Apple Pie Pancakes

Wholesome, light, and fluffy apple pie pancakes drizzled with spiced maple syrup are perfect for fall mornings!

I can’t think of a tastier way to start your day than these amazing Apple Pie Pancakes! Pumpkin Waffles, Apple Crumb Coffee Cake, and Cinnamon Apple Rolls are also delicious ways to start a chilly fall day!

Apple Season

For some reason I’ve been on a huge apple kick this fall! Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE pumpkin, but everything with apples sounds delicious! I’m finding all sorts of new ways to incorporate them into salads, main dishes, breads and even pancakes.

Lately I’ve really been craving cozy foods like waffles or pancakes for breakfast, so I thought I’d make a spiced pancake that tastes just as good as apple pie– but has a lot less calories and requires way less work. I think I was pretty darn successful!

I adapted one of my favorite recipes to include apple pie spice, grated apple and applesauce. I wanted to make sure that each bite was packed with flavor. 

And to keep things a little on the healthier side I opted for whole wheat flour and low-fat buttermilk. You can totally use whatever you’d like, it’s up to you. They’ll turn out nice and fluffy either way. 😉

But of course, I couldn’t just stop with the pancakes. I warmed our syrup in a small pan and added some spices to it as well. I poured it over a tall stack of pancakes covered with freshly cut apples and then topped everything with a bit of homemade vanilla bean whipped cream. 

These pancakes + those toppings = a plate full of apple pie perfection! If you prefer soft apples you can always cook them in a little butter until they become tender and then add in your syrup and spices. That would taste amazing too!

Making Apple pie pancakes

WET INGREDIENTS. In a medium size mixing bowl, add the grated apple, apple sauce, buttermilk, butter, egg, brown sugar and vanilla extract, whisk until combined.

DRY INGREDIENTS. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and apple pie spice.

COMBINE. Make a small “nest” or well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour the wet ingredients in. Using a large whisk or spatula, stir together until only very small lumps remain.

COOK. Place a large skillet over medium-high heat and melt a small amount of butter in the pan. Pour ⅓ c. of batter into the pan (I can do 2 at a time in my large skillet) and allow the pancake(s) to cook for 2 minutes, then flip and continue cooking for an additional 2 minutes. Repeat with the remaining batter, buttering the pan between each batch.

SYRUP. To make the syrup, in a small saucepan combine the maple syrup and apple pie spice. Over medium-low heat, cook for 3-4 minutes, serve over hot pancakes.

Tips + Storing Info

Here are a few tips when making them:

• Make your own Homemade Buttermilk if you don’t have any on hand.
• Make your own apple pie spice by combining 1 tsp cinnamon, ½ tsp nutmeg, ¼ tsp allspice,  ⅛ tsp of ginger, and ⅛ tsp ground cloves to yield 2 tsp.  
• Your favorite apples can be used in this recipe. A few that would work especially well are Honeycrisp, Fuji, Gala, Pink Lady, Mc Intosh, or Granny Smith.
• These pancakes can also be served with your favorite syrups. Cinnamon, buttermilk, blueberry, or boysenberry would all be delicious choices.
• Drizzle a bit of water onto your skillet to see if it’s warm enough before cooking your pancakes. If it sizzles then you’re good to go!
• When you see tiny bubbles forming on the top of your pancakes it is time to flip them over. Cook until both sides are golden brown.
• Keep pancakes warm in a baking dish in a 200 degree oven until you are ready to serve them.

STORE leftover pancakes covered in a Ziploc bag for up to 2 days.

FREEZE cooled pancakes in a Ziploc bag or airtight container for up to 2 months.

Reheat pancakes in the toaster, toaster oven at 300 degrees, or in the microwave.

More pancake recipes:

• Oatmeal Pancakes
• Pumpkin Pancakes With Buttered Pecan Maple Syrup
• Gingerbread Pancakes
• Lemon Poppy Seed Pancakes With Raspberry Syrup

Recipe source: my whole wheat banana pancakes