Easy Cinnamon Roll Pancakes (Made with Pancake Mix!)

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Published April 15, 2026

Imagine waking up on a Saturday morning to the smell of warm cinnamon and brown sugar sizzling on a griddle. Now imagine that those smells belong to a stack of cinnamon roll pancakes. Fluffy, golden, swirled with a rich cinnamon-butter filling and finished with a dreamy cream cheese glaze. Sound too good to be true? I promise, it’s not.

They look incredibly impressive, like something you’d order at a fancy brunch spot, but the secret is that they come together in under 30 minutes using a handful of simple ingredients you probably already have on hand. Whether you’re making these for a slow weekend morning, a holiday breakfast, or just because you deserve something special on a Tuesday, these cinnamon roll pancakes are going to become your new favorite recipe. Let’s make them!

Two cinnamon roll pancakes stacked on a white plate, topped with a generous pour of melted cream cheese glaze, showing the swirled cinnamon pattern on the pancakes, on a marble countertop

Table of Contents

My Not So Secret Shortcut for Cinnamon Roll Pancakes

Here’s where I’m going to let you in on the little secret that makes this recipe completely stress-free: I use pancake mix. That’s it. No measuring out a bunch of ingredients separately, just scoop your mix into a bowl, add your liquid, and you’re done. The batter is ready in about two minutes, which means you can spend your energy on the really fun part: making the cinnamon swirl filling and the cream cheese glaze.

Tip: Prefer to make your pancakes from scratch? Go for it! Any classic buttermilk pancake recipe or your favorite homemade batter works beautifully here. The cinnamon swirl filling and cream cheese glaze are the stars of this recipe, and they pair perfectly with any fluffy pancake base.

How to Make the Cinnamon Swirl Filling

The cinnamon swirl is what transforms an ordinary pancake into a cinnamon roll pancake, so we’re going to start here. This filling is essentially a quick stovetop mixture of butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon, and it smells absolutely incredible while it’s coming together.

What You’ll Need for the Filling

You’ll need unsalted butter, packed brown sugar, and ground cinnamon. That’s really it! Three pantry staples that come together into the most fragrant, caramel-like swirl mixture.

Making the Filling

Add your 4 tbs butter to a small saucepan over medium-low heat and let it begin to melt. Once it starts to get foamy, add the 1/2 cup packed brown sugar and stir everything together. The mixture will bubble and become glossy and rich. Remove it from the heat and stir in 1 tbs cinnamon until it’s fully combined.

Set it aside to cool. After it has cooled off for 5-10 minutes, transfer the filling from your saucepan to a squeeze bottle.

Butter and brown sugar melting together in a small stainless steel saucepan with gold handles on a gas stovetop, the first step in making the cinnamon swirl filling for cinnamon roll pancakes.
Hands holding a gold double-sided measuring spoon and a glass cinnamon spice jar over a saucepan of melted butter and brown sugar on a gas stovetop, measuring out 1 tablespoon of cinnamon for the pancake swirl filling.

How to Make the Cream Cheese Glaze

A true cinnamon roll pancake deserves a true cinnamon roll glaze, and that means cream cheese. This icing is rich, smooth, and just tangy enough to balance the sweetness of the cinnamon swirl. The best part? It takes about five minutes to make and can sit at room temperature while you cook the pancakes.

What You’ll Need for the Glaze

You’ll need a block of cream cheese (softened to room temperature, this is important!), unsalted butter, powdered sugar, a splash of vanilla extract, and just enough milk to bring it to a smooth, spoonable consistency.

Making the Glaze

Start by adding 2 Tbs of melted butter to a glass mixing bowl along with 1 cup powdered sugar and 1 tsp vanilla extract. Use a whisk to begin combining them.

Hand holding a metal measuring cup heaped with powdered sugar next to a glass bowl of melted butter on a marble countertop, preparing the ingredients for homemade cream cheese glaze.
Hands measuring 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract with a gold measuring spoon over a glass bowl of powdered sugar and cream cheese, making glaze on a marble countertop.

It will look crumbly and clumpy at first, and that’s totally fine. Add the 4 ounces (half a block) of softened cream cheese and mix well. Start adding milk one teaspoon at a time, whisking as you go, until the glaze smooths out and reaches the desired consistency.

Once it’s where you want it, set the bowl aside. It will keep beautifully at room temperature while you cook.

Hand placing a block of cream cheese into a glass bowl of powdered sugar on a marble countertop, showing the ingredients for homemade cream cheese glaze, with the foil wrapper set aside nearby.
Hands pouring milk from a measuring spoon into a glass bowl of cream cheese glaze mixture while holding a blue silicone whisk, thinning the icing.

How to Cook Cinnamon Roll Pancakes on the Griddle

Now for the most satisfying part … cooking the actual cinnamon roll pancakes. Once your filling is in the squeeze bottle and your glaze is made, the cooking process is surprisingly straightforward. Here’s how to do it step by step.

Step 1: Warm Your Griddle and Mix the Batter

Preheat your electric griddle to medium heat (around 375°F). While it’s warming up, mix your pancake batter according to the package directions (or whip up your favorite from-scratch recipe).

Hands scooping pancake mix from a labeled storage container into a glass measuring cup on a marble countertop, showing how to measure the pancake mix base for cinnamon roll pancakes.
Hands whisking pancake batter in a glass measuring cup with a blue silicone whisk on a marble countertop, mixing the batter for cinnamon roll pancakes made with pancake mix.

Step 2: Pour the Pancake Batter

Once your griddle is hot, use your pancake dispenser (or a ladle) to pour your batter into round circles. For cinnamon roll pancakes, slightly larger pancakes work beautifully. You want enough surface area to fit a full, generous spiral of cinnamon filling.

Hand using a pancake batter dispenser to pour two round circles of pancake batter onto a black electric griddle, the first step in cooking cinnamon roll pancakes.

Step 3: Pipe the Cinnamon Swirl

Here’s the magic moment. While the pancake batter is still raw on top (you’ll see it start to bubble around the edges but remain wet in the center), pick up your squeeze bottle of cinnamon filling and pipe a spiral starting from the center of each pancake and working your way outward, just like drawing a cinnamon roll. The swirl doesn’t have to be perfect.

Hand using a squeeze bottle to pipe a cinnamon brown sugar spiral swirl onto four pancakes cooking on a black electric griddle, showing how to make the cinnamon roll pattern on cinnamon roll pancakes.

Step 4: Cook and Flip

Let your cinnamon roll pancakes cook just as you would normal pancakes, just until bubbles form across the surface and the edges look set and matte rather than shiny. Then flip carefully with a spatula. The cinnamon swirl side will now be face down on the griddle, caramelizing against the heat for about another minute or two. You’ll know they’re done when the bottoms are a beautiful golden brown. Remove them to a plate, swirl-side up, and repeat with the remaining batter.

Hand using a metal spatula to flip cinnamon roll pancakes on a black electric griddle, showing two already-flipped golden brown pancakes alongside two unflipped pancakes with visible cinnamon swirl patterns on top.

Serving Your Cinnamon Roll Pancakes

This is the moment everyone has been waiting for. Stack your warm cinnamon roll pancakes on a plate and spoon a generous amount of cream cheese glaze right over the top. The warmth of the pancakes will make the glaze melt and drape beautifully over the swirled surface, pooling into all the nooks and swirls of the cinnamon pattern.

Serve them immediately and watch them disappear. These cinnamon roll pancakes are best enjoyed fresh off the griddle while they’re still warm and the glaze is melty. If you’re cooking for a crowd, keep finished pancakes in a 200°F oven on a baking sheet while you cook the rest.

Two fully cooked cinnamon roll pancakes stacked on a white plate showing beautiful golden brown cinnamon spiral swirl patterns on top, before adding cream cheese glaze, on a marble countertop.
Hand spreading thick homemade cream cheese glaze over a stack of two cinnamon roll pancakes on a white plate using a butter knife, with a bowl of extra glaze visible in the background on a marble countertop.

More Serving Suggestions

These are rich and indulgent on their own, but a few sides that pair beautifully: crispy bacon or breakfast sausage to balance the sweetness, fresh strawberries or sliced bananas, or a simple fruit salad. A strong cup of coffee is, in my opinion, non-negotiable.

Two cinnamon roll pancakes stacked on a white plate, topped with a generous pour of melted cream cheese glaze, showing the swirled cinnamon pattern on the pancakes, on a marble countertop

Storing Leftover Cinnamon Roll Pancakes

If you somehow end up with leftover cinnamon roll pancakes (rare in our house!), store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat in a toaster or on a warm skillet to bring back their texture. Store the cream cheese glaze separately in the fridge and stir before serving.

Print
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Two fluffy cinnamon roll pancakes on a white plate drizzled with cream cheese icing, with visible cinnamon swirls on the surface, photographed on a marble countertop.

Easy Cinnamon Roll Pancakes (Made with Pancake Mix!)

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  • Author: Crystel Montenegro Home
  • Prep Time: 10 min
  • Cook Time: 20 min
  • Total Time: 30 minutes
  • Yield: 4 servings 1x
  • Category: Breakfast
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Description

Fluffy pancakes swirled with a buttery cinnamon brown sugar filling and topped with homemade cream cheese glaze. Made with pancake mix for an easy, crowd-pleasing breakfast in under 30 minutes.

Ingredients

Scale

Cinnamon Swirl Filling

  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • ½ cup packed brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

Cream Cheese Glaze

  • 2 tbs butter, melted
  • 4 oz cream cheese, softened to room temperature
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2–4 teaspoons milk (to consistency)

Pancakes

  • 2 cups pancake mix (plus liquid as directed on package)
  • Butter or cooking spray for the griddle

Instructions

  1. Make the cinnamon filling. Melt 4 tbs butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Add 1/2 cup brown sugar and stir until combined and glossy. Remove from heat, stir in 1 tbs cinnamon, and let cool for 5–10 minutes until slightly thickened. Pour into a squeeze bottle and set aside.
  2. Make the cream cheese glaze. In a bowl, whisk together 2 tbs melted butter, 1 cup powdered sugar, and 1 tsp vanilla extract until combined. Add 4 oz softened cream cheese and stir until the mixture is smooth. Add milk one teaspoon at a time, whisking until you achieve the desired consistency. Set aside at room temperature.
  3. Mix the pancake batter. Prepare pancake mix according to package directions. Pour into a pancake batter dispenser if using.
  4. Preheat the griddle. Heat an electric griddle to 375°F (medium heat). Lightly grease with butter or cooking spray.
  5. Pour the batter. Dispense batter onto the griddle in round circles, about 4–5 inches in diameter. Cook 4-6 at a time, depending on griddle size.
  6. Pipe the cinnamon swirl. Once the edges of the pancakes begin to bubble and the batter is partially set, use the squeeze bottle to pipe a cinnamon spiral onto each pancake.
  7. Flip and finish. Flip each pancake once the edges look set and the top surface is mostly matte. Cook for another 1–2 minutes until the swirl side is caramelized and golden brown.
  8. Serve. Stack 2–3 cinnamon roll pancakes per plate and spread the cream cheese glaze generously over the top. Serve immediately.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 pancake
  • Calories: 300

Did you make this recipe?

Share a photo and tag @crystelmontenegrohome — I can’t wait to see what you’ve made!

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📌 Save This Cinnamon Roll Pancake Recipe for Later

Love these cinnamon roll pancakes? Save this recipe to your breakfast boards so you can find it again easily, and share it with anyone who deserves a special morning!

Frequently Asked Questions: Cinnamon Roll Pancakes

Can I make cinnamon roll pancakes without pancake mix?

Absolutely! Any homemade pancake batter works perfectly here. A classic buttermilk pancake recipe is an especially delicious base. The cinnamon swirl filling and cream cheese glaze are the stars of this recipe, so they’ll shine no matter what batter you use.

Can I make the cinnamon filling and glaze ahead of time?

Yes! The cinnamon brown sugar filling can be made the night before and stored in the squeeze bottle in the refrigerator. Just warm it up gently in the microwave for 10–15 seconds before using so it’s pourable again. The cream cheese glaze can also be made ahead and stored in the fridge. Give it a good stir and add a splash of milk to loosen it back up before serving.

Can I freeze cinnamon roll pancakes?

Yes! Let the cooked pancakes cool completely, then layer them between sheets of parchment paper and freeze in a zip-top freezer bag for up to 2 months. Reheat in the toaster or microwave straight from frozen. Freeze the glaze separately in an airtight container and thaw in the fridge overnight before using.

How do I keep cinnamon roll pancakes warm while I finish cooking the batch?

Place finished pancakes in a single layer on a baking sheet in a 200°F oven while you cook the rest. This keeps them warm and slightly crisp without drying them out. Add the cream cheese glaze right before serving.

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