Apple Pancakes
Let’s embrace the chilly weather with a pile of cozy apple pancakes! These apple-infused pancakes are the quintessential fall breakfast delight. They’re an easy weekend breakfast endeavor that stores perfectly for swift weekday mornings (they freeze and thaw splendidly as well).
This apple pancake recipe is crafted from scratch with freshly grated apple, enhanced by a hint of ground cinnamon. Tangy apples like Honeycrisp or Granny Smith provide the most pronounced flavor. You’ll notice that I opted for Honeycrisp apples in this batch—they’re our family’s preference, yielding outstanding pancakes.
You might already possess everything required to whip up these pancakes in your pantry. Let’s create some.
Apple Pancake Tips
The complete recipe is listed below. Here are several tips to ensure your pancake triumph.
Flour alternatives include white whole wheat flour, standard whole wheat flour, or all-purpose flour. I often prefer whole-grain flours whenever possible, but all-purpose flour has a more neutral flavor, allowing the apple to shine. Otherwise, white whole wheat flour (now referred to as “golden wheat” by King Arthur Flour) offers all the nutritional benefits of whole wheat without the nutty taste.
Gently coat your griddle or skillet with oil. I prepare my pancakes with avocado oil due to its high smoke point and mild flavor (butter burns quickly). No matter what oil you choose, make sure to wipe away any excess with a paper towel to prevent smoking.
Begin by cooking just one pancake. After practicing with one pancake and confirming that your skillet is adequately preheated, you can proceed to make more simultaneously. Maintain a couple of inches between each pancake for effortless flipping.
The pancakes are prepared to flip once approximately 1/2-inch of the edge has transitioned from glossy to matte. The underside should be beautifully golden at this stage. If you’re unsure, it’s wiser to wait a bit longer rather than risk a doughy disaster.
As time progresses, reduce the heat. The skillet becomes hotter the longer it sits on the stove. If your pancakes are browning on the exterior before thoroughly cooking on the inside, your skillet is excessively hot. Lower the heat slightly after a few batches.
Watch How to Create Apple Pancakes
Pancake Serving Suggestions
These apple-imbued pancakes are delightful drizzled with maple syrup, but even more scrumptious with additional toppings. Here’s a collection of toppings or sides to consider:
Additional Apple Recipes to Savor
Here are a few more traditional apple recipes to prepare this fall:
Please share how your pancakes turn out in the comments! I genuinely enjoy hearing from you. You can discover more pancake recipes here.
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Apple Pancakes
This apple pancake recipe features freshly grated apple and ground cinnamon. These apple pancakes are nutritious, tasty, and simple to create. Recipe yields 8 to 9 pancakes.
- In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.
- In a smaller bowl, mix the buttermilk, egg, melted butter, maple syrup, and vanilla. Whisk until well combined.
- Pour the liquid mixture into the flour mixture. Add the grated apple. Stir just until incorporated (a few small lumps of flour are acceptable). Let the batter sit for 5 minutes for nice and fluffy pancakes.
- Meanwhile, if using an electric griddle, preheat it to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Otherwise, heat a large stainless steel or nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. You’re set to begin cooking pancakes once a drop of water sizzles upon contact with the heated surface. If needed, lightly oil the cooking surface and wipe away the excess with a paper towel (nonstick surfaces usually won’t need any oil).
- Scoop a scant ¼ cup of batter onto the warmed skillet, ensuring a couple of inches around each pancake for growing. Cook until small bubbles appear on the surface, around 2 to 3 minutes (you’ll know it’s time to flip when about ½-inch of the perimeter turns matte instead of glossy). Flip the pancakes, and then cook until gently golden on both sides for another 1 to 2 minutes.
- Repeat the process with the rest of the batter, adding more oil and decreasing the heat as needed (I typically end up on low heat, as if the pancakes are darkening too much on the outside before they cook through, it’s too hot). Serve the pancakes right away with toppings of your choice, or keep warm in a 200-degree Fahrenheit oven.
- Leftover pancakes can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or frozen* for up to 2 months. To reheat, stack leftover pancakes and wrap in a paper towel before gently reheating in the microwave.
Notes
Recipe adapted from my Whole Wheat Pancakes.
*Make your own buttermilk: Combine 1 cup milk of choice (dairy or non-dairy like almond milk) with 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar or distilled vinegar. Allow the mixture to rest for 5 minutes, then stir again before use. See photos of the process here.
Make it dairy-free: Create your own buttermilk with non-dairy milk and substitute the butter with avocado oil or extra virgin olive oil.
Make it egg-free: I haven’t confirmed this, but you should be able to omit the egg.
Make it vegan: Follow the dairy-free and egg-free guidelines mentioned earlier.
Make it gluten-free: Use Bob’s Red Mill’s gluten-free 1-to-1 flour. Alternatively, consider mixing the grated apple into my recipe for Almond Flour Pancakes—please let me know in the comments if you give that a try!
Nutrition
The information presented is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not replace professional nutritional advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
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