These fluffy pancakes have swirls of sweet cinnamon throughout. They are such a fun breakfast or brunch treat. They also only need five ingredients and are easy to make. They taste like cinnamon rolls but without all the work.
With so many families on spring break right now and so many upcoming brunch gatherings, I wanted to share a fun breakfast or brunch recipe. These pancakes come out so cute! They really do look like cinnamon rolls with their perfect swirls of cinnamon.
Ingredients
- Self-rising flour
- Applesauce
- Eggs
- Cinnamon
- Maple syrup
Self-rising flour: Self-rising flour is flour that is already premixed with baking powder and salt. I love using self-rising flour because it saves me a couple of extra steps and dishes. If you don’t have self-rising flour, you can also make your own by mixing together flour, baking powder and salt.
Applesauce: This recipe uses unsweetened applesauce. Applesauce is the key to producing super fluffy and soft pancakes. It also gives the pancakes a hint of sweetness.
Eggs: Eggs are used to help provide the structure for these pancakes.
Cinnamon & Maple syrup: Instead of cinnamon and sugar mixed together, cinnamon is whisked together with maple syrup to create a sweet cinnamon syrup that is thick enough to create a swirl on the pancakes. You can use other syrups instead of maple syrup but you want to choose one with a similar consistency to maple syrup. We like maple syrup because when it is mixed with the cinnamon, it just tastes like cinnamon sugar and you can’t even taste that it is maple syrup.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- The pancakes come out so light and fluffy.
- They taste like cinnamon rolls without all the work of cinnamon rolls.
- You can customize this with cream cheese icing, regular icing or just serve them with syrup.
- The pancakes are also lightly sweet on their own if you prefer no toppings at all.
How to Make Cinnamon Roll Pancakes
- The self-rising flour, eggs and applesauce are all whisked together until you have a smooth batter.
- The cinnamon and maple syrup are whisked together separately in a small bowl and then transferred to a piping bag or a ziploc bag.
- Bring a nonstick skillet to medium low heat and add in 1/4 cup of batter for each pancake. Snip the front of your piping bag to create a small opening and draw a spiral on top of the batter. Cook pancakes on both sides until golden and fully cooked. If desired, drizzle with icing. This is a summary of the steps for this recipe. You can find the full instructions in the recipe card at the end of the post.
More Fun Pancake Recipes
5 Ingredient Cinnamon Roll Pancakes
Ingredients
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup (256 g) unsweetened applesauce
- 1 cup (125 g) self-rising flour
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) maple syrup
- 4 tsp (10 g) ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Add eggs, applesauce and self rising flour to a large mixing bowl and whisk until evenly combined and no egg streaks remain.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the maple syrup and cinnamon until all of the cinnamon is incorporated. Transfer to a small ziploc bag or piping bag and set aside.
- Heat a large nonstick skillet to medium low heat. Once the pan is hot, add ¼ cup of batter for each pancake, spacing pancakes about an inch apart.
- Cut the tip of your cinnamon filling bag to create a small opening and squeeze a spiral onto the top of each pancake. I recommend starting from the center of the pancake and drawing out. Make sure you end the spiral before it gets too close to the edge of the pancake (at least a 1/2 inch of cushion from the edge). If it gets too close to the edge it will run off as it spreads.
- Cook each pancake over medium low heat until some bubbles begin to appear on the surface. You want to keep the heat at a medium low to prevent the pancakes from getting too brown. Carefully flip the pancake over and cook for 30-60 seconds until cooked through and the swirl side is evenly browned. Repeat with the remaining batter. Serve pancakes while warm. If desired you can serve with syrup or glaze.
Notes
- Optional glaze:In a small bowl, whisk together 1 cup of powdered sugar with about 2 tablespoons of milk. Drizzle over the finished pancakes.
- Homemade self-rising flour: Whisk together 1 cup all purpose flour + 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder + 1/4 teaspoon salt.
- I recommend cooking the pancakes in a nonstick skillet. I did not add any oil to mine. I found that this helps to create an even medium golden brown on the pancakes. You can cook the pancakes with butter or oil but the surface of the pancakes won't be an even golden brown.
- Make sure to keep the heat at a medium-low to prevent the pancakes from getting too dark.
- Just like with most pancakes, the first one may not cook up perfectly golden brown but the other ones should.
- For flipping the pancakes, I recommend a silicone turner with a very thin edge (like a cookie spatula but a bigger version). This helps slip under the pancake easier without damaging them. I used this silicone turner set.*
- *This product link is an affiliate link. This means I earn a commission from qualifying purchases.
- The estimated nutrition provided is for the pancakes and does not include the optional glaze.
Nutrition
The nutrition information provided are only estimates based on an online nutritional calculator. I am not a certified nutritionist. Please consult a professional nutritionist or doctor for accurate information and any dietary restrictions and concerns you may have.
