Recreate the deliciousness of Cracker Barrel's Strawberry Cheesecake Pancakes at home with this easy copycat recipe. Fluffy pancakes with creamy cheesecake filling are topped with sweet strawberry sauce for the perfect breakfast treat!
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Say 'Hello" to these Strawberry Cheesecake Pancakes. Fluffy, creamy, and fruity, with just the right amount of sweetness—this homemade masterpiece (I said what I said) takes brunch to the next level. How did we get here? Let me tell you...
I was minding my own business, binge watching my favorite Bravo shows, when a Cracker Barrel commercial popped up, showing off pancakes filled with cream and covered in strawberry sauce. I was instantly hooked. But instead of driving an hour and a half to the nearest location, I headed straight to my kitchen (well, after Below deck was over).
The result? Pancakes that are fluffy, creamy, fruity, and way more satisfying than anything that comes with a side of turnpike exit directions.
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Ingredients & Substitutions
This uses simple ingredients that you either already have or can easily get at the grocery store. Let's go over them and see if you can make any changes if you need to:
- Strawberries - At the time that I'm writing this recipe it is early Spring and sweet and juicy strawberries are showing up at the Farmer's market. If it's not strawberry season where you are, you can certainly use your favorite frozen fruit to make your sauce. Blueberry sauce would be delicious too! In a pinch, top these with strawberry jam. I've done it!
- Lemon juice - I like to use a little vibrant lemon juice to bring in acidity to balance the sweetness. if you need to use bottled lemon juice, go right ahead. If you don't have access to lemon or lime juice, you can just use water to dissolve your cornstarch.
- Cornstarch - Cornstarch is used to thicken up your strawberry sauce just a bit. If you don't have it you can use arrowroot powder in its place. You can also skip it and just simmer the strawberry sauce a little more to reduce and thicken.
- Cream cheese - I'm a full fat cream cheese kinda gal, but if you want to use low fat, go right ahead.
- Heavy cream - To make the cream cheese filling fluffy and creamy, it takes heavy cream, in my opinion. BUT if you want to make the filling dairy free, you can use vegan cream cheese and coconut cream.
- Milk - I use whole milk in the pancakes, but you can sub with your favorite non-dairy milk or even make buttermilk pancakes, although you may need to use a few tablespoons more due to the thickness of buttermilk.
- Self-rising flour - Self-rising flower contains all purpose flour, baking powder, and salt, making it a great convenience to have for any quick pancakes, easy biscuits, or my eggless muffins. If you don't have it you can make your own self-rising flour for this recipe with 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons of baking powder, and ¼ teaspoon of salt.
See recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Quick Recipe Video
Step-by-Step Instructions
When you first look at a recipe, it can seem like a lot. We're going to break this down into four simple parts.
1. We're going to make the strawberry sauce.
2. Then we're gonna make the filling.
3. Then we will cook our pancakes.
4. Then we put everything together. That doesn't sound so hard right? Let's go!
Make the strawberry sauce
Step 1: Add chopped strawberries, granulated (caster) sugar, and a tablespoon of water into a saucepan and cook over medium heat until the strawberry soften, about 10 minutes. Mash the strawberries up a bit with the back of a spoon or a potato masher and let simmer another five minutes.
Step 2: Whisk one teaspoon of cornstarch into one tablespoon of lemon juice and stir into your strawberry sauce. Allow to simmer for another couple of minutes, until the sauce is thickened. Remove from heat and cool. It will thicken more as it sits, like a chunky homemade strawberry syrup.
Make the cheesecake filling
Step 1: Place powdered sugar, cream cheese, heavy cream, vanilla, and a pinch of salt into the bowl of your food processor. Pulse the food processor until the mixture is fluffy and thick, scraping down the sides as needed. This can also be done in a bowl with a hand mixer.
Step 2: Transfer the cheesecake filling into a large piping bag or zip top bag and place into the refrigerator until needed.
Make the pancake batter
Step 1: In a large bowl add milk, egg, vanilla, and melted and cooled butter. Whisk until fully combined.
Step 2: Add self rising flour and whisk until mostly smooth and all the dry ingredients have disappeared. Some small lumps are fine. Allow the batter to rest for 15 minutes.
Make the pancakes
Step 1:Portion ¼ to ⅓ cup pancake batter into a large nonstick skillet and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the edges look sad and the small bubbles on the surface of the pancake burst. Flip over and cook another 2 to 3 minutes.
Step 2: Fold cooked pancakes into a taco shape and place on a wire rack to cool.
Fill and top the pancakes
Step 1: Unfold an individual pancake and pipe a few tablespoons of filling onto half. Fold over the pancake to enclose the filling.
Step 2: Top with chilled strawberry sauce and some fresh, sliced strawberries. Dust with powdered sugar for fancy reasons.
Make-ahead Instructions
You can make the filling and the strawberry sauce up to 3 days in advance, but they should be stored separately. Let the strawberry sauce cool completely before sealing and storing in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Store the filling in an airtight container in the fridge, and let it soften at room temperature for about 10–15 minutes before spreading so it's nice and creamy.
Once the pancakes have cooled, store them unfilled in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Assemble just before serving for the best texture.
Helpful tips
As I said before, once you break it down into its individual parts, this is really a simple recipe. Here are a few of my best tips for successful cheesecake stuffed pancakes:
- Low and slow is the way to go - Cook your pancakes over medium-low heat so they don’t brown too quickly before the centers are done. This gives you fluffy pancakes with golden, not scorched, bottoms.
- Size matters - Aim for medium-sized pancakes—about ¼ to ⅓ cup of batter per pancake. This makes them easier to flip and fold, especially when they’re still warm and flexible. Plus smaller food is actually more delicious. It's science.
- Fold while warm - As soon as a pancake comes off the griddle, fold it gently in half (like a taco!) and let it cool that way. This helps it “remember” the shape when it’s time to add the filling later.
- Don’t stress the spread - If your filling is difficult to squeeze, let it sit out a few minutes, or spread with a spoon. If it's too thin, add more cream cheese and whip again.
- Stack if you need to - If folding feels fiddly or your pancakes are being dramatic, no worries—just stack your pancakes with the cream cheese filling and top with strawberry sauce. Still delicious, still gorgeous.
Recipe FAQs
Yes! You can make the filling up to 3 days in advance. Just store it in an airtight container in the fridge, and let it soften at room temperature for about 10 to 15 minutes before spreading so it's nice and creamy.
Once the pancakes have cooled, store them unfilled in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. The filling and strawberry sauce should be stored separately. Assemble just before serving for the best texture.
Pop the pancakes in the microwave for 10–15 seconds. Just enough to warm them through without drying them out. You can skip folding them when you first make them and store them. Reheat them in a skillet over low heat for a minute or two per side, and then fold them before filling.
Did you try this recipe?
Leave a comment with a ⭐️ rating below to tell me all about it, and don't forget to tag me on Instagram!
I appreciate you!
-Cynthia
📖 Recipe
Strawberry Cheesecake Pancakes: Cracker Barrel Copycat
Equipment
Ingredients
Strawberry sauce
- 2 pints (450 g) strawberries quartered, plus more for garnish
- ½ cup (100 g) sugar
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch optional
Cream cheese filling
- 8 oz (226 g) cream cheese softened
- ½ cup (60 g) powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 cup (240 g) heavy cream cold
Pancakes
- 1 ½ cups (180 g) self rising flour
- 2 tablespoons (30 g) granulated sugar
- 1 ½ cups (360 g) milk room temperature
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter melted and allowed to cool
Instructions
Make strawberry sauce
- Combine strawberries, sugar, and 1 tablespoon of water in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Lower heat to a gentle simmer and cook until the strawberries are soft and the liquid has reduced, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes.
- Mash the berries with a fork, the back of a spoon, or a potato masher, to desired consistency and simmer another 10 minutes.
- Whisk together 1 tablespoon of lemon juice with 1 teaspoon of cornstarch and add to simmering strawberry sauce. Simmer another one or two minutes, or until thickened. Remove from heat and let cool completely. It will thicken more when completely cooled or chilled.
Make cream cheese filling
- Place powdered sugar, cream cheese and vanilla, and heavy cream into the bowl of your food processor. Pulse a few times to break up the cream cheese, then turn on the machine and let run, stopping and scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula, mixing until creamy and well mixed.
- Transfer to a piping bag, or large zip top bag, and set aside in the refrigerator to keep cold.
Make pancakes
- In a measuring cup whisk together room temperature milk, and a room temperature egg. Add a teaspoon of vanilla extract if you like.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and begin mixing while drizzling in melted and cooled butter. Stop mixing when just combined. Let batter rest for 15 minutes.
- Heat a nonstick pan, or well seasoned cast iron pan, over medium heat. Add a teaspoon of butter or oil if desired, and then portion ¼ to ⅓ cup (or your preferred amount) of batter into the pan.
- Let the pancake cook until bubbles form on the surface and the edges start to look set (about 2 to 3 minutes).
- Use a spatula to flip the pancake. Cook the other side until golden brown, about 1 to 2 minutes more.
- When removing the pancake, fold it over on itself, like a taco shell, with the prettiest side facing out.
Assembly
- Unfold one pancake onto a plate. Snip the corner of your piping bag, or zip top bag, and pipe out your cheesecake filling on one half of your pancake. Fold over the top to close. Sprinkle with powdered sugar, spoon on some strawberry sauce, and add slices of fresh strawberry, if you like.
Save This Recipe! 💌
I'll email this recipe to you, so you can come back to it later, plus you'll get great new recipes from me every week!
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