The best way to celebrate on a weekend morning is to make these Cinnamon Roll Pancakes! These fluffy, perfect pancakes are swirled with a cinnamon- sugar mixture and topped with a cream cheese drizzle. They’re awesome!!!
Watch the short video showing you how to make these Cinnamon Roll Pancakes, then scroll to the bottom of this post and print out the recipe so you can make them at home.
National Pancake Day
If you’ve ever thought you needed a reason to eat pancakes, today is the day: National Pancake Day!
Eat a short stack for breakfast, enjoy them for lunch, or make a dinner out a manhole-sized pancake… guilt free… because you’re merely celebrating their existence.
How do you like your pancakes? Buttermilk? Sweet Potato?
Whole Grain? Fruit topped? Whipped Cream?
What are the best pancakes?
I don’t usually care for any of that fancy stuff, but I can tell with absolute certainty that over-cooked, crusty pancakes have no place in my world. I like my pancakes fluffy.
And sometimes I like slices of banana cooked inside. A good dose of real maple syrup is what I prefer to drizzle on top.
But recently I started dreaming about mixing cinnamon rolls and pancakes together… and this is what I came up with- my new favorite pancake: Cinnamon Roll Pancakes. Here are some tips for how to be successful with these!
How do you make Cinnamon Roll Pancakes?
When you make cinnamon roll pancakes, it’s not much more difficult than making regular pancakes, but it’s a little more messy because of the cinnamon swirl. Follow the tips below, and you’ll have some great pancakes. NOTE: these take a little practice to get just right!
Tips explained:
- use a nonstick skillet or griddle: these are sticky, so if you can do anything to help prevent extreme stickiness then do it!
- use a thin metal spatula for flipping: because they’re a bit precarious, a thin spatula will work best.
- use an ice cream scoop for the batter: this just makes it easier to measure so they’re all similarly sized.
- allow pancake to cook and form bubbles before adding swirl: you don’t want the swirl to have time to melt into the batter, so adding it at the last minute will help it stay intact.
- the cinnamon swirl must be thick: thin swirl will run all over the place.
- don’t get the swirl too close to the edge of the pancake- see photo above!
- flip the pancake smoothly and quickly: so the swirl will stay in place!
- wipe pan between pancakes: or the sugar in the pan may burn.
I have a wonderfully fluffy pancake batter that I like to use (recipe below) so I swirl a bit of cinnamon roll filling into the pancake.
And they cook up just like a pancake- fluffy, but with craters of crusty, sugary cinnamon swirled within.
You might find three of these stacked in a fancy breakfast restaurant, but I’m gonna tell you that one pancake is all you need.
It’s like eating a cinnamon roll, and no one needs more than one cinnamon roll for breakfast. Or certainly no more than two 😉
See, just like a cinnamon roll. Love this. I can eat this pancake just as you see it, but you really need to add the glaze to get the full cinnamon roll-effect. Read on…
Oh yeah. A warmed cream cheese glaze drizzled on top really completes this pancake. No syrup needed.
Let me say that again: No. Syrup. Needed.
There you have it: Cinnamon Roll Pancakes with lots of ooey, gooey cream cheese glaze drizzled on top.
Do yourself a favor and treat yourself to a pancake today. Go get ’em.
These babies are just like eating a cinnamon roll, which is a perfectly okay… once in a while, right?
I mean, it’s not like I put chocolate chip cookie dough in them or anything. Hmmmm.
If you’re coming here to sample these delicious Cinnamon Roll Pancakes, you just might like the latest recipe that I’ve posted for Pumpkin Cinnamon Roll Pancakes and Gingerbread- Cinnamon Roll Pancakes too.
And if you just love pancakes in general, you must try The Best Fluffy Buttermilk Pancakes and Peanut Butter- Chocolate Chip Pancakes. Enjoy!
Cinnamon Roll Pancakes
Ingredients
CINNAMON FILLING:
- 4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter, just melted (not boiling)
- 6 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
- ½ tablespoon ground cinnamon
CREAM CHEESE GLAZE:
- 4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter
- 2 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
- ¾ cup powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
PANCAKES:
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup milk
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- 1 tablespoon canola or vegetable oil
Instructions
PREPARE CINNAMON FILLING:
- In a medium bowl, stir together the butter, brown sugar and cinnamon. Scoop the filling into a quart-sized heavy zip baggie and set it aside (see *Tips below).
PREPARE GLAZE:
- In a small pan, heat the butter over low heat until melted. Turn off the heat and whisk in the cream cheese until it is almost smooth. Sift the powdered sugar into the pan, stir and add in vanilla extract. Set the pan aside while you make the pancakes.
PREPARE PANCAKE BATTER:
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Whisk in the milk, egg and oil, just until the batter is moistened (a few small lumps are fine).
COOK THE PANCAKES:
- Heat a large, nonstick skillet over medium-heat and spray with nonstick spray. Use an ice cream scoop (or ⅓ cup measuring cup) to add the batter to the pan. Use the bottom of the scoop or cup to spread the batter into a circle (about 4-inches in diameter). Reduce the heat to medium low. Snip the corner of your baggie of cinnamon filling and squeeze the filling into the open corner. When your pancake begins to form bubbles, add the filling. Starting at the center of the pancake, squeeze the filling on top of the pancake batter in a swirl (just as you see in a regular cinnamon roll). Cook the pancake 2 to 3 minutes, or until the bubbles begin popping on top of the pancake and it's golden brown on the bottom. Slide a thin, wide metal spatula underneath the pancake and gently but quickly flip it over. Cook an additional 2 to 3 minutes, until the other side is golden as well. When you flip the pancake onto a plate, you will see that the cinnamon filling has created a crater-swirl of cinnamon. Wipe out the pan with a paper towel, and repeat with the remaining pancake batter and cinnamon filling. Re-warm the glaze briefly, if needed. Serve pancakes topped with a drizzle of glaze.
Notes
TIPS:
- *Quick and easy tip: Use a boxed pancake mix as the base for this recipe.
- *Tips for the cinnamon filling: Before swirling, open up the baggie again and give it a good stir to re-incorporate any butter that may have separated from the sugar. You want the mixture to thicken a bit- it's best when it's similar to the squeezing texture of a tube of toothpaste, which will happen if you leave it at room temperature for several minutes. Don't try to use the filling for the pancake swirl unless it has thickened as it will be too runny to make a solid swirl.
- *Keep the heat low or your pancakes might cook up too quickly. Don't flip them until you see those bubbles starting to pop on top. Flip them with a wide spatula so you can grasp the whole thing without batter and filling dripping all over the place!
- *I wrote a very detailed post on how to get the cinnamon filling *just right* on my Gingerbread- Cinnamon Roll Pancakes Post. Check it out before you attempt these!
- *If you're trying to justify your intake of decadent cinnamon rolls, you can make this a tad bit healthier by using half whole-wheat flour and low fat cream cheese, or enjoy the pancakes without glaze.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Tried this recipe for my family. Loved it! They turned out exactly as described. Wanted to share a great tip. I used a dollar store ketchup/mustard bottle for easy cinnamon swirl dispensing. It worked great without the fuss and mess of a baggie. It is also very easy to mix and shake the filling this way when it separates between batches, I use this same technique for making funnel cakes. Thanks for a great recipe!!
I’m eating these right now. I ran out of eggs and had to substitute a little bit of vegetable oil, but they’re still delicious.
Loved the filling. However makes way to much for a batch. Same with the glaze. They don’t cook up beautifully on the first try, but the family loved them. Although, next time I will replace the batter with one that is more flavorful and fluffy. Worked decently well in my Belgian Waffle Maker too (as I dislike pancakes…yeah the real of my family rhinos I’m weird too…). 4 Stars.
I just made these for breakfast and they tasted just like cinnamon rolls!! I had a little issue with the cinnamon filling, I didn’t have enough for all of the pancakes. Other than that, these pancakes are the best ever! Thank you so much for the recipe!
Just made these and they’re awesome! Many thanks
Also, i used a plastic spatula and didn’t have problems. I did find i had to heat my pan hotter than the recommended temp because i like my pancakes nicely browned and crisp round the edges. Different stoves (gas vs electric vs glass top) and pans will cook differently.
Made these this morning. These are like that boyfriend you dated in college you knew might eventually be the literal death of you, but you couldn’t quit him, because he was THAT DAMN GOOD.
“I won’t be able to make regular pancakes ever again, will I?” I asked my family.
“Probably not”
“These are the best pancakes I have ever had in my life”
“I can’t stop eating them, I hate them, somebody please take them away from me before i make myself sick”
I put the cinnamon filling in the fridge for ten minutes and it firmed right up. Also, i made an apple glaze as well as the cream cheese one.
This recipe is fabulous, thank you!
Thanks for the giggles 🙂 glad you enjoyed!
Hi Lori,
I tried these this morning and the swirl cooked out…. like evaporated or something, lol. I have no idea what I did wrong. I increased the amount of brown sugar and allowed it to cool in the fridge before using to try to get the perfect consistency but it cooked away! I have no idea what happened. Yours look great, will try again one more time and let you know how it goes ~ Victoria
I just had similar pancakes at a restaurant here in Austin (but with banana and pecan in it and powdered sugar on top instead of frosting). They were the best pancakes I’ve ever had! I searched online to see if I could find a recipe that would help me duplicate them at home and this looks like a winner! Thanks for the post.
You aren’t supposed to use metal on nonstick pans. There are currently only two manufacturers of nonstick pans that can be used with metal utensils: Calphalon’s Elite line at Williams-Sonoma and ScanPan’s new line of pans at Williams-Sonoma. All other pans’ warranties are voided if you use metal utensils in them. Particularly cheaper Teflon nonstick pans. So how about not misleading people about what their pans are capable of by teaching proper cookware-care as you share your recipes.
There are plenty of nonstick-safe spatulas that are thin (OXO makes a great one for pancakes that is a flexible. It’s spring steel covered in silicone making it ideal in nonstick pans. It’s at Bed Bath & Beyond).
This was delicious by the way! 🙂