Apple Cinnamon Pancakes are the perfect recipe for a Fall breakfast or brunch. They are loaded with cinnamon and apples and are so light and fluffy. They are so flavorful - you will want to make them every weekend!
What better to wake up to on a crisp Fall morning than with a stack of Apple Cinnamon Pancakes with maple syrup and melted butter drizzling down the sides of them?! Fall is called Apple Season for a reason, right?
When Fall comes around, we love going to pick different varieties of apples to make some of our favorite apple recipes. There are so many tasty recipes to choose from - it's one of the best things about the season. (Besides the cooler weather and the leaves changing colors!) Apple Pie & Apple Crisp are, of course, at the top of the list, but apple pancakes have been on repeat for us.
This Apple Cinnamon Pancake recipe is my husband’s favorite pancake recipe. In our opinion, they are the best pancakes - the sweet apples combined with just the right amount of cinnamon is a perfect match. And they are SO easy to make.
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Ingredients
- Eggs
- Milk - We have used skim, almond milk, & whole milk for these pancakes, and they always turn out great! You can also use buttermilk. Buttermilk pancakes have a little more tang than regular pancakes, but they will still be light, fluffy pancakes.
- Vegetable Oil
- Vanilla Extract
- All-Purpose Flour
- Granulated Sugar
- Baking Powder
- Salt
- Ground Cinnamon
- A Medium-Sized Apple - You can use your favorite kind of apple for this recipe. We have tried Granny Smith Apples, Honeycrisp Apples, Braeburn Apples, and Pink Lady Apples - they all make delicious pancakes!
- Toppings: Maple Syrup, Butter - We like to use maple syrup and a little butter to top off our pancakes. Other great toppings you can try are fresh sliced apples, honey, cinnamon, greek yogurt, or caramel sauce.
If you really want to take this recipe over the top, you can make an apple topping by combining some chopped apples with some cinnamon & just a pinch of brown sugar and cooking it in a little bit of butter in a small saucepan while the pancakes cook. Spoon the warm mixture over the pancakes and drizzle with a little maple syrup - so good!
How to Make Them
Heat your griddle to medium heat (about 350°F), or heat a large skillet over medium-low heat.
Beat the eggs in a large mixing bowl, then add in the milk, oil, and vanilla extract. Whisk the wet ingredients together.
In a separate bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon.
Add the dry ingredients to the egg mixture.
Mix the ingredients together with a rubber spatula or large spoon until you no longer see flour, but do not overmix. The batter should be a medium consistency - not too thin yet not too thick.
Peel your apple and finely dice it. Make sure to discard any apple seeds. Optionally, you can also grate your apple. Grated apple is another good option if you want to change things up a bit! (To get a little crazy, you can also toss the diced apple with a little extra cinnamon and a tiny bit of brown sugar - it is like a tiny bite of apple pie in the pancake!)
Gently fold the apples into the pancake batter.
Using a ladle or large spoon, drop the pancake batter onto the hot griddle to make about a three-inch circle for each pancake (or whatever size you prefer). Make sure to leave about an inch between each pancake so that you have room to get the spatula under each pancake.
Cook the pancakes for two to three minutes on each side. Flip the pancakes with a spatula once the bottom side is slightly browned.
Once the pancakes are flipped, let them cook until the bottom is done. Lift the edges with your spatula to see if they have slightly browned after two to three minutes. Once they are slightly browned on both sides, they are done.
Serve the pancakes warm with maple syrup and butter or your favorite toppings. They are so good, you could eat them without any toppings!
Recipe Tips
- If you need to dice up your apple ahead of time, toss it with a little bit of lemon juice to keep it from browning. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
- The top of the pancakes will start to make small bubbles once they are ready to be flipped over. Another way to check if they are ready to be flipped is to lift the edge of the pancakes with the spatula. If the bottoms of the pancakes are slightly brown, flip them over.
- To keep all pancakes warm and fluffy while cooking a large batch, place cooked pancakes in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with paper towels in the oven heated to a very low temperature - around 200°F. Just warm enough to keep the pancakes warm and prevent them from getting soggy, but not enough to keep cooking them.
Our Favorite Pancake Toppings
- Maple Syrup
- Melted Butter
- Fresh Sliced Apples or Chopped Apples (Toss with a little lemon juice to prevent browning)
- Honey
- A Sprinkle of Cinnamon
- Caramel Sauce
- Whipped Cream
- Apple Topping/Quick Pie Filling - If you really want to take this recipe over the top, you can make an apple topping (that tastes like pie filling) by combining some chopped apples with some cinnamon & just a pinch of brown sugar and cooking it in a little bit of butter in a small saucepan while the pancakes cook. Spoon the warm mixture over the pancakes and drizzle with a little maple syrup - so good!
How Do You Store Leftover Pancakes?
Leftover pancakes should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. They will keep for 5 - 7 days.
Alternatively, you can prepare these pancakes and freeze them for a quick breakfast on busy mornings. I like to freeze pancakes in a sealed bag with a piece of wax paper or parchment in between each pancake so that they don't stick together - then take out what you need and heat it in the microwave or toaster oven for a quick breakfast!
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🙋♀️ Frequently Asked Questions
When making pancakes, make sure your griddle is heated up before you pour batter onto it. Here’s a little trick to tell when your griddle/pan is ready - sprinkle a few drops of water onto it. If the water quickly sputters and disappears, it is warm enough to make your pancakes.
A good way to tell when the first side is done is when you see bubbles on the top of the pancake. You can also lift the edge of the pancakes up a little with your spatula to take a peek to make sure they are slightly browned.
This recipe makes about 32 - 36 pancakes when made into 3 inches circles - we call these silver dollar pancakes. You will get about 10 - 12 pancakes if you make larger pancakes that are about 5 or 6 inches around.
Love Pancakes?
If you love pancakes as much as we do, try out our other pancake recipes for Chocolate Chip Pancakes and Blueberry Pancakes.
Looking for More Delicious Apple Recipes?
Have you tried my Apple Pie Recipe yet? If you haven’t yet, give it a try soon! It has a delicious crumb topping and is a hit in my house - it makes a great holiday dessert! I also have a great Apple Smoothie - it is unique and so delicious.
Did you make this recipe? If so, please leave a comment and rating below. I love hearing from you.
Apple Cinnamon Pancakes
Ingredients
- 2 large eggs
- 2 cups milk (we use skim or almond milk)
- 4 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 tablepsoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 medium sized apple, peeled and finely diced
- maple syrup and/or butter as toppings, optional
Instructions
- Heat your griddle to medium heat (350°F if it has a temperature.)
- Beat the eggs in a large bowl. Add in the milk, oil, and vanilla extract. Whisk ingredients together.2 large eggs, 2 cups milk, 4 tablespoons vegetable oil, 1 tablepsoon vanilla extract
- Combine flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon in a separate bowl.2 cups all-purpose flour, 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, 2 tablespoons baking powder, 1 teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Add the dry ingredients to the egg mixture. Mix the ingredients together with a rubber spatula or large spoon until you no longer see flour, but do not overmix. The batter should be a medium consistency - not too thin yet not too thick.
- Gently fold in the finely diced apples.1 medium sized apple, peeled and finely diced
- Using a ladle, drop the pancake batter onto heated griddle to make about a three inch circle for each pancake. (Or whatever size pancake you prefer)
- Flip pancakes over once they are slightly browned (cook each side about 2-3 minutes).
- Serve warm with syrup and/or butter.maple syrup and/or butter as toppings, optional
Notes
Recipe Tips
- If you need to dice up your apple ahead of time, toss it with a little bit of lemon juice to keep it from browning. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
- The top of the pancakes will start to make small bubbles once they are ready to be flipped over. Another way to check if they are ready to be flipped is to lift the edge of the pancakes with the spatula. If the bottoms of the pancakes are slightly brown, flip them over.
- To keep all pancakes warm and fluffy while cooking a large batch, place cooked pancakes in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with paper towels in the oven heated to a very low temperature - around 200°F. Just warm enough to keep the pancakes warm and prevent them from getting soggy, but not enough to keep cooking them.
Our Favorite Pancake Toppings
Maple Syrup, Melted Butter, Fresh Sliced Apples or Chopped Apples (Toss with a little lemon juice to prevent browning), Honey, A Sprinkle of Cinnamon, Caramel Sauce, or Whipped Cream Apple Topping/Quick Pie Filling - If you really want to take this recipe over the top, you can make an apple topping (that tastes like pie filling) by combining some chopped apples with some cinnamon & just a pinch of brown sugar and cooking it in a little bit of butter in a small saucepan while the pancakes cook. Spoon the warm mixture over the pancakes and drizzle with a little maple syrup - so good!How Do You Store Leftover Pancakes?
Leftover pancakes should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. They will keep for 5 - 7 days. Alternatively, you can prepare these pancakes and freeze them for a quick breakfast on busy mornings.Update Note: This recipe was originally posted earlier in 2018, but was published again in 2020 to include step-by-step directions and new photos.
Amy
Made these for my out of town guest recently. They all loved them and asked for the recipe!
Jeannie Z
So happy to hear that Amy!
Jeannie
Mac
I made these apple cinnamon pancakes yesterday morning with fresh apples and maple syrup from my local farmers market. OMG! They are absolutely bursting with flavor. Instant family favorite.
Jeannie Z
So happy to hear that Mac!