The best fluffy buttermilk pancake batter gets swirled with a cinnamon and brown sugar filling and cooked on the griddle. Top these cinnamon roll pancakes with a homemade cream cheese drizzle for the ultimate sweet breakfast recipe!
Picture this… My carb-conscious, savory breakfast-loving wife hunched over the kitchen counter shoveling bite after bite of these cream cheese glazed, brown sugar-swirled pancakes in her mouth. That was the scene immediately after we stopped filming the YouTube video for these homemade pancakes.
And I can’t say that I blame her.
From the homemade light and fluffy buttermilk pancakes to the brown sugar and melted butter swirl, these cinnamon roll pancakes are pure perfection. Like if our favorite homestyle Blackstone pancakes and the most delicious fresh, hot cinnamon roll had a beautiful breakfast baby!
Not Smashed Cinnamon Rolls
Smashed cinnamon rolls are a popular “hack” when it comes to griddle breakfast recipes. You just open a can of refrigerated rolls, separate out into individual portions, and flatten them onto the griddle with a press or spatula – hence the name, smashed cinnamon rolls.
But these cinnamon roll pancakes, while they share many of the same components, are ten times better! Just ask my wife!
Think about this – traditional cinnamon rolls have three main components: the sweet dough, the cinnamon and brown sugar filling, and the icing. Our pancakes are similar, except they swap out the sweet cinnamon roll dough for fluffy buttermilk pancake batter. A match made in heaven, and no syrup needed!
How to Make Cinnamon Roll Pancakes
Whether you make these pancakes on your griddle or in a skillet on the stovetop, the process is the same. Just follow these steps:
Step 1: Mix the dry and wet ingredients for the pancake batter separately. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients including all-purpose flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Then, in a separate bowl, beat together buttermilk, vanilla extract, egg, and melted butter.
Step 2: Add the wet and dry ingredients to make the batter. Slowly pour and whisk the wet ingredients into the large mixing bowl with the dry ingredients. Mix until just combined – there may still be some lumps, and that’s fine. Just don’t over-mix the batter! Set to the side while you work on the other components.
Step 3: Make the cinnamon and brown sugar filling. Combine the melted butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon in a medium bowl, and mix together well. Then transfer to a zip top bag and allow to cool about 10-15 minutes for the mixture to harden up a bit. Once slightly cool, squeeze the sugary filling down towards one corner, and snip off a very small corner of the bag to create a piping bag of sorts.
Step 4: Make the cream cheese glaze. Whip together melted butter, powdered sugar, softened cream cheese, and vanilla extract until it’s smooth and drizzle-able. For best results and no clumps, you’ll need a hand mixer for this step!
Then, for the prettiest drizzle, add the glaze to a zip top bag just like you did for the cinnamon swirl filling – or you can also simply spread a bit of the glaze onto each warm pancake using a butter knife. Set the icing to the side so it’s ready when your pancakes come off the griddle.
Step 5: Cook the cinnamon roll pancakes. Spoon about 1/4 cup of the pancake batter on a griddle heated to a low to medium-low heat. Then grab the bag with the cinnamon filling and squeeze a round swirl of brown sugar goodness over the top of each pancake, making them look like cinnamon rolls.
*TIP – I prefer to use a 2 tablespoon size cookie scoop to portion out and drop the pancake batter on the heated griddle surface. For these pancakes, I recommend scooping two scoops on top of each other to equal 4 tablespoons (or 1/4 cup of batter). A quick-release cookie scoop makes the process much quicker and less messy!
Cook until you start to see small bubbles forming on the perimeter of the pancakes. The bottom of the pancakes should be set and golden in color. Then carefully flip the cinnamon roll pancakes to the second side and continue to cook until the batter is cooked through.
*NOTE – After flipping, then the sugary mixture will be in contact with the hot surface and ooze out of the sides of the pancakes. That’s totally fine! And actually the sugars take on a really great texture and flavor – just be sure that your griddle is on a low heat. A griddle temperature of about 300-325°F is perfect for this recipe!
Step 6: Drizzle with the cream cheese icing. Snip a small corner of the bag with the cream cheese glaze, and drizzle each pancake. You can get creative and add swirls of icing, drizzle on in a zig zag pattern, or let your kids get creative with the glaze design.
Tips for Homemade Cinnamon Swirl Pancakes
- Let your batter rest – This is my #1 tip for the best light and fluffy pancakes! Even just 15 minutes gives the buttermilk and leaveners time to make magic. You’ll notice that the pancake batter will thicken quite a bit after resting, and you’ll see lots of air pockets in the mix – that’s what you want!
- Watch your griddle or skillet temp – Low to medium-low is best for these cinnamon swirl pancakes. Too high and the sugar swirls will go from caramelized to scorched in a heartbeat.
- Don’t stack when hot – The sugar swirl is hot and molten when the pancakes first come off the griddle, and if you stack them immediately, then the sugars will harden together making your pancakes impossible to separate. Instead, allow the pancakes to completely cool in a single layer before stacking for storage.
- Clean as you go – Sticky sugar and spatulas don’t mix. Add a splash of water to the hot griddle and scrape — much easier than chiseling off cooled sugar later.
Cinnamon Roll Pancakes with Cream Cheese Icing
Ingredients
For the Buttermilk Pancake Batter:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ⅓ cup sugar
- 4 teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1¾ cup buttermilk
- ¼ cup butter melted
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
For the Brown Sugar Cinnamon Swirl:
- ⅓ cup butter melted
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
For the Cream Cheese Drizzle:
- 3 tablespoons butter melted
- 2 ounces cream cheese
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¾ cup powdered sugar
- 1-2 tablespoons milk to thin glaze, if needed
Instructions
- Make the pancake batter – In a large bowl, mix together all-purpose flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a separate bowl, beat together buttermilk, vanilla extract, egg, and ¼ cup melted butter. Add the wet ingredients to the large bowl with the dry ingredients. Mix until just combined – there may still be some lumps. Set the pancake batter to the side to rest at room temp for 15 minutes.
- Make the cinnamon swirl filling – While the batter is resting, add ⅓ cup melted butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon to a small bowl. Mix together well. Then, transfer to a zip top bag and allow to cool about 10-15 minutes for the mixture to harden up a bit. Once slightly cool, squeeze the filling down towards one corner, and snip off a very small corner of the bag to create a piping bag. Set aside.
- Make the cream cheese glaze – Use a hand mixer to mix together 3 tablespoons melted butter, cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract until smooth and creamy with no lumps. Add the glaze to a zip top bag and set aside.
- Heat griddle or large skillet to a low heat. For griddle cooking, aim for a temperature of about 325℉.
- Spoon about 1/4 cup of the pancake batter onto the warm griddle for each pancake. *I find it easiest to cook about 6 pancakes on the griddle at one time. Then use the cinnamon filling bag like a piping bag, and squeeze a round swirl of filling over the top of each pancake, making them look like cinnamon rolls.
- Cook on the first side until you see small bubbles on the edges of the pancakes. The bottom of the pancakes should be set and golden in color. Then carefully flip the cinnamon roll pancakes to the second side and continue to cook until the batter is cooked through. *NOTE – After flipping, then the sugary mixture will be in contact with the hot surface and ooze out of the sides of the pancakes. That’s totally fine! And actually the sugars take on a really great texture and flavor – just be sure that your griddle is on a low heat.
- As pancakes finish cooking, transfer to a large plate to cool before stacking. Be sure to not stack the pancakes while the sugars are hot, or they will stick together.
- Snip a small corner of the bag with the cream cheese glaze to create a piping bag, and drizzle each pancake with the glaze. Serve warm, and enjoy!
Notes
- Let your batter rest – This is my #1 tip for the best light and fluffy pancakes! Even just 15 minutes gives the buttermilk and leaveners time to make magic. You’ll notice that the pancake batter will thicken quite a bit after resting – that’s what you want!
- Watch your griddle or skillet temp – Low to medium-low is best for these cinnamon swirl pancakes. Too high and the sugar swirls will burn.
- Use a cookie scoop for batter -I prefer to use a 2 tablespoon size cookie scoop to portion out and drop the pancake batter on the heated griddle surface. For these pancakes, I recommend scooping two scoops on top of each other to equal 4 tablespoons (or 1/4 cup of batter). A quick-release cookie scoop makes the process much quicker and less messy!
- Don’t stack when hot – The sugar swirl is hot and molten when the pancakes first come off the griddle, and if you stack them immediately, then the sugars will harden together making your pancakes impossible to separate. Instead, allow the pancakes to completely cool in a single layer before stacking for storage.
- Clean as you go – Sticky sugar and spatulas don’t mix. Add a splash of water to the hot griddle and scrape — much easier than chiseling off cooled sugar later.
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