Cinnamon Roll Pancakes
Fluffy cinnamon roll pancakes are swirled with brown sugar and cinnamon, then topped with an irresistible cream cheese glaze. Your favorite breakfast pastry in pancake form!
While this is a website called Pancake Recipes, we do have a weakness for all things cinnamon roll too. We’ve got cinnamon roll waffles, crescent roll cinnamon rolls, and even pumpkin monkey bread muffins made with cinnamon rolls, but this recipe is special because it combines cinnamon rolls and pancakes into one epic breakfast. Cinnamon roll pancakes!
Bonus: when you make cinnamon rolls in pancake form, you don’t have to mess with yeast or wait for dough to rise. Which means you’re that much closer to enjoying cinnamon roll deliciousness!
IHOP’s cinnamon roll pancakes (AKA Cinn-A-Stack pancakes) are no longer on the menu, but if you’re looking for a copycat recipe, you’ll love these cinnamon roll pancakes, which have all the same cozy cinnamon roll flavors.
Why you’ll Love these Cinnamon Roll Pancakes
- Tried and true: We found in initial tests of this recipe that the cinnamon swirl was melting out and getting stuck on the pan. The swirl batter is made with brown sugar and cinnamon, for that cozy cinnamon roll flavor you know and love—but we also added flour and butter in the mix, which makes it squeezable but still thick enough that it stays where you want it once you pipe it onto the pancakes (meaning it won’t melt out – we tested this many times to get it perfectly right!).
- Easier than real cinnamon rolls: So how exactly do you make cinnamon rolls into pancakes? It’s easier than you think! There’s no rolling or slicing involved for these cinnamon roll pancakes—instead you’ll make a separate batter for the cinnamon swirl. Pour it into a zip-top bag, piping bag, or squeeze bottle and squeeze a swirl of it onto each pancake.
- Perfect topping: Finish with a tangy cream cheese glaze and you’ve got cinnamon roll pancake perfection!
What you need
- Cinnamon Swirl: Unsalted butter, brown sugar, all-purpose flour, ground cinnamon
- Pancakes: Egg, milk, oil or melted butter, vanilla extract, all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, salt
- Cream Cheese Glaze: Unsalted butter, cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla extract
How to make them
Make the cinnamon swirl. In a small bowl, whisk together the ingredients for the cinnamon swirl. Pour the mixture into a piping bag or zip-top bag.
Make the glaze. In a small microwave-safe bowl, heat the butter and cream cheese in 20 second intervals, stirring with a fork or whisk after each. Once the mixture is just melted, mix in the powdered sugar and vanilla extract until you have a smooth glaze. For a bright white glaze, use clear vanilla extract.
Prepare the pancake batter. Whisk the egg, milk, oil, and vanilla in a mixing bowl until well-combined. Add the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt on top of the wet ingredients, then toss together gently before stirring the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined.
Cook the pancakes. Set a griddle over medium heat and grease with butter, oil, or nonstick cooking spray if desired. Add 1/4 cup of batter to the griddle for each pancake. Once bubbles begin to form, snip off the corner of the piping bag and swirl on the cinnamon mixture starting in the center of the pancake and working your way outwards.
Cook for 3 to 4 minutes total on the first side or until bubbles appear, pop, and leave small holes behind. Flip and cook for another minute or two on the other side, or until golden brown and cooked through. Wipe the griddle with a wet paper towel between batches. Tip: Hold the piping bag close to the pancake, and don’t pipe too close to the edge of the pancake; you want to leave a border.
Serve. Plate the finished pancakes and serve immediately with the cream cheese glaze.
How to make these cinnamon roll pancakes your own
These pancakes are perfect as-is, but here are some ideas for making this recipe your own:
- Switch out the glaze. If you’re not a fan of cream cheese, you can use a basic vanilla glaze or maple glaze instead, or simply add maple syrup to your pancakes. We also love these pancakes with cinnamon whipped cream!
- Make sticky bun pancakes. Top the pancakes with toasted pecans and homemade caramel sauce instead of the glaze.
- Add a pinch of cardamom. Swedish cinnamon buns are made with cardamom for even more cozy flavor. You can add cardamom to the cinnamon swirl for some Scandinavian flair!
Storage & Reheating
- To Store: You can store leftover pancakes in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- To Freeze: Freeze cinnamon roll pancakes in an airtight storage container or a freezer bag with parchment paper between the layers to keep the pancakes from sticking to each other.
- To Reheat: Microwave the pancakes until they’re warmed through, or place them on a sheet pan, cover it with foil, and heat them in a 350ºF oven for about 10 minutes. If you’re reheating pancakes from frozen, simply add a few extra minutes to the cooking time.
More recipes for cinnamon lovers
Get the Recipe: Cinnamon Roll Pancakes
Ingredients
Cinnamon Swirl:
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 3 tablespoons packed brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
Cream Cheese Glaze:
- 2 tablespoon unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
- 2 ounces cream cheese, cut into small cubes
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (use clear extract for a pretty white glaze)
Pancakes:
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup milk
- 2 tablespoons oil or melted butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine cinnamon swirl ingredients. Pour into a piping bag or zip-top bag and set aside.
- In a small microwave safe bowl, heat butter and cream cheese in 20 second intervals or until just melted, stirring with a whisk or fork. Stir in powdered sugar and vanilla extract until smooth. Set aside.
- Next, make the pancakes. In a mixing bowl, whisk egg, milk, oil, and vanilla until well combined.
- On top of wet ingredients, add flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Toss together lightly before stirring into wet ingredients.
- Mix only until just combined, do not overmix.
- Heat a griddle over medium heat. If desired, grease with butter, oil, or nonstick cooking spray. Add batter to griddle by about 1/4 cup scoops. Once bubbles begin to form, snip off corner of piping bag and swirl on cinnamon mixture starting in the middle of each pancake and working your way out. Hold the piping bag close to the pancake, and don’t add the swirl too close to the edge of the pancake.
- Cook for 3-4 minutes total on first side or until bubbles appear and don’t disappear. Flip and cook for another 1-2 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through.
- Carefully wipe griddle with a wet paper towel between batches to prevent sugars from burning on.
- Serve immediately with cream cheese glaze.
Video
Notes
- Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Freeze cinnamon roll pancakes in an airtight storage container or a freezer bag with parchment paper between the layers to keep the pancakes from sticking to each other.
- Microwave leftover pancakes until they’re warmed through, or place them on a sheet pan, cover it with foil, and heat them in a 350ºF oven for about 10 minutes. If you’re reheating pancakes from frozen, simply add a few extra minutes to the cooking time.