You know you've cooked something extra special, when the first bite causes your dining companion to yelp. Yes, yelp. Mike took one bite from this stack of Cinnabun Pancakes and made a strange sound. It was a cross between yelling and crying. I was startled and feared he'd burnt himself. Then he looked at me with crazy eyes. Bingo. The power of Cinnabuns!
I am happy to report that these pancakes truly do taste like a giant Cinnabun... which means incredible. They have all the trademark characteristics: warm, gooey, cinnamon, cream cheese, and brown sugar. Serve them stacked on top one another to get the full, luxurious effect.
The base of the pancake is your standard issue mix- nothing fancy. You could even substitute with bisquick. If you're feeling super naughty, make your favorite buttermilk pancake but don't you dare try to make this healthy. There's no such thing as a whole wheat or rye flour Cinnabun. It's all or nothing, baby. Dive in.
Now the super cool part: the swirl. It's a simple combination of brown sugar, melted butter, and cinnamon. This step requires a steady hand and a sturdy piping bag. You could use a regular zip lock bag- just make sure it's not the flimsy kind or else you'll end up a buttery mess. You need it to hold its shape for control when piping the swirl. Also, before making the swirl, do a test line on a napkin because the initial squeeze tends to be a little thinner. Don't get too close to the edge of the pancake or else it can run.
Most importantly- don't stress if the swirls are not perfect! It tastes all the same. Draws hearts and stars, have fun with it!
The "syrup" is cream cheese glaze consisting of, you guessed it, cream cheese, butter, vanilla extract, and powdered sugar. We found it rich and used very little- just a thin coat on the top pancake to create that Cinnabun flavor. If you want to be extra naughty, spread a thin coat in between each layer.
Serve these delicious pancakes with a tall glass of milk or your favorite coffee. It's like having a Cinnabun fresh out of the oven! Heck yah!
For the fabulous recipe, check out Recipe Girl's post for Cinnamon Roll Pancakes.
