Red, white and blue pancakes are the perfect way to add a fun and festive touch to your Independence Day morning. Stacked high and bursting with color, these pancakes bring the spirit of the holiday straight to your breakfast table. Whether you’re cooking for family, friends, or just treating yourself, this patriotic stack is sure to start the celebration with a smile.
The red comes from sweet, juicy strawberries or raspberries, sliced and layered between pancakes or sprinkled generously on top. Blueberries add a burst of juicy flavor and bring that classic blue to the dish, offering both color and a healthy dose of antioxidants. The “white” is in the pillowy soft pancakes themselves and can be highlighted with whipped cream, vanilla yogurt, or a dusting of powdered sugar.
Each bite is a celebration of flavor and texture – fluffy pancakes, fresh fruit, and creamy toppings coming together in perfect harmony. These pancakes are not just beautiful, they’re delicious and crowd-pleasing. The fruit adds a refreshing contrast to the warm, soft layers, making the dish feel indulgent yet light enough to enjoy even on a hot July morning.
Red, white and blue pancakes aren’t just for the 4th of July. They’re also a great pick for Memorial Day, Labor Day, or any patriotic-themed brunch. You can serve them as a main breakfast dish or part of a bigger holiday spread, and they’re especially fun for kids to decorate and eat.
This colorful stack is a simple way to bring a little extra cheer to your holiday. Bright, bold, and festive, red, white and blue pancakes are a sweet reminder that celebrations don’t need to be complicated to feel special. Just grab a fork, dig in, and enjoy the holiday spirit.
Make your celebrations even more festive with this patriotic pancakes recipe, perfect for Independence Day and other holidays.
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 3/4 cup buttermilk
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1 egg large
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter melted
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- Red food coloring
- Blue food coloring
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, milk, egg, melted butter, and vanilla extract.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Do not overmix; the batter will be slightly lumpy.
- Divide the batter into three equal portions. Leave one portion plain, add a few drops of red food coloring to one portion, and blue food coloring to the other portion. Mix until the colors are well incorporated.
- Heat a non-stick skillet or griddle over medium heat and lightly grease with butter or cooking spray.
- Pour 1/4 cup of batter onto the skillet for each pancake. Cook until bubbles form on the surface, then flip and cook for another 1-2 minutes until golden brown.
- Repeat with the remaining batter, adjusting the heat as needed to prevent burning.
- Serve the pancakes warm with maple syrup and enjoy!
Nutrition
I thought the food coloring would be too much, but they looked great!
Just like my mama used to make but without the colors. Still good!
But why not use the colors? I think that’s half the fun! They’re called Red, White, and Blue Pancakes for a reason… right?
I love that you are keeping the family tradition alive! Colors or not, pancakes are always a win! 🍽️
Eh, mine turned out brown. Maybe my food coloring was old? Not recommend.
Brown pancakes? That’s not good! There’s gotta be a way to fix that. Did you follow the recipe exactly?
I don’t think it’s the food coloring. Sometimes the batter just doesn’t turn out like you expect. Maybe try a different recipe next time!
Making these for the 4th of July! Can’t wait! 🇺🇸
LOL, pancake painting! I like to Call it Art!
Why you gotta use buttermilk? Isn’t milk fine? Just asking.
Super easy recipe, but can someone tell me why they don’t taste like ‘real’ pancakes?
Too much work for pancakes, I’ll stick to my box mix!
I get it, box mixes are easy! But these pancakes look so fun with the colors! Maybe try it just once.
Nah, that’s way too complicated for pancakes! I mean, come on, it’s breakfast, not science class!
These pancakes are soooo cute! My kids loved them!
These turned out AMAZING! Perfect for the 4th of July brunch. The colors were so vibrant! 🥞🇺🇸
Pancakes?! I mean, they were okay, but who needs recipes for pancakes? Just add water! 🤷♂️
I mean, adding water is one way to do it, but these pancakes look way cooler with the colors! Definitely worth a try! 🌈
Who even needs food coloring for pancakes? Seems pointless. 😒 Just make ’em plain and save time.
This is so good, but I think the food coloring is just wrong. Kinda artificial and scary! My pancakes shouldn’t look like a rainbow. 🤔
Yum! I added blueberries and strawberries on top. Really festive and delicious. Will make again!
That sounds amazing! I love the idea with berries. Gonna try it too! 🍓🍇
Great recipe! My grandma used to make pancakes like this, but without the colors. Brings back memories. Thanks!
Disaster in the kitchen! 😱 The batter was too thick and they burned. Followed the recipe exactly, tho. Not sure where I went wrong.
I feel you! My first attempt was a total fail too. Maybe the pan was too hot? 🤔
I don’t see why you’d add food coloring to pancakes… it’s just pancakes! But my kids loved them, so I guess it worked.
Meh, they were okay. Not as flavorful as I expected. Maybe I mixed it too much? But I followed the recipe. 🤷♂️
Meh, I don’t know about these fancy pancakes. My grandma’s pancakes are way better and she just uses a pancake mix! 🤷♀️
I had the same issue! I think overmixing can really kill the fluffiness. Maybe next time try to mix it less? They still look pretty tho! 🙌
Um, is it really necessary to add all that food coloring? Seems a bit unnecessary to me. Pancakes should be natural.
I was skeptical about the food coloring… but they turned out great! Just don’t overmix as the recipe says.
Yummy! Fluffy pancakes. I didn’t have buttermilk so I used regular milk. Still worked!
These pancakes were a hit at our 4th of July brunch! So festive and tasty. Will definitely make again!