Cinnamon Roll Pancakes

I saw this recipe for Cinnamon Roll Pancakes and thought "why haven't I thought of trying this before"!? Well this morning I did!

VERY important: make sure its a nonstick!! It does say this in the picture above but not why, as you can see in the picture below even though I clearly did not get too close to the edges of the pancake the  butter & sugar mixture still melted off the pancake batter and it turned into caramel pretty fast.......this is where the nonstick is very much needed! Also it WILL stick to your spatula!!

There was a recipe to make your own pancakes from scratch but I decided to make mine from a pancake mix, which works just as good and is a tad bit faster. If you want to avoid the bagged pancake mix, you could premix the dry ingredients for the recipe and then put pre-measured mixture into ziploc baggies with instructions on how to complete these you could save time that way too.

The finished product is not very pretty and they are pretty sticky but don't get me wrong they really do taste like a cinnamon roll. The reason I say they don't look very pretty is because the butter & sugar mixture makes craters in the pancake but this probably is great for that cream cheese frosting. I didn't have cream cheese on hand, so I served them without the frosting but they were good enough without it. Next time I will be making the frosting to get the full effect and sugar buzz!

Verdict: The kids loved them and I will keep this recipe to add to our "special breakfast" days. I almost forgot, they do not reheat well so eat them while they are hot.


UPDATE: We made these pancakes again but this time I didn't make the cinnamon, butter and brown sugar mixture, instead I added cinnamon to the batter and sprinkled brown sugar over the pancake while it was cooking before I flipped them. 
My kids couldn't tell the difference!

cinnamon roll pancakes

Yield: Eight 4-inch pancakes

Prep Time: 25 min

Cook Time: 10 min

ingredients:

CINNAMON FILLING:
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, just melted (not boiling)
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
1/2 tablespoon ground cinnamon

CREAM CHEESE GLAZE:
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
2-ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

PANCAKES:
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon canola or vegetable oil

directions:

Prepare the cinnamon filling: In a medium bowl, stir together the butter, brown sugar and cinnamon. Scoop the filling into a quart-sized heavy zip baggie and set it aside (see *Tips below).

Prepare the glaze: In a small pan, heat the butter over low heat until melted. Turn off the heat and whisk in the cream cheese until it is almost smooth. Sift the powdered sugar into the pan, stir and add in vanilla extract. Set the pan aside while you make the pancakes.

Prepare the pancake batter: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Whisk in the milk, egg and oil, just until the batter is moistened (a few small lumps are fine).

Cook the pancakes: Heat a large, nonstick skillet over medium-heat and spray with nonstick spray. Use an ice cream scoop (or 1/3 cup measuring cup) to add the batter to the pan. Use the bottom of the scoop or cup to spread the batter into a circle (about 4-inches in diameter). Reduce the heat to medium low. Snip the corner of your baggie of cinnamon filling and squeeze the filling into the open corner. When your pancake begins to form bubbles, add the filling. Starting at the center of the pancake, squeeze the filling on top of the pancake batter in a swirl (just as you see in a regular cinnamon roll). Cook the pancake 2 to 3 minutes, or until the bubbles begin popping on top of the pancake and it's golden brown on the bottom. Slide a thin, wide metal spatula underneath the pancake and gently but quickly flip it over. Cook an additional 2 to 3 minutes, until the other side is golden as well. When you flip the pancake onto a plate, you will see that the cinnamon filling has created a crater-swirl of cinnamon. Wipe out the pan with a paper towel, and repeat with the remaining pancake batter and cinnamon filling. Re-warm the glaze briefly, if needed. Serve pancakes topped with a drizzle of glaze.