Your Sunday breakfast just got a lot better! Take your classic banana cinnamon pancakes to the next level by adding a gorgeous cinnamon swirl at the center. No piping bag or any fancy equipment needed–just a zip bag! The best part is that these banana pancakes are naturally vegan and gluten-free.

Fork picked in a stack of banana cinnamon pancakes topped with maple syrup.

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Banana Pancake Meets Cinnamon Roll
Why you'll love this recipe
Key ingredients and substitutions
Elo's tips
Step-by-step instructions
Note
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The recipe

Banana Pancake Meets Cinnamon Roll

Sometimes, Sunday mornings call for something a little more special, something beyond your go-to pancake recipe (mine happens to be these silken tofu pancakes).

Imagine a cross between banana pancakes and a traditional cinnamon roll, but made with simple plant-based pantry staples. These decadent cinnamon swirl pancakes give you all the cozy flavors, without the hassle of making cinnamon rolls from scratch.

Why you'll love this recipe

The cinnamon swirl isn't your typical melted butter and brown sugar combo. It's made with creamy almond butter and maple syrup, bringing a naturally sweet twist to every bite.
The batter comes together in a blender, meaning fewer dishes and less mess!
Cinnamon swirl pancakes look impressively fancy but are super easy to make. They'll make your whole family feel extra special without requiring a ton of extra work.
You don't need a piping bag or a squeeze bottle to make the cinnamon swirls. You can easily create the swirl using a regular zip bag–just cut off a corner and you're good to go.

Key ingredients and substitutions

Ingredients for banana cinnamon pancakes with descriptive labels.

Banana: The batter isn't additionally sweetened, so make sure to choose a ripe banana for extra natural sweetness.
Rolled oats: They replace regular all-purpose flour, making the pancakes gluten-free if you choose certified gluten-free oats.
Plant-based milk: Any plant-based milk works here, but I recommend unsweetened soy milk for its neutral flavor, which lets the banana and cinnamon shine.
Baking soda: Helps give the pancakes a fluffy texture.
Almond butter: It forms the base of the swirl. I suggest using 100% pure almond butter–preferably the brown kind–which pairs beautifully with the cinnamon. Make sure it's unsweetened as you'll add maple syrup.
Maple syrup: Its rich, toffee-like flavor adds that extra little something to the cinnamon swirl mixture. Agave syrup is a great substitute if you don't have maple syrup. Alternatively, you can use date syrup but you might have to add a little extra soy milk to get a drizzly consistency.
Cinnamon: My favorite is Ceylon cinnamon but any cinnamon will work.

Elo's tips

If your blender is not very powerful, start by blending the oats alone until they turn into a fine powder. Then, add in the rest of the ingredients. This extra step will make the batter be as smooth as possible.
The secret to perfect banana cinnamon pancakes is cooking them over medium heat and allowing them to fully cook on one side (you want the center to be set) before flipping. This will ensure the cinnamon swirl doesn't burn, giving you those beautiful golden pancakes every time. And if you feel like your pan is getting too hot, you can remove it from the heat before flipping the pancakes.
Avoid using an electric pancake maker (the kind with six circular molds). The heat on those devices cannot be adjusted, and trust me, they tend to burn the cinnamon swirl–I've learned that the hard way!

Step-by-step instructions

Banana cinnamon pancake batter in a blender.

Step 1: Make the banana pancake batter. Add the banana, plant-based milk, rolled oats, baking soda, vanilla extract, and salt to a blender. Blend until it's super smooth. If you don't have a personal blender such as the Nutribullet Pro, add all the ingredients to a bowl and blend with an immersion blender. Let the batter sit for a few minutes while you make the cinnamon swirl mixture. It will thicken as the oats absorb some of the moisture.

Hand holding a zip bag with a dark brown cinnamon mixture.

Step 2: Prepare the cinnamon filling. In a bowl, mix the almond butter with the maple syrup, plant-based milk, and cinnamon. Stir until combined. The mixture should be thick but drizzles easily off a spoon. Add another teaspoon of milk if needed. Pour the cinnamon filling into a ziploc bag (e.g. freezer bag) and snip off a tiny hole to create a little opening for swirling.

Uncooked pancakes with a cinnamon swirl at the center in a pan.

Step 3: Cook the pancakes. Heat a non-stick pan with a bit of coconut oil (or your preferred neutral cooking oil). Pour a small laddle of pancake batter into the pan and draw a beautiful swirl on top of the pancake batter. Cook the pancakes over medium heat for about 2 minutes until the center is set.

Step 4: Flip the pancakes with a spatula. Let them cook for just 20-30 seconds (set a timer if you have to). You don't want to burn the almond butter-maple syrup mixture. If your pan is getting too hot, just take it off the heat during those 20 seconds. Carefully slide a spatula underneath the pancakes and flip them again for the cinnamon swirl to be visible. Repeat with the remaining batter.

Note

Note that you'll have some leftover cinnamon mixture. You can drizzle it on top of the pancakes or add it to your favorite porridge to make cinnamon roll oatmeal.