I was skeptical the first time I ordered Pancake Puppies at Denny’s. How could something called a “pancake puppy” possibly be good? But when that warm basket arrived at the table—golden-brown spheres studded with blueberries and white chocolate chips, accompanied by a container of silky cheesecake dip.
One bite revealed the genius behind this unique creation: the perfect fusion of donut hole texture with pancake flavor. The crispy exterior gave way to a fluffy, cake-like interior bursting with sweet blueberries and melty white chocolate pockets. Dipping these warm treats into the cool, tangy cheesecake sauce created a flavor combination that was nothing short of magical.
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Table of Contents
Why This Recipe Works
This copycat recipe successfully recreates Denny’s popular breakfast treat by striking the perfect balance between pancake fluffiness and donut-like crispiness. Using commercial blueberry pancake mix ensures consistent results while simplifying the process. Adding powdered sugar to the batter adds sweetness and helps create the signature crispy exterior during frying. White chocolate chips melt slightly within each puppy during cooking, creating pockets of creamy sweetness that complement the bursts of blueberry flavor.
Blueberry Pancake Puppies Ingredients
For the Pancake Puppies:
- Blueberry pancake mix – Provides the pancake flavor base with blueberries included
- Water – Activates the pancake mix and creates proper batter consistency
- Powdered sugar – Adds sweetness and helps create a crispy exterior
- White chocolate chips – Create pockets of creamy sweetness throughout
- Vegetable oil – For frying to achieve the perfect crispy texture
For the Cheesecake Dipping Sauce:
- Butter – Provides richness and smooth texture
- Cream cheese – Creates the signature tangy cheesecake flavor
- Powdered sugar – Sweetens the dip perfectly without graininess
- Salt – Enhances flavors and balances sweetness
- Vanilla extract – Adds depth and warmth to the flavor profile
How to Make Deep Fried Pancakes With Cheesecake Dipping Sauce
To prepare the fried pancake batter:
- In a mixing bowl, stir together the pancake mix, water, powdered sugar, and white chocolate chips until you can’t see any dry ingredients. Do not overmix. Some lumps are okay.
- Cover the pancake batter and let it rest in the fridge.
- Place paper towels on a wire rack set on a rimmed baking tray.
- Add about two inches of vegetable oil to a heavy-bottomed pot or deep fryer and heat to 350°F over a medium flame. Use a clip-on deep-fry thermometer for the best results. You can also use a deep-fat fryer if you have one.
- Use a large cookie scoop to portion the pancake batter and carefully release the batter into the hot oil. Don’t crowd the pot. Keep an eye on the temperature to ensure it doesn’t drop too low.
- Fry the pancake dough ball until one side is golden brown, and then gently flip the pancake balls over using a long-handled slotted spoon or skimmer.
- Transfer the fully cooked pancake hush puppies to the paper towel-lined wire rack. Dab the top of them with a paper towel.
To prepare the Cheesecake Dipping Sauce:
- Remove the butter and cream cheese from the fridge and leave them on the counter for at least 15 minutes until they begin to soften.
- Put the softened butter and cream cheese into the bowl of an electric mixer and mix on low until smooth.
- Add the powdered sugar in stages while the mixer continues to run.
- Add the salt and vanilla extract.
- Increase the speed of the mixer to medium and mix until fluffy. To thin out the dipping sauce, add a small amount of cream or milk while mixing until you reach the correct consistency.
What to Serve Them Deep Fried Pancake Balls
In addition to a side of warm cream cheese icing, you can try sprinkling powdered sugar over the top. Serve the deep-fried pancakes with fresh fruit, a scoop of vanilla yogurt, or a dollop of whipped cream.
Storage and Make-Ahead Tips
- Reheating tips: For the best texture, reheat refrigerated puppies in a 350°F air fryer for 4 minutes or in a 375°F oven for 3 minutes per side
- Refrigeration: Store cooled puppies in an airtight container lined with paper towels for up to 3 days
- Freezing: Freeze in a single layer on a baking sheet, then transfer to a freezer bag for up to 1 month
- Make-ahead dip: Prepare the cheesecake dip up to 2 days ahead and refrigerate in an airtight container
- Batter preparation: The batter can be made up to 2 hours ahead and refrigerated until ready to fry
Denny’s Blueberry Pancake Puppies with Cheesecake Dip
Ingredients
Pancake Puppies
- 4 cups vegetable oil
- 2 cups Krusteaz blueberry pancake mix
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1/3 cup white chocolate chips
Cheesecake Dipping Sauce
- 3 tablespoons butter softened
- 3 tablespoons cream cheese softened
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
Pancake Puppies
- In a heavy-duty pot over medium heat, heat the vegetable oil to 350°F.
- In a medium bowl, combine the pancake mix, water, powdered sugar, and white chocolate chips. Mix until blended.
- Use a cookie scoop to scoop balls of pancake batter and drop them into the hot oil.
- When the pancake balls turn brown on the bottom side, flip them over with a slotted spoon and cook until the other side has browned.
- Remove the cooked pancake puppies from the oil and drain them on paper towels.
Dipping Sauce
- Place the softened butter and cream cheese in a bowl. Mix with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy.
- Gradually add the powdered sugar, mixing on low speed until fully incorporated.
- Add the salt and vanilla. Increase the speed to medium and beat until it is light and fluffy.
- If you want a thinner dipping sauce, add a little cream or milk until it reaches your desired consistency.
Nutrition
More Denny’s Copycat Recipes
- Denny’s French Toast
- Moons Of My Hammy
- Plain Pancake Puppies
- Red Velvet Pancake Puppies
- Strawberry Pancake Puppies
Favorite Pancake Recipes
- Alton Brown Pancakes
- Birthday Pancakes
- Buttermilk Pancakes
- Chocolate Pancakes
- Cinnamon Pancakes
- Pancake Wake Up Wrap
- Pumpkin Pancakes
- Red Velvet Pancakes
Check out my easy breakfast recipes and the best copycat restaurant favorites on CopyKat!
So you can just buy frozen blueberries and folliw the recipe for waffles to make pancake balls?
I think this would work ok, but you need to make the pancake/waffle mix more dry, it’s too watery if you make it for pancakes.
I just had the white chocolate and fresh raspberry holiday pancakes at Denny’s and they are out of this world! Any chance for a copycat recipe?
I missed them last year, I will have to see if they bring it back.
I just had the lemon poppyseed French toast at Denny’s! Please give that recipe. I dearly love these !!!
My initial suggestion/question is was your grease hot enough? Was it at 350 degrees? If the grease isn’t hot enough it will soak into your food. It also sounds like it wasn’t hot enough because your puppies were still dougy.
I have a frier and could home made pancake mix work
do you have the recipe fpr the gingerbread pancake puppies? I LOVE THOSE.thank you.
do you have the recipe fpr the gingerbread pancake puppies? I LOVE THOSE.thank you.
I didn’t know they had these, I haven’t been in a Denny’s in a few months. I will have to see what I can do.
I didn’t know they had these, I haven’t been in a Denny’s in a few months. I will have to see what I can do.
These are awesome!! Great idea for kids and after school snacks! Way to go Denny’s!
Man these were gooood lastnight and it had strawberries in them Very Good !!!
these are really good, i treid them at Denny’s however will definately make one to feel guilty as it is really oilly.
I did this with the wrong batter and it worked but the batter sort of flattened out. It does work though.
I think you need to drop the balls of dough immediately into the the hot oil.
I think you need to drop the balls of dough immediately into the the hot oil.
A waitress told us that they use the waffle batter as it is thicker (with less water), mixes well, and drops into the oil much easier. Worth a try anyway.
I am anxious to try it.
I tink is the kind hat my Mom used to make when I was a kid.
I have been looking for this for ever.
Next time that I go t Denny’s I will sure to try them.
Thanks
Ursula
This reminds me of an Oliebol.
What about the red part of the Red, White & Blueberry Pancake Puppies, what kind of strawberries can you add that will fry well? Is it strawberry jelly?
I haven’t tried these yet. My guess would be to use some chopped fresh or frozen strawberries for these. ~stephanie
I’m a sucker for normal cornmeal hushpuppies, and now I can add the sweet pancake puppies to the mix. Yum! Thanks.
I just made the pancake puppies super simple and easy to make .. and they are very good , will be making them again ..thanks so much
These pancake-puppies as Denny calls them is a treat that Dutch and German people make every New Years Eve – perhaps this practice extends to all of Europe, for all I know. As kids we used to love New Years Eve no supper till after midnight and eating these donuts. After the fireworks at midnight the whole family sits down to eat yet more as they dig in to a potato salad called a ‘Salad of the Huisars’ that is build up like a cake on leaves of lettuce for the base covering the platter. The icing is Miracle Whip and the garnishings are smoked oysters & mussels, baby pickled onions, sweet & dill pickles, stuffed eggs and sliced eggs, tomato slices and more. The potato salad is prepared 1 to 3 days ahead, minus any Miracle Whip and includes diced egg, diced dill pickles and baby pickled onions, diced canned ham or spam, some pickle juice whatever catches your fancy. The potatoes are mashed and all is mixed together in a big bowl and left to blend flavors in the fridge or cold room for 1 to 3 days (max). On New Years Eve my Dad would add miracle whip and mayonnaise to the potato salad and then build a two or three layered potato salad cake with the icing as described before – of course pepper – salt & garlic to taste – with a dash or sprinkling of paprika after all the garnishings had been artfully arranged. Besides the donuts they also had apple fritter like donuts – perfectly peeled & cored apples sliced like pine-apple slices about 1 centimeter thick, dipped in batter and deep fried. The family would play games eat and eat and eat till the finale supper after midnight and role into bed around 3 or 4 AM. Needless to say the adults drink wine and liqueurs as well. Oh yes, the donut ‘pancake puppies’ also often/usually had raisins in the batter!!! I hope this tradition adds a new dimension for you and possibly your readers :o).
Best regards,
Hans Lussenburg in Nanaimo, The Harbor City on beautiful Vancouver Island, ‘The Ocean Playground of the North Pacific and an Artist’s and Chef’s Paradise’.
This is what they reminded me of as well. Apple fritters. I was thing the same when I started looking for the recipe and found your blog?
i work at denny’s and youve got this recipe as close as possible. dennys uses their traditiotinal pancake batter (which is nothing special), then they stir in freezer dried bluberries and nestle white chocolate chips and then they fry little balls of the batter in oil and then roll in powdered sugar. i know krusties bluberry pancake mix has those same freezer dried bluberries in it so, this recipe would taste basically exactly the same as the real thing. Dana: heres a recipe for the Cinnamon Pancake Puppies: 2 cups krusties buttermilk pancake mix, 1 cup water (or milk), 4 cups vegetable oil. 1/2 cup sugar. 4 teaspoons cinnamon. Combine sugar and cinnamon in small bowl. Set aside. Preheat oil to 350 (med-high)Use cookie scoup to drop pancake by spoonfuls into preheated oil. Fry puppies about 1-2 min or until golden. Rempove puppies from oil using sloted spoon & let sit on paper towel for about 30 sec. Roll puppies in Cinnamon Sugar mixture.
4 cups of vegetable oil?
Yes, you fry the pancake puppies in the oil.
i cannot get them to come out in a rounded ball, mine were flat but still good do you leave them in the cookie dropper and let them form in the grease before letting them go?
use cooking spray on the cookie dropper
use cooking spray on the cookie dropper
make sure the grease is the right temp too
What about the new red velvet ones how are they made???
Hey nickw How do they make the tropical pancake puppies? I do not have a Dennys where I live and we just got back from our honeymoon in Florida where we ate these and thought they were delicious! I would love to be able to have these again. Thanks Amy
Denny’s also has Cinammon Pancake Puppies. This flavor is my
favorite! They taste like a donut. Can you please come up with that recipe also.
use normal pancake mix, and no chocolate chips, then roll in cinnamon sugar mix!
Jessica, I think this would be the recipe for the regular ones, wouldn’t it?
What about the Strawberry Pancake Puppies?
I will have to give those a try. I didn’t know they had Strawberry ones.
I have tried the Denny’s Pancake Puppies and they are to die for I have been trying to figure out on my own how they made them. I am sure glad that you have the recepie here. I hope it really works.
Oh my gosh, I love the idea of a breakfast appetizer. For me, it’s usually a cookie.