A decadent breakfast recipe featuring a tender and fluffy, generously spiced cinnamon pancake and a sweet cream cheese icing swirl atop. They taste just like a cinnamon roll and are so easy to make!
Prep20minutes minutes
Cook10minutes minutes
Servings: 14 pancakes
Ingredients
Cream Cheese Icing
- 4 Tbsp (56g) butter, softened
- 4 oz. cream cheese, softened
- 1 1/2 cups (180g) powdered sugar
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup (60ml) heavy cream
Cinnamon Pancakes
- 6 1/2 Tbsp (80g) packed dark brown sugar
- 2 cups (283g) all purpose flour (scoop and level to measure)
- 4 tsp (9g) cinnamon
- 4 tsp (17g) aluminum free baking powder
- 3/4 tsp (4g) salt
- 2 cups (470ml) milk (low fat or whole)
- 2 large eggs
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 5 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted, plus more butter for griddle (or non-stick cooking spray)
Instructions
- For the icing: In a large mixing bowl using an electric hand mixer whip together 4 Tbsp softened butter and the cream cheese until smooth. Add powdered sugar and 1/2 tsp vanilla and whip until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
- Pour in heavy cream and mix until creamy, about 30 seconds. Set mixture aside while you cook the pancakes.
- For the pancakes: Preheat an electric griddle to 325 to 350 degrees. You could also use a stovetop griddle set over medium-low heat.
- In a large mixing bowl break up brown sugar, even very small clumps with your fingertips. Add flour, cinnamon, baking powder and salt and whisk until evenly combined, make a well in center of mixture.
- In a separate medium mixing bowl whisk together milk, eggs and 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract until well blended. Pour in 5 Tbsp melted butter and whisk to blend (it may clump and that’s okay).
- Pour milk mixture into flour mixture and whisk until just evenly combined (small lumps are fine). Let mixture rest for about 30 seconds to fluff up slightly and thicken.
- Scoop batter out a slightly heaped 1/3 cup at a time and drop onto buttered griddle (just butter each area right before adding pancake batter), spread batter out slightly if needed (using the measuring cup or back of a spoon).
- Let cook until pancake batter appears slightly bubbly and fluffy, and bottom is golden brown, about 1 minute. Turn to opposite side and cook until golden brown on bottom and cooked through.
- Transfer pancakes to a wire rack. Repeat until all of the batter is used up, turn griddle down if needed if pancakes are browning too quickly.
- Serve warm with vanilla icing or let cool until just lightly warm and pipe a swirl of cream cheese icing over pancake (using a resealable bag with the corner cut).
Notes
Gluten Free Cinnamon Roll Pancakes
I have also made these pancakes gluten free. To do so use King Arthur Gluten Free Measure for Measure Flour in place of all-purpose flour (use equal amount). Ensure all other ingredients are gluten free. Let batter rest 5 minutes before using.