Description
Delight in these sweet and fluffy cinnamon roll pancakes featuring tender buttermilk pancakes swirled with a butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon filling, topped with a smooth cream cheese icing. Perfect for breakfast or brunch, these pancakes bring the flavors of cinnamon rolls with less time and effort.
Ingredients
Pancakes:
- ¾ cup milk
- 2 tablespoons white distilled vinegar
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons white sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 large egg
- 2 tablespoons butter, melted
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
Cinnamon Swirl Filling:
- 5 ½ tablespoons packed brown sugar
- ¼ cup butter, melted
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
Cream Cheese Icing:
- ¼ cup butter, softened
- 2 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
- ¾ cup confectioners' sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- cooking spray (for griddle)
Instructions
- Gather Ingredients: Collect all ingredients needed for the pancakes, cinnamon swirl filling, and cream cheese icing to streamline the cooking process.
- Prepare Buttermilk: Stir milk and vinegar together in a bowl and let sit for about 5 minutes until the milk slightly curdles or 'sours', creating homemade buttermilk.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, white sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt evenly.
- Prepare Wet Ingredients: Whisk the egg, melted butter, and vanilla extract into the soured milk mixture until well combined.
- Combine Batter: Slowly pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients while whisking gently to form a batter. It’s okay if the batter is lumpy; avoid overmixing.
- Make Cinnamon Swirl Filling: Mix brown sugar, melted butter, and ground cinnamon in a small bowl until combined. Transfer this mixture into a 1-quart resealable plastic bag placed inside a cup for stability and refrigerate for about 10 minutes until thick and spreadable.
- Prepare Cream Cheese Icing: In a microwave-safe bowl, combine softened butter and cream cheese. Heat for 40 seconds and whisk or fork-stir until smooth. Continue heating briefly and stirring until fully melted. Then stir in confectioners' sugar and vanilla extract until icing is smooth and creamy.
- Heat Griddle: Warm a griddle or non-stick skillet over medium heat and lightly spray with cooking spray to prevent sticking.
- Cook Pancakes - First Side: Pour about 2/3 cup of batter onto the center of the griddle. Cook for 2-3 minutes, until bubbles begin to form on the surface.
- Add Cinnamon Swirl: Snip one corner off the chilled cinnamon filling bag and carefully swirl the filling onto the cooking pancake, avoiding the edges so the filling doesn’t touch the griddle and burn.
- Flip Pancakes: Carefully flip the pancake and cook for another 2-3 minutes until the bottom side is golden brown.
- Finish and Repeat: Drizzle cream cheese icing over the cooked pancake. Remove from the griddle and set aside. Wipe the griddle clean with a damp cloth and reapply cooking spray before repeating the process with the remaining batter and filling to avoid burnt residue.
- Serve: Stack pancakes if desired, drizzle with extra icing, and serve warm for a delicious breakfast treat.
Notes
- If you don’t have buttermilk, the milk and vinegar mixture works as a great substitute to create acidity for fluffy pancakes.
- Wiping the griddle between pancakes prevents the cinnamon filling from burning and imparting a bitter flavor.
- The cinnamon swirl is added after bubbles form to avoid mixing into the pancake batter and losing the swirl effect.
- Use a non-stick griddle or skillet for easy flipping and cooking.
- You can make this recipe ahead by preparing the cinnamon filling and icing in advance, storing separately in the refrigerator.
