Ingredients
Cinnamon swirl filling
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- 6 tablespoons packed light or dark brown sugar
- 1/2 tablespoon ground cinnamon
This is very similar to other cinnamon-sugar fillings, which combine melted butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon into a thick paste for piping.
Cream cheese drizzle
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 2 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 3/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Cinnamon roll pancake recipes typically use a cream cheese glaze made with butter, cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla, sometimes thinned with milk if needed.
Pancake batter
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs
- 2 1/3 cups buttermilk
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Buttermilk-based batters with baking powder (and sometimes a bit of baking soda) are standard for fluffy pancakes.
Step-by-step instructions
1. Make the cinnamon swirl filling
- In a small bowl, whisk together melted and cooled butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon until a thick, smooth paste forms.
- If the mixture is too runny, chill it in the fridge for a few minutes to thicken; most cinnamon roll pancake recipes stress that the filling should be thick enough to pipe without running everywhere.
- For easier swirls, transfer the filling to a squeeze bottle or a small plastic bag and snip off one corner when ready to use.
Recipes note that if the cinnamon filling is too warm or thin, it tends to ooze out and burn on the pan.
2. Make the cream cheese drizzle
- In a separate bowl, combine softened butter and softened cream cheese.
- Beat or whisk until smooth and creamy, with no lumps.
- Add powdered sugar and vanilla extract and whisk vigorously until completely smooth.
- If the drizzle is too thick to pour, you can add a small splash of milk to thin it slightly, as recommended in similar cream cheese pancake glazes.
- Set aside at room temperature; if it firms up too much, you can briefly warm it before serving.
3. Mix the pancake batter
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt.
- In another bowl, lightly beat the eggs.
- Whisk in the buttermilk and vanilla extract until combined.
- Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients.
- Gently stir with a spatula until just combined. A few small lumps are fine; overmixing pancake batter is widely known to cause tough, dense pancakes.
Many cinnamon roll pancake recipes emphasize stirring “just until combined” to keep pancakes tender and fluffy.
4. Cook the pancakes and swirl
- Heat a large non-stick skillet or griddle over medium heat. Lightly grease with butter or oil.
- Pour about 1/4 cup of batter per pancake onto the hot surface. Use the back of a scoop to gently spread if needed.
Similar recipes use about 1/4–1/2 cup batter per pancake and cook over medium or medium-low heat to prevent burning the swirl.
- As soon as the batter is on the griddle, pipe a spiral of cinnamon filling on top of each pancake.
- Cook until bubbles form on the surface and the edges look set.
- Carefully flip and cook for another minute or so, until the underside is golden brown and the cinnamon swirl side has caramelized but not burned.
Well-tested recipes note that moderate heat and not overfilling the swirl help prevent the cinnamon butter from scorching.
- Transfer cooked pancakes to a plate and repeat with the remaining batter, greasing the pan as needed.
5. Serve with cream cheese drizzle
- Stack warm pancakes on plates.
- Drizzle generously with the cream cheese mixture. If needed, briefly warm the glaze to make it more pourable.
- Serve immediately while the pancakes are warm and the cinnamon swirls are gooey.
Some recipes also suggest serving with a bit of maple syrup alongside the cream cheese glaze for extra sweetness.