Cinnamon bun pancakes are a stack of light, fluffy sourdough pancakes, layered together with a sweet cinnamon spread and topped with a rich cream cheese icing.
So I may or may not be on a bit of a pancake kick lately. Can you blame me?
I grew up eating at restaurants a good majority of the time. I like to draw my inspiration from meals I’ve eaten and loved and make them healthier and more sustainable for my family. Denny’s Cinnamon Bun Pancakes were one of my favourite things to get whenever we went out for breakfast, which was a lot.
Denny’s has actually changed the way they make these but in my opinion, the original way was the best. And what do we do when we can no longet conveniently buy a treat that we love? We learn to make our own, of course.
I shared making these on my Instagram stories a few weeks ago and so many of you reached out asking for the recipe and finally, here it is!
What Are Cinnamon Bun Pancakes?
Cinnamon bun pancakes are exactly what they sound like! They are pancakes that are topped with everything you would expect to find inside of a soft, warm cinnamon roll. You can top these with maple syrup or with a rich, cream cheese frosting or even both!
What You Need to Make Cinnamon Bun Pancakes
For the sourdough panackes
- All Purpose flour
- Sourdough starter
- Baking powder
- Milk
- Egg
For the cinnamon filling
- Brown sugar
- Cinnamon
- Butter
- Salt
- Nutmeg
For the frosting
- Butter
- Cream cheese
- Vanilla extract
- Icing sugar
How to Make Cinnamon Bun Pancakes
To make things go smoother, I like to prepare the filling and icing first. That way they are ready to go when it comes time to assemble your stack of pancakes.
To make the filling, begin by melting the butter in a microwave safe dish. Allow it to cool slightly before adding in the rest of the ingredients. When the butter has cooled, add in the brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and a pinch of salt and combine well. Set the filling aside and move on to making the frosting.
Use a hand mixer to combine the room temperature butter, cream cheese, vanilla and icing sugar. The frosting is done when it is well whipped and begings to look fluffy. Set aside until the pancakes are finished cooking.
Preheat your cast iron skillet by placing on the stove top over high heat.
To make the pancakes, whisk together the sourdough starter, flour, baking powder, egg and milk in a large bowl. The batter should be smooth and not-too-thick!
When the pancake batter is finished, use a measuring spoon to scoop 1/3 a cup of the pancake batter into the skillet.
When bubbles begin to form the top of the pancake, it is time to flip the pancake.
When the pancakes are finished. spread 2-3tbsp of the cinnamon spread across each pancake as you layer them and on the top layer.
Using a spoon or piping bag, top the pancakes with your cream cheese frosting. I used a piping bag because I wanted to make it fancy but the frosting melted as it began to touch the pancake!
Serve warm with your favourite maple syrup and enjoy.
Why These Pancakes Are The Best
I’ve tried quite a few difference cinnamon bun pancake recipes and most call for baking the cinnamon spread or filling straight into the pancake. This might be ideal for some people, I find that when the cinnamon filling begins to cook, it can create a crunchy or chewy texture.
With these pancakes, the filling will be warm, melty and gooey. Just like the inside of a cinnamon roll!
Cinnamon Bun Sourdough Pancakes
A stack of pancakes, layered together with a sweet cinnamon spread and topped with a rich cream cheese icing.
Ingredients
For the pancakes
- 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 cup sourdough starter
- 1 egg
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 1/4 cup whole milk
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 1 tbsp cinnamon powder
Cinnamon Spread
- 1 cup melted butter
- 1 cup brown suggar
- 2 tbsp cinnamon powder
- 1 tsp nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 1 cup room temperature butter
- 1/2 cup room temperature cream cheese
- 1 1/2 cup icing sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
Prepare the Cinnamon Spread by melting the butter in a microwave safe dish. Add in the brown sugar, cinnamon powder, nutmeg and salt and combine using a fork or spoon and set aside.
Prepare the Cream Cheese Frosting by setting aside butter and cream cheese and allowing it to come to room temperature. Add the butter and cream cheese into a bowl and use a hand mixer to whip. Next, add in the icing sugar and vanilla. Whisk until the frosting is smooth. Set aside until ready to use.
Start by preheating a large cast iron skillet on the stove top.
In a large bowl, add in all of the ingredients for the pancakes and whisk together until they are fully combined and the batter is smooth.
When the skillet is fully heated, scoop 1/3 cup of batter into the skillet. When bubbles begin to form the top of the pancake, it is time to flip the pancake.
When the pancakes are finished. spread 2-3tbsp of the cinnamon spread across each pancake as you layer them and on the top layer.
Using a spoon or piping bag, top the pancakes with your cream cheese frosting.
Serve warm with syrup and enjoy!
If you love breakfast and sweet treats, you’ll want to check out these other recipes!
Recommended Products
Leave a Reply