Transform your mornings with an irresistible breakfast that combines the comforting warmth of cinnamon rolls with the ease of fluffy pancakes. These Vegan Cinnamon Roll Pancakes are a true delight, offering the classic swirls of cinnamon sugar without the fuss of traditional baking. Crafted with our wholesome multi-grain pancake mix, this recipe is entirely soy-free and vegan, with a gluten-free option available, ensuring everyone can enjoy this delightful treat.
Vegan Cinnamon Roll Pancakes: A Wholesome & Delicious Breakfast
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The Inspiration Behind These Plant-Based Cinnamon Roll Pancakes
What better way to test this new mix than by infusing it with the comforting flavors of a classic cinnamon roll? While my baked Cinnamon Rolls are a tried-and-true favorite, they demand more time than a busy weekday morning allows. These pancakes offer all the cinnamony goodness in a fraction of the time. The secret lies in a thick, sweet cinnamon sugar filling, carefully piped onto the pancakes as they cook. Don’t fret if your swirls aren’t perfectly symmetrical; mine certainly aren’t, especially when using a spoon instead of a piping bag. The incredible taste is what truly matters! Serve them generously topped with maple syrup or a dollop of creamy coconut cream for an unforgettable breakfast experience.
Why Choose a Homemade Multi-Grain Pancake Mix?
Making your own pancake mix offers incredible benefits, from controlling ingredients to enhancing nutritional value. Commercial mixes often contain refined flours and added sugars. Our homemade multi-grain blend elevates your pancakes, making them a healthier yet equally delicious option. This blend provides a richer, more complex flavor profile and a boost of fiber and nutrients compared to conventional all-purpose flour pancakes.
Components of Our Multi-Grain Blend:
- Spelt Flour: An ancient grain, spelt offers a nutty flavor and slightly higher protein content than wheat, along with good digestibility for some.
- Unbleached White Flour: Provides a light and fluffy texture, balancing the denser grains.
- Kamut, Barley, Rye, Sorghum, Millet, or Buckwheat Flour: These options introduce diverse flavors and nutritional benefits. Kamut, for instance, is another ancient grain known for its buttery taste and nutrient density. Rye adds an earthy note, while barley contributes a slightly chewy texture. Feel free to experiment with what you have on hand to find your favorite blend.
- Almond Oat Flour: A fantastic addition for moisture, richness, and a subtle nutty flavor. You can easily make this by blending equal parts almonds and oats until a coarse flour forms, or simply use almond flour/meal. This adds healthy fats and protein.
- Flaxmeal: Acts as a natural binder (egg replacer in vegan baking) and adds omega-3 fatty acids and fiber.
- Cornstarch or Arrowroot Starch: These starches help create a wonderfully light and tender crumb. Arrowroot is an excellent corn-free alternative.
- Baking Powder & Baking Soda: The leavening agents that give your pancakes their irresistible fluffiness.
- Sugar & Salt: For balanced flavor. Using ground raw sugar or coconut sugar offers a more wholesome sweetness, or you can adjust sweetener levels when mixing the batter.
The result is a dry pancake mix that you can store, making weekday mornings incredibly simple. Just scoop, add wet ingredients, and you’re moments away from warm, fresh pancakes.
Below, you can see the plain multi-grain pancakes before the cinnamon swirl is added – beautifully fluffy on their own!
It might surprise you, but I don’t have an overwhelming number of pancake recipes on my blog; I often find myself making French toast more frequently. However, the basic batters for both are quite interchangeable. For example, to create Cinnamon Roll French Toasts, you’d simply make a slightly thinner batter using this pancake mix, swirl the cinnamon filling on one side of your bread, pan-fry it, and serve. Pure deliciousness!
Other Plant-Based Breakfast Inspirations from the Blog:
- Tiramisu Pancakes
- Samoa French Toasts and Molten Chocolate French Toasts
- Tiramisu French Toasts
- Coconut Crusted Baked French Toasts
- Savory Chickpea Flour Pancakes with Cauliflower and Mushrooms
Mastering the Cinnamon Sugar Swirl
The cinnamon sugar swirl is what elevates these pancakes from good to extraordinary, mimicking the iconic look and taste of a true cinnamon roll. Achieving the perfect swirl is simpler than you might think. The key is a slightly thick mixture that holds its shape when piped. This blend of melted vegan butter or oil, almond milk, ground sugar, cinnamon, and a touch of flour creates a robust filling.
When it comes to piping, you don’t need fancy equipment. A small spoon works perfectly well for creating rustic, appealing swirls directly onto your cooking pancakes. If you prefer more precise lines, a small zip-top bag with a corner snipped off makes an excellent impromptu piping bag. The beauty of these pancakes is that even imperfect swirls taste absolutely amazing! The heat of the pan caramelizes the cinnamon sugar, infusing every bite with that classic, warm spice.
Perfecting Your Vegan Cinnamon Roll Pancakes: Step-by-Step Guide
Making the Multi-Grain Pancake Mix (Dry Blend):
Combine all the dry ingredients for the pancake mix in a large bowl. Whisk everything together thoroughly to ensure all components, especially the leavening agents and spices, are evenly distributed. Once mixed, transfer the blend to an airtight container. This homemade mix can be stored in your pantry, ready for whenever a pancake craving strikes. For a corn-free option, ensure to use arrowroot starch instead of cornstarch.
Crafting the Cinnamon Sugar Filling:
In a separate small bowl, whisk together the oil (or melted vegan butter), almond milk, ground raw sugar (or coconut sugar), cinnamon powder, pinch of salt, and a teaspoon of flour. The flour helps to thicken the mixture slightly and prevent it from becoming too runny, ensuring it forms beautiful swirls. Whisk until smooth and well combined. Refrigerate this filling while you prepare your pancake batter to maintain its consistency.
Assembling and Cooking Your Cinnamon Roll Pancakes:
To prepare the pancake batter, measure out one cup of your homemade multi-grain pancake mix into a bowl. In a separate cup, combine 1/3 cup of water with lemon juice. The lemon juice reacts with the baking soda to enhance the fluffiness of the pancakes. Add the almond milk, the lemon water, optional oil, and cinnamon powder to your dry mix. Mix until the ingredients are just combined. Avoid overmixing, as this can lead to tough pancakes. A few lumps are perfectly fine. Let the batter rest for about two minutes. If the batter appears too thick (which can happen with multi-grain flours), add an additional tablespoon of water until it reaches a pourable but still substantial consistency.
Heat a non-stick pan or griddle over medium heat. Lightly grease the surface with a small amount of oil or vegan butter. Once the pan is hot, pour approximately 1/4 cup of batter per pancake. If needed, gently spread the batter slightly with the back of your ladle to form a neat circle. Allow the pancake to cook for about half a minute, or until small bubbles begin to form around the edges.
Now for the signature swirl! Using a spoon or your makeshift piping bag, drizzle the cinnamon sugar filling in a spiral pattern onto the partially cooked pancake. Be mindful not to apply the swirls too close to the edges, as the filling can spread slightly. Immediately cover the pan with a lid for about one minute. This step helps to steam the pancakes, ensuring they cook through evenly and become extra fluffy, while also helping to set the cinnamon swirl. Continue cooking until more bubbles appear in the center of the pancake and the edges look set (typically 3-4 minutes on the first side). Flip the pancake carefully and cook the other side for another 2-3 minutes, until golden brown and cooked through.
Remove the finished pancakes from the pan and stack them on a plate to keep warm. Serve them hot, adorned with a generous drizzle of maple syrup and a dollop of vegan butter (like Earth Balance) or a rich coconut cream for an extra touch of indulgence. These Vegan Cinnamon Roll Pancakes are a truly special breakfast that’s surprisingly easy to make!
Recipe Card: Vegan Cinnamon Roll Pancakes
Cinnamon Roll Pancakes
Ingredients
For the Multi-grain Pancake Mix: Makes about 3 servings of 4-5 pancakes
- 1/2 cup Spelt flour
- 1 cup unbleached white flour
- 1/4 cup Kamut, or barley, rye, sorghum, millet, buckwheat flour
- 1/2 cup Almond Oat flour (To make Almond Oat flour, use equal quantities of almonds and oats and blend until coarse flour, or use 1/2 cup almond flour/meal)
- 1/4 cup ground raw sugar or other finely ground sugar (or add sweetener/stevia later while making pancake batter)
- 2 Tablespoons flaxmeal
- 2 Tablespoons cornstarch or arrowroot starch
- 1 Tablespoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
For the Cinnamon Roll Pancakes: Makes 4-5 pancakes
- 1 cup Regular Pancake Mix (from above, or use my Gluten-free Pancake Mix)
- 1/4 cup almond milk
- 1/3 cup water (or more as needed)
- 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons oil (optional)
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon powder
For the Cinnamon Sugar Filling
- 1 Tablespoon oil or melted Earth Balance (vegan butter)
- 1 Tablespoon Almond milk
- 3 Tablespoons ground raw sugar or coconut sugar
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon powder
- pinch of salt
- 1 teaspoon flour
Instructions
Multigrain Pancake Mix
- Mix everything well with a whisk and store in an airtight container. Use arrowroot starch for a corn-free option.
Cinnamon Sugar Filling
- Whisk all filling ingredients well until combined. Refrigerate while you prepare the pancake batter.
Cinnamon Roll Pancakes
- Add the lemon juice to 1/3 cup water. In a bowl, combine the multi-grain pancake mix with the almond milk, lemon water, optional oil, and cinnamon powder. Mix until just combined; do not overmix. Let sit for 2 minutes. If the batter is too thick, add an extra tablespoon of water.
- Heat a lightly oiled pan or griddle over medium heat. Pour ladlefuls (about 1/4 cup) of batter for each pancake. After about half a minute, once bubbles start forming at the edges, pipe or spoon the cinnamon sugar filling in circles onto the pancake. Do not swirl too close to the edges. Cover the pan for a minute to steam and set the swirl. Cook until bubbles form in the center (3-4 minutes). Flip the pancake and cook for another 2-3 minutes until golden. Remove, stack, and serve hot with maple syrup and a dollop of vegan butter or coconut cream drizzle.
Notes
Find my Gluten-free Pancake Blend recipe here for an alternative.
Nutritional information is based on one serving of 4 to 5 pancakes.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Tips for Fluffy, Flavorful Pancakes
- Don’t Overmix: The golden rule for fluffy pancakes! Mix the wet and dry ingredients just until combined. A few lumps are fine and actually contribute to a tender texture. Overmixing develops the gluten, resulting in dense, chewy pancakes.
- Rest the Batter: Allowing the batter to rest for 5-10 minutes lets the flours fully hydrate and the leavening agents begin their work, leading to a lighter pancake.
- Proper Pan Temperature: Medium heat is key. Too low, and your pancakes will be dry; too high, and they’ll burn before cooking through. A sprinkle of water that sizzles and evaporates immediately indicates the right temperature.
- Grease Lightly: A little oil or vegan butter is all you need. Too much will make the pancakes greasy and prevent even browning.
- Watch for Bubbles: The appearance of bubbles on the surface and set edges are your visual cues that it’s time to flip.
Serving Suggestions and Delicious Variations
While maple syrup and vegan butter are classic toppings, feel free to get creative!
- Coconut Cream Drizzle: A luscious alternative to traditional frosting. Whip chilled full-fat coconut cream with a touch of powdered sugar and vanilla for a rich, dairy-free topping.
- Fresh Fruit: Berries like raspberries, blueberries, or sliced bananas add a burst of freshness and natural sweetness.
- Powdered Sugar Dusting: A simple yet elegant finish.
- Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting: For a truly decadent experience, whisk together vegan cream cheese, powdered sugar, and a splash of almond milk.
Variations to Try:
- Gluten-Free Cinnamon Roll Pancakes: Easily adaptable by using a dedicated gluten-free pancake blend. My specific Gluten-free Pancake Blend recipe offers a fantastic base.
- Spiced Pancakes: Add a pinch of nutmeg, cardamom, or allspice to the pancake batter for additional layers of warm flavor.
- Fruit-Infused Swirl: Mix a spoonful of fruit preserves (like apple butter or apricot jam) into the cinnamon sugar filling for a fruity twist.
- Chocolate Swirl: Melted vegan chocolate can be swirled in alongside the cinnamon for a chocolate-cinnamon fusion.
Nutrition & Dietary Information
These vegan cinnamon roll pancakes are not only incredibly satisfying but also come with the benefits of being plant-based and made with whole grains. Being soy-free (when using soy-free milk and butter alternatives) makes them suitable for those with soy sensitivities. The multi-grain blend contributes fiber, which is essential for digestive health and helps keep you feeling full longer. Flaxmeal adds beneficial omega-3 fatty acids, and the use of natural sweeteners helps manage sugar intake compared to highly processed alternatives. Enjoying a breakfast like this sets a delicious and nutritious tone for your day.
Conclusion: Your New Favorite Breakfast Awaits
Say goodbye to the dilemma of choosing between a comforting cinnamon roll and a stack of fluffy pancakes. With these Vegan Multi-Grain Cinnamon Roll Pancakes, you get the best of both worlds in a single, easy-to-make dish. This recipe transforms ordinary mornings into a special occasion, bringing warmth, spice, and wholesome goodness to your table. Whether you’re a seasoned vegan baker or just starting your plant-based journey, these pancakes are sure to become a beloved favorite. Gather your ingredients, get ready to swirl, and indulge in a breakfast that’s both simple to prepare and exquisitely delicious. Happy cooking!
