3tablespoonsneutral oil, like vegetable or canola oil
Instructions
Make the Cinnamon Sugar Swirl
Combine the melted butter, brown sugar and cinnamon in a bowl.
Stir until mixed well.
Transfer to a plastic bag or a piping bag, and set aside. (This will help us swirl the mixture into the pancakes without a lot of messiness. We’ll snip the bag when it’s time.)
Let this sit for 20-30 minutes.
Make the Cream Cheese Glaze
Combine the softened cream cheese, powdered sugar, milk and vanilla extract in the base of your food processor or a blender.
Blend until smooth.
Set aside until it’s time to serve your pancakes. (You can also make this ahead of time, so you can store it in a food-safe container in the refrigerator.)
Make the Pancakes
Measure the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt into a large bowl. Whisk together until incorporated, and set aside.
Measure the milk, eggs, vanilla extract and oil into a smaller bowl. Use a fork to stir together until combined. Make sure the egg yolk and white are incorporated.
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Stir until just combined with a rubber spatula. Be careful not to overmix, as this will affect the texture of the pancakes. Don’t fret about lumps—they’re OK.
Once the batter has been mixed, heat a nonstick skillet or a griddle over medium heat. Brush the pan with melted butter or unflavored cooking spray.
Dollop the pancakes onto the preheated skillet when ready using a cookie scoop or a measuring cup.
Snip a small corner off the piping/plastic bag, and swirl the cinnamon-sugar mixture on top of the pancakes. Cover with another small scoop of pancake batter. (Doing this step will ensure the cinnamon-sugar mixture stays inside your pancake.)
When several bubbles have formed on the surface, flip the pancakes, and cook through.
Wipe down the skillet between pancakes with a wet towel or cloth, and rebutter it each time. Why? This will ensure they don’t stick or become a mess.
Repeat until all of the pancakes have been made.
Stack the pancakes onto plates and serve with the cream cheese glaze.
If you've tried this recipe, come back and let us now how it was in the comments or ratings!
Notes
Here are a few tips to making the best pancakes at home:
Mix the wet and dry ingredients separately. It’s important to get the eggs incorporated into the other wet ingredients so you don’t have stray bits of egg white in your pancakes. Also, this will help you not overmix the batter once combined and will ensure that the red color is consistent throughout your pancakes.
Don’t overmix the pancake batter! Lumps are OK—we just want the ingredients just incorporated.
Wipe off the pan between rounds of pancakes, then brush it with butter or oil before making more. This will prevent any cinnamon-sugar that’s seeped out of the pancakes from burning in the skillet and making the rest of your pancakes bitter.
To freeze these pancakes, simply line a baking sheet with wax paper, and pop them in the freezer for 4-6 hours. When the pancakes are frozen solid, transfer them to a freezer baggie. Reheat in the toaster oven, toaster or the oven until warm.