These cinnamon roll pancakes are loaded with all the gooey, sweet cinnamon roll flavors! Soft and fluffy pancakes swirled with cinnamon sugar, then served with cream cheese icing.
Pancakes won’t fix your cinnamon roll craving? Make an actual batch of homemade cinnamon buns!
CINNAMON ROLL PANCAKES
Enjoy all the classic cinnamon roll flavors without all the work by making this delicious cinnamon roll pancake recipe! A simple pancake batter swirled with a cinnamon sugar, once cooked these fluffy cinnamon roll pancakes are drizzled with a sweet icing. It’s everything you want from a cinnamon roll, just way easier! Make these pancakes for your brunch parties, Christmas morning, weekends or even on a regular slow morning.
WHAT YOU NEED-
- Pancake Batter– You can use a premade pancake mix for homemade pancake batter. I highly recommend that you use my homemade fluffy and soft pancake recipe!
CINNAMON SWIRL
- Butter– Be sure to use softened unsalted butter for your cinnamon swirl!
- Brown Sugar– Either light brown or dark brown sugar can be used.
- Cinnamon– You can’t have cinnamon roll pancakes without the cinnamon! Be sure to use ground cinnamon.
CINNAMON ROLL ICING
- Cream Cheese– The base of this silk cinnamon roll icing is softened cream cheese! You can use either classic or low-fat cream cheese for this icing.
- Butter– For added flavor the icing also calls for softened unsalted butter.
- Powdered Sugar- To sweeten the icing, you want to be sure to use powdered sugar, also known as confectioner sugar.
- Vanilla– You can’t forget the vanilla extract! This adds so many rich flavors to the icing.
- Milk– Adding whole milk to the icing is what thins out the icing, giving you a smoothy, silky syrup like consistency.
HOW TO MAKE CINNAMON ROLL PANCAKES
Have all the amazing flavors of a classic cinnamon roll in minutes with this delicious cinnamon roll pancake recipe!
- Prepare the cream cheese icing for the pancakes. Set aside. (You want to make this before you cook the pancakes, so you can enjoy the pancakes warm!)
- In a bowl, combine the ingredients for the cinnamon swirl. Transfer to a piping bag or a plastic bag. (Cut a tiny hole for piping, do not make it too big.)
- Make the pancake batter, per instructions.
- Heat a skillet or griddle and melt butter. With a 1/3 measuring cup, scoop the batter into the skillet, creating about 3-4 pancakes. (Do NOT overcrowd the skillet.)
- Starting from the center, pipe a swirl of cinnamon butter into the pancake batter. Repeat, adding a swirl of cinnamon to all the pancakes in the skillet.
- Once the batter starts to form bubbles and the edges firm, flip and continue cooking until golden on both sides. (The cinnamon butter will melt and create a mess; you might need to wipe the skillet before making the next batch.)
- Remove and repeat until the pancake batter and cinnamon sugar is gone, you should have about 8 pancakes.
- Top the cinnamon roll pancakes with the icing and serve.
QUESTION YOU MIGHT HAVE:
This recipe makes about 8 pancakes! If you want to make smaller pancakes, you can totally do that!
The key to the perfect pancake is not flipping it too early! You want to look for the batter to start forming bubbles and the edges firming up.
No! You can totally use pancake mix or whatever plain pancake recipe you prefer.
You can totally prepare by making the cream cheese icing and the cinnamon swirl mixture the night before! Store in the fridge and take out before making the pancakes to soften the cinnamon swirl a bit for smooth piping.
Once the pancakes are cooled, store at room temp for up to a day or in the fridge for 3-4 days. Reheat and enjoy for breakfast or as a dessert. Be sure to store the cream cheese icing in the fridge.
Pancakes freeze great! Once the pancakes are cooled, add to a freeze safe bag and freeze without the icing for up to 3 months! Thaw overnight, warm and serve with a fresh batch of icing.
Yes! You can just combine 2/3 cup powdered sugar and about 2-3 teaspoons of whole milk for a simpler icing.
OTHER BREAKFAST RECIPES-
If you love starting the day with a yummy breakfast, then check out some of these other recipes:
Cinnamon Roll Pancakes
Ingredients
Pancake Batter-
- 1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- Pinch salt
- 3 Tbsp granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 cup whole milk
- 4 Tbsp unsalted butter melted & cooled
- 2 Tbsp butter for greasing
Cinnamon Sugar Swirl-
- 3 Tbsp unsalted butter softened
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 1 Tbsp ground cinnamon
Cream Cheese Frosting-
- 2 oz cream cheese softened
- 1 Tbsp unsalted butter softened
- 1/3 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 Tbsp whole milk
Instructions
Cinnamon Roll Icing-
- In a bowl, combine softened cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, and milk. Whisk until you get silk, smooth icing. (Keep adding a little bit of milk if you want thinner icing.)
- Set the icing aside. (For the best results, warm the icing just a bit right before serving.)
Cinnamon Roll Swirl-
- In a small bowl, mix softened butter, brown sugar and cinnamon until well combined.
- Transfer the cinnamon sugar butter into a piping bag. Set aside. (You can also just use a plastic bag with a tiny cut in the corner.)
Pancake Batter-
- Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar into a large mixing bowl.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg, vanilla, milk, and the cooled unsalted butter until combined.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and whisk just until combined. (Do NOT overmix.)
- Heat a large skillet or griddle on medium high heat. Once hot, add 1 Tbsp of butter to grease the pan.
- Using a 1/3 measuring cup, pour the batter into the skillet, into a round pancake. (Do not overcrowd the pan, about 3-4 pancakes at a time.)
- As the pancake batter is cooking, pipe a swirl of cinnamon butter into the pancake batter, starting from the center and swirling your way out. Repeat with all the pancakes in the skillet.
- Cook for 2-3 minutes, looking for bubbles and firm edges. Flip and cook for another 1-2 minutes. (The cinnamon butter will melt and create a mess; you might need to wipe the skillet before making the next batch.)
- Remove and repeat until the pancake batter and cinnamon sugar is gone, you should have about 8 pancakes.
- Top the cinnamon roll pancakes with the icing and serve.
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