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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.
My favorite, apple and cinnamon. It came out fully and delicious. Thanks for sharing.
fluffy* sorry 🙂
These are so good! Perfect fall flavor!
These pancakes were easy to make, and very flavorful. It was a delicious Sunday breakfast that we’re looking forward to making again.
Finally I found an Apple Cinnamon recipe that is absolutely 😋 😋 😋 and owns up to its rating. Loved the balance of spice with the apples and the fluffy light texture just right. This deserves an 👏 and 💙 🎀 !
I’m making this for the first time. I added plain yogurt with one cup milk. Hopefully it comes out ok.
I hope you enjoyed the pancakes!
These were great. My very picky 15 month old loved them! We didn’t add syrup, I thought they were perfect without it.
Yay! That makes me so happy to hear that it was a success… for your child too! 🙂
All my siblings loved it ^^. Next time though, I’ll use more apples. Just a personal preference ^_^
I followed the recipe exactly except I only had gala apples on hand. It came out excellent. I’ve made apple pancakes with boxed mix before but this was my first time making them from scratch. It was worth it.
I am a high school Foods teacher. I used this recipe during our apple unit. Students loved it. Thank you for such a tasty, easy to follow recipe.
Oh that is so awesome! You’re welcome! I’m glad you could use the recipe in your class!
I love cooking but I’m definitely not a baker… I had an apple to use up so figured I’d give this recipe a shot. I did substitute regular flour with almond flour, but I doubled the egg to make sure it still stuck together. It didn’t. I added some extra baking powder and flour when it wouldn’t stay together in the pan, but still didn’t quite stick like a pancake. I gave up and froze the batter, in the hopes someone here might have a suggestion?? The flavor of my gooey, crumbly pancakes was still DELICIOUS, so I really want to make these work!!
Have you considered baking your concoction in leu of pan frying?
I discovered almond flour changes the whole consistency of the batter instead I used 2 tbsp less of the all purpose (King Arthur)and used 2 tbsp of his wheat flour