Cinnamon Roll Pancakes

Jump to Recipe

Fluffy homemade Cinnamon Roll Pancakes are made with a sweet, cinnamon sugar swirl and are served with an optional (but delicious!) cream cheese sauce.

A PERFECT BREAKFAST COMBO

These Cinnamon Roll Pancakes are special enough for a holiday morning breakfast or on any Sunday morning! Cinnamon Roll Pancakes are just that — a delicious combination of two breakfast staples into one delicious breakfast treat. With soft, fluffy pancakes featuring a sweet cinnamon-sugar swirl and topped with a cream cheese sauce, you may never want to go back to regular pancakes again!

Glaze being poured on some Cinnamon Roll Pancakes.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQ’S):

How can I make these pancakes faster?

Instead of making one individual pancake at a time, you can use a griddle or have multiple pans going. If you aren’t really familiar with making pancakes, it’s best to do just one at a time until you get the hang of it.

Do I have to use the cream cheese sauce?

Of course not. The sauce is completely optional. I was just trying to go with that cinnamon roll vibe. You can serve these pancakes as is or top with the traditional butter and maple syrup.

Why do you add flour into the cinnamon swirl?

The addition of flour helps prevent the cinnamon swirl mixture from spilling out of the pancake batter, and it helps prevent it from sticking to the pan when flipping the pancake.

Can you freeze these pancakes?

These pancakes freeze really well to enjoy again later. I like to make a double batch and have some now and freeze the rest for later. You can either flash freeze them all or just toss them in a freezer safe bag or container for up to 3 months. Flash freezing first helps to keep them from sticking together in your bag or container.

How to reheat Cinnamon Roll Pancakes?

Reheating Cinnamon Roll Pancakes is easy! You can either microwave them on high for 15-20 seconds, or heat them up in a skillet on low heat. Be careful not to overheat them as this will dry out the pancakes and make them tough.

A plate of Cinnamon Roll Pancakes on a counter.

INGREDIENTS NEEDED: (SEE RECIPE CARD BELOW FOR THE FULL RECIPE)

cream cheese – make sure your cream cheese is at room temperature (not melted) This will help it mix much easier without lumps.
salted butter – just like the cream cheese, make sure it is room temperature but not melted.
powdered sugar – some folks prefer to sift powdered sugar before using to make sure there are no lumps in it. I do not do that but I’ll leave it up to you.
milk – you can use any kind of milk here (2%, whole, soy, almond, etc.)
all purpose flour – It’s important not to overmeasure flour or you will end up with too much flour in your pancake batter and they won’t turn out properly. Do not measure from the flour bag. Dump some into a bowl and stir with a fork, then take your measuring cup and scoop it into the flour. Take the flat side of a butter knife and scoop off the excess.
light brown sugar – when measuring brown sugar, always make sure it is packed into the measuring cup.
baking powder – make sure that your baking powder is fresh. If it isn’t you’ll end up with some really flat pancakes.
ground cinnamon and ground nutmeg – if you don’t like nutmeg, you can just use cinnamon.

Flour, vegetable oil, baking powder, baking soda, light brown sugar, cream cheese, butter, vanilla extract, nutmeg, cinnamon, powdered sugar, and milk.

HOW TO MAKE CINNAMON ROLL PANCAKES

If making the cream cheese icing, start with that first. Mix together the cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add in the powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and milk (starting with a little at a time) and continue mixing together until everything is well combined. If the icing is not thin enough to pour on top of the pancakes, add more milk 1 Tablespoon at a time and stir to combine.

collage of two photos: a mixing bowl with cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and milk; all the ingredients shown mixed together with wooden spoon.

Then make the cinnamon swirl. In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, and cinnamon. Melt the butter about 70% of the way and stir it well. Then mix it in with the flour and sugar mixture.

collage of two photos: flour, sugar, and cinnamon in a mixing bowl; melted butter added to flour mixture.

Stir cinnamon mixture until well combined then add to a piping bag (or a small plastic bag with a corner snipped off) and set aside. Note: you can just drizzle the swirl onto the pancake with a spoon (whatever is easiest for you.)

Finally, make the pancakes. In a bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Then make a well in the middle and add the milk and vegetable oil. Stir just until combined. If you stir flour too much, it can make the pancakes tough.

collage of two photos: fully mixed cinnamon swirl mixture in a bowl; oil and milk poured into a mixing bowl with flour, sugar, and cinnamon.

Heat a skillet on medium heat. Pour in ⅓ cup of the pancake batter. Before the batter starts to bubble, draw a spiral on the pancake with the cinnamon swirl mixture. Allow the pancake to bubble before flipping. Continue cooking until the second side is golden. Repeat the process with the rest of the pancakes.