The two greatest breakfast treats of all time have become one and the results are everything we hoped they would be and more. Sweet, buttery, absolutely irresistible, and loaded with cinnamon goodness, these Cinnamon Roll Pancakes are 10 times better than anything out of a box.
Super fluffy, beautifully swirled with brown sugar and cinnamon, and made completely from scratch, the only thing that could make these things better would be topping them off with a sweet vanilla glaze. And, guess what? We've got you covered there too! The kids are going to love these! For more Breakfast items the kids will swoon over, check out our Breakfast Recipes next!
Put that Homemade Pancake Mix to good use and make any breakfast time extra special!
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS
This kitchen is no stranger to a cinnamon swirl. Homemade Cinnamon Rolls and these easy Puff Pastry Cinnamon Swirls are amongst our best breakfast treats of all time.
However, allow me to be the first to tell you that the internet's recipe template for Cinnamon Roll Pancakes is all wrong. And, the culprit? The cinnamon swirl.
In all honesty, the development of this recipe took a number of trial runs. The internet's general format for the cinnamon swirl ingredients consists of melted butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon... and it just doesn't work.
The problem with this trio of ingredients is it's pretty much all liquid. Once butter and sugar hit a hot griddle, they melt. And, do you know what happens to sugar when it melts? It burns. You see where I'm going with this, right?
If you're looking to avoid a burnt, sticky mess first thing in the morning and would rather nail Cinnamon Roll Pancakes on the first try, this is the recipe for you.
Ultimately, the solution was to incorporate a hefty amount of both brown sugar and cinnamon into some of the pancake mix. This allowed for the cinnamon swirl to borrow some of the binders (like flour and egg), which prevented it from becoming completely fluid as soon as it hit the hot griddle.
However, it's still important to note, that even with this upgraded cinnamon swirl, it's still very important that said swirl doesn't get too close to the edge of the pancake. In order for these to stay intact, you've got to keep the cinnamon mixture at least a ¼" from the edge of your pancake.
Need more easy, kid-friendly breakfast ideas? Try our Baked Donuts! And speaking of kid-friendly, we have cracked the code! We have all the Kid-friendly Recipes for you to conquer!
HOW TO MAKE CINNAMON ROLL PANCAKES
The first thing you do to whip up your perfect Cinnamon Roll Pancakes is prep the pancake batter.
You'll start with the dry ingredients. Combine all-purpose flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a medium size mixing bowl and whisk until evenly combined. Set your dry ingredients aside and move on to the wet ingredients!
You'll start with the eggs. Add two large eggs to a large mixing bowl and whisk until frothy. The more bubbles, the fluffier the pancakes.
Then, you'll add in the milk and the cooled butter and whisk until all of those ingredients are evenly combined. Add the dry mix, and whisk or stir until it is evenly incorporated and fairly smooth.
To make the brown sugar and cinnamon swirl, you will need to borrow about ⅓ cup of the pancake batter and transfer it to a small mixing bowl along with light brown sugar and ground cinnamon.
Whisk these ingredients together until they are very smooth. The smoother, the better. If there are lumps in your cinnamon sugar mixture, it will be difficult to swirl into the pancakes during the cooking process.
Once you've mixed the batter and your cinnamon swirl mixture is ready, you can start cooking your Cinnamon Roll Pancakes!
You'll want to have either a large, nonstick skillet hot and ready over medium-high heat or a griddle preheated to 360°F. The griddle gets my vote for cooking pancakes. You can't beat its nonstick surface, and because it is completely flat, with no sloping sides, it makes the flipping process much easier.
Add ⅓ cup of pancake batter down in the pan or on the griddle, taking care to space each dollop of batter at least 3-4 inches apart.
Once your batter is down, you will need to work quickly so get your cinnamon sugar mixture into a Ziploc bag; twist, and snip the corner of the bag so that you are able to squeeze a thin line of the cinnamon mix out.
Begin adding swirls to your pancakes, taking care not to add the swirl too close to the edge of the pancake. If the cinnamon swirl is too close to the edge, it will melt and run off of the edges, creating somewhat of a burnt and sticky mess on your cooking surface.
As soon as you see those bubbles starting to come to the top of your pancakes, they are ready for the flip! To easily flip your pancakes, you'll want to have a fork and a thin wide spatula on hand. Use your fork to keep the pancake in place, slide the spatula underneath it, and flip!
Cook your Cinnamon Roll Pancakes for about two minutes more, just until the underside is a light golden brown. Then remove the pancakes from the pan or griddle and continue on with the remaining batter, adding cooking spray as needed between batches.
A vanilla glaze isn't necessary, but it does make these cinnamon swirl pancakes look and taste more similar to real deal cinnamon rolls! Plus, it only takes about two minutes to whip up. Totally worth it!
To make the vanilla glaze, simply combine powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract in a small bowl and whisk until smooth.
If you prefer your cinnamon rolls smeared with a hefty layer of cream cheese frosting, feel free to whip up a cream cheese glaze instead! They would also be delicious, topped with our Baked Cinnamon Apples -- so perfect for fall!
Just before serving, drizzle the vanilla glaze over the top of the pancake (or pancakes) and dig in!
HOW TO FREEZE AND REHEAT CINNAMON ROLL PANCAKES
To say my family loved these pancakes would be a massive understatement! But, then again, who could blame them? They are absolutely delicious. This is why I find it especially handy to make a double batch any time these Cinnamon Roll Pancakes are on the To-Make Roster!
Freezing the extras makes for an extra special breakfast treat on any given morning!
To freeze pancakes without running the risk of them sticking together, I like to line a sheet pan with wax or parchment paper and place the cinnamon rolls down in a single layer. Then, lay down additional sheets of parchment or wax paper in between each layer and transfer them to the freezer for a few hours.
As soon as the pancakes are frozen, pull them out and transfer them to a gallon-sized, freezer-safe zip-top bag. They will keep well in the freezer for up to two months!
When you are ready to dive back into your cinnamon roll pancakes, simply pull them out of the freezer, place them on a microwave-safe plate, and cover them with damp paper towels.
Then, depending on how many pancakes you are heating up, microwave for 30 seconds or up to one minute and 30 seconds. It is best to check the pancakes at 30-second intervals.
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Cinnamon Roll Pancakes
Ingredients
FOR THE PANCAKES:
- 1 ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 2 large eggs
- 1 ¼ cup milk or water
- ¼ cup unsalted butter (melted and slightly cooled), or canola or vegetable oil
- ⅔ cup light brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
- Cooking spray (if needed)
FOR THE VANILLA GLAZE:
- 2 ¼ cup powdered sugar
- ¼ cup milk
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
TO MAKE THE PANCAKES:
- Add the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt to a medium-sized mixing bowl and whisk to combine. Set aside.
- Whisk together the eggs until frothy. Then, add the milk and the cooled butter (or oil) and whisk to combine. Stir in the dry mix, and stop as soon as it is incorporated.
- Add about ⅓ cup of the pancake batter to a small bowl along with the brown sugar and cinnamon. Whisk until very smooth.
- Have your griddle set to 360°F. If you do not have a griddle, place a large, nonstick skillet spritzed with cooking spray over medium-high heat.
- Once the griddle or pan is heated, add about a ⅓ cup of pancake batter to griddle or pan, spacing each pancake at least 3" apart.
- Transfer the cinnamon mixture to a ziptop bag, twist, and snip the end with scissors to create a small hole. Swirl the cinnamon mixture over each pancake, taking care not to swirl too close to the edge.
- Allow the pancakes to cook until you see bubbles appear all across the surface of the pancake. Then, flip and cook for about 2 minutes more, until lightly golden.
- Continue on with the remaining batter, wiping down the pan or griddle as needed, and adding more cooking spray as necessary between batches.
TO MAKE THE GLAZE:
- To make the vanilla glaze, combine the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract in mixing bowl and whisk until smooth.
- Drizzle each serving of pancakes with the vanilla glaze, serve, and enjoy!
Nutrition
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