Cinnamon Roll Pancakes

This little gem of a recipe I have been DYING to try and it turns out my husband's birthday was the perfect excuse to bust it out. Not to mention all the positive feedback I received on them! Now I'm not gonna mess around with y'all, the recipe does take a bit of time but I promise you that it is worth every minute! This gooey, cinnamon-pancake pleasure center is the reason that I enjoy cooking as much as I do. I don't think that I can make just regular pancakes ever again..they are just, so plain.

I have been fantasizing about cinnamon rolls for a long time, but they are so finicky to make, and don't even get me started on the waiting time! An unhealthy obsession led to a train of cinnamon-roll inspired dishes: porridge, cookies, cake, smoothie (yup, I regret that one a bit). Many of these experiments left me feeling less that satisfied. I wanted ooey, gooey, soft and warm cinnamon sugar lovin' that these treats just could not provide. And then I stumbled on the most amazing recipe for cinnamon roll pancakes...WHY HAVEN'T I THOUGHT OF THIS BEFORE? 

The original recipe is courtesy of the lovely Lori from the Recipegirl blog, and is ever so slightly tweaked to make it a bit easier on y'all. 

This recipe has a secret to replicating that cinnamon sugar swirl that is unique to cinnamon rolls, which is surprisingly easier than you may think. In addition to the pancake mix, you mix up a cinnamon sugar filling which is literally swirled onto the cooking pancake and then flipped. The swirl of sugar caramelizes from the heat of the pan and leaves little dents in the surface of the pancake, just like a cinnamon roll, leaving behind gooey cinnamon sugar goodness. Genius, right?

And why leave it at that? I mean sure, cinnamon sugar pancakes are fantastic, but drizzle on some cream cheat (yes, that was 'cheat' on purpose) glaze and you are singing. Seriously, these are phenomenal!

So without further delay, here is the magic that is Cinnamon Roll Pancakes. Enjoy friends, enjoy. 

Cinnamon Roll Pancakes

makes approx. six 4-inch pancakes

Ingredients:

Pancakes

1 cup plain flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1 cup buttermilk (regular milk is okay too)

1 large egg, lightly beaten

1 Tbsp. vegetable oil

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Cinnamon filling

4 Tbsp. butter, melted (NOT boiling)

1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp. of packed dark brown sugar (light is also okay)

1/2 Tbsp. ground cinnamon

Cream 'cheat' glaze

1/4 cup vanilla yogurt

3/4-1 cup confectioner's sugar (more or less for desired glaze consistency)

Method:

1. Prepare the cinnamon filling - In a medium bowl stir together the melted butter, brown sugar and cinnamon until combined. It should be the consistency of toothpaste. Scoop into a heavy-duty zip bag or piping bag and set aside.

2.Prepare the cream cheat glaze - In a small bowl, whisk yogurt and sugar until smooth and reaches desired consistency. I like mine a little thicker.

3. Prepare the pancake batter - In a medium bowl whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. Whisk in the milk, egg, oil and vanilla until the batter is just moistened (a few tiny lumps are okay). 

4. Heat a non-stick pan over medium heat and melt a tsp. of butter in the center. Using an ice cream scoop or 1/3 cup measuring cup, add the batter to the pan, one or two pancakes at a time depending on the size of your pan. Remember to leave room for the pancakes to spread out a bit. Reduce heat to low and take the cinnamon filling baggie and snip the tip off with a pair of scissors. Starting from the center of the pancake, gently squeeze the bag, creating a swirling pattern toward the outside of the pancake. Don't get too carried away though, you don't want the sugar to melt OFF the sides. Wait until tiny bubbles begin to pop in the center of the pancake and it is golden brown in the bottom. Then gently, but quickly flip it. This takes a bit of practice, but you will shortly be a master pancake flipper. Cook another 2-3 minutes until the other side is golden brown, and reveal the magic! Flip onto a plate and you will see that the cinnamon filling has cratered the pancake in a swirl pattern. I like to swirl a bit more of the cinnamon filling in the crater for extra yumminess! 

5. Repeat until your batter is used up. Stack pancakes and drizzle with cream cheat glaze. Now go and enjoy that masterpiece. 

Hopefully y'all love this recipe as much as we do. This is definitely a Sunday staple in my house! Feel free to leave questions and comments below and let me know how yours turned out!

Until next time! 

xo Jenn