Pour the water into the insert set in a 5-, 6-, or 8-quart Instant Pot. Set a pressure-safe rack or trivet in the insert. Lightly coat the seven indentations of an egg-bite mold with baking spray.
Stir the sugar and cinnamon together in a small bowl, then divide this mixture evenly among the indentations, sprinkling it to get on the sides of each and shaking the mold so that the sugar coats each interior surface evenly. Turn the mold over and gently tap out any excess sugar mixture.
Whisk the pancake mix, milk, oil, and vanilla in a medium bowl until smooth. Divide this mixture among the prepared indentations, taking care to spoon it in gently so as not to dislodge the sugar mixture.
Lay the silicone lid or a piece of aluminum foil loosely over the mold, covering it without sealing the lid or the foil to the mold. Set the mold on the rack and lock the lid on the pot.
Set the pot for Pressure Cook or Manual and set the pressure to High. Set the time for 15 minutes with the Keep Warm setting off.
When the pot has finished cooking, use the quick-release method to bring the pressure back to normal. Unlatch the lid and open the pot. Use hot pads or silicone baking mitts to transfer the (hot!) egg-bite mold to a nearby wire rack. Uncover and cool for 5 minutes before unmolding the pancake bites onto plates or a serving platter.
Notes
Beyond • Substitute plain oat milk, unsweetened plain almond milk, or unsweetened plain soy milk for the dairy milk. • Split these pancake bites in half lengthwise and serve them with butter and maple syrup — or even butter and honey.
Other Pots • For a 3-quart Instant Pot, you must decrease the amount of water in the insert to 1 cup and you must use two, four-indentation egg-bite molds specifically made for this smaller model. You must then stack the molds on top of each other in the insert. If you fill all eight indentations, the individual bites will be slightly smaller than those made in a seven-indentation mold. • For a 6- or 8-quart Instant Pot, you can double almost all of the ingredient amounts except you must use the stated 11/2 cups water in the insert. You must then use two egg-bite molds, one stacked on top of the other in the insert so that the indentations of the top mold sit on the walls of the bottom mold, not into the bottom indentations themselves (except for the center indentation of the top mold which will now hover above the center indentation below). • For a 10-quart Instant Pot, you must increase the amount of water in the insert to 21/2 cups. You can either complete the recipe as stated or you can double the other ingredient amounts, in which case you must use two egg-bite molds, stacking them as directed above for the 6- or 8-quart pots.