Apple pancakes are infused with subtle fall spices and plenty of apple pieces. Top them off with fried apples for extra apple flavor, or plain old butter and maple syrup work, too!
The Perfect Fall Morning Breakfast
Thick, fluffy, and chock full of fall flavors, these apple pancakes are heavily influenced by my well-loved buttermilk pancakes. They were carefully developed to have just the right amount of spice (cinnamon!) and the perfect ratio of apple to pancake in every bite (though, if you want to go overboard I highly recommend topping them off with my fried apples!).
This recipe comes together quickly and easily and, if you’ve ever struggled with flat, dense, rubbery, or flavorless pancakes, I’ve got you covered with plenty of tips and tricks so you get pancake-house-worthy results.
So grab your apples and a few pantry basics and let’s get started!
What You Need
- Apples. Essentially any apple will work well here. Because we’re chopping them nice and fine (or even grating them) and the apple pancakes cook for such a relatively brief amount of time, you don’t have to worry about picking an especially firm or soft apple, any kind will do. I do recommend peeling them before using.
- Sugar. We toss the apples in a small bit of granulated sugar (and ground cinnamon), but for the pancakes I opted for brown sugar. This adds a deeper, more fall-ish flavor to the base of the pancakes.
- Buttermilk. I tested this recipe with both milk and buttermilk and buttermilk was simply the tastier choice. However, the versions made with milk were still good! Follow my notes in the recipe card if you opt to use this (or any other milk) substitute, though. You’ll need to use a bit less than the amount called for.
SAM’S TIP: Bringing your ingredients to room temperature before beginning is best, but I’ve found this recipe is pretty forgiving and I’ve also made it with cold buttermilk (sometimes I just forget to set it out!). Note that the melted butter will likely begin to curdle and re-solidify as you whisk it into the liquid, this is normal and no reason to panic.
This is just an overview of the ingredients I used and why. For the full recipe please scroll down to the bottom of the post!
How to Make Apple Pancakes
Prep the apples
I like to dice the apples nice and small, but you could grate them instead. The smaller they are, the better they distribute through your pancakes. Toss them in just a small bit of cinnamon and sugar, this is absolutely essential and where I think a lot of other recipes drop the ball. This infuses the apples with flavor and is part of what makes my apple pancakes so good. I also use this technique in my apple cake.
Make the batter
Pancake batter, whether it’s classic buttermilk, sourdough pancakes, banana pancakes, or these apple pancakes, must always be handled with care. Prep the wet and dry ingredients separately, then combine the two and use a spatula to very gently fold the batter together. When it’s about halfway combined, add the apples and continue to fold together.
The batter will still look lumpy when it’s ready, and there may even be some small streaks of flour remaining, this is fine and preferable to accidentally over-mixing, which will make your apple pancakes flat, dense, and rubbery!
Let the batter sit for at least 5 minutes while you heat your pan, and make sure you can feel the heat radiating from the pan (hold your hand a few inches above the surface — don’t touch it!) before adding the batter (and coat your pan with a bit of oil or butter or cooking spray first). Also, give yourself a little grace and consider the first pancake a test for determining exactly what heat your stovetop needs to be and how soon to flip it, etc.
Cook the apple pancakes
I use a small skillet (it makes it easy to cook one pancake at a time) and use about ½ cup of batter per pancake (this gives me pancakes about 8″ in diameter, of course you can adjust this to make the pancakes as large or small as you’d like).
Then, watch the pancake. It’s ready to flip when the bubbles in the batter begin to burst and the edges begin to appear cooked.
SAM’S TIP: Keep your pancakes warm! Turn your oven on to its lowest setting (below 200F) and place the pancakes in an even layer on a parchment lined baking sheet to keep them warm as you bake them. I do this when I’m making French toast (or my fancier, brioche French toast), too!
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, whole wheat flour actually works well for a whole wheat pancake variation, but I recommend adding another Tablespoon of brown sugar into the batter (bringing you to ¼ cup or 50 grams of light brown sugar). Note that whole wheat flour does not always work well in baked goods as it is a “thirstier” flour and the pancakes won’t be quite as soft and tender, but it does work!
Plain old salted butter (or honey butter) and maple syrup works great, but to take the fall apple flavor over the top, use a smear of apple butter, or top with fried apples and whipped cream.
Yes, the batter may be made up to 24 hours in advance. Store covered in the refrigerator and briefly, gently stir before using.
Today’s recipe was born of a need to use up the 30 pounds of apples my kids brought home from apple picking last weekend. Let me know if there are any other apple recipes you’d like to see (in the meantime, I’ll be making more apple butter, apple crisp, and applesauce!).
Enjoy!
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Apple Pancakes
Ingredients
For apples
- 1 ½ teaspoons granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 cup (125 g) finely diced apples peel and core before dicing (125g)
For pancakes
- 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour
- 3 Tablespoons (38 g) brown sugar firmly packed
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 cups (500 ml) + 2 Tablespoons buttermilk see note to substitute milk
- 4 Tablespoons (56 g) unsalted butter melted
- 2 large eggs lightly beaten, room temperature preferred
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Butter, cooking spray, or neutral cooking oil, for cooking pancakes
Recommended Equipment
- Small skillet
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk together sugar and cinnamon then add apples and toss until coated with the mixture. Set aside.1 ½ teaspoons granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1 cup (125 g) finely diced apples
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour, 3 Tablespoons (38 g) brown sugar, 2 teaspoons baking powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, ½ teaspoon salt
- Pour buttermilk in a separate, medium-sized mixing bowl (or a large measuring cup). While whisking, slowly drizzle in melted butter (it’s alright if you notice the butter begins to separate).2 cups (500 ml) + 2 Tablespoons buttermilk, 4 Tablespoons (56 g) unsalted butter
- Add eggs and vanilla extract to the buttermilk mixture, whisk until well-combined.2 large eggs, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Add wet ingredients to dry and use a spatula to gently fold ingredients together until about halfway combined. Add your apples and continue to fold together until apples are well distributed and batter is just combined (it’s fine if it’s a bit lumpy, don’t over-mix!).
- Set batter aside and heat a small skillet over medium heat. When pan is warm (you should be able to feel the heat radiating from it if you hover your hand a few inches over the surface) add a small pat of butter or brush the pan with cooking oil (or spray with cooking spray).Butter, cooking spray, or neutral cooking oil, for cooking pancakes
- Once surface is coated, add pancake batter (I do a bit less than half a cup at a time) and cook until the edges of the pancake appear cooked and bubbles in the batter begin to burst. Using a pancake spatula, carefully flip the pancake and cook several minutes longer until pancake is golden brown and cooked through.
- Repeat with remaining batter, adding more butter or oil to the pan between pancakes.
- Serve warm, topped with salted butter and maple syrup or fried apples and whipped cream!
Notes
Buttermilk
You may substitute 2 cups of whole milk (or your preferred milk substitute) for the buttermilk, but buttermilk really does have the best flavor! Alternatively use my buttermilk substitute: fill a 2-cup measuring cup with 2 Tablespoons of lemon juice, then fill with milk (or milk substitute) to the 2-cup mark, stir, and use.Keep the apple pancakes warm
To keep the pancakes warm as you cook them, turn your oven to its lowest setting (below 200F) and place pancakes in an even layer on a parchment paper lined baking sheet and keep warm in the oven.Storing/making in advance
Cool leftover pancakes completely then store cooked pancakes in an airtight container for up to 2 days or frozen for up to several months. The batter may be made in advance, covered, and stored in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours.Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.
Violeta
So easy! I accidentally used corn starch instead of baking powder, oops, but it came out great. Also used pumpkin pie spice instead of cinnamon. Definitely perfect for guests!
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed them so much, Violeta! 🙂
alexly
loved these! So easy + quick!
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed them, Alexly! 🙂