These homemade Cinnamon Swirl Pancakes combine fluffy buttermilk pancake batter with a sweet cinnamon sugar swirl in every bite. They have all the flavor of a cinnamon roll in pancake form and are perfect for weekend breakfasts, holiday mornings, or anytime you’re craving a special breakfast treat.
My family are huge breakfast fans, and since homemade cinnamon rolls are always a favorite, especially my Ooey Gooey Cinnamon Rolls, I decided to combine those classic flavors with fluffy homemade pancakes. The result? A breakfast that’s become a family favorite.
Growing up, we used Bisquick for quick pancakes, but once I started making them from scratch, I never looked back. They’re just as easy, even fluffier, and perfect for making ahead and freezing.
Quick Look: Cinnamon Swirl Pancakes
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Cook Time: 5 mins
- Total Time: 10 mins
- Yield: 8 pancakes
- Key Ingredients: Buttermilk, brown sugar, cinnamon, and butter
- Difficulty: Easy
- Flavor: Cinnamon roll-inspired with a sweet cinnamon sugar swirl
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Add me as a trusted Google source.Ingredient Notes
Using a few pantry staples, this cinnamon pancake recipe comes together in minutes. With fluffy buttermilk pancakes and a sweet cinnamon sugar swirl, it's perfect for breakfast or brunch.
- Milk & Vinegar: Combined to create a simple homemade buttermilk substitute. If you have buttermilk on hand, feel free to use it instead.
- Brown Sugar: Gives the cinnamon swirl its classic cinnamon roll flavor and helps create those rich ribbons throughout the pancakes.
- Cinnamon: The key ingredient that gives these pancakes their warm cinnamon roll-inspired flavor.
- Butter: Used in both the pancake batter and cinnamon swirl for richness and flavor. Unsalted butter works best.
How to Make Cinnamon Swirl Pancakes
We usually make these on our large cast iron griddle, but if you’re not feeding a crowd, a nonstick skillet works perfectly too.
Step 1. Measure out all of the ingredients needed for the pancake batter and cinnamon swirl mixture. Having everything measured and ready to go helps this recipe come together quickly.
Step 2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the pancake batter ingredients until just combined. In a small bowl, stir together the cinnamon swirl filling ingredients until smooth. Transfer the mixture to a squeeze bottle, piping bag, or zip-top bag with the corner snipped off.
Step 3. Pour small circles of pancake batter onto a lightly greased griddle or skillet over medium heat. Immediately pipe a swirl of the cinnamon sugar mixture onto each pancake.
Step 4. Cook until bubbles form on the surface of the pancakes. Flip with a spatula and cook for an additional 30-60 seconds, or until golden brown. Serve warm with a little butter, vanilla glaze, or maple syrup.
Tips for the Perfect Swirl
- Use a squeeze bottle, piping bag, or zip-top bag for easy swirling.
- If the cinnamon swirl filling is too thick, add a small splash of milk to thin it out.
- Pipe the swirl onto the pancake batter immediately after pouring it onto the griddle.
- Cook over medium heat to prevent the cinnamon sugar from burning.
- Avoid over-swirling, as it can muddy the pattern and flavor.
Storage & Reheating
- Refrigerator: Store leftover pancakes in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat in the microwave until warmed through.
- Freezer: Let the pancakes cool completely, then place them in a freezer-safe bag with parchment paper between each pancake. Freeze for up to 3 months.
- Reheating from Frozen: Microwave for 30-60 seconds or warm in a toaster oven until heated through.
Cinnamon Swirl Pancake Recipe FAQs
Prepare the pancake batter and cinnamon swirl filling separately. Pour the batter onto a hot griddle, pipe the cinnamon swirl onto each pancake, then cook until golden brown.
Yes! Prepare your favorite pancake mix according to the package directions, then make the cinnamon swirl filling as directed and cook as instructed.
If the cinnamon swirl filling is too thin or the griddle is too hot, it can spread. Try adding a little more flour to the filling and cooking over medium heat.
More Pancake Recipes To Try
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Cinnamon Swirl Pancakes
Equipment
Ingredients
Pancakes
- ¾ cup milk
- 1 tablespoon vinegar
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoon granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 large egg
- 2 tablespoon melted butter
Cinnamon Swirl
- 2 tablespoon melted butter
- ¼ cup light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
Instructions
- Combine the milk and vinegar in a small bowl. Let stand for about 5 minutes to create a homemade buttermilk substitute.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
- Add the egg and melted butter to the buttermilk mixture. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and whisk until just combined.
- In a separate small bowl, stir together the melted butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, and flour until smooth. Transfer the cinnamon swirl filling to a squeeze bottle, piping bag, or zip-top bag with the corner snipped off.
- Heat a lightly greased griddle or skillet over medium heat. Pour small circles of pancake batter onto the cooking surface.
- Immediately pipe a swirl of the cinnamon sugar filling onto each pancake.
- Cook until bubbles form on the surface. Flip and cook for an additional 30-60 seconds, or until golden brown.
- Serve warm with butter, maple syrup, or your favorite glaze.
Notes
- If the cinnamon swirl filling is too thick to pipe, add a small splash of milk and stir until smooth.
- Cook over medium heat to prevent the cinnamon sugar from burning.
- For an extra sweet finish, drizzle the pancakes with a simple vanilla glaze made from confectioners’ sugar, milk, and vanilla extract.
- Freeze cooled pancakes for up to 3 months with parchment paper between each pancake.
- For best results, use a squeeze bottle or piping bag to create clean cinnamon swirls.
Kristy says
Is it 181 calories per pancake? Or the entire batch?
Kristin says
Per serving, about 2 medium pancakes! Enjoy!
Kristin, Tammy and Vicky says
Oh we are so sorry it didnt turn out good. I wonder what happened? : (
Bisquick definitely would work if you have it, so hopefully next time you make it, you will fall in love with the recipe as we have!!
Again, sorry it didnt turn out yummy, thats always a bummer!
august says
How much of each ingredients? I cannot make it if I don’t know how much of each ingredient I need.
Kristin says
Scroll to the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post, or click the “jump to recipe” button at the top! Everything should be listed! Enjoy!
Melissa Campbell says
I made this exact recipe and they turned out terrible. The pancakes were thin like crepes, making them hard to flip and the cinnamon swirl tasted good but came of easily and ended up hard. I recommend using a pre-made pancake mix like Bisquick for the pancakes instead.
Carlea Sheppard says
Me and my friend decided to make these together this morning and it was the best decision we made. The pancakes were the perfect consistency and the spark of flavour from the cinnamon swirl was absolutely delicious leaving me and my friend shocked on how amazing they were. I definitely recommend making these, but also make sure to do exactly as the instructions say. LITTLE TIP: If the cinnamon mixture is a little too chunky, try adding some more melted butter into it. This helped us get the perfect thickish paste so it nicely melted into our pancake when being cooked.
Kristin says
Yay! Love hearing that you enjoyed these! They are a favorite in my house for sure too!!