Apple Cider Pancakes
Apple Cinnamon Pancakes are the best fall-flavored breakfast. From-scratch apple pancakes are filled with apple cider, applesauce and spices and topped with gooey caramelized apples. Learn how to make these spiced pancakes for a homemade fall breakfast.
If you’re a pancake lover, check out How to make the Best Homemade Pancakes!
Pancakes… they’re a weekend tradition in our home.
And today, we’re serving up some Apple Pancakes with decadent Caramelized Apples on top… since, you know, regular maple syrup won’t cut it. 😉
These fall-flavored pancakes are simply the best.
Why I love this recipe:
Apple Cider Pancakes are such a lovely, fluffy tribute to one of my favorite fruits!
They taste like an apple cider donut on a fall weekend and feel like something that would remind you of apple picking, if you were the type of person who did that. (Or lived in the area of the country where that’s available.)
One of my favorite things about these pancakes, other than the fact that they’re the perfect fall breakfast and have the perfect texture, is that they’re made with simple ingredients.
They feature apple sauce, as well as apple cider, to really drive home the apple flavor. (Also, you don’t have to worry about chopping or shredding an apple.)
We also add some cinnamon, ginger and allspice to kick up the apple pie flavors, too.
Basically: These pancakes taste like the fall and are topped with gooey, caramelized cinnamon apples and real maple syrup… and they’re also incredibly easy to make!
Fluffy Apple Cider Pancakes WITH a fancy topping like this feels like an occasion, but they’re the perfect breakfast for any fall morning you’re up to make them!
Other pancake recipes to try: Pumpkin Spice Pancakes | German Pancake (Dutch Baby Pancake) | Homemade Buttermilk Pancakes | Bacon Pancakes | Nutella Pancakes (Chocolate Hazelnut Pancakes)
Need breakfast inspiration? Head on over to my Breakfast and Brunch Recipe Index for more ideas.
What you need to make this recipe:
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- Large mixing bowl
- Small mixing bowl or liquid measuring cup
- Whisk
- Rubber spatula
- 2-tablespoon cookie scoop—or any measuring scoop of your choice
- Large griddle—you can also use an electric one or a large skillet.
- Pastry brush—to brush oil or melted butter onto your griddle
- Metal spatula—if you’re using a nonstick skillet, use a plastic spatula so it doesn’t scratch the surface!
Let’s talk ingredients!
In addition to the tools above, you’re going to need some ingredients to make this recipe, too! Chances are, you might already have some of them in your fridge or pantry. Scroll down to the recipe card for the full measurements and instructions.
Here’s what you’ll need:
- All purpose flour—this is sometimes referred to as AP flour. It serves as the base for our recipe. I have not tested this recipe using other flours.
- Brown sugar—this provides a little sweetness to the batter. You may use light or dark brown sugar.
- Spices—we’re using a combination of ground cinnamon, ground ginger and allspice!
- Leaveners—baking soda and baking powder are both used in this recipe to create light, fluffy pancakes. Make sure yours are fresh.
- Salt—I like to use a fine grain sea salt.
- Apple cider—this gives us the cider flavor, and it’s a dream! If you don’t have any, you could use the same amount of apple juice in a pinch.
- Applesauce—unsweetened applesauce is the way to go here so that the pancakes don’t become too sweet! Apple butter would be an interesting swap here, too, though you might need to add less sugar to the pancake batter to make up for the sweetness of the apple butter.
- Eggs—these provide structure, as well as a bit of lift.
- Vanilla extract—a little goes a long way! Be sure to use the real deal, not the imitation kind.
- Unflavored oil—we have used vegetable oil, canola oil or avocado oil in this recipe, and all are good.
I should note that most of my pancake recipes call for milk—non-dairy milk, whole milk or even skim milk—and this recipe is different because we’re using apple cider instead.
We tried this recipe with milk, and while it was delicious, it didn’t really sing until we added apple cider.
Do these pancakes need a topping?
We top these with caramelized apples, whipped cream and real maple syrup.
Our caramelized apples involve fresh apples (Honeycrisp apples, Pink Lady apples or Granny Smith apples would be excellent), butter, brown sugar and ground cinnamon. You can cook them at the same time as the pancakes.
You could add a sprinkling of powdered sugar, fresh apple slices or even chocolate chips!
How do you make apple pancakes from scratch?
Mix the dry ingredients in a large bowl.
Combine the flour, brown sugar, ground cinnamon, ground ginger, ground allspice, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Whisk together until combined, and set aside.
Next, measure out the wet ingredients into a separate bowl or liquid measuring cup.
Pour the cider in first. Add applesauce, too. Break the eggs, and pour them into the mixture the vanilla extract and oil. Use a fork to stir until combined.
Pro tip!
Make sure the egg yolks and white are mixed well because you don’t want stray pieces of egg white in the pancakes. It will take you about a minute of consistent mixing to get it to incorporate.
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Use a rubber spatula to gently fold them together until just combined.
Be careful not to overmix because that will make for tougher, less fluffy pancakes.
Once the batter has been mixed, heat a nonstick skillet or a griddle over medium to medium-low heat.
Brush the pan with melted butter or unflavored cooking spray/oil, and let it warm up. This also gives your batter a little time to rest!
Use a cookie scoop or a measuring cup to dollop the pancake batter onto the hot griddle or skillet. I like to use a 2 tablespoon cookie scoop so that they’re all the same size, but you can use whatever you like to scoop them onto the griddle.
When several bubbles form on the surface, flip the pancakes, and cook through for another 1-2 minutes.
Repeat until all of the batter has been made into pancakes.
Stack the pancakes onto plates. Serve with the caramelized apples.
How to make Caramelized Apples
We talk about this at length in my caramelized apples recipe, but let me give you the rundown for them, as they can come together as you make these delicious pancakes.
Melt the butter, then add the chopped apple to the skillet. Cook until soft.
Add the brown sugar and spices. Cook for a few minutes. The caramel sauce will thicken.
Remove from the heat and add the vanilla. Let it bubble, then serve over the pancakes.
Erin’s Easy Entertaining Tips
As a mom, I absolutely love hosting an at-home brunch because it’s easy to do (especially when your kids wake up early), includes a lot of foods that kids generally enjoy and is more relaxed.
Making this Apple Pancake recipe for a brunch is brilliant!
Here are some tips and tricks to make it easy:
- Double the recipe. This will be dependent on your guests. Make the pancakes early and keep them warm in a 200F oven until it’s serving time.
- Make the caramelized apples early. Keep them in the fridge, and warm in the microwave.
- Make a pancake bar. Set out the pancakes, then let guests dress their own by offering various toppings, including the caramelized apples, sweetened whipped cream and more.
- Make a juice bar for the guests! Kids love this, and you can always have a bottle of champagne stashed in the fridge for adults who might want a little bubbly. (Kind of like a mimosa bar!)
Frequently Asked Questions
When big bubbles start to form in the batter, carefully lift up the edge with a spatula to confirm the color on the other side. Once you flip the pancakes, you won’t flip them again.
I brush my griddle with butter between every round. You can also use cooking spray or oil. This will ensure that they don’t stick. Also, a nonstick pan can help, too!
Let them cool completely. Transfer to an airtight food storage container and keep in the fridge for 3-4 days. Reheat in the microwave or toaster oven.
Quick Tips and Tricks for the Best Pancakes
- Don’t overmix! Just mix until the batter has come together. Lumps are OK. If you mix until smooth, the pancakes won’t be as fluffy.
- When do you know how to flip? When big bubbles form in the batter. Lift up the edge with a spatula to confirm they’re golden brown, then flip once.
- Once you’ve flipped your pancakes, don’t press down! This will deflate them. Obviously, we want them to be as light and airy as possible.
- Leftover pancakes? Freeze ’em! Line a baking sheet with wax paper, and pop them in the freezer for 4-6 hours. When the pancakes are fully frozen, transfer them to a freezer baggie. Reheat in the toaster oven, toaster or the oven until warm.
Love pancakes? Try these recipes:
Apple Cider Pancakes
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour 240g
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar packed (60g)
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 6g
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon ground allspice
- 2 teaspoons baking powder 12g
- ½ teaspoon baking soda 4g
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt 3g
- 1 ¼ cups apple cider 300ml
- ½ cup unsweetened applesauce 114g
- 2 large eggs ~108g
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 6g
- 2 tablespoons unflavored oil like vegetable or canola oil (27g)
Caramelized Apples
- 2 apples peeled, cored and finely diced (200g)
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter 13g
- ¼ cup brown sugar packed (80g)
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 6g
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 3g
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Instructions
Make the pancakes
- Measure the flour, brown sugar, ground cinnamon, ground ginger, ground allspice, baking powder, baking soda and salt into a large bowl. Whisk until incorporated, and set aside.
- In a smaller bowl or a liquid measuring cup, measure in the apple cider.
- Next, measure in the applesauce and whisk to combine.
- Break the eggs into the apple cider mixture. Add the vanilla extract and oil, too.
- Use a fork to stir the wet ingredients until combined. Make sure the egg yolk and white are incorporated.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Stir until just combined with a rubber spatula. Be careful not to overmix, as this will affect the texture of the pancakes. Don’t fret about lumps — they’re OK.
- Once the batter has been mixed, heat a nonstick skillet or a griddle over medium heat. Brush the pan with melted butter or unflavored cooking spray.
- Dollop the pancakes onto the preheated skillet when ready using a cookie scoop or a measuring cup.
- When several bubbles have formed on the surface, flip the pancakes, and cook through.
- Repeat until all of the pancakes have been made.
- Stack the pancakes onto plates and serve with a pat of butter, caramelized apples and whipped cream. Enjoy immediately!
Make the Caramelized Apples
- Melt the butter in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add the apples and cook until softened.
- Add the sugar and spices. Cook for a few minutes until thick and bubbly.
- Add the vanilla, then serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
About the Author:
Erin Parker is a Southern gal living in Texas with her husband and two daughters. She started The Speckled Palate to share what she was cooking as a newlywed… and over the years, it’s evolved to capture her love for hosting. Specifically, the EASIEST, lowest key entertaining because everyone deserves to see their people and connect over good food. Learn more about her…
These are so delicious! My boys headed back to college yesterday and I wanted to send them off with a hearty breakfast! We all loved these! Easy and so flavorful!
Made a batch this weekend for our lazy post-Thanksgiving breakfasts and they were SO good! Thanks for the recipe!
Absolutely fell in love with these pancakes! They’re so easy and so tasty.
Aren’t they SO DELICIOUS? So glad you loved them, too!