Apple Pancakes
Kick off fall mornings with light and fluffy Apple Pancakes, filled with warm spices! Sweet, tender apples add the perfect pop of flavor, making each bite irresistible. Top them with sautéed cinnamon apples, a sprinkle of chopped pecans, and a drizzle of maple syrup for a cozy breakfast!
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A Note from Kim
Fall in Every Bite
These apple pancakes are my new favorite fall breakfast! They kind of remind me of apple pie in pancake form. You’ve got the sweet, slightly tart finely diced pieces of apple mixed into the batter, the light, fluffy texture, and to really take these hotcakes to the next level, we’ve added plenty of cinnamon and nutmeg. So good!
The best part? They’re so simple. This straightforward recipe is about as easy as it gets when it comes to pancakes. With just a few steps, you’ll have fluffy, flavorful flapjacks ready in no time.
They’re also perfect for meal prep. Cook them ahead of time, then let them cool and store in the fridge or freezer until you’re ready to enjoy. They’re an easy way to have a cozy breakfast ready for busy mornings.
With love (and lots of good eats), 
This recipe is amazing!!! So flavorful! I made them for my kids for the first day back to school and they loved them!
— Kate
Ingredients needed
This apple pancakes recipe is made with basic ingredients that I bet you already have in your pantry. Here’s the lineup:
- Flour. Regular all-purpose flour or whole wheat pastry flour will give you the best results. To make gluten free pancakes, try using an all-purpose gluten-free flour or oat flour.
- Baking staples. You’ll need some vanilla extract for flavor, a pinch of salt to pull the flavors together and baking powder to help with fluffiness.
- Sugar. Add just one tablespoon of granulated or brown sugar for a touch of sweetness.
- Nutmeg + cinnamon. For warm, cozy flavor!
- Apple. Feel free to use any favorite apple variety in this recipe. My favorites are honeycrisp, fuji, gala or pink lady apples. I leave the skin on the apple, but you can peel it if you’d like.
- Milk. You can use any milk you’d like. Whole milk or buttermilk will give your pancakes the richest flavor.
- Egg. You’ll need just one egg in this recipe.
- Melted butter. A touch of melted butter gives these the perfect texture and richness.
- Optional toppings. The options are endless! Here are some favs: maple syrup, butter, powdered sugar, whipped cream, applesauce, yogurt, peanut butter, chopped pecans or walnuts.
Flavor variations
This pancake recipe works great without any extras! Feel free to omit the grated apple, or swap it out for another add-in. Sometimes we love mixing in blueberries, chocolate chips, or even banana chunks with macadamia nuts. But if you’re in the mood for something extra cozy, here are some fun apple toppings to try:
- Apple pie style. Top with warm cinnamon apples, a sprinkle of nutmeg, and whipped cream.
- Caramel drizzle. Drizzle caramel sauce over sautéed apples and chopped pecans.
- Coconut delight. Sprinkle toasted coconut and nuts with maple syrup.
- Nut butter option. Layer pancakes with almond butter or peanut butter and fresh apple slices.
- Yogurt parfait pancakes. Stack with yogurt, apple compote, and granola.
Apple Pancakes
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 3 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 cup grated or very finely diced apple* (about 1 apple, a little more or less than one cup is fine)
- 1 ¼ cups milk (add 2-3 additional tablespoons, if the mixture seems too thick)
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 3 tablespoons butter, melted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Ideas for serving: maple syrup, butter, powdered sugar, whipped cream, applesauce, yogurt, peanut butter, chopped pecans or walnuts
- Other optional mix-ins: these pancakes are also great plain without the apple or feel free to sub the apple with chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, banana chunks, macadamia nuts, blueberries
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Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together all dry ingredients.
- Make a well in the center and stir in the apple, milk, egg, melted butter and vanilla; mix until just combined. Do NOT overmix. Some small lumps are fine. Let batter rest for 5 to 10 minutes.
- Heat lightly greased or buttered skillet or griddle over medium to medium-high heat. Portion out 1/4 cup scoops of batter per pancake onto skillet or griddle, cooking in batches as needed. You may need to gently spread the batter out some.
- When bubbles begin to form on the surface and the edges of the pancakes look set (2 to 3 minutes), flip and cook the other side until cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Serve warm with maple syrup and butter and/or other favorite toppings.
Notes
**This recipe can easily be doubled, if you’re serving a crowd.
***See post for instructions for storing, freezing and reheating pancakes.
Did you make this recipe?
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How to make apple pancakes
These made-from-scratch apple pancakes take just a couple of minutes longer to whip up, than pancakes from a boxed mix. And once you give them a try, you won’t be able to go back to eating boxed mix. No comparison! Here’s the easy method:
Step 1: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder, sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. In a smaller bowl, mix the milk, egg, melted butter and vanilla.
Step 2: Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and gently stir in the wet ingredients until just combined. Do NOT overmix the pancake batter. Some small lumps are fine.
Step 3: Gently fold in the shredded apple without overmixing.
Step 4: For best results, rest the batter for 5 to 10 minutes. This will allow the gluten in the flour to relax and the starch grains to swell and will make for the most light and fluffy pancakes.
Step 5: Heat a greased skillet or griddle over medium to medium-high heat. Pour about ¼ cup batter per pancake, spreading the mixture gently if needed. Cook until bubbles form and edges look set, about 3 minutes, then flip and cook 2–3 minutes more until golden brown and cooked through. Top with maple syrup, cinnamon apples, pecans, or whipped cream, and enjoy!
Expert tips
This recipe is pretty simple and straightforward, but here are some tips perfection every time:
- Don’t over-mix the batter. You want to gently fold the wet and dry ingredients together until you have a lumpy, just-moist batter. Lumps are good! If you beat the batter until it is perfectly smooth, you’ll have a very dense, flat pancake instead of a light and fluffy one.
- Rest batter. Once you’ve mixed up the batter, it’s best to let it sit for about 5 to 10 minutes. This allows the gluten in the flour to relax and the starch grains to swell. These will be more likely to come out light and fluffy.
- Don’t press down. Don’t use the flipper to press down on the pancake. This can cause it to flatten and it won’t help it cook any faster.
- Only flip once. Flipping the pancakes back and forth causes them to deflate and become dense, so when it’s time to check if they’re done on bottom, just barely lift them to take a peek.
- Apples. My favorites are honeycrisp, fuji, gala or pink lady apples. If you want an extra tart apple, use a Granny Smith. I leave the skin on the apple, but you can peel it if you’d like.
Frequently asked questions
If you’re making breakfast for a crowd, keep these warm until they’re all cooked and everyone can eat. Simply heat the oven to 200 degrees F. Once a batch is done cooking, transfer them to a large baking sheet and put them in the oven to stay warm.
Most boxed mixes call for water, but we definitely recommend milk in this recipe for delicious richness. Whole milk will also yield a more moist pancake, due to the extra fat.
Yes, the batter can be made and refrigerated for up to 4 hours before you plan to use it. In addition, cooked pancakes keep well for up to 5 days in the fridge or 3 months in the freezer.
Serving suggestions
These easy apple cinnamon pancakes pair well with a variety of breakfast sides. Below are some of my favorite sides to serve with them:
- Hash browns or breakfast potatoes. Yes, please!
- Fresh fruit or fruit salad. To keep this breakfast on the lighter side, fruit is such a great option.
- Yogurt. Serve on the side or add a spoonful on top.
- Bacon, sausage, or ham. Anyone else love the bacon/maple syrup combo?
- Eggs. Scrambled on the side, or perhaps over easy and served on top.
Storing, freezing & reheating
- Storing leftovers. The great thing about homemade pancakes is that they keep well in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. For the fridge, let them cool completely and then put them in a zip-top baggie or another airtight container. You can reheat in a toaster or microwave when you’re ready to eat.
- Freezing. Once they have cooled to room temperature, freeze them first on a large pan or plate. When they are slightly hard, transfer them to a freezer-safe bag. They will keep well in the freezer for up to 3 months. Freezing them first, separately, keeps the pancakes from sticking together.
- Reheating. To reheat from frozen, you can either heat them in a toaster oven, microwave, or a warm oven. You can also reheat without thawing them first.
More pancake recipes to try
If you love this recipe, try one of our other favs next:
If you try this easy appetizer, let me know! Leave a comment and if your family loves it as much as mine does, be sure to give it a five star ⭐️ rating! Also, tag @kimscravings on Instagram with a picture of your creation. Be sure to subscribe to our newsletter to receive more healthy delicious recipes straight to your inbox.
This is my go-to pancake recipe, I love it so much! I don’t modify a thing. I serve it with homemade whipped cream and sauteed apples with butter and cinnamon.. perfection.
That sounds amazing! So glad you love it!
I made these for my daycare kids and they were a hit. Even my 10 month old loved them and the left overs made a great little snack later in the day
That makes me so happy to hear! Thanks so much for taking time to comment!
This recipe is amazing!!! So flavorful! I made them for my kids for the first day back to school and they loved them!