The moment fresh pressed apple cider comes around in the fall, I know it is time for these Apple Pancakes to make an appearance at weekend breakfast or brunch!
While this is a recipe that could suit you any time of year, there is just something about the fresh cider in the fall that makes it extra special. Greyson loves to drink up all the fresh goodness and Uncka is always coming up with creative ways to cook with it.
Uncka makes a batch of boiled cider to use throughout the season and in this and many of our other Apple Pancake recipe variations. If you live in a place where you can buy this, you are probably more familiar with it, but we boil a gallon once a season to get us through.
If you like to be a little extra with your banana pancakes, check out THIS RECIPE. Also, be sure to always serve them with WARM maple syrup, the real kind!
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Ingredients
For these apple pancakes, you can use sweetened or unsweetened apple sauce but I personally prefer using unsweet. Use a fresh or all-natural option if available. I just try to steer away from overly processed versions if at all possible.
The one ingredient that might be hard to find is the boiled apple cider reduction. It is a bit of a specialty ingredient from the Northeast. But have no fear, it is only one ingredient and can easily be made, we followed these directions to make ours.
What you need:
- Unsalted Butter
- Whole Milk
- Apple Cider Reduction
- Unsweetened Apple Sauce
- Vanilla Extract
- All-Purpose Flour
- Granulated Sugar
- Brown Sugar
- Apple Pie Spice
- Baking Powder
- Baking Soda
- Kosher Salt, Morton’s
- Eggs
- Whipped Irish Butter
- Maple Syrup
See the recipe card for full quantities.
Use the JUMP TO RECIPE button at the top of the post, or scroll to the bottom of the post to see the full recipe card with ingredient measurements and instructions.
Method
Start by melting the butter in a saucepan over low heat on the stove. Add the milk to the pan and just continue warming until no lumps of butter remain. You do not want the milk to simmer or boil.
Stir the cider reduction and apple sauce into the warm milk and butter mixture, then fold in the dry ingredients just till a few streaks of flour remain. Finish by adding the eggs and extract to the bowl. Let the batter rest for 10 minutes before cooking.
To cook the pancakes, heat a griddle over medium heat on the stove, and be patient. Heat it for at least 5 minutes to get fully warm.
Then drop 2-ounce ladles of batter on the hot griddle and cook till it gets very bubbly and the bubbles begin to pop, you can also drop extra blueberries in here if you like. Flip and cook 30-45 seconds longer till fully cooked.
Uncka's Chef Tip
Take care to ensure you griddle is well warmed so the pancakes don't stick to it, this is key. With these apple pancakes, cook on medium-low heat to ensure they don't burn. They make take about 30 seconds longer to cook before flipping due to this. The addion of apple sauce and brown sugar can cause them to burn quickly if the heat it too high.
When the cakes are done cooking, stack them up to ensure they finish cooking. Pancakes finish cooking all the way through in the same way tortillas do when stacked together in a warm cloth. This helps ensure no wet or soggy middles.
To serve, top each stack with a few slices of fresh apple if desired, and a hearty drizzle of REAL maple syrup! You can also spread some whipped butter between each pancake too if you like.
Substitutions
Let's chat about how to make these pancakes gluten, or dairy-free if you or someone you love needs to follow those dietary guidelines for their health.
- Flour - If you need to make these pancakes gluten-free, use a quality cup-for-cup flour swap. The one I linked here is really high quality and has great results.
- Milk - If you are dairy-free, you can use almond milk, but my suggestion is cashew for its higher fat content. Pancakes may stick a bit when using almond milk, and you may need to grease the griddle or pan more often during the cooking of your pancakes.
- Butter - You can use a vegan butter substitute or plant-based butter. A bit of a more economical swap is vegetable or canola oil.
- Applesauce - I prefer using unsweet apple sauce due to the added sugar in the recipe. If you can't find that or don't use it, leave the granulated sugar out of the recipe but still use the brown sugar.
Equipment
My number one favorite tool for perfect pancakes is a Cast-Iron griddle. They build up a strong, natural, non-stick coating over time and make for BEAUTIFUL pancakes.
Be sure to season a new griddle, every time you use and wash it (with soap) with this cast-iron oil to build THE BEST non-stick surface.
I like a really sturdy, metal spatula for flipping pancakes. It helps them not stick to it, and makes for a perfect flip, no floppy half-turned pancakes, it's got to be THIS spatula for me!
The use of a 2-ounce ladle makes THE perfect-sized pancakes, in my opinion. They are just the right size and easy to flip.
Storage
While pancakes won't spoil if left on the counter overnight, they are just like a cake, biscuit, or cookie in this way. I prefer to place them in a zip-top bag or air-tight container in the fridge.
Reheat leftover apple pancakes in a toaster, or toaster oven for best results.
Top Tips
Take note that the added brown sugar and apple sauce in this recipe can cause your pancake to burn rather quickly. They are also a bit more moist than our fluffy pancakes, so they will have a bit more of a jammy texture in the middle.
Cook them on medium-low and keep a watchful eye, they may need a flip a bit before all the bubbles pop. These ones also do really well kept in a warm oven until you serve them due to their added moisture from the apple sauce.
When making the pancake batter, ensuring it rests for 10 minutes is a HUGE gateway to SUPER FLUFFY pancakes. This allows the leavening agent to fully develop and lets the gluten strands in the flour relax.
Exercise patience and let the griddle get really warm before you start cooking. A griddle that is too cool will cause the pancakes to stick to it. I use a really Well-Seasoned cast iron griddle that requires no buttering due to the amount in the actual pancakes.
If needed, use a small amount of high-heat oil like vegetable or grapeseed to grease your griddle if needed. You should only need to do this once before you start cooking. Use a paper towel to spread an even and thin layer over your griddle.
I prefer to cook on medium, to just under medium heat so my pancakes can cook quickly. I also prefer only to cook 2 pancakes at a time so I have plenty of room to flip.
Be sure to stack your pancakes after cooking. This allows them to stay soft as well as allowing the middles to finish cooking while also staying a little JAMMY SOFT. That's what I call it anyway. It helps create super tender pancakes.
FAQ
Just like they do at IHOP we like to use baking soda and baking powder for extra lift in our recipes. It makes pancakes so fluffy they just might float away.
While many berries and fruits will do just fine being added to the pancake batter or sprinkled on top when cooking and before flipping, some do better by being cooked first. The fruit addition in these apple pancakes comes in the form of applesauce and apple cider.
Take care not to overmix the batter, this is the biggest culprit of dense rubbery pancakes. We also believe in letting the batter rest before cooking. 10 minutes to rest and relax will also help in the fluff department.
More great Fruit Forward Pancake recipes
If you LOVE pancakes like me and Greyson, try these:
More Great Apple Recipes
If you like your apples in a recipe a bit less calorie-dense, check out Uncka's recipe for a copycat Panera Fuji Apple Salad.
Greyson also loves it when Uncka whips up some of his Apple Nachos. They are topped with his Homemade Caramel Sauce too, and oh so tasty!
Apple Pancakes
The moment fresh pressed apple cider comes around in the fall, I know it is time for these Apple Pancakes for a weekend breakfast or brunch!
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons Unsalted Butter, melted
- 1 cup Whole Milk
- ½ cup Apple Cider Reduction
- ½ cup Unsweetened Apple Sauce
- 1 tablespoon Vanilla Extract
- 2 ½ cups All-Purpose Flour
- ¼ cup Granulated Sugar
- ¼ cup Brown Sugar, packed
- 2 teaspoons Apple Pie Spice
- 1 tablespoon Baking Powder
- 2 teaspoon Baking Soda
- 1 teaspoon Kosher Salt, Morton’s
- 2 lg Eggs, lightly beaten
- Whipped Irish Butter, for serving
- Maple Syrup, for serving
Instructions
- In a 2-quart saucepan on the stove, melt the butter over low heat. Add the milk and cider reduction to the pan and heat just till warm and any butter that solidified is liquid again. Do not boil. Cool for 5 minutes, then stir the vanilla extract and apple sauce into the milk mixture.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugars, baking powder, soda, and salt.
- Slowly whisk the warm milk mixture into the flour mixture, just till a lumpy mixture forms.
- Crack the eggs into the bowl and whisk just till incorporated.
- Let the pancake batter rest on the counter for 10 minutes.
- After the batter has rested for 5 minutes, warm the griddle on the stove, over medium-heat I suggest a cast iron griddle. It is important to let it get hot till it begins to smoke the tiniest bit, then you know it is ready to be cooked on.
- Turn the heat down two marks on the stove dial, just between medium, and medium-low.
- Using a 2-ounce ladle, drop 2 rounds of batter on the griddle at a time. Cook for 30-45 seconds, just till the edges begin to set.
- Flip and cook a further 45-60 seconds, then remove to a platter.
- Pancakes can be kept warm in a 200˚F oven if needed.
- To make whipped Irish butter, beat 4 tablespoons in the bowl of a stand mixer, I like to use my flex edge flat beater it gets the butter extra fluffy, and beat for 3-4 minutes on medium-high, with a pinch of kosher salt.
- Serve the pancakes with a few slices of fresh apple if desired, a dollop of butter on top, and warm maple syrup, the real kind!
Notes
Substitutions
Let's chat about how to make these pancakes gluten, or dairy-free if you or someone you love needs to follow those dietary guidelines for their health.
- Flour - If you need to make these banana pancakes gluten-free, use a quality cup-for-cup flour swap. The one I linked here is really high quality and has great results.
- Milk - If you are dairy-free, you can use almond milk, but my suggestion is cashew for its higher fat content. Pancakes may stick a bit when using almond milk, and you may need to grease the griddle or pan more often during the cooking of your pancakes.
- Butter - You can use a vegan butter substitute or plant-based butter. A bit of a more economical swap is vegetable or canola oil.
- Applesauce - I prefer using unsweet apple sauce due to the added sugar in the recipe. If you can't find that or don't use it, leave the granulated sugar out of the recipe but still use the brown sugar.
Top Tips
Take note that the added brown sugar and apple sauce in this recipe can cause your pancake to burn rather quickly. They are also a bit more moist than our fluffy pancakes, so they will have a bit more of a jammy texture in the middle.
Cook them on medium-low and keep a watchful eye, they may need a flip a bit before all the bubbles pop. These ones also do really well kept in a warm oven until you serve them due to their added moisture from the apple sauce.
When making the pancake batter, ensuring it rests for 10 minutes is a HUGE gateway to SUPER FLUFFY pancakes. This allows the leavening agent to fully develop and lets the gluten strands in the flour relax.
Exercise patience and let the griddle get really warm before you start cooking. A griddle that is too cool will cause the pancakes to stick to it. I use a really Well-Seasoned cast iron griddle that requires no buttering due to the amount in the actual pancakes.
If needed, use a small amount of high-heat oil like vegetable or grapeseed to grease your griddle if needed. You should only need to do this once before you start cooking. Use a paper towel to spread an even and thin layer over your griddle.
I prefer to cook on medium, to just under medium heat so my pancakes can cook quickly. I also prefer only to cook 2 pancakes at a time so I have plenty of room to flip.
Be sure to stack your pancakes after cooking. This allows them to stay soft as well as allowing the middles to finish cooking while also staying a little JAMMY SOFT. That's what I call it anyway. It helps create super tender pancakes.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
8Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 418Total Fat: 10gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 69mgSodium: 709mgCarbohydrates: 76gFiber: 1gSugar: 42gProtein: 7g
Food Safety
There aren't many concerns when it comes to pancakes, but here are a few tips to help ensure the best experience with your pancakes.
- Ensure your pancakes are fully cooked, as eating raw pancake batter is not advised because it contains raw eggs.
- The USDA advises to not leave cooked foods at room temperature for longer than 2 hours, 1 hour if the environment is above 90˚F.
- That said, pancakes contain the same ingredients as cakes, biscuits, and cookies so they can be stored at room temperature.
- I personally advise keeping them in an air-tight container or zip-top bag and warming them in a toaster or microwave before eating leftovers.
- Never leave cooking food unattended.
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove.
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