Cinnamon Roll Pancake Casserole (Printable)

A baked pancake dish with cinnamon swirls finished with a smooth cream cheese glaze.

# What You 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:

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.
04 - Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and stir until just combined, avoiding overmixing.
05 - Pour pancake batter evenly into the prepared 9x13-inch baking dish.
06 - In a small bowl, combine melted butter, packed brown sugar, and ground cinnamon.
07 - Transfer cinnamon mixture to a piping bag or zip-top bag with the corner trimmed. Pipe swirls or zig-zag patterns over the pancake batter.
08 - Using a knife or wooden skewer, gently swirl the cinnamon mixture through the batter to create marbled effect.
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 with an electric mixer until smooth and pourable consistency, adding additional milk as needed.
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.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • This casserole does the heavy lifting so you can pour coffee and actually talk to the people at your table instead of flipping pancakes solo.
  • The cream cheese glaze hits different than regular syrup, turning a simple breakfast into something that feels a little bit fancy without pretending to be.
  • It comes together fast enough for a weekday brunch but tastes like you've been planning it all week.
02 -
  • Overmixing the pancake batter will give you a dense, tough casserole instead of one with that tender crumb you're after, so err on the side of caution and stop as soon as the dry flour disappears.
  • The casserole actually improves if you assemble it the night before and refrigerate it covered, then bake it in the morning straight from the fridge, which means you can do all the work when you have energy and enjoy it when you don't.
03 -
  • Soften your cream cheese completely before beating it, or you'll chase lumps around the bowl and end up frustrated, so pull it out of the fridge at least an hour before you need it.
  • That five to ten minute cool-down period after baking is crucial because it lets the structure set just enough to hold the glaze without becoming completely cool and dense.
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