Cinnamon Roll Pancakes - Fluffy Stacks With Swirls of Cinnamon Sugar
If you’ve ever wished a warm cinnamon roll and a stack of pancakes could merge into one cozy breakfast, this is your sign. Cinnamon roll pancakes bring the best of both worlds: soft, fluffy pancakes wrapped with buttery cinnamon sugar and finished with a creamy glaze. They look impressive but are surprisingly simple to make.
Ingredients
- For the Pancakes: 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon fine salt
- 1 1/4 cups milk (plus a splash more if needed)
- 1 large egg
- 3 tablespoons melted butter or neutral oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- For the Cinnamon Swirl: 4 tablespoons butter, melted
- ⅓ cup brown sugar, packed
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour (helps prevent the swirl from breaking)
- Pinch of salt
- For the Cream Cheese Glaze: 2 ounces cream cheese, softened
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 1–2 tablespoons milk
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
- To Cook: Nonstick skillet or griddle
- Cooking spray or a little butter/oil
- Squeeze bottle or zip-top bag for the swirl
- Spatula
Instructions
- Make the cinnamon swirl. Stir together melted butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, flour, and a pinch of salt until smooth. Transfer to a squeeze bottle or a zip-top bag and press the mixture down toward one corner. Let it sit 5–10 minutes so it thickens slightly. This helps it stay defined on the pancake.
- Whisk the glaze. In a small bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth. Add powdered sugar, vanilla, a pinch of salt, and 1 tablespoon milk. Whisk until pourable, adding a splash more milk if needed. Set aside.
- Mix the pancake batter. In a large bowl, whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk milk, egg, melted butter, and vanilla. Pour wet into dry and stir gently until just combined. A few small lumps are fine. If it’s very thick, add 1–2 tablespoons milk.
- Preheat the pan. Heat a nonstick skillet or griddle over medium heat. Lightly grease with butter or oil. Reduce heat slightly if your pan runs hot.
- Pour and swirl. Add about 1/4 cup batter per pancake. Wait until bubbles form on top and the edges look set—about 1–2 minutes. Snip a small corner off your zip-top bag (or use the squeeze bottle), then pipe a tight spiral of cinnamon filling on each pancake, starting at the center and working outward.
- Flip gently. Once the spiral looks lightly absorbed and the surface is bubbly, flip carefully. Cook the second side 45–60 seconds. The cinnamon filling will caramelize slightly and form a gorgeous swirl. Transfer to a plate, swirl-side up.
- Repeat. Wipe out the pan if needed and re-grease lightly between batches. If the swirl mixture gets too runny, chill it for 3–4 minutes. If it gets too firm, warm it in your hands or near the stove.
- Finish with glaze. Drizzle warm pancakes with cream cheese glaze. Serve immediately. Optional: Add chopped pecans or a dusting of cinnamon on top.