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–+ servings
Easy Cinnamon Roll Pancakes served with breakfast potatoes, bacon, coffee, and orange juice.

Cinnamon Roll Pancakes

These Easy Cinnamon Roll Pancakes are made with refrigerated cinnamon rolls and pancake batter for a fun shortcut breakfast. They're perfect for holiday mornings, weekend brunches, and beginner cooks.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Course Breakfast
Cuisine American
Servings 5

Equipment

  • Mixing bowl
  • Measuring cup
  • Large skillet with a lid
  • Spatula

Ingredients
  

  • 1 17.5-ounce can Grands Cinnamon Rolls (5 count)
  • Pancake batter for 5 pancakes (about 1½ cups pancake batter prepared according to the package directions)
  • Water for steaming (about 3 tablespoons per pancake)
  • Nonstick cooking spray
  • Reserved icing from the cinnamon rolls
  • Maple syrup (optional for serving)

Instructions
 

  • Prepare about 1½ cups of pancake batter according to the package directions.
  • Open the can of cinnamon rolls and set the icing aside. Separate the cinnamon rolls and gently unroll each one.
  • Heat a large skillet with a lid over medium-low heat and lightly coat it with cooking spray. Keep the lid nearby, as you'll use it to steam the pancake in a later step.
  • Loosely wrap one cinnamon roll back together and place it in the skillet. Don't worry about making it perfect. Leave a little space between the layers so the pancake batter has room to fill in the gaps.
    Unrolled Grands cinnamon roll in a skillet before adding pancake batter for easy cinnamon roll pancakes.
  • Pour about ¼ cup of pancake batter over and around the cinnamon roll, filling in the open spaces.
    Pancake batter filling the gaps of a loosely wrapped cinnamon roll in a skillet.
  • Add 2 tablespoons of water to the hot skillet and immediately cover with the lid. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the pancake batter begins to firm up around the edges. Just like with regular pancakes, a few bubbles may form in the batter. That's your cue that the pancake is ready to flip.
    Cinnamon roll pancake cooking in a skillet with bubbles forming before flipping.
  • Carefully flip the pancake, add another tablespoon of water, cover again, and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes. Use the Bounce Back Test to check for doneness. Gently press the center of the pancake. If it springs back, it's ready. If not, cover it and cook for another minute or two.
    Flipped cinnamon roll pancake cooking in a skillet until the center is fully cooked.
  • Transfer the pancake to a plate and drizzle with the reserved icing while it's still warm. The residual heat will melt the icing into every swirl. If desired, top with maple syrup and serve immediately.
    Warm cinnamon roll pancake topped with melted icing and ready to serve.

Notes

  • Cook one pancake at a time for the best results.
  • Keep the heat at medium-low and don't skip the water and lid. The steam is what helps cook the pancake without burning the outside.
  • The large 5-count Grands cinnamon rolls work best.
  • Bubbles tell you when to flip, and the Bounce Back Test tells you when it's done.
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