Cinnamon Swirl Vegan Pancakes
These pancakes taste exactly like fluffy warm cinnamon rolls, and they are so much easier to make! Bonus: they’re vegan pancakes!
If you’re wondering what to make for brunch this weekend, look no further than these GIANT cinnamon swirl pancakes! I am so excited to share this recipe with all of you because it is truly amazing. If you love cinnamon rolls, you will adore these pancakes. They are fluffy, soft, and spiraled with a sweet cinnamon filling – but are so much easier to make than homemade cinnamon rolls! Don’t get me wrong, I love making homemade cinnamon rolls from scratch. Although, if you don’t have time to wait for the dough to rise, these pancakes are the perfect fix. The brown sugar cinnamon swirl in these pancakes caramelizes perfectly to create a magical texture and flavor combination that is truly heavenly.
Tips and Tricks
Let’s talk about the swirl! This iconic cinnamon swirl in the center of these pancakes is not only beautiful but so easy to achieve. All you will need is a sandwich-sized ziplock bag, a pair of scissors (or sharp knife), and the cinnamon filling to create this enticing design!
You want your filling to be thick and manageable. If the filling is too thin, it will be hard to control and spread all over the place. It is better to keep the swirl away from the edges of the pancakes to ensure that it does not drip off the sides.
These pancakes are also slightly stickier than normal pancakes because of the brown sugar filling. It is helpful to use a nonstick pan when making these, and be sure to grease with coconut oil beforehand! It is also helpful to wipe down the pan in between pancakes so that any leftover sugar will not continue to cook and burn.
When flipping these pancakes, you will want to be quick and gentle in order to keep your cinnamon swirl intact. Also – never use your spatula to press down your pancakes once they have been flipped. This rule goes for any type of pancake that you are making. You want your pancakes to be fluffy and delicate, and pressing them down in the pan will take away from their naturally fluffy texture.
Oh and one more thing…these babies are vegan! Can you believe it? I promise no one who tries them would ever believe that these pancakes are made with 100% vegan ingredients. The filling in these calls for vegan butter. I prefer to use the Earth Balance Soy Free buttery spread because it is my favorite vegan butter alternative. If you don’t need these pancakes to be vegan, feel free to use regular butter as a substitute!
I know that this recipe will become a weekend morning staple in your household. If you’re anything like me, you might even make these for dessert sometimes! Try drizzling these pancakes with a cream cheese icing to take this creation to the next level! If you love cinnamon, try out my recipe for the Best Granola.
Cinnamon Swirl Pancakes
Ingredients
Pancakes
- 1 1/4 cups of flour
- 3 tablespoons of sugar
- 1 tablespoon of baking powder yes, a tablespoon!
- 1/4 teaspoon of salt
- 1 cup of warm almond milk
- 3 tablespoons of melted coconut oil
- 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla
Filling
- 2/3 cups of brown sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons of cinnamon
- 4 tablespoons of melted vegan butter
Instructions
Pancake batter method
- In a medium sized bowl, whisk the first 4 dry ingredients until combined.
- In a separate bowl, whisk wet ingredients until combined and gently pour into dry ingredients. Stir until just combined and let batter stand for a few minutes.
Filling method
- Make the filling: in a small bowl, stir together all filling ingredients and put into a ziplock sandwich bag. Cut off one one corner of the bag (should be a very small opening) – in order to pipe the filling onto the pancakes while cooking.
Cooking method
- Melt and spread a teaspoon of coconut oil/butter in a pan over medium-low heat
- Once the pan is hot, add 1/4 cup of pancake batter and spread into a medium/large circle. Starting from the center, pipe on the cinnamon swirl.
- Gently flip pancake when bubbles begin to rise to the surface (after 2-4 minutes).
- Let cook for another minute until golden brown on both sides.
- Repeat process with the remaining pancake batter and filling. Serve warm with maple syrup! Enjoy!
Looks amazing!