When you want to add a little extra flavor to breakfast, reach for this Applesauce Pancakes recipe! They are ultra moist and tender from the addition of the applesauce.
This is a great way to use up a little bit of applesauce left in a jar, or just pack some extra nutrition in the form of fiber and antioxidants. Greyson loves to eat applesauce by the bowl full, so Uncka dreamed up this recipe to bank on his love of it.
While you can make your own applesauce I just try to use an unsweetened one from the store. Pick the one with the least ingredients, I typically pick up the one at Trader Joe's for Greyson, so I have it around when I want to make these.
If you are a big fan of fruit in your 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 applesauce 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.
If you like making your own spice blends, this one is our favorite for Apple Pie Spice. Whip up a half batch if you don't have a blend already on hand.
What you need:
- Unsalted Butter
- Whole Milk
- 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
To make this recipe, melt 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 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, spread a little applesauce between and on top of a stack, add a pat of butter 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 applesauce 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
Replace 1 egg with ¼ cup applesauce in pancake recipes. Fruit purees add moisture and binding to a recipe, much like an egg does.
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.
Yes, it can help lower the fat while replacing the moisture content and give you a lower-calorie option. It also helps in many baked goods to keep them moist.
More great Fruit Forward Pancake recipes
If you LOVE pancakes like me and Greyson, try these:
More of our Favorite Apple Recipes
If you love apple baked goods, give Uncka's Apple Cider Donut Cake a try. It is beyond decadent and a favorite in the fall.
Greyson loves it when Uncka whips up his Honeycrisp Apple Pie. When cooler weather hits, it becomes the perfect dessert.
Applesauce Pancakes
When you want to add a little extra flavor to breakfast, reach for this Applesauce Pancakes recipe, they are SUPER moist with its addition.
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons Unsalted Butter, melted
- 1 cup Whole Milk
- ½ cup Unsweetened Apple Sauce
- 1 tablespoon Vanilla Extract
- 2 ¼ 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 spread of applesauce between them and some on top, as well as 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: 397Total Fat: 10gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 69mgSodium: 708mgCarbohydrates: 71gFiber: 1gSugar: 40gProtein: 6g
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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