Cinnamon Roll Pancakes are the perfect excuse to have dessert for breakfast. Just serve up these fluffy pancakes with a swirl of buttery cinnamon sugar and syrup drizzled on top. Yum!
Whether you love buttermilk pancakes or our homemade waffles, today’s recipe is a delicious addition to your breakfast table!
Why this Pancake Recipe Works
Cinnamon roll pancakes are equal parts breakfast and dessert, which makes this a great recipe for every occasion.
Breakfast for dinner? Check. Sunday brunch? Oh, yea.
- Fast payoff. The whole recipe comes together quickly. You can have it on your table in under 20 minutes. Especially if you’re cooking on a griddle.
- Cinnamon roll flavor, lower effort. I love homemade cinnamon rolls, but not the prep, waiting for the dough to rise, or staring at the oven. These pancakes deliver the same flavor and satisfaction in a fraction of the effort and time it takes to make cinnamon rolls.
- Fluffy, pillowy, delicious. You can’t go wrong with pillowy pancakes, and these ones are extra-soft.
Looking for more breakfast inspiration? Our homemade waffles and chocolate chip waffles need to be on your menu asap!
Ingredient Notes
- All-purpose Flour – Flour provides the filling with extra body, so the sugar doesn’t ooze everywhere while you’re cooking. Use our guide on how to measure flour so that you don’t have too heavy and dense of pancakes.
- Light Brown Sugar – It enhances the cinnamon roll flavor of the pancakes and gives them a slightly nutty flavor.
- Cinnamon
- Unsalted Butter -You’ll need melted butter for today’s recipe!
- Baking Powder – It makes the pancakes rise, so don’t skip it.
- Nutmeg – Grate some fresh nutmeg or use nutmeg powder.
- Milk – I use buttermilk for this recipe because it gives the pancakes a tangy flavor. If you don’t have any, try my homemade buttermilk substitute for an easy swap. Whole milk works great too.
- Vegetable Oil – I prefer vegetable oil because it is cost-effective, but any neutral-tasting oil will do.
- Cream Cheese – Bring the cream cheese to room temperature ahead of time. It will be easier to work with and make a smoother syrup.
- Powdered Sugar – It makes the syrup white and flowy.
- Vanilla Extract – Use pure vanilla extract to elevate all the flavors, or try my homemade vanilla extract.
PRO TIP: Skip the cinnamon swirl and instead make a batch of our blueberry pancakes.
How to Make Cinnamon Roll Pancakes
- Mix the cinnamon filling. Whisk together all the ingredients for the cinnamon sugar mixture. Spoon into a Ziploc bag and set aside.
- Prep the pancake batter. Mix all the dry ingredients. Whisk in the milk and vegetable oil just until combined.
- Make the pancakes. Heat a nonstick skillet or griddle and pour the batter. Draw a spiral of the cinnamon filling on the top of the pancake. Flip when bubbles start to appear and cook until golden brown.
- Make the syrup. Mix all the ingredients until combined. Drizzle it on the pancakes.
Tips and Tricks
- Don’t flip the pancake too early. Flip the pancake when you start seeing bubbles form on its surface. This allows the pancake to rise and fluff up. Flipping it before this will make the pancake dense and flat.
- Careful adding the filling. Be sure to keep the filling safely inside and not too close to the edges of the pancakes.
- Make sure the griddle isn’t too hot. Overheating the griddle is a common mistake people make. It makes the pancakes shrivel and burn. Make sure the griddle is just hot enough to make the batter sizzle.
- Use fresh, strong cinnamon. Not all cinnamon is created equally, and it will go stale if it’s been sitting on the shelf for too long. Before using, check the smell to see if it’s fresh. It should smell spicy, peppery, and full of flavor.
- Let the pancake batter rest. It allows the flour’s gluten to relax, making the pancakes light and fluffy.
Serving Suggestions
These Cinnamon Roll Pancakes make for a complete meal, by themselves.
But if you want to crank up the extravagance, add a few dollops of homemade whipped cream or vanilla ice cream on top. Then drizzle it with more syrup. That’s the next level.
Serve these delicious cinnamon roll pancakes for brunch with a side of savory egg casserole.
Our buttermilk syrup is a delicious swap for the cream cheese glaze.
Recipe FAQs
Yes. You can store pancakes in a freezer-safe container with layers of parchment paper between them to keep them from sticking.
When you’re ready to eat, reheat pancakes in the oven for 5-10 minutes or microwave them for about one minute.
Yes. You can make this recipe with a boxed pancake mix. With that said, my scratch pancake mix gives you light and fluffy pancakes which can be made in minutes. It’s hard to match it with a box.
Absolutely. Switch the all-purpose flour with plain gluten-free flour and follow the same pancake recipe.
Yes. You can make the batter the night before and store it in an air-tight container in the refrigerator. This helps you save a few minutes during your morning rush.
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Cinnamon Roll Pancakes Recipe
Ingredients
For the Cinnamon Filling
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup light brown sugar packed
- 1 Tablespoon cinnamon
- 6 Tablespoons unsalted butter melted
For the Pancakes
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 Tablespoons light brown sugar packed
- 2 Tablespoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 ½ cups milk
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
For the Syrup
- 2 ounces cream cheese softened
- 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter softened
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 Tablespoons milk
Instructions
- Prepare the cinnamon filling first. Whisk together the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and melted butter. Spoon into a ziploc bag and cut a big corner of the bag off to pipe into the skillet when needed. Set aside.
- Prepare the pancake batter by mixing the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt together. Whisk in the milk and vegetable oil JUST until combined.
- Heat a skillet over medium heat. Spoon about 1/3 cup of batter onto the skillet. Before it begins to bubble, draw a spiral on the pancake using the bag of cinnamon swirl. Then allow the pancake to bubble before flipping. Cook on the opposite side until golden brown. Repeat with remaining pancakes.
- For the syrup, mix together the cream cheese and butter until combined. Add in powdered sugar, vanilla and milk. Beat until well combined, adding more milk if needed for desired consistency.
Notes
- Don’t flip the pancake too early. Flip the pancake when you start seeing bubbles form on its surface. This allows the pancake to rise and fluff up. Flipping it before this will make the pancake dense and flat.
- Careful adding the filling. Be sure to keep the filling safely inside and not too close to the edges of the pancakes.
- Make sure the griddle isn’t too hot. Overheating the griddle is a common mistake people make. It makes the pancakes shrivel and burn. Make sure the griddle is just hot enough to make the batter sizzle.
- Use fresh, strong cinnamon. Not all cinnamon is created equally, and it will go stale if it’s been sitting on the shelf for too long. Before using, check the smell to see if it’s fresh. It should smell spicy, peppery, and full of flavor.
- Let the pancake batter rest. It allows the flour’s gluten to relax, making the pancakes light and fluffy.
