Cinnamon Swirl Pancakes

Cinnamon Swirl Pancakes get cooked with a thick ribbon of gooey cinnamon syrup and then topped with a drizzle of cream cheese frosting. They are cinnamon rolls but in pancake form!

Start your day off right by making a delicious breakfast, like this cinnamon roll pancakes recipe. Next, make our Classic French Toast, made with cinnamon and a dash of vanilla extract. Or make one of our green smoothies, banana pineapple or lemon, for a healthy, on the go breakfast.

Swirl of Cinnamon Pancakes

There is just something warm and cozy about cinnamon, it gives me all of the fall feels. Of course you can eat cinnamon recipes year round, but eating them in the autumn just makes them extra special. Much like these snickerdoodle bars, they are topped with a to die for cinnamon cream cheese frosting.

And then there is this cinnamon apple bread, an absolute favorite recipe that we make every year.

Are you ready for a breakfast recipe that is going to become beloved in your family and wow the socks off of company? Then you have to try this fluffy pancake recipe; cinnamon pancakes with a brown sugar cinnamon swirl. And the icing on the cake is literally a sweetened cream cheese drizzle.

They are like a cinnamon roll in pancake form. With all the flavors of fall in one little stack of pancakes covered in a cream cheese drizzle!

Breakfast has got to be our favorite meal of the day and since it is our favorite I’ve got to have great breakfast recipe ideas.

There is never a bad time for big fluffy pancakes. Make them for a delightful breakfast on a weekend morning, brunch with the girls served with some mimosas, or my personal fave, brinner (breakfast for dinner).

Plain pancakes are great, but pancakes with a swirl of cinnamon are even better! These will become a recipe the whole family loves.

Why this Recipe Works

• Easier than making a full batch of cinnamon rolls.
• Makes a delicious breakfast.
• Easy to freeze and eat on rushed mornings.

What to Serve with Pancakes

Whether it is a relaxing weekend or a rushed weeknight, these are some great pancakes. Here are side dishes for pancakes.

• Fruit: My favorite thing to serve with pancakes is fruit. Might as well get some vitamins in with all that sugar.
• Protein: Easily make regular bacon, turkey bacon or breakfast sausage to go with pancakes.
• Potatoes: Make crispy crowns, tater tots, hash browns, home fries, or breakfast potatoes.
• Whipped cream: Instead of the cream cheese frosting, top these homemade pancakes with whipped cream or cinnamon whipped cream.
• Eggs: There are so many ways to make eggs – scrambled eggs, fried eggs, poached eggs, or boiled eggs. Pick your favorite and make it to go with pancakes!
• Smoothies: I love a good smoothie, try this lemon smoothie or banana pineapple smoothie.
• Drinks: Orange juice, apple juice, milk, coffee, or tea.

Can I Use a Pancake Mix?

Yes, this recipe can be made with a baking mix if you do not have the ingredients to make the pancakes from scratch. If you do though, I urge you to try making them from fresh ingredients. They will taste even better than using a mix. Just make the pancake batter according to the box, then follow the directions to make the cinnamon sugar topping.

FREAKY FRIDAY

Hooray, it’s Freaky Friday (my favorite Friday)! If you are wondering what I am talking about, Freaky Friday is a blog hop that happens every quarter that was created by Michaela from An Affair From the Heart. You HAVE to go check out her blog, she has got some of the best recipes and is a just a great person!

If you aren’t familiar with this event, I’ll explain it. A bunch of bloggers get assigned someone else’s blog within the group. But, shhhh, it’s a secret and you can’t tell anyone who you got. You then get to pick one recipe that goes along with the particular season and recreate it for your own blog. Then on the day of the reveal, you get to share with your readers and everyone in the group, which blog you got (and who got you!). So fun, right?!

It’s the fall quarter already and for this Freaky Friday round, I got the pleasure of choosing a recipe off of SueBee Homemaker’s gorgeous blog. As soon as you open Sue’s blog, you are met by some delicious, warm recipes and her sweet smiling face. Let’s dive in.

Sue (or SueBee to those close to her), started her blog the day she turned 50 years young. Her and her husband were soon-to-be empty nesters. In starting this new chapter in her life, Sue knew she wanted to do something special. She landed on blogging and jumped into it feet first without hesitation, a true testament to the fact that it is never too late to begin anew.

It was amazing getting to know Sue through her About Me page. It opens to a lovely photograph that her youngest had taken of her and her husband on a tandem bike. She has a whole post written about it entitled “Life is a beautiful ride.” Both Sue and I are mothers who are obsessed with food and nourishing our families. It was also great to see that Sue is into craft beer, too, just like me!

I enjoyed browsing through Sue’s tantalizing recipes, especially the section that she has dedicated to her mother’s recipes. What a beautiful way to honor her mom’s legacy by sharing her most treasured recipes. There are true classics like Vegetable Beef Stew, Banana Bread, and Peanut Butter Cookies. But, also some unexpected recipes like Spicy Bloody Mary Cocktails and Cranberry Vodka Slush that I cannot wait to try. You’ll find them all under Norma Jean’s Kitchen on Sue’s blog.

SueBee Homemaker’s website boasts so many recipes, it was honestly difficult to pick only one recipe to make for Freaky Friday. I am a sucker for desserts and she has a lot! Just look at these Triple Chocolate Brownies or these Brown Butter Toffee Cookies! For some main meal options, I almost went with these Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas or this Creamy Cajun Chicken.

I settled on Sue’s Cinnamon Pancakes, because they sounded amazing and were a perfect fall recipe. You can munch on them all while exploring her blog!

Recipe Ingredients

• Buttermilk: You can make your own if you don’t have any on hand (directions below), but real is best.
• Vanilla: Use real vanilla extract and not imitation vanilla flavoring.
• Egg: I like to use large eggs.
• Butter: You will need to use melted butter. I like unsalted butter because we are adding a little salt to the pancakes.
• Flour: All purpose flour will give you nice fluffy pancakes.
• Sugar: Granulated white sugar.
• Baking Soda: Make sure that it is fresh.
• Baking Powder: Make sure it is fresh.
• Salt: Just a little, I like to use fine sea salt or kosher salt.

Cinnamon Swirl Mixture Ingredients

• Butter: Regular butter is perfect, I use unsalted butter.
• Brown Sugar: Light or dark brown sugar will work.
• Cinnamon: Ground cinnamon.

Cream Cheese Icing Ingredients

• Powdered Sugar: If it is a little clumpy you can sift it.
• Cream Cheese: Take cream cheese out an hour before you need it. You only need 2 ounces.
• Vanilla: Use real vanilla extract.
• Milk: Any milk will work, even milk substitutes.

How to Make Cinnamon Swirl Pancakes

1. In a large bowl combine together all of the wet ingredients – buttermilk, vanilla, egg, and 1/4 cup of melted, slightly cooled butter to make the milk mixture.
2. In a small bowl combine together the flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
3. Add the dry ingredients into the large mixing bowl. Whisk it all together, but don’t overmix. It’s okay if it’s a little lumpy. Set aside while you make the cinnamon mixture and cream cheese icing.
4. Add in softened cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla, and milk to stand bowl of an electric mixer. Mix until smooth, adding a little milk if it needs to be thinned. Add mixture to a plastic ziplock bag (with corner cut) or piping bag. Set aside.
5. In a glass measuring cup, melt the butter in the microwave. Mix in the brown sugar and cinnamon. Pour the cinnamon-sugar mixture into a Pour the mixture into a squeeze bottle, pastry bag (with medium tip) or a ziplock bag (you’ll have to cut the corner of your bag of cinnamon filling).
6. Put a large nonstick skillet or pancake griddle over medium-high heat. Add a little bit of vegetable oil or cooking spray to the nonstick pan. Use a measuring cup to add a cup of the batter into the pan.
7. Let the pancake batter cook until you start to see small bubbles forming on the surface of the pancakes. Then grab your squeezy bottle of cinnamon roll filling. The best way to make a perfect swirl on top of each pancake is to start in the center of the pancake and slowly make your way around. Cook pancakes a minute or so then carefully lift the edge of the pancake and flip over to cook the other side. Repeat with remaining batter. Make sure to continue to shake the cinnamon filling throughout cooking to ensure ingredients are distributed.
8. Serve swirl side up with maple syrup or cream cheese glaze drizzled on top of the pancake stack.

How to Make Your Own Buttermilk

I highly recommend using real buttermilk, but if you don’t have any try this method. Just be aware that you cannot substitute just plain milk for buttermilk.

BUTTERMILK MADE WITH LEMON OR VINEGAR. Add 1 1/2 teaspoon of vinegar or lemon juice plus just enough milk (2% or whole is recommended) to fill up to the 1/2 cup line. Let this mixture set up for 5-10 minutes to thicken or curdle a little. Then it’s ready to use.

Recipe Tips & Variations

• Make more pancakes. It’s easy to double this recipe.
• Homemade buttermilk. Make your own buttermilk if you don’t have any.
• Extra cinnamon. For more cinnamon flavor, add 1 tablespoon of ground cinnamon to the pancake batter.
• Shake cinnamon sauce. Make sure to keep shaking the squirt bottle of the cinnamon sugar swirl while you are cooking the pancakes so that it all stays incorporated.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can pancakes be frozen? Yes, and they freeze well. Place them in freezer bags separate each pancake with a piece of parchment paper. Label the bag with recipe and date. Freeze up to 3 months.

Are pancakes healthy? Unfortunately, pancakes are not a healthy food. But, I love to live the motto of eating everything in moderation. They are great to have occasionally.

Can these pancakes be made in advance? I don’t recommend making the pancake batter in advance because it has leavening ingredients (baking soda and powder), but you can make the pancakes ahead of time and heat them before serving.

Storage Instructions

How to refrigerate leftover pancakes? Let the pancakes cool and put in an airtight container. They should last about 3-4 days in the fridge.

How do you reheat pancakes? Warm them up in the microwave until heated to desired temperature.

How to freeze pancakes? Let pancakes (without frosting) cool completely before putting into a freezer safe plastic bag, separating each pancake with parchment paper. They can be frozen for 1-2 months, just be sure to label with the recipe and date.

Try all of our Freaky Friday recipes!

See all of our 2022 Freaky Friday Fall Edition Recipes

Hosted by – An Affair from the Heart

1. An Affair from the Heart – Pepperoni Pizza Bread
2. Aunt Bee’s Recipes –  Easy Chicken Tortilla Soup
3. The Culinary Compass – Butternut Squash Soup with Coconut Milk
4. Devour Dinner – Instant Pot Chicken and Wild Rice
5. Family Around the Table – White Chocolate Pumpkin Spice Martini
6. Feast + West – Bourbon Caramel Sauce
7. Fresh April Flours – Butterfinger Poke Cake
8. Hostess at Heart – The BEST Pumpkin Pie Recipe
9. Kathryn’s Kitchen Blog – Soft Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
10. Life Currents – French Onion Bruschetta 
11. Off the Eaten Path –  Jalapeño Cream Cheese Dip
12. The Speckled Palate – German Pancake
13. Sue Bee Homemaker – Pumpkin Cheesecake Bites
14. Take Two Tapas – Crockpot Pizza Dip
15. The Wimpy Vegetarian – Air Fryer Brussels Sprouts

If you’ve tried this cinnamon roll pancake recipe, don’t forget to give me a star rating and leave me a comment below in the comment section. I love to hear from people who have made my recipes!

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