Put your apple picking to good use and make these fluffy and delicious Polish apple pancakes. They are Polish pancakes called Racuchy and are the perfect twist to everyday pancakes.
Polish apple pancakes are a great way to dig into your apple-picking harvest.
As you may already know, we love pancakes at our house. They make a great breakfast, lunch and dinner. Yup, we have them at all times of the day, any day of the week.
These apple pancakes, or racuchy in Polish, are yet another delicious addition to our pancake repertoire.
They are delicious, easy to make, and have the fruit component already built in. They’re not overly sweet either so you don’t have to feel too bad about all the maple syrup that might top them.
They are also super fluffy with no yeast in sight. With just a few simple ingredients available at your local grocery store you can have these on the table in 35 minutes. Or if you froze them the last time you made them then in 5 minutes.
Grab your ingredients and let’s get started!
Preparing Polish Apple Pancakes
IngredientsÂ
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.
Produce
Flour: I use all-purpose flour. It is a wheat flour and the most commonly used flour for baking. It is very versatile and makes anything from pizza dough to cookies and cakes.
Sugar: White or granulated sugar is refined sugar made from either cane sugar or beet sugar. It is completely freed of molasses through the refining process and ground to granules smaller than salt.
Pantry
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. Â
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 Polish Apple Pancakes
Making the Batter
The process to make these Polish Apple Pancakes is pretty simple. Combine the wet ingredients and then add the dry ingredients one by one, followed by the apples. Let’s go!
Start by peeling and dicing your apples. I use about 3 average size apples, just under a pound in weight. You can use more or less depending on your preference.
Just remember that the apples add moisture to the pancakes. The
more you use, the denser your pancakes may be.Once you have diced your apples into ¼-inch pieces you can set them aside.
Next, add the kefir to the bowl of your stand mixer, or into a medium bowl if you are using a handheld mixer or whisk. Crack the eggs into the kefir and mix until well combined.
Then add the sugar and vanilla and mix well.
Now, add the flour ½ a cup at a time. Mix just until combined and scrape down the sides as needed.
Add the baking soda and stir in on low just until combined. You don’t want to overmix here. We just want to mix it in well and activate it. You should see air bubbles start to form in the batter after a minute.
Lastly, add in the apples and once again stir gently just until combined. To prevent overmixing, you can use a spatula to fold the apples into the batter.
Cooking the Pancakes
Now that your batter is ready it’s time to fry.
Add 1 tbsp of coconut oil to a large pan and heat up on medium-high heat. You can use another oil if you don’t have coconut just make sure it’s a flavourless oil like vegetable or sunflower.
I like to use coconut oil when making any kind of pancake because the flavour of the coconut adds one more delicious layer of flavour. It’s kind of my not-so-secret ingredient.
Once the oil is hot, turn the heat down to medium and add the batter to the pan using a ¼ cup measuring cup or ladle. Cook on each side for 2-3 minutes. When you see the batter bubbling quite a bit on top and the sides of the pancake have started to set you can flip.
You will need to cook these in batches. I can only fit 3 pancakes at a time so I get 4-5 batches out of this batter. Add a teaspoon of oil to the pan between batches, if required.
I also find that I need to turn down the heat slightly after each batch as my pan gets too hot. Though I assume this is the fault of my very old stove.
You can store the cooked batches in an oven-safe dish in the oven at 200°F to keep them warm. Or keep the plate with the finished pancakes in the microwave to keep the heat.
Substitutions
Kefir: If you can’t find plain kefir in your grocery store you can easily substitute it with buttermilk.
All-Purpose Flour: You can use whole wheat flour however your pancakes will be slightly denser.
Gala Apples: Gala is usually what I have on hand however any sweet apple will be great in this recipe. Â 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 granulated white sugar in this recipe and although it’s probably the most common sugar in the household we have all run out at one time or another. If that’s the case for you, substitute with brown sugar, ideally light brown sugar. The darker the sugar the more molasses flavour it will contribute to your dish.
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, I’m pretty sure my grandma had no idea what coconut oil is. And since these are Polish apple pancakes, 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 Pancakes
These apple pancakes are delicious when sprinkled with powdered sugar. They are not too sweet on their own so the powdered sugar is the perfect touch.
You can of course also serve them the traditional pancake way, topped with oodles of maple syrup. This is my kids’ preference.
Lastly. Don’t be afraid to try them with whipped cream and fresh berries. Just because they are filled with apples it doesn’t mean we can’t add other fruit as well.
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.Â
Are you looking for dinner ideas? Check out our recipes:
Polish Apple Pancakes (Racuchy) Recipe
Equipment
- Knife and cutting board
- Peeling knife (optional)
- Large skillet
Ingredients
- 2 cups kefir
- 2 eggs
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3 tbsp granulated sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 3 Gala apples just under a pound
- 2 tbsp coconut oil or other oil for frying
Instructions
- Peel and core the apples and dice them into ¼-inch pieces.3 Gala apples
- 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 stand mixer or whisk. Mix until well combined.2 cups kefir, 2 eggs
- Then add the sugar and vanilla and mix well.1 tsp vanilla extract, 3 tbsp granulated sugar
- Next, add the flour ½ a cup at a time. Mix just until combined. Scrape down the sides if needed.2 cups all-purpose flour
- 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 once again stir gently just until combined. You can use a spatula to fold the apples into the batter.3 Gala 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 4 batches out of this batter. Add a teaspoon of oil to the pan between batches, if required.
