Cinnamon Roll Pancakes

Are you ever faced with that terribly hard decision of making a choice between cinnamon rolls or pancakes for breakfast?  I know I’m faced with this difficult decision quite often.  Terrible, right?  I know!  Well, for all of you that face that battle of having to choose between light and fluffy pancakes or gooey, creamy and sweet cinnamon rolls your days of struggle are over.  Yes, that’s right.  I have the perfect solution for your delima; cinnamon roll pancakes!  You heard right; cinnamon. roll. pancakes!

Folks, these are just as good and dreamy as they sound.  It’s the perfect mix of fluffy pancakes, with just he right amount of cinnamon and brown sugar swirled in and then topped of with a drizzle of rich, gooey and sweet cream cheese glaze.  While these don’t, and won’t, be making a regular appearance on our breakfast table, these are the perfect thing to serve your family for a fun twist on a normal breakfast.  These are also a great way to dress up a normal pancake.  Not that there is anything wrong with an incredibly delicious, plain pancake but it is fun to change it up from time to time!

I had a blast making these and I think Spencer and Tucker has just as much fun devouring them.  Yes, my boys literally devoured them!  I honestly couldn’t get them out of the pan and on the plate fast enough.  Although these were fairly quick to whip up, if you’re in a time pinch or just want to cut some corners it’s perfectly fine to use a storebought pancake mix for the base.  Simply mix as directed and add the brown sugar cinnamon swirl and cream cheese frosting as directed.  The next time you want to serve up a fun and delicious breakfast for your family or guests, give these cinnamon roll pancakes a try.  They won’t disappoint, I promise! 

***Also, don’t forget the auctions going on this week for the benefit of Julee and Preslee Turner.

Cinnamon Roll Pancakes

Ingredients:

For the filling-
4 Tbsp (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1/4 Cup + 2 Tbsp packed brown sugar
1/2 Tbsp ground cinnamon

For the cream cheese glaze-
4 Tbsp (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
2 Oz cream cheese, room temperature
3/4 Cup powdered sugar
1/2 Tsp vanilla extract

For the pancake batter-
1 Cup all-purpose flour
2 Tsp baking powder
1/2 Tsp salt
1 cup milk
1 Large egg, lightly beaten
1 Tbsp vegetable oil

Directions:

For the cinnamon filling-
Place butter in a medium, microwave safe bowl and melt the butter.  Add the brown sugar and cinnamon to the melted butter and stir.  Place the mixture in a plastic bag and set aside.

For the cream cheese glaze-
Place butter in a small pan and put over medium heat.  Once the butter has melted, turn heat off.  Add cream cheese to the melted butter and whisk until smooth.  Sift the powdered sugar over the mixture and add vanilla and stir to combine.  Set aside.

For the pancakes-
In a medium bowl combine flour, baking powder, and salt and whisk to combine.  Add the egg, oil, and milk and whisk to combined.

Place a large, non-stick skillet over low-medium heat.  Spray with non-stick cooking spray, and pour 1/3 cup of pancake batter in the heated pan.  *Give the bag of filling a couple of squeezes to re-incorporate the ingredients.  Push the filling into one corner of the bag, snip the corner of the baggie.  Once the batter starts to bubble, squeeze the filling onto the pancake in a swirl motion; starting from the inside working your way out.  Cook an additional 2-3 minutes, until bubbles begin to pop, then gently slide a thin spatula under the pancake and flip.  Allow the pancake to cook an additional 3-4 minutes, until pancake is golden-brown and the filling has “melted” into the batter, and created an almost crater-like indention in the pancake.  Transfer the pancake onto a plate.  Wipe pan with a paper towel and repeat with remaining batter.

Reheat the glaze, if necassary and drizzle over the warm, cooked pancakes.  Serve immediately.

Recipe source: Recipe Girl