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Change up your typical breakfast routine with these light, fluffy apple pancakes filled with grated apples and the perfect hint of cinnamon!
Sometimes I just need a good fruity pancake for breakfast. If I’m not making these apple pancakes, other favorites include our Strawberry or Banana Pancakes!
Sweet and Cinnamon Pancakes
When it comes to breakfast foods, pancakes are where it’s at!
They’re quick and easy to make, incredibly versatile, and easy to make for a crowd. My kids love them, and we make them frequently at our house. Pancakes are perfect for a fun weekend breakfast or even a quick dinner when you’re too tired to cook.
Apple pancakes are a spiced favorite! The lightly sweetened cinnamon batter is quick and easy to whip up, and I love the texture and flavor that the grated fresh apple adds. The pancakes cook quickly and get light and fluffy on the griddle.
I can usually fit at least five pancakes on my griddle at a time, so I can have a pile of hot pancakes in only a few minutes. Top it off with Cinnamon Buttermilk Syrup and you’ll be in heaven!
Simple Spiced Pancakes
BATTER. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs, oil, and milk.
APPLE. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, and mix gently until just barely combined (a few small lumps are okay). Gently fold in the grated apple.
COOK. Preheat a griddle or frying pan over medium heat. Pour the batter by ¼ cup scoops onto the hot griddle and cook for 3-4 minutes, or until there are bubbles across the surface of the pancake. Flip and cook an additional 1-2 minutes, or until cooked through.
SERVE. Serve warm with butter and maple syrup.
Pancake-flipping Tips
- Be sure the pan is at the right temperature; about 375°F. Too hot and the outside will burn before the center is done. Too cold and the pancake will become tough.
- Flip when the edges start to cook AND the center batter bubbles.
- Take a peek at the underside to see if it has started turning a beautiful golden brown.
- Only flip once so don’t flip too soon.
- The second side will cook faster than the first.
- Do not press down on the pancake. It will not help it cook faster and only serves to flatten them.
Serving + Toppings
Apple cinnamon pancakes lend perfectly to fall flavors!
SERVE warm with butter and maple syrup, or Homemade Buttermilk Syrup!
More topping ideas include:
- apple compote or applesauce
- powdered sugar
- cream cheese spread
- honey
- chopped nuts, peanut butter, and Nutella
- Cinnamon Buttermilk Syrup
Be sure to check out all of our pancake-storing tips!
Leftovers are just as tasty
Pancakes are one of the best things to save and eat leftovers of. They keep great in both the fridge and freezer and are easy to reheat.
STORE cooked pancakes in the fridge in an airtight container for 3-4 days.
FREEZE. Place pancakes in a single layer on a baking pan and freeze for 1-2 hours. Transfer to an airtight freezer-safe container. Label and freeze for up to 3 months.
To reheat. The easiest way to reheat pancakes is in the microwave. Heat in 20-second increments until hot. Another easy way is to use a toaster, just pop it in and toast until warmed through.
For larger batches of pancakes, use an oven set at 350°F. Spread pancakes evenly over a baking sheet, cover with foil, and bake for about 10 minutes or until hot.
Recipe FAQ
I used a tart Granny Smith apple to make this pancake recipe, but you can use sweeter Honeycrisp, Braeburn, or Jongold apples. Be sure to peel and grate them before mixing them into the batter.
A few tricks to fluffy apple pancakes include sifting all the dry ingredients together first to avoid overmixing, letting the batter rest after you mix it up, using buttermilk in place of regular milk, using fresh baking powder, and not pressing the pancakes down with a spatula while you cook them.
For More Yummy PancakeS, Check Out:
- Funfetti Pancakes
- Yogurt Pancakes
- German Pancakes
- Chocolate Chip Pancakes
- Lemon Poppy Seed Pancakes
- White Chocolate Berry Pancakes
- Pumpkin Pancakes
Apple Pancake Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 4 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 2 cups milk
- 1 medium granny smith apple peeled and grated
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs, oil, and milk.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, and mix gently until just barely combined (a few small lumps are okay). Gently fold in the grated apple.
- Preheat a griddle or frying pan over medium heat. Pour the batter by ¼ cup scoops onto the hot griddle and cook for 3-4 minutes, or until there are bubbles across the surface of the pancake. Flip and cook an additional 1-2 minutes, or until cooked through.
- Serve warm with butter and maple syrup.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
For more yummy recipes from Alicia, check out The Baker Upstairs.
Question… your waffle version adds apple sauce… if I want to add apple sauce to the pancake recipe what ingredient(s) has to be modified?
Which waffle recipe are you referring to? I can’t think of which waffle recipe we have on the site that includes applesauce. However, typically applesauce replaces oil or butter when using it to bake. So you could try swapping the oil for applesauce and see how it turns out. I haven’t ever personally tried it, so you’ll have to let us know how they taste if you sub with applesauce.
Thank you so much for sharing this amazing recipe! Will surely have this again! It’s really easy to make and it tasted so delicious! Highly recommended!
These are my new favorite pancakes! I love the flavor! My kids enjoyed them too!
My whole family (including my extremely picky toddler) absolutely loves this recipe!
Delicious, moist, fluffy pancakes! Definitely a go to especially when we have extra apples sitting on the counter. They freeze well !
Yes!! I’m so glad you enjoyed the pancakes. They are great ones to freeze for fast breakfasts!
Best pancake recipe ever. I precooked my apple pieces on the stove for like 15 min to make them soft and once in the pancakes its melt in your mouth
That sounds amazing! So glad you love the recipe too!
Very good! Don’t add too much syrup when serving because they are naturally pretty sweet. I used honey crisp apple & 2% milk.
Thanks for sharing!!
Delish. I tweeted it a bit and lessened the all purposed flour by 2 tbsp and replaced 2 tbsp of wheat flour – I used 2 eggs but only 1 egg yolk and replaced egg yolk with 2 tbsp of mashed banana
Also I only used 1/4 of vegetable and added 1/4 more of milk and 2tbsp of vanilla. The consistency was great and I let it sit for 5 minutes because of the wheat flour. My husband even loved it and he’s not a fan of pancakes. I made waffles with it instead
These turned out great! Used almond milk instead of regular milk to cut out some calories. Thanks for the recipe!
Sound like a great substitution. You’re so welcome! Glad you enjoyed the pancakes!
Tastes great. Kids loved it. Batter was a bit dense so I ended up using a little more than 3/4 cup of milk and cooking on medium low heat. Thank you!
I’m glad to hear you enjoyed the pancakes!! Thanks for sharing!
So yum, can not even begin to describe it. Personally I found that the batter was originally a bit watery when i first mixed everything, so I added more flour and a bit of baking powder and it all came together. I also LOVE PB so I added that sparingly in between each layer. Dusted it off with cinnamon and drizzled maple syrup and absolutely delish 🤤
Your additions sound heavenly! Thanks for sharing!