Loaded Breakfast Pancakes are all your favorite breakfast foods in one! A hearty breakfast casserole wrapped in a delicious classic pancake.
This easy Pancake Breakfast is the perfect combination of sweet and savory! Similar to my Loaded Breakfast Potato Pancakes, these Loaded Breakfast Pancakes take the Classic Pancake and add some savory magic!
Sabrina’s Loaded Breakfast Pancakes Recipe
I have a ton of favorite breakfast recipes but sometimes it can be hard to choose which of the delicious dishes to make. Classic mashups like Sausage Pancake Muffins and these Loaded Breakfast Pancakes are a fun twist on a classic breakfast favorite, combining sweet and savory flavors in one hearty dish. Perfect for brunch, breakfast-for-dinner, or feeding a crowd. They’re filling, family-friendly, and easy to make ahead! The savory center adds a delicious surprise that makes these pancakes stand out from the usual breakfast options while still pairing perfectly with your favorite toppings.
Recipe Card
Ingredients
Filling:
- 15 tater tots
- 3 large eggs
- 1 green bell pepper , minced
- 1/2 cup bacon , cooked and crumbled (or cooked breakfast sausage)
- 1/2 cup cheddar cheese , shredded
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
Pancake Mix:
- 1 1/2 cups flour
- 3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 4 teaspoons white sugar
- 1 1/4 cups whole milk
- 1 large egg
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter , melted
Instructions
Filling:
- Cook the tater tots according to the instructions on the bag.
- In a medium microwave safe bowl mix together the eggs until well beaten.
- Microwave for 1 minute, stir and microwave for an additional 1-2 minutes until cooked through.
- Let eggs and tater tots cool then chop into large chunks.
- To a large mixing bowl with the cooled scrambled eggs and tater tots add the bell pepper, bacon (or sausage), cheddar cheese, salt, and black pepper.
- Mix it all together well.
Pancake Batter:
- Add the dry ingredients and whisk together, then add the wet and combine fully.
To Cook:
- Heat a lightly greased large skillet or griddle on medium heat.
- Using a ¼ cup scoop, add the pancake batter to the griddle and let set for 30 seconds.
- Add in ¼ cup of the filling to the center of the pancake and carefully spread it evenly, leaving a border around the edges.
- Spoon an additional 2 tablespoons of batter on top of the filling to cover it.
- Flip carefully and cook for 30 seconds.
- Serve with maple syrup.
Nutrition
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Sabrina’s Tips
My biggest secret to ultra rich, moist pancakes that are still light and fluffy, is melted butter. The melted butter helps emulsify the eggs and milk, for a smoother lighter batter that puffs up instead of being cakey. Also, you’ll have to cook in batches, so to keep the finished pancakes warm while you make the rest, you can tent them in foil or put them in a slightly warmed oven.
Table of contents
About this Recipe
These Loaded Breakfast Pancakes take a classic pancake and turn it into a hearty meal with a savory center made from crispy potatoes, bacon, eggs, and cheese. The contrast between the fluffy pancake exterior and the flavorful filling creates a breakfast that’s both comforting and unique. While they’re delicious on their own, they pair perfectly with classic pancake toppings like butter and warm maple syrup. Alternatively, you can lean into the savory side with sour cream, chives, gravy from my Biscuits and Gravy recipe, or even a sprinkle of extra cheese. Whether you’re serving them for a weekend brunch, special occasion, or breakfast-for dinner, they’re an easy way to make an everyday breakfast feel a little more exciting.
Ingredients
- Pancake Batter: The batter is made with all the classic pantry ingredients you’d find in a basic pancake recipe, including a little sugar. The hint of sweetness tastes amazing with all the savory flavors and adds a little depth to this rich, buttery pancake recipe.
- Tater Tots: You want to make the tater tots beforehand because they won’t have time to cook in the batter. Plus, oven baking makes them nice and crispy for that tasty almost fried flavor that makes tots so amazing.
- Eggs: In addition to the eggs in the batter, the pancakes are loaded with actual scrambled eggs which might sound crazy at first but trust me, it works! The microwave makes cooking them a breeze, and keeps you from dirtying another pan.
- Add-ins: Delicious add-ins like bacon or sausage, bell pepper, and shredded cheese with the eggs make an omelet-like filling. Cook the meat ahead of time and drain the grease well so your batter isn’t greasy. Mince the peppers instead of dicing or you will end up with big, raw chunks that will overpower the pancakes.
Can this be made ahead of time?
Yes, you can prepare both the pancake batter and the filling mixture the day before and store separately until you are ready to make this tasty breakfast. Bring the egg and potato filling to room temperature before cooking or warm in the microwave for 30-45 seconds so it isn’t cold. It won’t have time to heat up as the pancakes cook so it’s important that it’s at least room temp before adding it.
How to Store
- Store: These pancakes can be at room temperature for up to 2 hours before they need to be stored in the fridge. After they’ve cooled, transfer them to a sealed container and keep in the fridge for 2-3 days.
- Reheat: It’s best to reheat these pancakes in the oven on a baking sheet, covered with foil. This will keep them from drying out or getting too crispy on the outside.
- Freeze: To freeze leftover Loaded Breakfast Pancakes, put the pancakes in a zip lock bag with parchment paper between each one. They’ll stay good for 3 months. Reheat from frozen or thaw in the fridge overnight first.
Frequent Questions
The key to making fluffy pancakes is to make sure your baking powder is fresh and that you don’t overmix the batter. You can beat the wet ingredients really well to create a lot of air and sift the flour mixture so it’s easy combine everything, but when you put them together, only whisk until there are no more dry spots.
These Loaded Breakfast Pancakes taste have the delicious buttery taste of pancakes along with the savory goodness of egg and bacon omelet and side of hashbrowns. It’s quite literally like taking a bite of your pancakes with breakfast sides all at once.
Variations
- Meat: Instead of one or the other, why not do half bacon and half sausage. You can lighten up the recipe with turkey bacon or sausage, or chop up some leftover Baked Ham during the holidays.
- Hash Browns: Instead of the fluffy tater tot filling, you could cook shredded hash browns for a more crispy potato filling. You could also use Diced Breakfast Potatoes, just make sure to chop them into smaller pieces.
- Cheese: Switch up the cheese with pepper jack, provolone, Monterey Jack, or Gouda. You can also serve them with some whipped ricotta or creme fraiche and a sprinkle of chives for a fancy topping. For even more decadent, rich pancakes, swap up to half of the milk with whole fat ricotta cheese.
- Vegetables: For some more veggie add-ins try minced mushrooms, tomatoes, fire-roasted bell peppers, scallions, or fresh corn. Give these pancakes a little heat with diced jalapenos or canned green chilies, just make sure to drain the chilies so your batter isn’t too wet.
- Muffins: To make tasty, savory Loaded Breakfast Pancake Muffins, divide the 2/3 of the batter between 2 muffin tins with liners. Top with filling then the remaining batter. Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes.
Sheet Pan Pancakes
- If you want to make these Sheet Pan Loaded Pancakes, you’ll need to double the pancake recipe but you can keep the filling ingredients the same.
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
- Prepare the batter as usual and let rest while you make the fillings.
- Cook the eggs with the tater tots in the microwave per the recipe.
- Chop up egg mixture and combine with the bacon, bell peppers, cheese, and seasonings.
- Spray a large baking sheet (13×18) with baking spray.
- Pour 2/3 of the pancake batter into the baking sheet and spread evenly.
- Sprinkle the filling mixture over the batter so it’s evenly distributed and not in large clumps.
- Pour remaining batter over the filling.
- Bake for 15 minutes, or until the pancake batter is cooked through and golden.
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can you make these in large muffin tins. If so how long to bake them.
I’ve never tested this recipe in a muffin tin. Here’s my Pancake Muffin Bites (https://dinnerthendessert.com/pancake-muffin-bites/?swcfpc=1) that take 20 – 22 minutes to bake. If you decide to try it, let us know how they turned out! Enjoy.