Name: Spanish Churro-Inspired Pancakes: A Breakfast Delight!
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Spanish
Ingredients: 1 cup all-purpose flour (sometimes I’ll sneak in half whole wheat if I’m feeling noble, but honestly the white flour wins out for texture); 2 tablespoons granulated sugar (I’ve swapped for brown sugar in a pinch, and it’s a little deeper in flavor); 1 teaspoon baking powder; 1/2 teaspoon baking soda; 1/4 teaspoon salt; 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (my grandma swore by fancy Spanish cinnamon, but I just use the big tub from the grocer—it’s fine); 1 cup buttermilk (when I don't have it, I do 1 cup milk with a big squeeze of lemon, let it sit); 1 large egg; 2 tablespoons melted butter, plus more for greasing (and dunking!); 2 teaspoons vanilla extract (I usually measure this straight from the bottle—don’t judge me); 1/2 cup sugar (for rolling; white works, but turbinado’s pretty fancy if you have it lying about); 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (again, for rolling—do not scrimp); More melted butter (for dipping pancakes after cooking)

Let’s Talk Pancakes (But Make Them Churro-ish)

You know those lazy Saturday mornings where you wake up extra tired but somehow really excited for breakfast? Well, that’s when I tend to whip up these Spanish churro-inspired pancakes. One time the kids were grumpy from missing the local fair (thanks, rain!) so I decided, “alright, let’s bring the churros home.” And bam, this recipe was born. It’s not exactly like getting piping-hot churros from a street cart in Spain, but it’s totally got those cinnamon-sugar vibes—plus, you get away with calling it breakfast. Which is just cheeky enough for me.

Spanish Churro-Inspired Pancakes: A Breakfast Delight!

Why on Earth Would You Love This?

I make this when we want to pretend we’re on vacation, or when the weather is miserable and we need cheering up. My family goes kinda wild for these (I actually hide a few extra for myself because otherwise I get left with sad crumbs). If you’re bored stiff of plain pancakes, or just want an excuse to eat something with a cinnamon-sugar crunch at 9am, this one’s a no-brainer. Ok, so I’ve had my share of pancakes coming out dense, but this recipe—maybe it’s the extra dash of vanilla or the reckless amount of butter—always comes out fluffy. Make sure to double the sugar topping if you’ve got anyone with a sweet tooth. Which reminds me: don’t skip the dip in the melted butter. I tried that out of laziness once and, honestly, it’s just not the same.

Okay, What Do I Need?

1 cup all-purpose flour (sometimes I’ll sneak in half whole wheat if I’m feeling noble, but honestly the white flour wins out for texture)
2 tablespoons granulated sugar (I’ve swapped for brown sugar in a pinch, and it’s a little deeper in flavor)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (my grandma swore by fancy Spanish cinnamon, but I just use the big tub from the grocer—it’s fine)
1 cup buttermilk (when I don’t have it, I do 1 cup milk with a big squeeze of lemon, let it sit)
1 large egg
2 tablespoons melted butter, plus more for greasing (and dunking!)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract (I usually measure this straight from the bottle—don’t judge me)
1/2 cup sugar (for rolling; white works, but turbinado’s pretty fancy if you have it lying about)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (again, for rolling—do not scrimp)
More melted butter (for dipping pancakes after cooking)

How to Make These—With a Few Sidetracks

In a big bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and that first dose of ground cinnamon. Looks a little lumpy? Don’t panic; it’ll smooth out later.
In another bowl (or a large jug if you’re lazy like me), whisk up the buttermilk, egg, melted butter, and vanilla. Try not to eat the batter—yep, it smells that good already.
Pour the wet stuff into the dry stuff and fold it together just until it’s combined. Actually, a few streaks of flour are fine; the less you mess with it, the fluffier the pancakes.
Heat a skillet or griddle over medium. Melt a blob of butter. Spoon in a bit less than 1/4 cup per pancake. Don’t crowd the pan! I learned that the hard way, flipping a pile of stuck-together blobs.
Cook until you see bubbles all over the edges, then flip. Give them another minute or so—when they’re golden-brown (ish), they’re done. I usually sneak a tiny bite, for quality control (obviously).
While pancakes are cooking, stir together 1/2 cup sugar with 1 teaspoon cinnamon in a bowl (I use a soup bowl, so there’s space for rolling).
Brush each hot pancake with melted butter straight away, then drop it into the cinnamon-sugar mix and swirl it around. This is messy but so worth it—don’t worry about perfection.
Stack ‘em up, pass out forks, and prepare for sticky fingers.

Notes From the Trenches

I’ve accidentally used baking soda alone instead of both powders, and yeah, it tasted pretty weird—stick with both if you can.
If you let the batter sit more than 10 minutes, it gets a bit thicker, which can be good or bad depending how you like your pancakes. Just don’t forget about it entirely like I did once; the results were, um, not light and fluffy.
Honestly, I’ve tried air-frying the finished pancakes to “crisp them up”; just don’t bother, it’s not an upgrade.

Stuff I’ve Tried (Some Winners, Some Not)

Swapping in a dab of orange zest for the vanilla for a little zing—honestly not bad.
I tried stuffing tiny chocolate chips inside once. It mostly just melted everywhere—still tasty though!
Used oat milk once and, eh, the texture didn’t quite do it for me. But if that’s your thing—have at it.

Equipment (And Workarounds, Because Life Happens)

Griddle or frying pan (cast iron’s amazing if you’ve got one, but most pans work)
Mixing bowls—two is ideal, but I’ve used the same one, wiping it out quick
Whisk or even a sturdy fork
Soup bowl for the cinnamon sugar
Basting brush for butter (or just use a spoon—the world won’t end)

Storing These Beauties

If you actually have leftovers (which, in my home, never really happens unless someone’s mysteriously “not hungry”), just tuck them into a container and pop in the fridge. Stack with parchment or wax paper if you don’t want the sugar to glue them all together. They’ll keep for two days, though I like them best reheated in the oven for a few minutes.

Serving Them Up—What We Do

We usually pile these pancakes high and let everyone do their own extra sprinkle of cinnamon sugar. Sometimes I add a bowl of warm chocolate sauce on the side, Spanish café style (yes, for breakfast), but if I’m feeling lazy, just syrup works fine too. On particularly good mornings, we eat these on the porch with big mugs of coffee. There’s something about fresh air and sweet, crunchy pancakes that fixes pretty much anything.

Lessons Learned (a.k.a. Pro Tips—Kind Of)

I once tried doubling the cinnamon in the sugar mix—let’s just say less is more there, it gets a bit much.
Don’t crank up the heat too high, even if you’re starving; they burn crazy fast. Let them go at a steady medium.
Resist pressing down with the spatula. I always want to, but they puff up way better if you just leave them alone.

Real (Not at all Made-Up) Questions I’ve Gotten

Q: Can I freeze these?
A: Yep! Stick parchment between ‘em and freeze. They get a bit less crispy, but still good.
Q: What if I don’t have buttermilk?
A: Milk plus a squeeze of lemon or a splash of vinegar, let it sit a few mins—honestly, I do this more often than buying actual buttermilk.
Q: My pancakes are a bit flat. Did I mess up?
A: Maybe the batter got overmixed or the pan was too hot. Or the baking powder was old. Or Mercury’s in retrograde. It happens—try again!
Q: Can I make these gluten-free?
A: You can swap in a gluten-free flour blend—the texture’s slightly different, but my neighbor with celiac says they’re decent enough.

So there it is! Spanish churro-inspired pancakes, part breakfast, part dessert, 100 percent joy. Give it a go—even if you’ve never made pancakes from scratch. And if all else fails, order real churros next time you see them and consider this practice. Happy cooking, mate!

Spanish Churro-Inspired Pancakes: A Breakfast Delight Guide