Cinnamon Swirl Pancakes combine classic buttermilk batter with the best swirl of cinnamon and sugar throughout. It’s a cinnamon roll in pancake form!
We love our Classic Buttermilk Pancakes, but the swirl in these takes pancakes to a new level.
Cinnamon Pancakes
Adding cinnamon to any sweet recipe is a favorite of mine. From Cinnamon Rolls, Snickerdoodle Bread, Coffee Cake, and more, I have several recipes on the blog that prove that!
The pancakes are taken to new levels by the cinnamon swirl throughout. A classic, fluffy pancake made even better with a sweet cinnamon/brown sugar swirl cooked throughout. Each bite has a slight crisp cinnamon swirl that makes these the BEST pancakes ever!
Over the years, I pancakes have been the one breakfast item I make monthly! I like to double the batch and freeze any leftovers as a quick breakfast option! My kids love to pull a few out, stick them in the microwave, and enjoy them before school.
Making them homemade is always worth it because they taste so much fluffier, lighter, and still use only a few ingredients!
Why this Cinnamon Swirl Pancakes recipe works
These pancakes are definitely a lot easier to make and much less time consuming than a traditional cinnamon roll would be but has all the same ooey gooey flavors that you crave. You can even make a cream cheese frosting to drizzle on top if desired! We have found that a little butter is our ideal topping for these, however, icing or frosting will never be judged because you can’t go wrong!
Ingredients Used:
Most of the ingredients used are pantry staples, so you should have everything needed already on hand! If you don’t have buttermilk, don’t forget about that you can add 1 tablespoon to a measuring cup of white vinegar and then pour milk to the 1 cup line. Let sit for 5 minutes and you have a buttermilk substitute that works great!
Pancakes:
Flour- use all purpose, I haven’t played around with other types, but all-purpose results in a fluffy, light tasting pancake!
Baking Powder/Baking Soda/Salt- this helps the pancakes get fluffy and rise a bit
Buttermilk or milk/vinegar- don’t forget about the substitution idea above if you don’t have any on hand
Butter- unsalted is the way to go in this recipe since you are adding salt already
Egg- lightly beaten
Cinnamon Swirl:
Butter- unsalted, melted
Brown Sugar- this really enhances the flavor of the swirl
Cinnamon- how can you go wrong with this tasty spice, am I right?!
Flour- all-purpose
How to make Cinnamon Swirl Pancakes:
We make these pancakes on our large cast iron griddle, however, if you aren’t feeding as many people, feel free to use a non-stick skillet!
Combine- all pancake ingredients into medium bowl and stir until combined. Set aside and heat griddle or pan. Lightly grease it.
Make the Cinnamon Swirl Mixture- combine the ingredients and pour into a squirt bottle (ketchup type bottle) or bag with corner snipped off.
Pour Batter- into small circles on heated pan/griddle. Immediately add the cinnamon swirls.
Cook- the pancakes until small bubbles develop on top of pancake. Flip over using a spatula and cook for an additional 30 seconds. Serve warm.
*When serving, we just put a thin layer of butter on them to keep them moist, syrup may take away from the cinnamon swirl flavor.
**If cinnamon mixture is too thick to drizzle, add milk to thin it out allowing it to pour on better!
Storing and Freezing
These can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 7 days. Simply warm them up in the microwave to get them warm.
Pancakes can also be frozen, and I’ve been doing that for years.
Simply place them in freezer bags, separated by parchment paper, and freeze up to three months.
What to serve with these tasty pancakes
Biscuits and Gravy Breakfast Casserole
Ham, Cheese, and Broccoli Crustless Quiche
Spinach, Mushroom, and Feta Quiche
Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Smoothie
Tips For Making the Best Cinnamon Swirl Pancakes
Did you ever have flat, not fluffy pancakes and you wonder what went wrong? Here are a few tips to make the perfect pancake every time.
- Do not over work your batter. Lumpy is ok. In fact, it will be near impossible to get all the lumps out, this is okay!
- Preheat your griddle. But don’t have the heat too high. You don’t want to burn the pancakes before they even have a chance to cook through.
- Do flip too early! Wait until bubbles form on the top before you flip.
- This Recipe can easily be doubled: simply increase ingredients! You’ll be glad you did, trust me!
Cinnamon Swirl Pancakes
Equipment
Ingredients
Pancakes
- 3/4 cup milk
- 2 tablespoon vinegar
- 1 cup flour *all purpose
- 2 tablespoon sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 egg
- 2 tablespoon butter *melted
Cinnamon Swirl
- 2 tablespoon butter *melted
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon flour
Instructions
- Combine milk with vinegar in a medium bowl. Set aside for about 5 minutes to let the milk “sour”.
- Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large mixing bowl.
- Whisk in egg and melted butter into soured milk.
- Pour the flour mixture into the wet ingredients and whisk until lumps are gone.
- Make the cinnamon swirl mixture in a separate bowl by combining all ingredients. Use either a squirt bottle (ketchup type bottle), or bag with corner snipped off.
- Scoop pancake batter in small circles on heated pan/griddle. Immediately add the cinnamon swirls.
- Cook the pancakes until small bubbles develop on top of pancake. Flip over using a spatula and cook for an additional 30 seconds. Serve!
Notes
**If cinnamon mixture is too thick to drizzle, add milk to thin it out allowing it to pour on better
