Updated 9/22/11 to Add: If you’re coming here to sample these delicious Cinnamon Roll Pancakes, you just might like the latest recipe that I’ve posted for Pumpkin Cinnamon Roll Pancakes too. And Gingerbread- Cinnamon Roll Pancakes too. Enjoy!
Here’s a short video sharing how to make these delicious pancakes:
If you’ve ever thought you needed a reason to eat pancakes, today is the day: National Pancake Day! Eat a short stack for breakfast, enjoy them for lunch, or make a dinner out a manhole-sized pancake… guilt free… because you’re merely celebrating their existence.
How do you like your pancakes? Buttermilk? Sweet Potato? Whole Grain? Fruit topped? Whipped Cream? I don’t usually care for any of that fancy stuff, but I can tell with absolute certainty that over-cooked, crusty pancakes have no place in my world. I like my pancakes fluffy. And sometimes I like slices of banana cooked inside. A good dose of real maple syrup is what I prefer to drizzle on top.
But recently I started dreaming about mixing cinnamon rolls and pancakes together… and this is what I came up with- my new favorite pancake: Cinnamon Roll Pancakes. Here are some tips for how to be successful with these!
I have a wonderfully fluffy pancake batter that I like to use (recipe below) so I swirled a bit of cinnamon roll filling into the pancake.
And they cooked up just like a pancake- fluffy, but with craters of crusty, sugary cinnamon swirled within.
You might find three of these stacked in a fancy breakfast restaurant, but I’m gonna tell you that one pancake is all you need.
It’s like eating a cinnamon roll, and no one needs more than one cinnamon roll for breakfast. Or certainly no more than two 😉
See, just like a cinnamon roll. Love this. I can eat this pancake just as you see it, but you really need to add the glaze to get the full cinnamon roll-effect. Read on…
Oh yeah. A warmed cream cheese glaze drizzled on top really completes this pancake. No syrup needed. Let me say that again: No. Syrup. Needed.
There you have it: Cinnamon Roll Pancakes. With lots of ooey, gooey cream cheese glaze drizzled on top.
Do yourself a favor and treat yourself to a pancake today. Go get ’em. These babies are just like eating a cinnamon roll, which is a perfectly okay… once in a while, right? I mean, it’s not like I put chocolate chip cookie dough in them or anything. Hmmmm.
Yield: Eight 4-inch pancakes
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Cinnamon Roll Pancakes
An absolutely decadent morning treat. Just follow all the tips and you'll get it right!
Ingredients:
CINNAMON FILLING:
- 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, just melted (not boiling)
- 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
- 1/2 tablespoon ground cinnamon
CREAM CHEESE GLAZE:
- 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
- 2-ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
- 3/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup milk
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- 1 tablespoon canola or vegetable oil
Directions:
- Prepare the cinnamon filling: In a medium bowl, stir together the butter, brown sugar and cinnamon. Scoop the filling into a quart-sized heavy zip baggie and set it aside (see *Tips below).
- Prepare the glaze: In a small pan, heat the butter over low heat until melted. Turn off the heat and whisk in the cream cheese until it is almost smooth. Sift the powdered sugar into the pan, stir and add in vanilla extract. Set the pan aside while you make the pancakes.
- Prepare the pancake batter: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Whisk in the milk, egg and oil, just until the batter is moistened (a few small lumps are fine).
- Cook the pancakes: Heat a large, nonstick skillet over medium-heat and spray with nonstick spray. Use an ice cream scoop (or 1/3 cup measuring cup) to add the batter to the pan. Use the bottom of the scoop or cup to spread the batter into a circle (about 4-inches in diameter). Reduce the heat to medium low. Snip the corner of your baggie of cinnamon filling and squeeze the filling into the open corner. When your pancake begins to form bubbles, add the filling. Starting at the center of the pancake, squeeze the filling on top of the pancake batter in a swirl (just as you see in a regular cinnamon roll). Cook the pancake 2 to 3 minutes, or until the bubbles begin popping on top of the pancake and it's golden brown on the bottom. Slide a thin, wide metal spatula underneath the pancake and gently but quickly flip it over. Cook an additional 2 to 3 minutes, until the other side is golden as well. When you flip the pancake onto a plate, you will see that the cinnamon filling has created a crater-swirl of cinnamon. Wipe out the pan with a paper towel, and repeat with the remaining pancake batter and cinnamon filling. Re-warm the glaze briefly, if needed. Serve pancakes topped with a drizzle of glaze.
- Quick and easy tip: Use a boxed pancake mix as the base for this recipe.
- Tips for the cinnamon filling: Before swirling, open up the baggie again and give it a good stir to re-incorporate any butter that may have separated from the sugar. You want the mixture to thicken a bit- it's best when it's similar to the squeezing texture of a tube of toothpaste, which will happen if you leave it at room temperature for several minutes. Don't try to use the filling for the pancake swirl unless it has thickened as it will be too runny to make a solid swirl.
- Keep the heat low or your pancakes might cook up too quickly. Don't flip them until you see those bubbles starting to pop on top. Flip them with a wide spatula so you can grasp the whole thing without batter and filling dripping all over the place!
- I wrote a very detailed post on how to get the cinnamon filling *just right* on my Gingerbread- Cinnamon Roll Pancakes Post. Check it out before you attempt these!
- If you're trying to justify your intake of decadent cinnamon rolls, you can make this a tad bit healthier by using half whole-wheat flour and low fat cream cheese, or enjoy the pancakes without glaze.
posted Mar 5, 2011 8:33 AM
These look so, so yummy. And very decadent! For our Saturday morning pancake-fest, I decided to give them a try. I like to think I’m a good cook, but perhaps I measured wrong. The cinnamon filling did not settle into the pancake; it dripped off onto the griddle. I kept the temp low, and when I flipped them, the remaining filling oozed out from under the pancake. What was left on the pancake burned. It wasn’t too bad to clean up since there was so much butter. I don’t care for the taste of burnt sugar, so I only had a few bites of the middles…VERY VERY yummy! My 3 year old son scarfed two complete ones (minus the glaze). Totally worth it to try again!
March 5th, 2011 @ 11:52 AM
@Shannon. Shoot! I hope you’ll try them again. Mine turned out perfect! The filling should be about the consistency of toothpaste. If it’s too runny, it’ll just run all over the place.
posted Jun 19, 2011 9:28 AM
The pictures are gorgeous and look delicious, however, count me in to the ladies who had issues with them. 🙠The batter didn’t have flavor and was not fluffy, the cooked pancakes came out very heavy and dense. I tried using a boxed mix with the swirl which was better but my mix was too runny. I will try them again but with a boxed mix and softened (not melted) butter.
Great idea though!
June 19th, 2011 @ 6:58 PM
If you melt the butter/sugar/cinnamon mixture and then let it sit for a while, it will eventually turn into a consistency similar to toothpaste. I’ve found that’s the easiest consistency to work w/ for these pancakes.
posted Jun 19, 2011 10:07 AM
Made these this morning…the cinnamon filling was still a little runny- will try adding more brown sugar or less butter next time, but boy they were still yummy. Thanks for a great recipe.