Gluten Free Cinnamon Swirl Pancakes

These gluten free cinnamon swirl pancakes are easier to make than you think and are so soft and fluffy, with a sweet cinnamon swirl and a generous drizzle of cream cheese glaze.

All the delicious flavors of cinnamon rolls without the fuss!

Cinnamon rolls are a holiday favourite, but you can enjoy all those delicious flavours without the fuss! These gluten-free cinnamon roll pancakes are soft, fluffy, and swirled with sweet cinnamon sugar, making them a quick and easy breakfast that tastes just like a cinnamon roll.

We also have a gluten free cinnamon swirl cake recipe that we were eating on repeat last year, so watch this space as it will also be added soon.

Recipe Development

Pancakes are a regular breakfast at the weekend for us and when the seasons change to autumn or during the holiday season, we often make these cinnamon swirl pancakes, and they are a great addition to my gluten free breakfast ideas.

I adapted my gluten free buttermilk pancakes, with a few tweaks and adjusting the liquid ratio to compensate for the change in consistency between buttermilk and regular milk, so that the pancake batter wasn't too runny.

The cinnamon swirl mixture was adapted from my gluten free cinnamon swirl banana bread. I added some of the pancake batter into the mix, as without this, the cinnamon sugar mixture will just burn and not stick to the pancake when flipped.

I tested this recipe with a pre-made blend of gluten-free flour, Bob's Red Mill Gluten-Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour (blue bag), King Arthur Flour Gluten-Free Measure for Measure Flour, and Doves Farm Freee range plain flour. I omitted xanthan gum when using Bob's Red Mill and King Arthur flour, as they already contain it in their blends.

📋 Ingredients Notes

• Butter - softened and then melted in short bursts in the microwave.
• Cream cheese - I used Philadelphia cream cheese.
• Sugar - I used light brown sugar for the pancake batter and cinnamon swirl and powdered sugar for the cream cheese glaze.
• Vanilla extract - adds additional flavour.
• Gluten free flour - I tested this recipe with a pre-made blend of gluten-free flour, Bob's Red Mill Gluten-Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour (blue bag), King Arthur Flour Gluten-Free Measure for Measure Flour, and Doves Farm Freee range plain flour. I omitted xanthan gum when using Bob's Red Mill and King Arthur flour, as they already contain it in their blends.
• Baking powder - Be sure to check that the baking powder is gluten free as some brands contain gluten.
• Xanthan gum - Omit if flour blend contains xanthan gum.
• Milk - I used whole milk in this recipe but you can use your preferred milk or to make dairy free pancakes use your preferred dairy free milk.
• Eggs - I used large eggs at room temperature.
• Ground cinnamon - It wouldn't be cinnamon swirl pancakes without the cinnamon.

See the recipe card below for ingredient measurements.

⚡ Substitutions & Variations

🥣 Step by Step Instructions

Below is a brief step-by-step process with photos of how to make gluten free cinnamon swirl pancakes.

See the recipe card below for more detailed recipe instructions.

Step 1:In a large bowl mix flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and xanthan gum.

Add the milk, eggs, and vanilla extract to the dry ingredients, then mix until the batter is smooth and lump-free.

Leave the mixture to rest for at least 15-30 minutes while you make the cream cheese glaze and cinnamon sugar mixture. This will result in fluffier pancakes. Letting the pancake batter sit will allow the flour to absorb the wet ingredients.

Step 2: Mix the melted butter, sugar, and ground cinnamon until smooth.

Add 2 tablespoons of pancake batter and mix until fully incorporated.

• See the recipe card below for how to make the cream cheese glaze.

Tip: Leave the mixture to rest for at least 15-30 minutes this will result in fluffier pancakes. Letting the pancake batter sit will allow the flour to absorb the wet ingredients.

Step 3: Transfer the mixture to a zip-lock bag or piping bag.

Step 4: The pancake batter will be thick but still pourable. If the batter is too thick, add a little extra milk.

Make a very small cut in the corner of the bag with the cinnamon mixture.

Brush your non-stick pan with a little oil or butter and set to medium heat. Don't have the pan too hot as the pancakes will cook too fast and will look ready on the outside but won't be cooked on the inside.

Pour in the desired amount of pancake mix (I use a small ladle to measure out my pancake mixture) and squeeze and pipe a cinnamon swirl in the a circular motion on the top of the pancake.

Cook for 2-3 minutes and then flip to cook on the other side. They will form small bubbles on top when the pancake is ready to be flipped and be golden brown.

With a piece of kitchen paper, wipe off any cinnamon left behind on the pan from the previous pancake before pouring the next.

Continue until all the pancake batter has been used up.

Tip: They will form small bubbles on the top when the pancake is ready to be flipped.

Step 5: Pour the cream cheese glaze into a serving jug. If it has thickened up place it back into the microwave for a few seconds.

Step 6: Place pancakes on a plate to cool slightly then serve with a drizzle of the cream cheese glaze.

Tip: The cream cheese glaze can be reheated in the microwave if it has thickened up slightly.