Fluffy Cinnamon Roll Pancakes

Why choose between pancakes and cinnamon rolls when you can have both? These Fluffy Cinnamon Roll Pancakes are thick, pillowy soft, and feature a caramelized brown sugar cinnamon swirl right inside the batter. Topped with a rich cream cheese glaze, they are the ultimate weekend breakfast treat!

Love this? You should also try our Healthy Baked Oatmeal Cups with Apples & Cinnamon!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Incredibly Fluffy: The combination of buttermilk and baking soda creates incredibly tall, diner-style pancakes.
• Caramelized Edges: As the cinnamon swirl cooks against the hot griddle, it caramelizes into slightly crispy, sweet perfection.
• Better Than Syrup: The tangy cream cheese glaze cuts the sweetness perfectly, making maple syrup entirely unnecessary!

The Secret to Perfect Pancake Swirls

If you’ve ever tried making cinnamon roll pancakes and had the sugar mixture run everywhere and burn, here is the secret: Temperature and Texture! Your cinnamon swirl mixture needs to be thick like toothpaste, not watery. If it’s too thin, it will bleed into the batter. Additionally, cook your pancakes on medium-low heat. If the griddle is too hot, the sugar in the swirl will burn before the pancake finishes cooking. When you flip the pancake, flip it gently so the swirl stays intact!

Fluffy Cinnamon Roll Pancakes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

  

Main

• 2 cups All-purpose flour
• 2 tbsp Granulated sugar
• 2 tsp Baking powder
• 1 tsp Baking soda
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• 2 cups Buttermilk (room temperature)
• 2 large Eggs
• 1/4 cup Unsalted butter, melted
• 1/2 cup Brown sugar (for the swirl)
• 1/4 cup Unsalted butter, melted (for the swirl)
• 1 tbsp Ground cinnamon (for the swirl)
• 4 oz Cream cheese, softened (for the glaze)
• 3/4 cup Powdered sugar (for the glaze)
• 3 tbsp Milk (for the glaze)

Method

 

Main

1. Make the cinnamon swirl: In a small bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, 1/4 cup melted butter, and cinnamon. Transfer this mixture to a ziplock bag or piping bag and snip a tiny corner off. Set aside.
2. Make the cream cheese glaze: In a medium bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the softened cream cheese until smooth. Add the powdered sugar and milk, beating until a smooth, pourable glaze forms. Set aside.
3. Make the pancake batter: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
4. In a separate bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, eggs, and 1/4 cup melted butter. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir gently just until combined (lumps are fine!).
5. Heat a large skillet or griddle over medium-low heat and grease lightly with butter.
6. Pour 1/3 cup of batter onto the skillet for each pancake. Immediately take your bag of cinnamon swirl and squeeze a spiral starting from the center of the pancake working outwards.
7. Cook for 2-3 minutes until bubbles form on the surface, then carefully flip and cook for 2 more minutes.
8. Stack the warm pancakes on a plate and drizzle generously with the cream cheese glaze!