with powdered sugar as well.
• They are the perfect sweet breakfast treat the whole family will enjoy.

Pancake Cups Ingredients

This recipe only uses basic baking ingredients to make, and you might just have all of them in your kitchen already. Anything you don’t have is easily found at your local grocery store.

Pancakes

• All-purpose flour is a versatile flour that can be used for a variety of baked goods, including pancakes. It contains a mixture of wheat proteins, which gives the pancakes structure and elasticity.
• Sugar adds sweetness and also helps to tenderize the gluten in the flour.
• Baking soda is a leavening agent that reacts with the acid in the buttermilk to create bubbles, which causes them to rise.
• Salt enhances the flavor of the pancakes.
• Baking powder is another leavening agent that helps the pancakes rise.
• Large egg adds richness and moisture.
• Buttermilk is a fermented milk product that adds acidity to the batter, which helps to activate the baking soda and baking powder. It also gives them a slightly tangy flavor.

Cream Cheese Filling

• Cream cheese adds a rich and creamy flavor to the filling.
• Sugar adds sweetness to the filling.
• Lemon juice adds a tart and refreshing flavor to the filling.
• Vanilla extract adds a sweet and vanilla flavor to the filling.

Toppings

• Fresh strawberries add sweetness and flavor.
• Powdered sugar adds sweetness.
• Maple syrup adds a sweet and maple flavor.
• Whipped cream adds a light and fluffy finishing touch.

How to Make Pancake Cups

Both the pancake cups and the cream cheese filling are easy to make, so this is a recipe that anyone can easily create. It only takes a few minutes and a few simple steps.

Step 1: Prep

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and lightly spray a muffin pan with non-stick cooking spray.

Step 2: Make the Pancake Batter

Whisk the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and baking powder in a medium bowl. then, whisk the egg and buttermilk together in a small bowl. Mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until combined.

Step 3: Bake

Pour ¼ cup of pancake batter into the prepared muffin pan and bake for 15 to 20 minutes until done.

Step 4: Make the Cups

Remove the muffin pan from the oven and use the end of a small glass or shot glass to press down the center of each pancaked to make the pancake cups.

Step 5: Make the Cream Cheese Filling

Beat the cream cheese in a medium bowl until smooth and creamy. Then, add the sugar, lemon juice, and vanilla and beat until combined.

Step 6: Fill and Top

Fill each pancake cup with the cream cheese mixture and top with powdered sugar, maple syrup, diced strawberries, and whipped cream. Enjoy!

Recipe Tips

• Mix the batter until just combined. Overmixing will make tough pancake cups.
• Be sure your cream cheese is fully softened to avoid any little bits of raw cream cheese in the mix.
• Buttermilk is a key component to making these pancakes fluffy and delicious. Don’t use regular milk.
• If you don’t have buttermilk, combine1 tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice and fill with milk to equal 1 cup, and let it sit for 5 minutes. Instant buttermilk!

Variations

• Fill the center of these cups with sausage for a fun pancakes and sausage breakfast.
• Fold diced strawberries directly into the cream cheese mixture for more fruity flavor.
• Make this recipe with your favorite berries.
• Fill the pancakes with peanut butter and bananas.

What to Serve with Pancake Cups

These delicious pancake cups are the perfect stand-alone breakfast with a glass of milk or a cup of coffee or tea. The great thing about them is that you can also make them part of a larger breakfast when you pair them with other favorites like:

• Bacon
• Sausage
• Ham
• Canadian bacon
• Eggs

Recipe FAQ

How to Store and Reheat Pancake Cups

First and foremost, only fill as many cups as will be eaten. It’s better to have to fill more than to store them filled. Now that that’s out of the way, store any leftover cups and filling in separate airtight containers for up to 3 days in the refrigerator. For longer storage, you can freeze the cups in an airtight container for up to 3 months and the filling can be frozen in an airtight container for up to a month.

To reheat the cups, place them on a baking sheet, loosely cover with foil, and bake for about 10 minutes at 350 or until heated through. Fill them with the cream cheese mixture that you’ve let come to room temperature.

Try This Delicious Pancake Cup Recipe Today

These pancake cups are easy to make but hard to stop eating. With a simple pancake batter recipe and an equally simple cream cheese filling, these cups come together quickly, and when they’re all one, you’ve got dessert for breakfast! They’re fun enough for a special breakfast but easy enough to make any day of the week. Give these a try, and I know they’ll become one of your favorite breakfast recipes.