Goofy Gummy Bear Pancakes from The Sims

About this dish

Goofy Gummy Bear Pancakes are one of the most recognizable recipes in the entire The Sims universe, first appearing in The Sims 2 and keeping their cult status across every installment that followed. The cooking animation — fluffy pancakes studded with rainbow gummy bears flipping in a pan — became a symbol of in-game breakfast culture and one of the most-discussed easter eggs in the entire Simmer community. The recipe blended so naturally into the game's cooking system that many players have been recreating it in real life, especially those grinding their cooking skill toward level 10.

Recreating the game dish in a real kitchen turned out to be easier than it looks: the base is classic fluffy American buttermilk pancake batter, and the star feature is — of course — colorful gummy bears. We used Fruittella bears for testing, but any bright fruit-flavored gummy will work. As they cook, the bears soften slightly inside the batter, creating little caramelized pockets of color while keeping their iconic bear shape. Serving them stacked with a pat of butter and a generous waterfall of maple syrup is non-negotiable for the proper Sims aesthetic.

Total time from first whisk to first bite: 25 minutes. The quantities listed yield 8 fluffy pancakes — enough for two solid servings. One serving comes in around 320 kcal, making this a balanced choice for a casual family breakfast as well as for themed Simmer brunches.

Step-by-Step Cooking

1

Gather all ingredients

Lay out everything you'll need: 1% kefir buttermilk, maple syrup, all-purpose flour, butter, neutral oil, baking soda, four eggs, and two bags of Fruittella gummy bears. Pull the kefir and eggs out of the fridge ahead of time — cold ingredients give you lumpy batter.

2

Measure the flour

Use a measuring cup to scoop exactly 1 cup of flour. Don't pack it down — flour should sit loosely in the cup, otherwise pancakes turn dense. Transfer the measured flour to a separate bowl for the next step.

3

Sift the dry mix

Sift the flour through a fine-mesh strainer into a large bowl. Add the sugar, baking powder, and a pinch of baking soda. Whisk the dry mix until evenly combined — sifting aerates the flour and gives you the cloud-fluffy stack your Sim flips on screen.

4

Cut the butter

Cut roughly 2 tablespoons (about 30 g) of butter from the block. The easiest way to measure is with a tablespoon itself — gives you an accurate volume without a kitchen scale.

5

Place butter in the bowl

Drop the cut butter into a small heatproof glass bowl. The same bowl will serve for the next step — melting.

6

Melt the butter

Melt the butter gently — either over a double boiler on low heat, or in 10-second microwave bursts, stirring between each. Let it cool slightly before the next step — hot butter will scramble the eggs.

7

Measure the kefir

Pour 1 cup (250 ml) of kefir into a measuring jug — the «250» mark equals one standard cup. The kefir needs to be at room temperature; if it's still cold, microwave it for 15–20 seconds.

8

Pour kefir into the mixing bowl

Carefully transfer the measured kefir into a large mixing bowl. This bowl becomes home base — we'll add all the wet ingredients to it one by one.

9

Add the egg

Crack one large egg directly into the kefir. If you're worried about shell, crack it into a separate small bowl first and inspect before transferring.

10

Add vanilla extract

Measure exactly 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract and pour it into the bowl with the kefir and egg. The vanilla creates that signature dessert-like aroma that echoes the in-game description.

11

Whisk the wet mix

Use an immersion blender or whisk to combine the kefir, egg, and vanilla until fully smooth — the mix should turn slightly foamy and pale cream. Pour in the cooled melted butter and whisk again.

12

Combine wet and dry

Tip the sifted dry mix into the bowl with the wet ingredients. Add it gradually, not all at once — this makes it easier to avoid lumps when you mix.

13

Mix the batter

Run the mixer on medium for about 30–40 seconds, until the batter is fully smooth. Finished batter should ribbon off the whisk in a thick continuous stream. Don't overmix — overdeveloped gluten makes pancakes rubbery.

14

Preheat the oven

Turn on your oven (or a low burner) and set it to 80 °C / 175 °F. This is where the cooked pancakes will rest while you cook the rest — keeps the whole stack warm and cloud-fluffy by serving time.

15

Prep the greasing tool

Grab a paper towel and a small bottle of neutral oil. Soak the towel generously with oil — this DIY brush is perfect for greasing the pan between pancakes without piling up extra fat.

16

Grease the pan

Set a non-stick pan over medium heat and wipe it lightly with the oiled towel. The pan should be warm but not screaming hot — a drop of water should sizzle and slowly evaporate, not jump and disappear instantly.

17

Cook the first pancake with bears

Ladle about ¼ cup of batter into the center of the pan. While the top is still wet, quickly press 5–6 colorful gummy bears into the batter. Cook 1–2 minutes — bubbles will form across the surface and the edges will look set.

18

Flip and finish

Slide a silicone spatula underneath and flip in one smooth motion. Cook the second side for another minute or so, until golden-brown. Transfer the cooked pancake to a plate.

19

Keep warm in the oven

Stack the cooked pancakes on a baking sheet and slide them into the preheated 80 °C oven. They stay warm while you finish the batch — and the whole stack arrives at the table evenly fluffy.

20

Final plating

Stack the pancakes high on a serving plate, drop a pat of butter in the center, scatter fresh gummy bears across the top, and finish with a generous waterfall of maple syrup. Serve immediately — this is the iconic Sims breakfast in real life.