I made these Cinnamon Swirl Pancakes after craving cinnamon rolls but not wanting to wait around for dough to rise all morning. Pancakes sounded easier, so I tried adding a cinnamon sugar swirl into the batter and honestly they turned out way better than I expected.

You still get that warm cinnamon flavor running through every bite, but without the extra work that comes with making actual cinnamon rolls. I’ve made these for slow weekend breakfasts, brunch with friends, and honestly random weekday mornings when I wanted breakfast to feel a little less boring. If you already like recipes like Cinnamon Roll Bread, Nutella Banana Crepes, or Protein Bagels, these cinnamon swirl pancakes fit perfectly into that homemade breakfast rotation.

Why You Will Love These Cinnamon Swirl Pancakes

What I love most about these pancakes is the cinnamon swirl running through the middle. It melts slightly while cooking and gives the pancakes so much flavor without needing complicated ingredients.

The pancakes also stay really soft while the cinnamon filling adds a little caramelized texture in spots, which honestly makes them hard to stop eating.

Another thing I like is that they look impressive even though they’re actually pretty simple once you get the swirl part down.

You can also top them however you want. Sometimes I keep it simple with syrup and other times I add cream cheese glaze because it tastes ridiculously good that way.

What You Will Need For Cinnamon Swirl Pancakes

A large non-stick skillet or griddle works best because the pancakes cook evenly and flip more easily without sticking.

You’ll also need mixing bowls for keeping the pancake batter and cinnamon swirl mixture separate.

A whisk helps keep the pancake batter smooth without overmixing it too much.

If you want cleaner cinnamon swirls, a small squeeze bottle or zip bag with the corner cut works really well.

Ingredients For Cinnamon Swirl Pancakes

For The Pancakes

• 1½ cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1¼ cups milk
• 1 egg
• 3 tablespoons melted butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For The Cinnamon Swirl

• ¼ cup melted butter
• ⅓ cup brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

The Glaze

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons milk
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

How To Make Cinnamon Swirl Pancakes

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.

Add milk, egg, melted butter, and vanilla extract. Mix until just combined.

In a separate bowl, stir together melted butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon for the swirl mixture.

Heat a lightly greased skillet or griddle over medium heat.

Pour pancake batter onto the skillet.

Once the batter starts setting slightly, swirl the cinnamon mixture over the top using a spoon or squeeze bottle.

Cook until bubbles appear around the edges, then flip carefully and cook the other side until golden.

Repeat with the remaining batter.

For the glaze, whisk together powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract until smooth.

Drizzle the glaze over the pancakes before serving.

I usually eat these while they’re still warm because the cinnamon swirl tastes best that way. These pancakes also go really well with Peach Tofu Smoothie, Apple plum juice or even Apple Cucumber Juice later in the day if you want something sweet afterward.

Tips For Cinnamon Swirl Pancakes

Keep the heat around medium-low so the cinnamon swirl doesn’t burn before the pancakes finish cooking.

Try not to overmix the pancake batter or the pancakes can turn dense instead of soft.

If the cinnamon mixture thickens too much while sitting, warm it slightly so it’s easier to swirl.

Wiping the skillet between batches can help stop excess cinnamon sugar from burning.

Print Recipe

Cinnamon Swirl Pancakes

Author: Balanced Healthy Meals

Prep Time 15 mins Cook Time 10 mins

Servings: 4

Description

I made these Cinnamon Swirl Pancakes after craving cinnamon rolls but not wanting to wait around for dough to rise all morning. Pancakes sounded easier, so I tried adding a cinnamon sugar swirl into the batter and honestly they turned out way better than I expected.

Ingredients

Servings

• 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• ¹⁄₄ teaspoon salt
• 1 ¹⁄₄ cups milk
• 1 large egg
• 3 tablespoons melted butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For The Cinnamon Swirl

• ¹⁄₄ cup melted butter
• ¹⁄₃ cup brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

For The Glaze

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons milk
• ¹⁄₂ teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
2. Add milk, egg, melted butter, and vanilla extract. Mix until just combined.
3. In a separate bowl, stir together melted butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon for the swirl mixture.
4. Heat a lightly greased skillet or griddle over medium heat.
5. Pour pancake batter onto the skillet.
6. Once the batter starts setting slightly, swirl the cinnamon mixture over the top using a spoon or squeeze bottle.
7. Cook until bubbles appear around the edges, then flip carefully and cook the other side until golden.
8. Repeat with the remaining batter.
9. For the glaze, whisk together powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract until smooth.
10. Drizzle the glaze over the pancakes before serving.
11. I usually eat these while they’re still warm because the cinnamon swirl tastes best that way. These pancakes also go really well with Peach Tofu Smoothie, Apple plum juice or even Apple Cucumber Juice later in the day if you want something sweet afterward.

Keywords: cinnamon roll pancakes, homemade cinnamon pancakes, easy swirl pancake recipe,