Fluffy Cinnamon Swirl Delight (Printable)

Light, fluffy stacks swirled with cinnamon and finished with a creamy glaze, ideal for a cozy brunch.

# What You'll Need:

→ Pancake Batter

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

→ Cinnamon Swirl

09 - 1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted
10 - 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
11 - 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

→ Cream Cheese Glaze

12 - 2 ounces cream cheese, softened
13 - 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
14 - 3/4 cup powdered sugar
15 - 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
16 - 2 tablespoons whole milk

# How to Make It:

01 - Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl.
02 - In a separate bowl, whisk milk, eggs, melted butter, and vanilla until blended. Pour into dry ingredients and stir just until combined. Let batter rest.
03 - Combine melted butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon in a small bowl. Transfer mixture into a piping or zip-top bag and snip a small corner.
04 - Beat cream cheese and softened butter until smooth. Add powdered sugar and vanilla extract, then milk, whisking until pourable.
05 - Heat a lightly greased nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. Pour 1/4 cup batter for each pancake.
06 - Pipe cinnamon swirl onto each pancake. Cook until bubbles form on the surface, about 2 to 3 minutes, then carefully flip and cook an additional 2 minutes.
07 - Plate the pancakes while warm and drizzle generously with cream cheese glaze.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • They taste like a cinnamon roll and a pancake had the most delicious breakfast baby.
  • The cream cheese glaze hits different—sweet, tangy, and rich enough that you don't need syrup if you don't want it.
  • They're impressive enough to cook for guests but honestly so easy you'll make them on lazy weekdays too.
02 -
  • The cinnamon swirl needs to be thin enough to pipe smoothly—if your mixture is too thick, it will either break through the batter or bunch up instead of creating those beautiful ribbons.
  • Medium-low heat is non-negotiable; I learned this the hard way when I turned up the heat to speed things up and ended up with black edges and raw centers.
  • The glaze thickens as it cools, so if you made it a few minutes ahead, you might need to whisk in a tiny splash of milk to get it back to pourable.
03 -
  • A pinch of nutmeg in the swirl mixture adds a whisper of warmth that makes people wonder what you did differently—don't tell them if you don't want to.
  • If your cream cheese glaze breaks or gets grainy, whisk it over a double boiler with just a tiny bit of heat until it's smooth again, then let it cool before serving.
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