Denny’s Red Velvet Pancake Puppies Copycat Recipe

Denny’s Red Velvet Pancake Puppies are those small, round fried dough bites with a deep red crumb and a sweet cream cheese icing for dipping. If you’ve had them at the restaurant and spent the drive home thinking about them, this copycat gets you there with pantry staples and about 30 minutes of actual work.

They’re crisp on the outside, soft and cake-like inside, and that cream cheese icing is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.

Why I Love This Recipe

The cocoa and red food coloring give these a distinct flavor that reads more like red velvet cake than a plain donut hole. The tang from the buttermilk keeps the inside tender without making them greasy.

The cream cheese icing is the part I keep coming back to. It’s got real cream cheese in it, so it’s tangy and rich rather than just sugary.

Recipe Ingredients

• 1 cup all-purpose flour – Standard AP flour gives the right structure; bread flour will make them chewy
• 2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder – Use natural cocoa, not Dutch-process, for the best red color
• 2 tbsp granulated sugar – Keeps sweetness moderate since the icing carries most of it
• 1 tsp baking powder – Gives the batter lift so the centers stay fluffy
• 1/4 tsp baking soda – Works with the buttermilk to help them rise and brown
• 1/4 tsp salt – Balances the sweetness
• 3/4 cup buttermilk – The acid tenderizes the batter; see Variations for a swap
• 1 large egg – Binds the batter
• 1 tbsp unsalted butter, melted – Adds a little richness without weighing things down
• 1 tbsp red food coloring – Liquid food coloring works fine; gel coloring gives a deeper red with less product
• 1 tsp vanilla extract – Rounds out the cocoa flavor
• Vegetable oil for frying – Neutral oil with a high smoke point; canola works too
• 4 oz cream cheese, softened – Full-fat gives the thickest, richest icing
• 1 cup powdered sugar – Sifted keeps the icing smooth
• 3 to 4 tbsp milk – Adjust to get a pourable but thick consistency
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract (for icing) – Keeps the icing from tasting flat

Variations / Substitutions

• No buttermilk – Mix 3/4 cup whole milk with 3/4 tsp white vinegar, let it sit 5 minutes, and use it the same way; the texture will be nearly identical.
• Gel food coloring – Use 1 tsp gel in place of 1 tbsp liquid; the red will be more vivid and the batter slightly thicker, which is fine.
• No food coloring – Skip it entirely for plain chocolate donut holes; the flavor stays the same.
• Dairy-free – Swap the buttermilk for oat milk plus 3/4 tsp apple cider vinegar, use vegan butter, and use dairy-free cream cheese for the icing; the icing will be a little softer.
• Extra warmth – Add 1/4 tsp cinnamon to the dry ingredients for a slightly spiced version.
• Lemon icing – Replace the milk in the icing with 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice for a brighter, tangier dip.

If you like fried dough bites in general, Denny’s Pancake Puppies with Confetti Dipping Sauce is worth trying next.

How To Make Red Velvet Pancake Puppies

Step 1: Mix the Batter

In a medium bowl, whisk together the 1 cup flour, 2 tbsp cocoa powder, 2 tbsp sugar, 1 tsp baking powder, 1/4 tsp baking soda, and 1/4 tsp salt. In a separate small bowl, whisk the 3/4 cup buttermilk, 1 large egg, 1 tbsp melted butter, 1 tbsp red food coloring, and 1 tsp vanilla extract until combined. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and stir with a spatula until just smooth, about 20 strokes. Don’t overmix.

The batter will be thick, closer to muffin batter than pancake batter. A few small lumps are fine. If it looks too stiff to drop from a spoon, add 1 tbsp more buttermilk and stir once.

Step 2: Whisk the Cream Cheese Icing

Beat the 4 oz softened cream cheese with a fork or hand mixer until smooth and lump-free. Sift in the 1 cup powdered sugar and stir, then add 3 tbsp milk and the 1/2 tsp vanilla extract. Mix until the icing is thick but falls off a spoon in a slow ribbon. If it’s too stiff, add the remaining 1 tbsp milk a little at a time.

The icing should coat the back of a spoon and hold its shape when you drizzle it. Set it aside at room temperature while you fry; it loosens slightly as it sits, which is exactly what you want for dipping.

Step 3: Fry the Puppies

Pour about 2 inches of vegetable oil into a heavy-bottomed pot or deep skillet and heat it over medium to medium-high until it reaches 350°F (175°C). Drop the batter in by rounded tablespoons, about 4 to 5 at a time so the oil temperature stays steady. Fry for 2 to 3 minutes per side, turning once, until the outsides are deep red-brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Don’t crowd the pot. Too many at once drops the oil temperature and gives you greasy centers instead of crisp ones. Lift them out with a slotted spoon and drain on a paper towel-lined plate for about 1 minute before the next batch.

Step 4: Plate and Drizzle

Pile the warm puppies onto a serving plate or into a shallow bowl. Spoon the cream cheese icing over the top in a generous drizzle, then set the remaining icing alongside in a small bowl for dipping. Serve immediately while the outsides are still crisp.

Recipe Tips

• Get the oil to temperature before the first drop. A thermometer takes the guesswork out; oil that’s too cool soaks into the batter instead of crisping it.
• Use a small cookie scoop. A 1-tablespoon cookie scoop gives you consistent sizing so they all finish frying at the same time.
• Softened cream cheese matters. Cold cream cheese will leave lumps in the icing no matter how long you stir. Pull it from the fridge at least 30 minutes before you start.
• Fry a test one first. The first puppy tells you if the oil is right and the batter is seasoned to your taste. Adjust from there before committing the whole batch.

Fry times vary a little by pot size and batter temperature:

How To Store

• Refrigerate – Keep leftover puppies and icing in separate airtight containers for up to 2 days. The icing will thicken in the fridge; stir in a splash of milk before serving.
• Reheating – Warm the puppies in an air fryer at 350°F (175°C) for 3 to 4 minutes or in a 375°F (190°C) oven for 5 minutes to get some crispness back. Microwaving works in a pinch but softens the exterior.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make the batter ahead of time?

Yes, but no more than 1 hour ahead. The baking powder starts working once it hits the buttermilk, so batter that sits too long produces flatter, denser bites.

Can I bake these instead of frying?

You can bake them in a greased mini muffin tin at 375°F (190°C) for 12 to 14 minutes, but the texture will be more like a muffin than a fried donut hole. The outside won’t be crisp.

My puppies are browning on the outside but raw in the middle. What went wrong?

The oil is too hot. Drop it back to 350°F (175°C) and give each batch a full 2 to 3 minutes per side so the heat reaches the center before the outside over-browns.

How much food coloring do I actually need for a strong red color?

The 1 tbsp of liquid food coloring in the recipe gives a clear red crumb once fried. If the color looks dull before frying, that’s normal; the heat deepens it.

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Red Velvet Pancake Puppies Recipe

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 30 minutes mins

Servings: 4 servings

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 tbsp granulated sugar
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 3/4 cup buttermilk
• 1 large egg
• 1 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
• 1 tbsp red food coloring
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• Vegetable oil for frying
• 4 oz cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 3 to 4 tbsp milk
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract (for icing)

Method

 

1. Whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk the buttermilk, egg, melted butter, red food coloring, and vanilla, then pour into the dry ingredients and stir until just smooth.
2. Beat the softened cream cheese until smooth, sift in the powdered sugar, then add 3 to 4 tbsp milk and the vanilla for the icing. Stir until thick but pourable. Set aside.
3. Heat 2 inches of vegetable oil in a heavy pot to 350°F (175°C). Drop the batter by rounded tablespoons in batches of 4 to 5, frying 2 to 3 minutes per side until deep red-brown and cooked through. Drain on paper towels.
4. Pile the warm puppies on a serving plate, drizzle cream cheese icing over the top, and set the remaining icing in a small bowl alongside for dipping.

Notes

These are best eaten right out of the oil while the outside is still crisp. If you’re making them for a group, keep finished batches warm in a 200°F (95°C) oven on a wire rack while you fry the rest. The icing can be made up to a day ahead and kept covered in the fridge; just stir in a splash of milk to loosen it before serving.