Cinnamon Roll Pancake Casserole (Printable)

Fluffy pancakes baked with cinnamon swirls and finished with a luscious cream cheese topping.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Pancake Batter

01 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
03 - 2 teaspoons baking powder
04 - 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
05 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
06 - 2 large eggs
07 - 1 3/4 cups buttermilk
08 - 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
09 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

→ Cinnamon Swirl

10 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
11 - 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
12 - 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon

→ Cream Cheese Glaze

13 - 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
14 - 1 cup powdered sugar
15 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
16 - 2 to 3 tablespoons milk
17 - 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

# How To Make:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with butter or cooking spray.
02 - In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until evenly distributed.
03 - In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs, buttermilk, melted butter, and vanilla extract until smooth and fully combined.
04 - Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Do not overmix to maintain light, fluffy texture.
05 - Evenly distribute pancake batter into the prepared 9x13-inch baking dish, smoothing the surface.
06 - In a small bowl, combine melted butter, packed brown sugar, and ground cinnamon, mixing until well blended.
07 - Transfer cinnamon mixture into a piping bag or zip-top bag with one corner snipped off. Pipe swirls or zig-zag patterns over the pancake batter.
08 - Using a knife or skewer, gently swirl the cinnamon mixture into the batter to create marbled effect throughout.
09 - Bake for 28 to 32 minutes, or until the center is set and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
10 - While casserole bakes, beat softened cream cheese, powdered sugar, softened butter, 2 to 3 tablespoons milk, and vanilla extract until smooth and pourable. Add additional milk if needed.
11 - Remove casserole from oven and allow to cool for 5 to 10 minutes. Drizzle cream cheese glaze evenly over warm casserole.
12 - Slice into portions and serve warm.

# Top Tips:

01 -
  • It tastes like cinnamon rolls and pancakes had a delicious breakfast baby, all without the laminated dough fuss.
  • You can prep it the night before and just pop it in the oven, which means sleeping in is actually possible.
  • The cream cheese glaze hits different when it's warm and slightly runny over a still-warm slice.
02 -
  • Overmixing the pancake batter is the difference between cloud-like and rubbery, so stop stirring the moment you don't see dry flour anymore.
  • The cream cheese has to be soft before you start or you'll spend five minutes with lumps; pull it out early or run the bowl under warm water briefly.
03 -
  • If your glaze starts to thicken as it sits, add milk by the teaspoon and stir until it's drizzly again; it firms up as it cools anyway.
  • The smell while this bakes is so good that your family will wake up before you call them, which might be the real magic of this recipe.
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