Make breakfast an experience with Cinnamon Roll Pancakes! A twist on the brunch classic, these homemade pancakes feature cinnamon-sugar swirls and are topped with a cream cheese glaze. Perfect for weekends, holidays or even breakfast for dinner.
Cinnamon Roll Pancake Recipe
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again—we are pancake people, and my entire family is here for fun twists on classic homemade pancakes. These Cinnamon Roll Pancakes take the traditional breakfast item and elevates them!
Unlike a classic cinnamon roll, these beautiful pancakes have the same flavor profile, thanks to a fun swirl of cinnamon-sugar. As an added bonus, they also don’t take hours of preparation to make.
These homemade pancakes are topped with a tart cream cheese glaze because that’s what you do with a cinnamon roll.
Heads up! The cinnamon-sugar swirl can make these homemade pancakes a little tricky, but I promise the taste is worth the potential mess. I’m sharing my best tips and tricks below for them to be less of a mess—but I want you to be prepared because stickiness is something you’re going to deal with.
Cinnamon Roll Pancake Tools
For these Cinnamon Roll Pancakes, we need a few “specialty” tools:
- Nonstick skillet or griddle—I tried these beauties on my cast iron griddle, and they were an utter mess. (We’re talking pancakes sticking, sugar burning, the whole nine yards…) They were a lot more manageable in a nonstick skillet. Be prepared to wipe down the pan between pancake batches because the cinnamon-sugar mixture will bleed out a little.
- Plastic spatula—since we’re using a nonstick pan, please use a plastic spatula, so as not to scrape up your pan.
- Plastic bag or a piping bag—We need this for the cinnamon-sugar swirl. However, be mindful of the heat near this, as I had some baggies melt on me during the testing process. Working quickly and efficiently (and also letting the cinnamon-sugar rest) is key. Plastic squeeze bottles work well too.
Ingredients
Cinnamon roll pancakes are made from a handful of ingredients you probably already have in your pantry and refrigerator.
You’ll need…
- Dry Ingredients– flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, sea salt
- Whole milk– you can use another milk if that’s what you’ve got on hand! We’ve made this recipe with cashew milk before, and they were equally delightful.
- Eggs
- Flavors– vanilla extract & cinnamon sometimes I like a grate of nutmeg too!
- Neutral oil- vegetable, canola or avocado oil
- Salted butter
- Brown sugar– dark or light brown sugar works perfectly, but it needs to be soft. I ran into some issues with brown sugar that was a little hard and it making swirling of the cinnamon-sugar challenging.
I like to top these homemade cinnamon roll pancakes with a cream cheese glaze because, well, the best cinnamon rolls have a glaze.
For that, you’ll need:
- Cream cheese
- Powdered sugar
- Milk
- Vanilla extract
The beauty in this one is that you can make it in your blender or your food processor. Also, you can make it the day before so you don’t have to fret with it the morning you’re making your pancakes.
How to Make Cinnamon Roll Pancakes
- First, make the cinnamon-sugar swirl mixture. Combine melted butter with brown sugar and cinnamon in a bowl, mixing until combined.
- Then we’re going to mix the cream cheese glaze! Place the softened cream cheese, powdered sugar, milk and vanilla extract in the base of your food processor or blender, and blend until smooth.
- Next, mix the pancakes. Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Whisk together until combined.
- Then measure the milk, eggs, vanilla extract, and oil into a smaller bowl. Stir together until combined. Make sure the egg yolk and white are mixed well because you don’t want stray pieces of egg white in your pancakes.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Use a rubber spatula to gently fold them together until just combined. The batter doesn’t need to be smooth, and be careful not to overmix.
- Once the batter has been mixed, heat a nonstick skillet or a griddle over medium heat. Brush the pan with melted butter or unflavored cooking spray, and let it warm up.
- Use a cookie scoop or a measuring cup to dollop the cinnamon roll pancakes onto the preheated skillet when ready. Snip the end off your baggie holding the cinnamon-sugar mixture, and swirl it on top of the pancakes. Top with another scoop of pancake batter to cover the swirl (and keep the cinnamon-sugar inside your pancake.) Switch it up! Leave the cinnamon swirl visible for the true “cinnamon roll” look by not adding the extra scoop of batter. It will be messy, but it’s a fun look!
- When several bubbles form on the surface, flip the pancakes, and cook through for another 1-2 minutes.
- Some of the cinnamon-sugar mixture will run out. That’s OK—because the majority of it should stay inside the pancake! Be prepared for this to create stickiness on the pan.
- Wipe down the pan with a wet paper towel or cloth between rounds, then brush the griddle with additional butter or oil. Why? This will remove the cinnamon-sugar stickiness, which will eventually burn and also prevent sticking.
Pancake Tips and Tricks
- Mix the wet and dry ingredients separately. It’s important to get the eggs incorporated into the other wet ingredients so you don’t have stray bits of egg white in your pancakes. Also, this will help you not overmix the batter once combined and will ensure that the red color is consistent throughout your pancakes.
- Don’t overmix the pancake batter! Lumps are OK in this batter—we just want the ingredients incorporated so you can pour them onto the griddle.
- Wipe off the pan between rounds of pancakes, then brush it with butter or oil before making more. Why? This will prevent any cinnamon-sugar that’s seeped out of the pancakes from burning in the skillet and making the rest of your pancakes bitter.
When do you know how to flip your pancakes? When big ‘ol bubbles start to form in the batter. Lift up the edge a little bit with a spatula to confirm the color on the other side before committing… because when you flip them, you won’t flip them again. (Yep. We only need to flip our pancakes once.)
How do I prevent these pancakes from sticking to the griddle? These Cinnamon Roll Pancakes can be a bit of a mess with the cinnamon-sugar mixture swirled into them, so my way to prevent the stickiness is brushing the griddle with butter or canola oil between each round of pancakes. Make sure you keep the temperature around 325°F if using butter so it doesn’t burn.
Also, if you’re able to drizzle extra pancake batter on top of the swirls, this will contain the cinnamon-sugar mixture a bit better and will allow for a cinnamon roll surprise when the pancakes are cut into!
How do I store leftover Cinnamon Roll Pancakes? Line a baking sheet with wax paper, and pop them in the freezer for 4-6 hours. When the pancakes are fully frozen, transfer them to a freezer baggie. Reheat in the toaster oven, toaster or the oven until warm.
More delicious pancake recipes:
- White Chocolate Raspberry Pancakes
- Old Fashioned Pancakes
- Strawberry Pancakes
- Banana Pancakes
- Funfetti Pancakes
- Oatmeal Pancakes
Lemon Poppy Seed Pancakes
Cannoli Pancakes
Sheet Pan Pancakes
Cinnamon Roll Pancakes
Equipment
Ingredients
Cinnamon Sugar Swirl
- 5 tablespoons salted butter , melted and cooled slightly
- 8 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
Cream Cheese Glaze
- 4 oz. cream cheese , softened
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- ¼ cup whole milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pancake Recipe
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 ½ cups whole milk
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 tablespoons neutral oil , like vegetable or canola oil
Instructions
Make the Cinnamon Sugar Swirl
- Combine the melted butter, brown sugar and cinnamon in a bowl.
- Stir until mixed well.
- Transfer to a plastic bag or a piping bag, and set aside. (This will help us swirl the mixture into the pancakes without a lot of messiness. We’ll snip the bag when it’s time.)
- Let this sit for 20-30 minutes.
Make the Cream Cheese Glaze
- Combine the softened cream cheese, powdered sugar, milk and vanilla extract in the base of your food processor or a blender.
- Blend until smooth.
- Set aside until it’s time to serve your pancakes. (You can also make this ahead of time, so you can store it in a food-safe container in the refrigerator.)
Make the Pancakes
- Measure the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt into a large bowl. Whisk together until incorporated, and set aside.
- Measure the milk, eggs, vanilla extract and oil into a smaller bowl. Use a fork to stir together until combined. Make sure the egg yolk and white are incorporated.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Stir until just combined with a rubber spatula. Be careful not to overmix, as this will affect the texture of the pancakes. Don’t fret about lumps—they’re OK.
- Once the batter has been mixed, heat a nonstick skillet or a griddle over medium heat. Brush the pan with melted butter or unflavored cooking spray.
- Dollop the pancakes onto the preheated skillet when ready using a cookie scoop or a measuring cup.
- Snip a small corner off the piping/plastic bag, and swirl the cinnamon-sugar mixture on top of the pancakes. Cover with another small scoop of pancake batter. (Doing this step will ensure the cinnamon-sugar mixture stays inside your pancake.)
- When several bubbles have formed on the surface, flip the pancakes, and cook through.
- Wipe down the skillet between pancakes with a wet towel or cloth, and rebutter it each time. Why? This will ensure they don’t stick or become a mess.
- Repeat until all of the pancakes have been made.
- Stack the pancakes onto plates and serve with the cream cheese glaze.
- If you've tried this recipe, come back and let us now how it was in the comments or ratings!
Notes
- Mix the wet and dry ingredients separately. It’s important to get the eggs incorporated into the other wet ingredients so you don’t have stray bits of egg white in your pancakes. Also, this will help you not overmix the batter once combined and will ensure that the red color is consistent throughout your pancakes.
- Don’t overmix the pancake batter! Lumps are OK—we just want the ingredients just incorporated.
- Wipe off the pan between rounds of pancakes, then brush it with butter or oil before making more. This will prevent any cinnamon-sugar that’s seeped out of the pancakes from burning in the skillet and making the rest of your pancakes bitter.
Your recipe is perfect. They were fluffy, the brown sugar cinnamon swirl was crispy. I made and served them for Mardi Gras/Shrove Tuesday dinner with bacon and sausage links. What an indulgent pre-Lent dinner! But, as I’ve experienced when I’ve made similar, they’re super messy. So for the next time, I decided to make them as sheet pan pancakes for my family of 7. I experimented with swirl on the bottom of the parchment lined pan on half, and swirl on top for the other half. They were both delicious, with a slight edge given to swirl on top. The swirl stayed intact and still had that slight crispness!
Nothing quite beats pancakes on the griddle, but for my large family and the mess avoided, sheet pan is definitely a great option! (I used a half sheet pan for each recipe, baked at 425 for 16 minutes. )
My family loved these pancakes. I used boxed pancake mix and made it to the consistency That my family likes. It was a hit especially for our 1 year old that doesn’t care for pancakes.
The batter was too liquify. I had to keep adding flour to make it the right consistency.
Thanks for the feedback, Rachel- we will have our recipe testers go back and take a look. We usually have each recipe made at least 2 times per recipe before posting it.
My kids will love these pancakes! Can’t wait to try them!
These were the perfect way to satisfy a cinnamon roll craving without having to make any dough! Loved every bite.
These pancakes look absolutely delicious and scrumptious! My daughter and hubby are going to be all over these pancakes, so excited to give these a try for breakfast today!
Pancakes and cinnamon rolls are both awesome as they are. Who would have thought that mixing them together would feel and taste this heavenly?? Thank you so much for sharing this, I just tried this!
These sound fantastic. Also, much quicker to put together than a batch of homemade cinnamon rolls. Thanks for the recipe!