Why You’ll Love These Cinnamon Swirl Pancakes
- Quick & Easy—Using pancake mix as a base, these pancakes are quick but flavorful, making them perfect for busy mornings or whenever you’re craving a fun and cozy breakfast.
- The Perfect Cinnamon Swirl—A mix of pancake batter, cinnamon, brown sugar, and heavy cream creates a swirl that cooks right into each pancake, adding a warm, sweet ribbon of cinnamon flavor to every bite.
- No Burnt Sugar Mess (!!!)—Unlike some other cinnamon swirl pancake recipes, this one skips the butter and sugar mixture that often burns and sticks to the pan and instead replaces it with a batter-based cinnamon swirl.
These cinnamon roll-inspired pancakes don’t just look pretty on a plate! They are also so easy and quick to make, thanks to a teeny tiny shortcut: my favorite buttermilk pancake mix (grab it on Amazon!).
Before landing on this version, I tried numerous cinnamon swirl pancake recipes and always ran into the same issue—the butter and brown sugar swirl would melt too quickly and run out of the pancakes as soon as they were flipped, leading to scorched brown sugar on the pancakes and in my pan. In my experience, this led to a more caramelized, slightly crunchy (or at worst, burnt) swirl, a messy pan, and some not-so-pretty pancakes.
So, in developing this recipe, my goal was cinnamon swirl pancakes that 1) keep the shape of the swirl throughout cooking and 2) don’t lead to burnt on sugar stuck all over your pan. The key to success? A pancake batter-based cinnamon swirl.
Cinnamon Swirl Pancake Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need…
Pancake Mix: My favorite Krusteaz pancake mix serves as the base for both the vanilla pancake batter and the cinnamon swirl. It yields the lightest, fluffiest, most flavorful pancakes with minimal effort. While you can sub in your own favorite mix, keep in mind that mix-to-liquid ratios, texture, and flavor may vary.
Quick note—Please spoon and level your pancake mix, or measure it by weight to make sure you add the appropriate amount! More on this in the “Tips” section below.
Water: Of course!
Vanilla Extract: Adds yummy flavor to the vanilla batter. My favorite “good” vanilla (as always) is this Nielsen-Massey vanilla extract on Amazon.
Ground Cinnamon: To flavor the cinnamon swirl.
Light Brown Sugar: For a bit of extra sweetness in the swirl.
Heavy Cream: A little heavy cream makes the cinnamon swirl just a bit more moist and rich.
How to Make These Easy Cinnamon Swirl Pancakes: Step-By-Step
1. Prep the cinnamon swirl.
In a small bowl whisk together pancake mix, ground cinnamon, and brown sugar. Add the water and heavy cream. Whisk well until there are no lumps. Then, pour the cinnamon batter into a piping bag or small zipper bag. Set aside.
2. Mix up the vanilla pancake batter.
In another bowl, whisk together 2 cups of Krusteaz mix, water, and vanilla extract until the batter is smooth with no lumps. Do not overmix the batter! This could cause the pancakes to turn out tough and rubbery. When done mixing, set the vanilla batter aside.
3. Heat up your skillet.
Heat a large skillet over medium-low heat. Melt a couple teaspoons of butter in the pan, or enough to evenly coat the bottom. Allow the pan to heat until the butter is fully melted and begins to bubble.
4. Start with the swirl.
For each pancake you cook—carefully pipe a cinnamon swirl into the pan using the piping bag (or zipper bag with a small hole cut in it). Allow the swirl to cook on its own for 35-45 seconds, or until it appears to have set up, small bubbles form on top, and the batter no longer looks wet/shiny.
Don’t overcrowd your pan with cinnamon swirls! The vanilla batter will be spooned over the edges of the swirl, so the actual pancakes will turn out a bit larger than the swirls themselves. I typically only cook 2-3 of these pancakes at a time—but it will depend on your pan and how large you make the swirls/pancakes!
5. Add the vanilla batter.
Using a large spoon, gently cover the entire swirl with vanilla pancake batter. While the edges certainly do not have to look perfect, you can use a small spoon and bit more batter to help even them out if you’d like.
After spooning on the vanilla batter, let the pancakes cook for 2-3 minutes—or until the edges look set, the tops are bubbly, and the underside is golden brown.
6. Flip & serve!
Flip the pancakes and allow them to cook for another couple minutes, or until golden brown on the bottom and cooked through. Then, serve immediately!
Watch me make these cinnamon roll-inspired pancakes below…
Yield
This recipe will yield approximately 8-10 medium pancakes (about 4″ – 5″ across). However, the total number will obviously depend on how large and thick you make the pancakes.
2 Tips for the Best Cinnamon Swirl Pancakes
Tip 1: Measure the pancake mix properly.
Either measure the pancake mix by weight using a kitchen scale (shop my favorite OXO one on Amazon here). 1 cup of Krusteaz mix weighs approximately 120 g. Or, spoon and level the mix in your measuring cup.
Pancake mix settles a lot when sitting on the shelf in your cupboard or pantry, so it is easy to add too much (and accidentally make a thicker, drier batter). For example, I measured ½ cup of mix straight from the bag (no fluffing), and it weighed over 90 grams. The same amount, spooned and leveled, weighed just 60 grams. It really does make a difference!
Tip 2: Make sure the cinnamon swirl sets up.
Those 35-45 seconds you give the cinnamon swirl to cook before adding the vanilla batter are kind of the key to success with this recipe. If you add the vanilla batter too soon, the swirl will be pushed outward and lose its shape.
To get the cinnamon swirl to set quickly, I have found that cooking the pancakes on medium-low heat is perfect. It’s hot enough to set up the swirl quickly but not so hot that it becomes crisp when cooked for a few more minutes after spooning on the vanilla batter. That said—every stove is a little different, so keep an eye on things as you go!
Cinnamon Swirl Pancakes Serving Ideas
- Serve alongside these easy pumpkin pancakes for a perfect fall breakfast spread.
- Pour on some real maple syrup—yum!
- Top with regular or flavored butter, like the cinnamon butter I like to pair with pumpkin pancakes.
Shop My Pancake Favorites
Shop all linked products on Amazon!
- Pick up a bag (or six!) of my favorite Krusteaz pancake mix. It is so easy to make and yields the lightest, fluffiest, yummiest pancakes (or pancake muffins).
- I love using these Staub bowls to mix up pancake batter.
- I like to use a piping bag to form the cinnamon swirls for these pancakes, but you can also use a plastic zipper bag with a small hole cut in it.
- This is the exact skillet I cook these pancakes in. It’s extra roomy—perfect for piping the spirals and flipping the pancakes.
- Pour 100% pure maple syrup—not flavored corn syrup—over these pancakes. (The real deal is really the best when it comes to maple syrup.)
Read on for the full recipe for these easy Krusteaz mix pancakes!
Once you’ve tried a few of these cinnamon swirl pancakes, come back here to leave a rating and review. I would love to hear what you and your family think of them!
Easy Cinnamon Swirl Pancakes Using Pancake Mix
Equipment (Shop on Amazon)
- Piping Bags optional; or use a zipper bag with a small hole cut in it!
Ingredients
Cinnamon Swirl Pancake Batter
- ½ cup Krusteaz buttermilk pancake mix spooned and leveled
- ⅓ cup water
- 1½ tsp ground cinnamon
- 2 tsp light brown sugar
- 2 tsp heavy cream
Vanilla Pancake Batter
- 2 cups Krusteaz buttermilk pancake mix spooned and leveled
- 1⅓ cup water
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- In a small bowl, mix together ½ cup Krusteaz mix, water, cinnamon, light brown sugar, and heavy cream. Stir or whisk until smooth with no lumps. Then pour into a piping bag or plastic zipper bag with a small hole cut in it.½ cup Krusteaz buttermilk pancake mix, ⅓ cup water, 1½ tsp ground cinnamon, 2 tsp light brown sugar, 2 tsp heavy cream
- In another bowl, add 2 cups Krusteaz buttermilk pancake mix, 1⅓ cup water, and 2 tsp vanilla extract. Stir or whisk until smooth with no lumps. Do not overmix as this could cause the pancakes to turn out tough/rubbery. Set aside.2 cups Krusteaz buttermilk pancake mix, 1⅓ cup water, 2 tsp vanilla extract
- Heat your skillet over medium-low heat and melt enough butter to coat the bottom of the skillet. Allow the skillet to heat for a few minutes. The butter should be melted and bubbly before you add any pancake batter.
- For each pancake, carefully pipe a swirl of cinnamon-flavored batter in the pan. Allow the swirl to cook on medium-low for about 35-45 seconds, or until you see that the edges have set up, the batter no longer looks wet/shiny, and small bubbles have formed on top.
- Use a large spoon to gently cover the entire cinnamon swirl in vanilla pancake batter. Cook for 2-3 minutes, or until the edges look set, the tops are bubbly, and the underside is golden brown.
- Flip the pancake and cook for an additional 2 minutes or until the pancake is cooked through and golden brown on the bottom.
Notes from the Happy To Be Here Kitchen
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