Cinnamon Swirl Sheet Pan Pancakes
No flipping needed! These cinnamon swirl sheet pan pancakes are baked to perfection in the oven. You’ll love the swirls of cinnamon sugar and irresistible cream cheese glaze!
Now, don’t get us wrong—we’re not opposed to flipping pancakes! If you scroll up, you can see it’s our site’s tagline. But some mornings you have a lot going on and standing at the stovetop tending to pancakes just isn’t an option. For those days, sheet pan pancakes are the perfect solution.
You’ll get fluffy pancake goodness, all without flipping—and the pancakes are square instead of round! All you need to do is pour the batter onto a sheet pan and let the oven do the work. And if you want to give the basic recipe an upgrade, try these cinnamon swirl sheet pan pancakes.
About this cinnamon swirl sheet pan pancakes recipe
Think of these cinnamon swirl sheet pan pancakes as like cinnamon rolls in pancake form. Or, maybe, our cinnamon roll pancakes in sheet pan pancake form! A buttery brown sugar and cinnamon mixture is swirled into a traditional buttermilk pancake batter to infuse it with flavor.
Oh, but we’re not done there! The finishing touch for this cinnamon roll sheet pancake is sweet-and-just-a-little-bit-tangy cream cheese glaze, just like your favorite cinnamon rolls. While you could use maple syrup or pancake syrup, we definitely recommend that glaze for the full cinnamon roll experience!
What you need
- For the cinnamon swirl – Unsalted butter, brown sugar, ground cinnamon
- For the cream cheese glaze – Unsalted butter, cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla extract (use clear vanilla extract for a glaze that looks more white than brown)
- For the pancakes – Unsalted butter, buttermilk (or buttermilk substitute), egg, granulated sugar, pure vanilla extract, all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt
How to make them
Prepare. Preheat your oven to 375ºF and spray a 9×13 sheet pan with nonstick cooking spray.
Make the cream cheese glaze. In a small microwave-safe bowl, heat the butter and cream cheese in 20 second intervals or until melted, stirring with a whisk or fork between each interval. Stir in the powdered sugar and vanilla extract.
Make the pancake batter. Place the melted butter in a mixing bowl and slowly whisk in the buttermilk.
Once the mixture is slightly thick, whisk in the beaten egg, sugar, and vanilla extract until well combined. Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt on top of the wet ingredients, then toss together gently before stirring all the ingredients together until just combined.
Spread the batter into the sheet pan.
Tip: Adding the dry ingredients on top of the wet ingredients is our little trick to keep you from having to dirty and wash another mixing bowl!
Make the cinnamon swirl. In a small bowl, combine the cinnamon swirl ingredients.
Transfer this to a piping bag or zip-top bag with the corner snipped off. Drizzle the cinnamon mixture onto the pancake batter, then use a knife or a toothpick to create swirls.
Bake and finish. Place the sheet pan in the oven and bake for 12 minutes, or until set in the middle. Cut the sheet pan swirl pancakes into squares and serve with cream cheese glaze.
FAQs
You can’t make pancakes on a cookie sheet, but you can make them on a rimmed baking sheet, or sheet pan. You need those edges to keep the batter from spilling over the side!
Buttermilk, egg, baking powder, and baking soda all contribute to that perfect light, fluffy pancake texture.
Yes, you can. Use regular milk instead, then increase the baking powder to 2 teaspoons and omit the baking soda.
How to make these cinnamon swirl sheet pan pancakes your own
Here are some fun ideas to switch up this cinnamon swirl sheet pan pancake recipe!
- Make them nutty. Serve the pancakes with toasted or candied pecans for some crunch and flavor. Or, you could try our candied almond butter or homemade nutella.
- Add some fruit. We love fried apples on top of these cinnamon swirl pancakes, either instead of or in addition to the cream cheese glaze. Sliced bananas are good too!
- Swap the spices. Add cardamom, ginger, nutmeg, or other spices in addition to the cinnamon, or try using pumpkin pie spice instead.
- Round out the breakfast with scrambled eggs, a blueberry smoothie, and some bacon!
Storage Suggestions
Leftover cinnamon swirl sheet pan pancakes (without glaze) can be refrigerated for up to 5 days, or frozen for up to 2 months. If you’re freezing the pancakes, place them in an airtight container or freezer bag with parchment between the layers to keep them from sticking together.
Store the glaze separately in the refrigerator; it will keep for up to 3 days.
Reheating Tips
Reheat cinnamon swirl sheet pan pancakes in a 350ºF oven on a covered sheet pan for about 10 minutes, or until they’re warmed through. You can also heat them up in the microwave.
More cozy pancake recipes
Get the Recipe: Cinnamon Swirl Sheet Pan Pancakes
Ingredients
Cinnamon Swirl:
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 3 tablespoons packed brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
Cream Cheese Glaze:
- 2 tablespoon unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
- 2 ounces cream cheese, cut into small cubes
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For Pancakes:
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 1 ½ cups buttermilk
- 1 large egg beaten
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375ºF and spray a 9×13 sheet pan with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a small microwave safe bowl, heat butter and cream cheese in 20 second intervals or until melted, stirring with a whisk or fork. Stir in powdered sugar and vanilla extract until smooth. Set aside.
- Add melted butter to a mixing bowl and slowly whisk in buttermilk. Mixture will become slightly thick. Whisk in beaten egg, sugar, and vanilla extract until well combined.
- On top of wet ingredients, add flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Toss together gently before stirring all ingredients together until just combined.
- Spread into prepared sheet pan in an even layer.
- In a small bowl, combine cinnamon swirl ingredients. Pour into a piping bag or zip-top bag.
- Snip end of piping bag or zip-top bag and drizzle on cinnamon mixture. Use a knife or a toothpick to create swirls.
- Bake for 12 minutes or until set in the middle. Cut into squares and serve with cream cheese glaze.
Notes
- Can make with regular milk, increase baking powder to 2 teaspoons, omit baking soda.
- Leftover pancakes (without glaze) can be refrigerated for up to 5 days, or frozen for up to 2 months. If you’re freezing the pancakes, place them in an airtight container or freezer bag with parchment between the layers to keep them from sticking together. Store the glaze separately in the refrigerator; it will keep for up to 3 days. It may need to be warmed slightly to make it spreadable.
- Reheat leftover pancakes in a 350ºF oven on a covered sheet pan for about 10 minutes, or until they’re warmed through. You can also heat them up in the microwave.