Cinnamon Roll Pancakes (Printable Version)

Fluffy pancakes with a rich cinnamon swirl and creamy cream cheese icing drizzle.

# What You Need:

→ Pancake Batter

01 - 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
02 - 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
03 - 1 tablespoon baking powder
04 - ½ teaspoon salt
05 - 1 ¼ cups milk
06 - 2 large eggs
07 - 3 tablespoons melted butter
08 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

→ Cinnamon Swirl

09 - 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
10 - ⅓ cup packed brown sugar
11 - 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

→ Cream Cheese Icing

12 - 2 ounces cream cheese, softened
13 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
14 - ½ cup powdered sugar
15 - 2 tablespoons milk
16 - ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

# How-To:

01 - Whisk together the flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl until evenly distributed.
02 - Whisk together the milk, eggs, melted butter, and vanilla extract in a separate bowl. Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and stir until just combined, being careful not to overmix.
03 - Combine the melted butter, packed brown sugar, and ground cinnamon in a small bowl and mix until smooth. Transfer to a small zip-top bag and snip off a tiny corner for piping.
04 - Beat the softened cream cheese and butter together until smooth. Add the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract, then mix until creamy and well combined. Set aside.
05 - Preheat a nonstick skillet or griddle over medium heat and lightly grease with butter or nonstick spray. Pour ¼ cup of batter per pancake onto the hot surface.
06 - Once bubbles begin to form but before the surface is fully set, pipe a spiral of the cinnamon mixture onto each pancake.
07 - Cook until bubbles appear across the surface, then carefully flip and cook until golden brown and cooked through, about 1 to 2 minutes per side. Wipe the skillet clean between batches as needed.
08 - Serve the pancakes warm, drizzled generously with the prepared cream cheese icing.

# Expert Hints:

01 -
  • It tastes like someone pressed a warm cinnamon roll flat onto a griddle and that is not an exaggeration
  • The cream cheese icing drizzle makes people forget every other breakfast they have ever eaten
02 -
  • If you pipe the cinnamon swirl too early the filling sinks into the raw batter and the flip becomes a sticky disaster
  • Wiping the skillet between batches is not optional because leftover cinnamon sugar burns fast and turns the next pancake bitter
03 -
  • Keep the heat at medium or just below because the sugar in the cinnamon swirl burns faster than the pancake cooks
  • Let the pan cool for thirty seconds between batches if the cinnamon residue starts smoking