Apple pie pancakes are a special treat to get your pie fix without actually having to make a pie. As always, you can make a double batch and freeze some for an easy weekday breakfast.
Fall is the season for apple pie but since I don’t really bake pie I thought that apple pie pancakes are much more up my alley. This way I can still go apple picking and not have to eat them all raw.
These delicious fluffy pancakes are based on our apple pancakes with kefir recipe. They are almost just as easy to make with an extra step and some additional spices.
Like all of our other pancakes, you can easily freeze these for a quick weekday dinner or school lunch.
Preparing Easy Apple Pie Pancakes
Ingredients
Dairy
Kefir: Kefir is fermented milk most commonly from cows though it is also made from goat and sheep milk as well.
Eggs: Eggs are laid by many different animals but chicken eggs are what we use in this recipe. Eggs provide protein, fat and many other nutrients and therefore are a healthy part of our diet.
Butter: Butter is churned milk or cream and is high in fat. It is solidified when refrigerated, holds a semi-soft, spreadable consistency at room temperature, or can be liquefied when heated.
Produce
Gala apples: Sweet, sometimes tart fruit that grows on apple trees. There are over 7,500 varieties of apples grown around the world. Gala apples are crisp and naturally sweet and are therefore commonly used in baking. There is no tartness to this variety so keep that in mind when making substitutions and adjust your sugar accordingly.
Lemon: Lemons are a citrus fruit loaded with vitamin C. These somewhat oval, yellow fruit are packed with flavour. They are sour and sometimes tart and add freshness to recipes. For this recipe, we are using the juice of a lemon.
Pantry
Whole Wheat Flour: I use whole wheat flour for this recipe to add a little bit more fibre but all-purpose flour works just as well.
Brown Sugar: Brown sugar is a mixture of white sugar and molasses. Molasses is responsible for the darker colour. We use dark brown sugar for this recipe but any brown sugar will do.
Vanilla: Pure vanilla extract is made by soaking vanilla beans in water and ethyl alcohol. You can get pure vanilla extract or vanilla extract flavour. The latter may be made from synthetic vanillin to mimic the flavour. There is no preference in this recipe but know that imitation vanilla use is usually more budget-friendly than pure vanilla.
Baking soda: Also known as sodium bicarbonate, baking soda is a leavening agent that is alkaline, and is activated by acid in recipes. It gives baked goods a fluffy and light texture.
Cinnamon: Cinnamon is a spice that is actually made out of the inner bark of the tree. You can commonly buy cinnamon sticks or ground cinnamon. This recipe calls for ground cinnamon.
Nutmeg: Nutmeg is a seed coming from an evergreen tree. The
Coconut oil: Coconut oil is also one of my secret ingredients. Though the flavour is quite subtle it adds just enough to elevate the overall taste of the pancakes.
How to Make Easy Apple Pie Pancakes
Preparing the Apples
The key to these apple pie pancakes is how the apples are prepared. We are going to replicate a pie filling…sort of. This is the step that’s really out of the ordinary for pancakes.
Start by peeling the apples and cutting them into ¼-inch to ½-inch pieces.
In a medium pan, warm up the butter and add the apples once the butter is melted.
Next, add the cinnamon, nutmeg, 2 tbsp brown sugar, and lemon juice. Cook down the apples until the liquid is almost all gone. A typical pie filling will call for more liquid as it’s intended to be almost creamy.
We just want the flavour, not the texture, for this pancake recipe. Make these apples too wet and it will flatten your pancakes. Once the apples are done, set them aside to cool a little.
How to Make the Pancake Batter
Add the kefir and egg to the bowl of a stand mixer and mix until well combined. If you don’t have a stand mixer you can use a hand mixer or whisk. Mix until well combined.
Then add the sugar and vanilla and mix well.
Next, add the flour ½ a cup at a time and mix just until combined. Scrape down the sides if needed.
Add the baking soda and stir it on low just until combined. You don’t want to overmix.
Lastly, add in the apples and fold the apples into the batter using a spatula.
TIP: If you like the apples a lot you can make extra and also use them as a topping.
How to Cook Apple Pie Pancakes
Add 1 tbsp of coconut oil to a large pan and heat up on medium-high heat.
Once hot, turn the heat down to medium and add the batter to the pan using a ¼ cup measuring cup. Cook for 2-3 minutes per side. When you see the batter bubbling quite a bit on top and the sides of the pancake have started to set you can flip.
I can only fit 3 pancakes at a time so I get 3 batches out of this batter. Add a teaspoon of oil to the pan between batches, if required.
Substitutions
Kefir: If you can’t find plain kefir in your grocery store you can easily substitute it with buttermilk.
Whole Wheat Flour: You can use whole all-purpose flour for this recipe. I opted for whole wheat to make the pancakes denser on purpose, to align more with an apple pie feel.
Gala Apples: Gala is usually what I have on hand however any sweet apple will be great in this recipe. Even if you chose a less sweet variety, you can simply add more sugar to offset the tartness of the apple. If you use a variety of apples with denser flesh cut the pieces a bit smaller to make sure they cook well.
Sugar: I use brown sugar in this recipe but you can substitute it with white or granulated sugar.
Coconut oil: I like to use coconut oil because of its flavour. Though subtle, it does add a little something extra to the pancakes. With that said, it’s not a big deal if you don’t have coconut oil. Simply use a neutral oil in its place. Try canola or sunflower oil instead.
Serving Apple Pie Pancakes
These are not just regular pancakes, they are apple pie pancakes, so they should be served like apple pie. With whipped cream!
I am also not opposed to serving these a la mode. Try them with a side of vanilla ice cream for the full apple pie experience.
Naturally, you can serve them with maple syrup as well though that may be a bit too much sugar even for someone with a sweet tooth.
I’d love to hear about your variations! I’m sure there are some delicious combos I haven’t thought of.
Let us know in the comments if you have any questions. And if you like this recipe be sure to leave us a five-star rating below.
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Easy Apple Pie Pancakes Recipe
Equipment
- Knife and cutting board
- Peeling knife (optional)
- Large skillet
Ingredients
- 1.5 cups kefir
- 2 eggs
- 1.5 cups whole wheat flour
- 5 tbsp brown sugar
- ½ tsp vanilla
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 3-4 apples 1 lb
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- ¼ tsp nutmeg
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tbsp coconut oil or other oil for frying
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
- Peel the apples and cut them into ¼-inch to ½-inch pieces.3-4 apples
- In a medium pan, warm up the butter and add the apples once the butter is melted.2 tbsp unsalted butter
- Add the cinnamon, nutmeg, 2 tbsp brown sugar, and lemon juice.5 tbsp brown sugar, 1 tsp cinnamon, ¼ tsp nutmeg, 1 tbsp lemon juice
- Add the kefir and egg to the bowl of a stand mixer and mix until well combined. If you don’t have a stand mixer you can use a hand mixer or whisk. Mix until well combined.1.5 cups kefir, 2 eggs
- Then add the sugar and vanilla and mix well.5 tbsp brown sugar, ½ tsp vanilla
- Next, add the flour ½ a cup at a time and a pinch of salt. Mix just until combined. Scrape down the sides if needed.1.5 cups whole wheat flour, Pinch of salt
- Add the baking soda and stir in on low just until combined. You don’t want to overmix.2 tsp baking soda
- Lastly, add in the apples and fold the apples into the batter using a spatula.3-4 apples
- Add 1 tbsp of coconut oil to a large pan and heat up on medium-high heat.2 tbsp coconut oil
- Once hot, turn the heat down to medium and add the batter to the pan using a ¼ cup measuring cup. Cook for 2-3 minutes per side. When you see the batter bubbling quite a bit on top and the sides of the pancake have started to set you can flip.
- I can only fit 3 pancakes at a time so I get 3 batches out of this batter. Add a teaspoon of oil to the pan between batches, if required.
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