Cinnamon Roll Pancake Casserole (Printer Version)

Baked fluffy pancakes with cinnamon sugar swirls and a rich cream cheese glaze for a decadent breakfast.

# 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 Prepare:

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.
03 - In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs, buttermilk, melted butter, and vanilla extract until smooth and fully combined.
04 - Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Avoid overmixing to maintain a tender crumb.
05 - Pour pancake batter evenly into the prepared baking dish, spreading to fill all corners.
06 - In a small bowl, mix melted butter, packed brown sugar, and ground cinnamon until combined.
07 - Transfer cinnamon mixture to a piping bag or zip-top bag with a corner snipped off. Pipe swirls or zig-zag patterns across the batter surface.
08 - Use a knife or skewer to gently drag through the cinnamon mixture and batter, creating marbled swirl patterns.
09 - Bake for 28 to 32 minutes until the center is set and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
10 - While baking, beat softened cream cheese, powdered sugar, softened butter, milk, and vanilla extract until smooth and pourable. Add additional milk as needed to achieve desired consistency.
11 - Remove casserole from oven and allow to cool for 5 to 10 minutes. Drizzle cream cheese glaze over the warm casserole.
12 - Slice into portions and serve warm, optionally topped with fresh berries or chopped pecans.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • You can feed a crowd without standing over a griddle like you're working a breakfast shift.
  • The cream cheese glaze tastes indulgent but comes together in about five minutes while everything bakes.
  • It's the kind of dish that somehow tastes even better the next morning when you warm up a leftover slice.
02 -
  • Don't overmix the batter because you'll develop too much gluten and end up with something tough and chewy instead of fluffy and forgiving.
  • The cream cheese must be softened to room temperature or it'll lump up when you beat it, creating a grainy glaze instead of a silky one.
03 -
  • Measure your buttermilk accurately because too little makes the batter thick and dry, while too much creates something that spreads too thin and doesn't puff up properly.
  • Let the casserole cool for those five to ten minutes before glazing because a hot casserole causes glaze to separate and look thin instead of luscious.
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