How to Make Cinnamon Roll Pancakes: A Foolproof Weekend Breakfast Guide

Have you ever dreamed of enjoying cinnamon bun pancakes without spending hours in the kitchen? These fluffy pancakes swirled with cinnamon-sugar mixture and drizzled with sweet cream cheese frosting can be ready in less than 30 minutes!

I’ve made this cinnamon roll pancakes recipe three weekends in a row because they’re THAT good. At 327 calories per serving, these breakfast treats perfectly combine two morning classics – cinnamon rolls and pancakes. They’re ideal for special occasions, weekend breakfasts with company, holidays like Christmas or Easter, but also perfect for a regular Saturday morning. While they certainly look impressive, our step-by-step guide makes learning how to make cinnamon roll pancakes surprisingly simple. You can even use a box mix for easy cinnamon roll pancakes if you’re short on time!

In this article, we’ll walk you through everything from gathering ingredients to troubleshooting common issues, ensuring your cream cheese frosting for pancakes turns out perfectly every time. Ready to make your breakfast dreams come true? Let’s get cooking!

Gathering Your Ingredients

Before you start mixing and flipping, gathering the right ingredients ensures your cinnamon roll pancakes turn out perfectly. The beauty of these pancakes lies in their three distinct components, each bringing something special to your breakfast table.

Dry ingredients for the pancake batter

The foundation of great cinnamon roll pancakes begins with the right dry ingredients. You’ll need:

All-purpose flour (typically 1-2 cups depending on batch size)
Baking powder (1-3 teaspoons) for that essential fluffiness
Baking soda (½-1½ teaspoons) which works with buttermilk to create lift
Salt (½ teaspoon) to enhance flavor
Granulated sugar (1-3 tablespoons) for sweetness

For those mornings when time is limited, a quality pancake mix can substitute for these dry ingredients. Nevertheless, ensuring your baking powder and soda are fresh remains crucial, as they lose potency after 6-8 months even if still within expiration date.

Wet ingredients and buttermilk tips

The wet ingredients truly elevate your pancakes from ordinary to extraordinary:

Real buttermilk provides both tangy flavor and thicker consistency that makes pancakes exceptionally fluffy. In case you don’t have buttermilk on hand, you can create a substitute by adding 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar to one cup of milk and letting it sit for 5 minutes.

Additional wet ingredients include:

Eggs (preferably room temperature)
Melted butter (cooled slightly before adding)
Vanilla extract for depth of flavor

Furthermore, when measuring flour, spoon it into your measuring cup rather than dipping the cup directly into flour—this prevents overmeasuring which results in dry pancakes.

Cinnamon swirl essentials

The star of these pancakes is undoubtedly the cinnamon swirl mixture, which typically includes:

Melted butter (4-5 tablespoons)
Light brown sugar (packed, ⅓-¾ cup)
Ground cinnamon (1-1½ teaspoons)

Notably, this mixture needs to be combined thoroughly until smooth, then transferred to a plastic bag with a corner snipped off for easy swirling.

Cream cheese frosting components

Finally, no cinnamon roll pancakes would be complete without cream cheese frosting. This decadent topping requires:

Softened cream cheese (2 ounces)
Powdered sugar (¾-1¼ cups)
Melted butter (2-4 tablespoons)
Vanilla extract (½-1 teaspoon)

Essentially, the cream cheese must be at room temperature to achieve a smooth, lump-free frosting. Depending on your preferred consistency, you might add a few drops of milk to thin it out.

Having all these ingredients measured and ready before you start cooking makes the process smoother and more enjoyable—just like the perfect cinnamon roll pancakes themselves.

Step-by-Step: How to Make Cinnamon Roll Pancakes

Now that we’ve assembled our ingredients, let’s dive into the step-by-step process of creating these delectable cinnamon roll pancakes. The magic happens in four key stages that transform simple ingredients into a breakfast masterpiece.

1. Mix the pancake batter

First, combine all dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar) in a medium bowl, whisking thoroughly until evenly mixed. In a separate bowl, mix your wet ingredients—typically eggs, melted butter, and vanilla extract. For buttermilk pancakes, combine milk with vinegar and let it sit for about 5 minutes until it “sours”.

Next, slowly pour the wet mixture into your dry ingredients, stirring just until combined. Remember—small lumps are actually desirable! Over-mixing develops gluten, resulting in tough, chewy pancakes instead of light, fluffy ones.

2. Prepare the cinnamon swirl filling

In a small bowl, combine melted butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon until completely mixed. This mixture becomes the signature swirl that makes these pancakes special. For easier application, transfer this cinnamon mixture to either:

A squeeze bottle (ideal for precise control)
A plastic bag with one corner snipped off

Let the mixture set briefly after mixing—this allows the melted butter to cool slightly, making the mixture less runny and giving you more control during piping.

3. Make the cream cheese frosting for pancakes

Combine softened butter and cream cheese in a microwave-safe bowl, heating for approximately 40 seconds. Stir until completely smooth. Add powdered sugar and vanilla extract, whisking until you achieve a silky consistency. If needed, adjust thickness by adding a few drops of milk.

4. Let the batter rest for fluffier pancakes

Possibly the most overlooked yet crucial step is allowing your pancake batter to rest. Let it sit undisturbed for 10-15 minutes. During this resting period, two important processes occur:

The flour fully hydrates, dissolving any remaining lumps
Leavening agents distribute evenly throughout the batter

This simple waiting period produces pancakes that rise more evenly with a tender crumb. However, don’t let the batter rest longer than an hour, or you risk flat pancakes as leavening agents lose their effectiveness.

Cooking and Assembling the Pancakes

The key to perfect cinnamon roll pancakes lies in the execution of the swirl and proper cooking technique. Following these specific steps ensures your breakfast creation looks as good as it tastes.

How to swirl the cinnamon mixture properly

Heat your griddle to medium heat, then pour about ½ cup of pancake batter. For the signature swirl, snip a tiny corner off your cinnamon mixture bag and pipe a spiral pattern starting from the center of the pancake outward. Importantly, keep the swirl at least ¼-inch away from the edges to prevent spillover and burning. For thicker, more controlled swirls, let your cinnamon mixture rest 10-15 minutes before piping.

When and how to flip the pancakes

Wait until small bubbles form on the surface and begin to pop, typically 3-4 minutes after adding the swirl. Use a thin, wide metal spatula to slide underneath the pancake, then flip quickly and smoothly to keep the swirl intact. Cook an additional 2-3 minutes until the underside turns golden brown.

Tips to avoid burning the swirl

Cook pancakes over low to medium heat – patience yields better results. Wipe your pan with a damp cloth between batches to remove any sugar residue that might burn. Additionally, if burning persists, try covering your pancake with a thin layer of batter after adding the swirl.

Drizzling the cream cheese glaze

Warm your glaze slightly if it’s thickened. Drizzle over your finished pancake stack with a fork or use a piping bag for those picture-perfect swirls. Unlike regular pancakes, these need no syrup!

Troubleshooting and Pro Tips

Even experienced cooks encounter challenges when making cinnamon roll pancakes for the first time. Let me share solutions to common problems you might face.

Fixing runny or hard cinnamon filling

The perfect cinnamon swirl depends on butter consistency. For runny filling, refrigerate it for 5-10 minutes until it thickens enough to hold its shape when piped. Consequently, if your filling is too hard, your butter might be too cold. The butter should be soft but not completely melted to create the ideal paste-like consistency. Moreover, avoid squeezing the piping bag—let gravity do the work for more controlled swirls.

What to do if the swirl burns

Burning typically happens when your pan is too hot. Keep your griddle on low to medium heat for slower, more even cooking. Primarily, wipe your pan with a clean, damp cloth between each pancake to remove sugar residue that could burn. Additionally, keep the cinnamon swirl at least half an inch from the pancake edges to prevent spillage and burning.

Using a box mix for easy cinnamon roll pancakes

For quick morning cinnamon bun pancakes, quality pancake mix works perfectly. Pioneer’s Sweet Cream Mix from Walmart or Kroger makes exceptionally fluffy pancakes. Indeed, Krusteaz mix also produces excellent results—just add water according to package directions.

How to keep pancakes warm while cooking

The oven method outperforms all alternatives. Preheat your oven to 250°F, then place finished pancakes on an unlined baking sheet. Ultimately, this keeps them perfectly warm and crispy until serving time. Avoid stacking pancakes directly on top of each other to maintain their crisp exterior.

Conclusion

After all, making cinnamon roll pancakes doesn’t have to be intimidating or time-consuming. These delicious breakfast treats truly offer the best of both worlds – the comforting flavor of cinnamon rolls combined with the ease and simplicity of pancakes. Most importantly, you can prepare them in under 30 minutes, making them perfect for weekend mornings when you want something special without spending hours in the kitchen.

Remember that success comes from following a few key principles. First, avoid overmixing your batter and allow it to rest. Additionally, maintaining the right temperature on your griddle prevents burning while ensuring perfectly cooked pancakes. The signature cinnamon swirl requires proper consistency – not too runny, not too thick – for that picture-perfect spiral that makes these pancakes so appealing.

Whether you choose to make your batter from scratch or use a box mix for convenience, these pancakes will undoubtedly impress family and friends alike. The cream cheese frosting adds that final touch of decadence, eliminating any need for traditional maple syrup.

We hope this guide has equipped you with everything needed to create this breakfast masterpiece. Certainly, once you’ve mastered the basic technique, you might even experiment with your own variations – perhaps adding chopped nuts, different spices, or fresh fruit toppings.

Next weekend, surprise your loved ones with these irresistible cinnamon roll pancakes. The smile on their faces will make the minimal effort completely worthwhile. Happy cooking!

FAQs

Q1. How do you make cinnamon roll pancakes from scratch? To make cinnamon roll pancakes, prepare a pancake batter, create a cinnamon swirl mixture, and make a cream cheese frosting. Cook the pancakes on a griddle, adding the cinnamon swirl in a spiral pattern. Once cooked, drizzle with the cream cheese frosting.

Q2. Can I use a box mix for cinnamon roll pancakes? Yes, you can use a quality pancake mix for easy cinnamon roll pancakes. Pioneer’s Sweet Cream Mix or Krusteaz mix work well. Simply prepare the mix according to package directions and add the cinnamon swirl and cream cheese frosting as usual.

Q3. How do you prevent the cinnamon swirl from burning? To prevent burning, cook the pancakes over low to medium heat and keep the cinnamon swirl at least 1/4 inch away from the edges. Wipe the pan with a damp cloth between batches to remove sugar residue that might burn.

Q4. What’s the secret to fluffy cinnamon roll pancakes? The secret to fluffy pancakes is to avoid overmixing the batter and letting it rest for 10-15 minutes before cooking. This allows the flour to fully hydrate and the leavening agents to distribute evenly, resulting in a lighter, fluffier texture.

Q5. How can I keep my cinnamon roll pancakes warm while cooking the entire batch? To keep pancakes warm, preheat your oven to 250°F and place finished pancakes on an unlined baking sheet. This method keeps them warm and crispy until serving time. Avoid stacking pancakes directly on top of each other to maintain their crisp exterior.