Cinnamon Roll Sheet Pan Pancakes

Just like my original sheet pan pancakes are a quick way to have classic buttermilk pancakes on the table, today’s cinnamon roll sheet pan pancakes are my answer to homemade cinnamon rolls for a crowd!

Sheet pan pancakes are exactly what the name implies: Pancake batter baked in a rimmed jelly roll pan instead of cooked on a griddle. 

With the addition of a buttery cinnamon swirl and tangy cream cheese glaze, these easy cinnamon roll sheet pan pancakes are seriously out-of-this-world good!!

These Cinnamon Roll Sheet Pan Pancakes Are…

• Cooked all at once. The batter for sheet pan pancakes goes into the oven and bakes in one pan, which is a major time saver. You don’t need to cook the individual pancakes in batches.
• Easy to make. The cinnamon swirl and icing take minutes to make, and the pancake batter comes together in one bowl.
• Full of cozy cinnamon roll flavor. These sheet pan pancakes taste just like old-fashioned cinnamon rolls! They’re always a crowd favorite and perfect for the holidays, but quick enough to make any day of the week.

Ingredients You’ll Need to Make This Recipe

These sheet pan pancakes have a few key ingredients that help them mimic the doughy, chewy texture of classic cinnamon rolls. Of course, we can’t forget the cream cheese icing!

I’ve included notes explaining the role of each ingredient here, along with helpful substitutions. Scroll down to the recipe card for the full, printable recipe.

• Brown Sugar – To combine with melted butter and ground cinnamon to make the cinnamon swirl.
• Cinnamon – You can play with the flavor profile in your cinnamon roll pancakes with nutmeg, cardamom, or a blend, like pumpkin pie spice.
• Flour – Measure flour using the spoon and level method to avoid overmeasuring. Spoon the flour from the bag into your cup measure. Then, level off the cup afterward.
• Powdered Sugar – I use powdered sugar in place of granulated sugar for a denser texture. If you don’t have powdered sugar, you can pulse regular granulated sugar in the food processor to make a fine powder.
• Cornstarch – Cornstarch helps thicken the batter and makes the pancakes a bit chewier.
• Baking Powder – Check the expiration date! Make sure it’s fresh.
• Eggs, Buttermilk, and Vanilla – These ingredients enrich the pancake batter and add flavor. If you don’t have buttermilk in your fridge, make a 5-minute homemade buttermilk substitute from vinegar and regular milk.
• Melted Butter – You could use a neutral cooking oil, like canola, in place of butter in the pancake batter. It just won’t have the same flavor.

Cream Cheese Icing

• Butter – The butter for the icing should be softened, either in the microwave for a few seconds or left at room temperature.
• Cream Cheese – I use whipped cream cheese. You can always buy regular cream cheese and whip it yourself using a mixer. Bring the cream cheese to room temperature, too.
• Powdered Sugar – Again, you can make powdered sugar if you don’t have any, by blitzing regular sugar in the blender. Such a handy trick!
• Vanilla – For another layer of flavor, substitute half the vanilla extract with lemon, orange, or almond extract.

How to Make Sheet Pan Pancakes

Let’s get started on these thick, fluffy cinnamon roll pancakes. Baking in a sheet pan means you won’t have to hover over a hot griddle, frying the pancakes one side at a time. Here’s how to prepare and bake your pancakes in a sheet pan:

• Make the cinnamon filling. I like to do this first. Combine the melted butter with sugar and cinnamon, whisk, and then add the filling to a small ziplock bag to set aside. You can also use a piping bag with a tip if you have one. You’ll use this to pipe swirls of cinnamon-sugar filling over your pancakes in a minute!
• Make the cream cheese icing. Next up, melt the butter and cream cheese together in a saucepan to make the glaze. Whisk in the powdered sugar, then the vanilla. The icing should be pourable but not too thin.

• Combine the dry pancake ingredients. Now, in a new bowl, mix the flour with powdered sugar, cornstarch, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. 
• Mix in the wet ingredients. Make a well in the center of your dry ingredients. Crack in the eggs, then add the buttermilk, vanilla, and melted butter. Stir the batter until you don’t see any dry bits remaining. Small lumps are OK. It’s better not to overmix!

• Add the cinnamon swirl. Spread your pancake batter evenly into a greased and lined 10×15” jelly roll pan. Then, take your ziplock bag of cinnamon filling from earlier and snip off the corner. Pipe the cinnamon filling in swirls over the pancake batter.
• Bake. Bake the sheet pan pancakes at 425ºF for 10-12 minutes. The pancakes should look golden brown and puffed. Cool the pancakes in the pan for a minute or two before slicing them into squares to serve.
• Add the icing. Last but not least, drizzle each cinnamon roll pancake slice generously with cream cheese icing. Talk about the icing on the cake cinnamon roll!

Storage, Reheating, and Freezing

• Refrigerate. Keep any leftover cinnamon roll pancakes in a covered container in the fridge and reheat within 3 days.
• Reheat. Heat the pancakes in the microwave or oven until they’re warmed throughout.
• Freeze. Try to freeze these cinnamon roll sheet pan pancakes before you add the icing. Wrap the entire sheet pan twice with plastic wrap, or wrap individual pancake slices to store and freeze for up to 2 months.

More Easy Breakfast Recipes