Homemade Cinnamon Roll Pancakes

These delicious cinnamon roll pancakes are made completely from scratch! Fluffy pancakes with a cinnamon swirl filling, finished off with a simple cream cheese icing – what could possibly be a better breakfast?!

Calling all breakfast lovers out there! Y’all are in for a treat today. I’m going to show you how to make the best-ever cinnamon roll pancakes! These light and fluffy homemade pancakes are the ultimate cinnamon roll vibe – totally irresistible and amazing. Everyone knows the best pancakes are made from scratch. You can enjoy these homemade cinnamon swirl pancakes for breakfast, brunch, on the holidays…whenever you darn well please!

Dessert for Breakfast with Cinnamon Roll Pancakes

If you’re craving a warm and gooey cinnamon roll, these fluffy cinnamon roll pancakes are seriously the next best thing. 

These delicious homemade pancakes give you the perfect golden brown edges. The sugar in the cinnamon filling caramelizes just a little for a little crisp, and the homemade cream cheese glaze is the perfect finishing touch! My whole family devours these pancakes and even licks the plate clean, too! This is definitely one of those breakfast recipes y’all have to keep on hand.

How to Make From-Scratch Cinnamon Roll Pancakes

Ingredients

Have you ever made pancakes from scratch? You’d be surprised at how easy it is to make a homemade pancake batter with just a few simple ingredients. Just a few more ingredients are needed for the cinnamon swirl mixture and cream cheese drizzle, and you’ve got yourself a true breakfast of champions! Scroll on down to the recipe card to find the full ingredient list. Here is your shopping list:

Homemade Pancake Mix: 

• All-Purpose Flour: flour is the base of your pancake mix
• Baking Powder: this ingredient gives the pancake batter that trademark fluffy texture.
• Salt: gives just a little extra flavor to the pancakes. 
• Milk, Egg, Vegetable Oil: these three ingredients literally bring it all together.

Cinnamon Swirl Filling: 

• Brown Sugar: makes the filling nice and sweet. 
• Ground Cinnamon: you can’t have cinnamon rolls without the cinnamon!
• Melted Butter: using melted butter instead of softened is key – if the butter isn’t melted, you’ll end up with a thick paste instead of a thinner swirl filling.

Cream Cheese Glaze: 

• Softened Cream Cheese: make sure the cream cheese is at least room temperature to make for easy mixing. 
• Powdered Sugar: sweetens the cream cheese.
• Melter Butter: again, melted is a must! I use unsalted butter to control the flavor.
• Vanilla Extract: brings the icing together with a touch of warm vanilla flavor.

Cinnamon Pancakes Ingredient Substitutions 

The great thing about homemade pancakes is that you can tweak the recipe to your liking. Can you use a boxed pancake mix instead of making a from-scratch batter? Of course you can! Here are some other ingredient notes: 

• If you only have salted butter on hand, you can use it, but keep in mind that it might slightly change the taste. 
• Milk can be swapped for your preferred non-dairy alternative, like oat milk or almond milk. 
• You could also use buttermilk for a richer, creamier batter. 
• You can swap out the AP flour for gluten-free flour or oat flour if you follow a GF diet.

Instructions

Okay, y’all… we’ve come to the best part: how to make these tasty from-scratch cinnamon roll pancakes! It just takes a few minutes of prep work before these babies are on the griddle and cookin’ up for your perfect breakfast!

1. First, make the cinnamon mixture. Combine the melted butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon together in a small bowl. Spoon the mixture into a piping bag or standard ziplock baggie and set it aside. 
2. Next, make the glaze. In a separate bowl, combine the softened cream cheese with powdered sugar, melted butter, and vanilla. Use a whisk or fork to mix the icing together until smooth. If it’s too thick, add a drizzle of milk to thin it out. Set the icing aside. 
3. Now it’s time to make your pancakes! In a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients – flour, baking powder, and salt. Then, add the wet ingredients – egg, vegetable oil, and milk. Mix the pancake batter until there are no lumps. 
4. Get a large skillet going on the stovetop over medium-low heat (or you could use an electric griddle).
5. Spoon about ½ cup of pancake batter into the skillet and wait until small bubbles begin to form on the surface of the pancake (about 3-4 minutes). 
6. Take your cinnamon mixture and pipe it into the center of the pancake in a swirl pattern. Try not to get too close to the edge of the pancake.
7. Flip the pancake and let it cook for an additional 1-2 minutes.
8. Repeat until you’ve made all your pancakes! 

Have you ever heard of a more delicious, sinfully sweet pancake recipe?! Who doesn’t love cinnamon rolls in pancake form… one of the ultimate breakfast foods! You can serve these pancakes with other breakfast classics like scrambled eggs, sausage, bacon, and fresh fruit for a truly delectable breakfast or brunch spread.

Cinnamon Roll Pancakes Recipe Tips, Tricks, and Variations 

You got questions; I got answers! And tips and tricks to make this recipe even easier for y’all, LOL. If I missed something, drop a comment down below! Here are some Cousin Rosie tips for perfecting this recipe. 

• Use a nonstick skillet or pan to ensure your pancakes don’t stick to the pan. Otherwise, use a spritz of nonstick spray or a small pat of butter. (Pro-tip: cooking pancakes in butter is great for flavor!)
• Everyone hates those first few wonky pancakes before you perfect The Flip. Here’s a secret: make sure you’re using a wide metal spatula that’s extra thin and flexible. If you’re worried about sticking, give it a quick spritz with nonstick spray.
• If you have any remaining pancake batter, you can make mini pancakes or use a mini muffin tin to make little pancake muffins!
• I highly recommend using a piping bag for the cinnamon swirl! It’s an easy, mess-free way to get the perfect swirl. You can buy a perfect beginner-friendly piping bag set that even comes with tips – it comes in handy for tons of recipes!
• Not that you’ll have any leftovers of this recipe, but if you do, store leftover pancakes in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat them in the microwave or in a skillet until they crisp up.

How do I get these cinnamon roll pancakes to taste like restaurant-style pancakes?

The secret most restaurants use for those picture-perfect pancakes? Buttermilk! The acid in buttermilk reacts with the baking powder, giving your pancakes that perfectly light and airy texture. It’s a simple swap that is SO worth the results.

How many servings does this homemade pancake batter make? 

This recipe will make about 6-8 pancakes using about 1/4 to ½ cup of batter per pancake. If you need to make more, double – or even triple the recipe! Pro-tip: you can make a large batch of the pancake mix by mixing just the dry ingredients and keeping it on hand in an airtight container for from-scratch pancakes any time you want – game changer!

More Sweet Cinnamon Treats from I Heart Recipes

Cinnamon swirl pancakes ain’t the only sweet cinnamon recipes I’ve got up my sleeve, y’all! If you loved these cinnamon roll pancakes, try some of these recipes next – for breakfast, dessert, or both – no judgment here, loves 😉 

• Cinnamon Apple Monkey Bread
• Cinnamon Roll Cheesecake
• Cinnamon French Toast Roll-Ups
• Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls
• Caramel Apple Cinnamon Rolls

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