Apple Pancakes

Apple pancakes are a sweet and delicious treat to whip up on the weekends to get us excited for the fall season. My soft, fluffy apple pancakes recipe is brimming with a fragrant sprinkle of cinnamon and nutmeg, plus a couple of finely diced Granny Smith apples, all drizzled with a warm, buttery cider syrup!

Homemade Pancakes Filled with the Sweet Taste of Apples

As summer ever so slowly begins to fade and fall begins to gently remind us it's on its way in, sweet apples and all things prepared with them really begin to beckon to me.

The idea of warm spices combined with sweet, fragrant apples is so fantastically enticing, that I find myself looking forward to the weekends just so that I can set aside some time to cozy up in my kitchen and prepare some homemade goodies using these ingredients.

Whether I whip up a batch of my moist Apple Bread, my Baked Apples with Cranberry Nut Crumble, or my Caramel Apple Bars, we never seem to get enough of apples with their tangy-sweet flavor.

And when we're craving some thick, fluffy homemade pancakes on a leisurely weekend morning, I love to prepare my apple pancakes recipe complete with my warm, buttery cider syrup to generously pour over top of a big stack.

Sheer bliss, and just the treat to usher in the fall season with!

My Recipe for Apple Pancakes with Warm Cider Syrup

While my hubby and I adore going out to our favorite diner to indulge in a thick stack of hot, fluffy pancakes, there's really nothing quite like preparing pancakes at home, from scratch, using delicious and fresh ingredients.

Part of the appeal of making homemade apple pancakes is that I get to choose how much spice and vanilla I want to use, and how “apple-y” to make the pancakes!

Making apple pancakes requires just a few pantry staples, and combing those ingredients into a fairly thick, aromatic batter...

For my pancake ingredients, I use some basics like flour, baking soda and baking powder, plus eggs, buttermilk and melted butter for richness.

I also like my apple pancakes to be aromatic and filled with spice, so I sprinkle in a hefty spoonful of cinnamon and a pinch of nutmeg, a good splash of pure vanilla for sweetness, plus my secret ingredient: a bit of malted milk powder for that slightly nutty, “malty” flavor.

Then, of course, apple pancakes need apples, so I add into the batter two, very finely diced Granny Smith apples for a juicy tang.

Once the apple pancake batter rests for a bit, it's ready to be griddled up, resulting in a stack of soft, warm, fluffy apple pancakes ready for that rich, buttery cider syrup!

Here's a peek at how I make my apple pancakes recipe: (or just jump to the full recipe...)

1. To get started, I prepare my pancake batter by whisking together my dry ingredients, then my wet ingredients, then combine them to form a batter. I fold in the diced apples just until combined, then allow the batter to rest for 15 minutes.
2. While the pancake batter rests, I prepare my easy cider syrup by combing some pancake syrup with some fresh-pressed apple juice (or cider) in a sauce pan. I heat these together for a moment just until hot, then I turn off the heat and whisk in some butter until glossy. I set the buttery cider syrup aside and keep warm.
3. Once ready to prepare my apple pancakes, I heat my griddle (or a couple of non-stick skillets), add some neutral oil or melted butter in, and add about ⅓ cup of the batter per pancake. I cook the pancakes for a couple of minutes per side, until golden and cooked through.
4. I keep the cooked pancakes in a warm oven, and repeat until all the pancakes are prepared.
5. To serve, I stack up some apple pancakes and enjoy with my warm, buttery cider syrup.

Recipe

Apple Pancakes

by Ingrid Beer

Print Recipe

These fluffy apple pancakes filled with spices and apples come complete with a warm cider syrup for a sweet taste of fall!

Category: Breakfast
Cuisine: American

Yield: 12 pancakes

Nutrition Info: 840 calories (per 3 pancakes with about ¼ cup syrup)

Prep Time: 25 minutes (does not include “rest” time for batter)
Cook time: 10 minutes (if using a griddle)
Total time: 35 minutes

Apple Pancake Ingredients:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon plus ½ teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ¼ cup malted milk (powder)
• 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 2 cups buttermilk, room temp
• 2 eggs, room temp
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
• ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted, slightly cooled
• 2 small granny smith apples, peeled and diced very finely (roughly 1 ½ – 1 ¾ cups worth)

Warm, Buttery Cider Syrup Ingredients:

• 1 cup pancake syrup
• ¼ cup fresh-pressed apple juice or unfiltered cider
• 2 tablespoons cold, unsalted butter

Preparation:

1. Begin by gathering and prepping all of your pancake ingredients according to the ingredient list to have ready and organized for use.
2. To prepare the batter, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, malted milk and sugar in a large bowl. Set aside for a moment.
3. To another large bowl add the buttermilk, the eggs and the vanilla, and using a hand mixer (or you can vigorously whisk), mix the ingredients for about a minute until very well combined. Next, slowly drizzle in the melted butter as you continue to mix until that is combined.
4. Add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, and very gently and carefully mix just until barely moistened. Then, add in the diced apples and mix a little more, just until combined (a few lumps is just fine— you DO NOT want to over mix the batter, or the pancakes will be flat and rubbery).
5. Set the batter aside, covered with some plastic wrap, and allow to rest for 15 minutes.
6. While the batter rests, gather and prep your cider syrup ingredients according to the ingredients list above to have ready and organized for use.
7. To prepare the cider syrup, place the pancake syrup into a small saucepan, and whisk in the fresh-pressed apple juice or unfiltered cider. Place over low heat and allow the mixture to heat slowly, just until hot.
8. Turn heat off, and add in the butter, whisking to completely blend it into the syrup and make it glossy.
9. Set aside to allow the cider syrup to cool just slightly to “warm” in order for it to thicken up a bit.
10. Once the pancake batter has rested, heat your oven to “warm” (or 160° to 170°), and place a wire rack in the oven to hold the cooked pancakes.
11. Heat your griddle (or place a couple of non-stick skillets over low or medium-low heat), and brush a little neutral oil or melted butter on the bottom. Once hot, add a ⅓ cup-size portion of the batter in (per pancake), and cook the pancakes for about 2 – 2 ½ minutes per side, until golden-brown.
12. Serve warm with softened butter and some warm, buttery cider syrup.

Tips & Tidbits for my Apple Pancakes recipe:

• Granny Smith apples, or your favorite variety: Since I'm looking for a bit of tanginess in these apple pancakes to balance out the sweetness, I like to reach for Granny Smith apples, and peel and finely dice them to add into the batter. Honeycrisp apples are terrific as well, as are Gala. Use your favorite!
• Nothing beats warm, buttery cider syrup on apple pancakes: Sure, regular pancake syrup, or even pure maple syrup would be utterly delicious on these pancakes, there's nothing quite like my buttery cider syrup to reinforce that apple flavor. It's a match made in pancake heaven!
• Malted milk powder, for malty flavor: While it's not a totally necessary ingredient, malted milk powder offers some terrific flavor to these pancakes. It's typically found in the section of the market where cereals and shelf-stable breakfast items are kept.
• Allow the pancake batter to rest: While this is not a totally necessary step, I find that allowing my pancake batter to rest for 15 minutes before cooking the pancakes makes for fluffier pancakes. The leavening agents have some time to come alive a bit, seemingly creating thicker, fluffier pancakes rather than thinner, disc-like ones.
• Hold the apple pancakes in a “warm” oven to keep 'em cozy: To keep your prepared pancakes from getting cold while the others are being cooked, set your oven to a “warm” setting, or around 165° to 170°. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper of foil, or even place a wire rack over, and keep in the oven to stack the prepared pancakes on to keep 'em warm and cozy.

Hungry for more tasty apple treats? Check out this Apple Cranberry Pie, these Apple Fritters, these Apple Muffins with Caramel Glaze, this Apple Cake, or these Caramel Apple Sticky Rolls!

Cook's Note:This recipe was originally published in 2014, and had been updated with even more love!