When this mom returns from her travels, the kids always ask her for their favorite dinner: fluffy pancakes! This time, I got a little more indulgent and made them Cinnabon inspired pancakes.
Cinnamon Roll Pancakes
I’ve been traveling all week. All week meaning Sunday through Sunday with a very short 24 hour pit-stop at our house. First, I went to California to learn about how California Strawberries are grown and then I went to Austin, TX to speak at BlogHer Food (a food blogging conference).
Three times times this week I had layovers at airports where a Cinnabon shop was on the way to my gate. Oh.the.smell. The Cinnabon smell is intoxicating. On the weekends, I sometimes make my whole wheat cinnamon rolls recipe. The giant cream cheese ones, of course, are even more heavenly and loaded with calories –I’m sure.
We love breakfast so much at my house that we have an entire night (Thursdays) dedicated to all things breakfast. It’s also a great way to stay on a budget since breakfast recipes tend to not be very expensive. When in a rush, on Thursday nights, I’ll just use the homemade pancake mix that I make in bulk and keep on hand.
When the kids asked for pancakes, I immediately thought: maybe I can re-create the “sauce” and pump up my perfectly fluffy pancake recipe to become more “cinnamon-rolly”. Yes, that is a direct quote from inside my head.
By the way, if you need it, here’s my gluten free pancakes recipe these always turn out so fluffy and delicious!
Today’s Cinnabon recipe for cinnamon roll pancakes are a mix between the original pancake recipe that I serve many Thursday nights and a cinnamon roll. To top it, I added a cream cheese glaze that will knock your socks off. Note: I don’t promise this to be a healthy meal. Skip future treats and eat lots of fruit for the rest of the day. That’s what I do.
I’ll leave you pinning, printing or sharing this recipe (all options below) while I go unpack my 3 day old suitcase. Unpacking is not my thing.
But don’t worry, I ‘ll keep dreaming up amazing ways to make breakfast better like my Coffee Cake Muffins with cinnamon swirl. So. Good. Or even my traditional Cinnamon Pancakes with Cinnamon Syrup. Yup, I love cinnamon in the mornings!
If you are searching for more ways to dress up your morning pancakes be sure to try my famous “better than ihop’s” pancake toppings.
Get my strawberry syrup recipe here or try my amazing blueberry syrup recipe! Both are made with real, fresh ingredients which gives them full, fruity flavor. The perfect addition to any pancake recipe.
PrintCinnamon Roll Pancakes (Cinnabon Inspired)
These pancakes are delicious on their own. They have a strong cinnamon flavor and when you add the glaze…the entire combo will knock your socks off. It’s just how it goes.
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Cook Time: 10 mins
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 4
- Category: Breakfast
- Cuisine: Family Favorites
Ingredients
Pancakes
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 Tablespoon brown sugar
- 1¼ cups milk
- 1 egg
- 3 Tablespoons butter, melted (optional)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 Tablespoon cinnamon
Glaze
- ¼ cup unsatled butter (½ stick)
- ⅓ cup cream cheese
- 1 ½ cup powdered sugar, sifted
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 Tablespoons milk
Instructions
- In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, salt and brown sugar and cinnamon.
- Make a “volcano” well in the middle (as my son calls it) and pour in the milk, egg, vanilla and melted butter; mix with a fork or whisk until smooth.
- Heat a griddle or large pan over medium high heat (I set my griddle at 375degrees). Pour or scoop ¼ cup of batter for each pancake. Wait until bubbles form to flip. Brown on the other side and serve with butter and blueberry syrup.
- To make the glaze: in a small saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter, reduce heat to simmer/low. Add the softened cream cheese and begin to whisk. It might look clumpy at first but it will slowly blend into a thick mixture. Turn off heat.
- Slowly whisk in powdered sugar, vanilla and milk. Continue to mix well until it’s evenly combined. If It’s too thick to pour over pancakes, add another Tablespoon or two of milk.
- Drizzle glaze over pancakes. Serve warm.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 pancake
- Calories: 247
- Sugar: 3.4g
- Sodium: 636.4mg
- Fat: 10.2g
- Saturated Fat: 5.9g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 33.6g
- Fiber: 2.1g
- Protein: 7g
- Cholesterol: 70.6mg
Keywords: cinnamon roll pancakes, Cinnabon pancake recipe, cinnamon roll pancake recipe
Alana Demayo
Thanks so much for the awesome pancake recipes Laura! I substituted strawberry cream cheese for regular cream cheese (because I didn’t have regular) and wasn’t sure how it would taste. A bit rich, but it was molto delizioso!
★★★★★
Luvienska Furcal
Can I use white sugar instead of the brown and coconut oil instead of butter?
★★★★★
Laura Fuentes
Absolutely! just keep the proportions 1:1. Enjoy!
Luvienska Furcal
I made it again today but I just reused the glaze from the first time I made it. My co-workers love it but I was just wondering. How long is the glaze good for?
Laura Fuentes
The glaze lasts as long as the ingredients you added in there but usually about a week.
Emoen
I loved these pancakes they were the bomb, and super easy to make
Brooke Organista
Could you use an ap gf flour and if so would the measurement be the same?
Laura Fuentes
You can use an all purpose baking mix that is designed for things like pancakes. I use Pamela’s baking mix and it works well 1:1.
Jaime
I made these pancakes when my neice and nephew came to visit and they loved it. My nephew asked if he could mail a pancake back to his mother. lol!
★★★★★
Laura Fuentes
Thank you for letting me know you enjoyed them Jaime!
Michele
We had pancake night tonight and I did your cinnabon pancakes as a surprise. It was a hit! They were very tasty. My kids wondered why I was being extra particular about what they ate today but they figured it out once they saw dinner! Thanks for the fun recipe.
Laura Fuentes
I’m so glad they liked them! These are one of those “on occasion” dinners…
Claire
I LOVE these pancakes. So much easier than cinnamon rolls. I didn’t have the cream cheese but managed to make a still delicious syrup with rice milk, butter and powdered sugar. Thanks for this recipe!
★★★★★
Laura Fuentes
Fabulous swap for the syrup!
Alana Demayo
I didn’t have regular cream cheese so I used strawberry cream cheese instead wasn’t sure how strawberries would mix with the cinnamon, but it was delicious. Pancake recipe rocks! Thanks so much!
★★★★★