Apple Pie Pancakes with Vanilla Maple Syrup

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Apple Pancakes with Vanilla Maple Syrup โ€” These apple pancakes are packed with cinnamon and other fall spices. Slather with butter and dunk them in some homemade vanilla maple syrup! 

stack of Apple Pancakes with Vanilla Maple Syrup

Easy Apple Pancakes Recipe

It’s that time of year where apples are starting to turn up everywhere. From caramel apples to apple pie to pancakes that taste like apple pie. I confess, I’m not much of a pie-maker. We really don’t need a whole pie at once, and I tend to make bars and cookies because they seem to disappear quicker than a whole pie does.

These apple pancakes are the answer to my pie-less prayers. And they’re much faster to make than making a pie. I know you won’t miss rolling out pie crust. This recipe is adapted from my friend Adrianna Adarme of A Cozy Kitchen’s cookbook, Pancakes: 72 Sweet and Savory Recipes for the Perfect Stack. Adrianna’s recipes are written in a way that leaves nothing to guess, which is so appreciated. I try to write my recipes with lots of detail, and I always appreciate it when I read blogs or cookbooks that are the same.

I am just blown away by how creative she got with the recipes. Carrot Cake Pancakes, Red Velvet, Coffee, Cinnamon Bun, and Banana Bourbon Pancakes all caught my eye. There are also Dinner Pancakes, like Jalepeno Corn Cakes and Smoked Gouda Sweet Potato Latkes.

stack of Apple Pancakes with bite missing

But since it’s approaching fall, and since I have sweet teeth, I went with Apple Pie Pancakes. It’s standard pancake-making, a bowl of dry ingredients, a bowl of wet poured over dry, and then one grated apple is stirred into the batter before griddling them.

The only changes I made to the recipe were with the spices. I added more cinnamon and nutmeg, and threw in a pinch of cloves. She also suggested peeling the apple but I didn’t bother. Fiber never hurt anyone.

I added vanilla extract to my maple syrup to bring out that apple pie flavor profile. I wanted to make something new, but vanilla maple syrup is my favorite pancake, French toast, or waffle topper.

The cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves pair so perfectly with apples. Your house definitely will smell like fall after making a batch of these. The bits of grated apple lend just a touch of texture to the otherwise soft, fluffy, and lightweight pancakes.

Although summer is my favorite season, if I have to ring in fall, pancakes that remind me of apple pie are always welcome. And so are sky-high fluffy stacks.

stack of Apple cinnamon Pancakes with Vanilla Maple Syrup

What’s in Apple Pancakes?

For these apple cinnamon pancakes, you’ll need: 

  • Light brown sugar
  • Baking powder
  • Spices
  • Salt
  • Whole milk
  • Egg
  • Unsalted butter
  • Vanilla extract
  • Grated apple
  • Pure maple syrup

homemade apple pancakes on floral plate

How to Make Apple Pancakes

To make these easy apple pancakes, simply whisk together the wet ingredients in one bowl and the dry in another. Combine the two, then fold in the grated apple. 

Preheat your skillet or griddle and brush with melted butter or oil. Scoop the batter onto the skillet using a quarter-cup measure. You’ll know the pancakes are ready to be flipped once you see tiny bubbles appear all over the top. Flip the pancakes, and continue cooking until golden on both sides. 

To make the vanilla maple syrup, all you have to do is whisk together the syrup and a little vanilla extract. Serve the apple cinnamon pancakes warm with a drizzle of vanilla maple syrup and enjoy! 

stack of Apple Pancakes with Vanilla Maple Syrup and butter

How to Keep Pancakes Warm 

If you’re making a big batch of pancakes, you can keep the cooked pancakes warm in a 200ยบF oven while you make the rest of the batch. You’ll want to use a baking tray for this and not a plate, as not all plates are oven-safe. The oven temperature needs to be set quite low, otherwise you’ll dry out the apple pancakes. 

how to make apple pancakes

What are the Best Apples for Pancakes? 

You can use any apple variety you’d like in these apple pancakes! For sweeter pancakes, use Honeycrisp or Gala apples. If you prefer something a little less sweet, opt for Granny Smith.

piece of Apple Pancake on fork

Can I Freeze Pancakes? 

Absolutely! To freeze pancakes, first let them cool to room temperature before sealing them inside a freezer bag. You can easily reheat the frozen pancakes in the toaster or microwave. 

stack of fluffy apple pancakes topped with butter

Can I Use Another Fruit Instead of Apples? 

I’m not sure. You may be able to use whole, small berries in this recipe, but I can’t say for certain. Different fruits release different amounts of juice once cookies, so use your best judgement when adapting this recipe. 

Apple Pie Pancakes with Vanilla Maple Syrup - Just as good as apple pie but healthier & way less work!

Can I Use Non-Dairy Milk? 

Maybe. Whole milk has more fat than most non-dairy milks, and it keeps these apple pancakes incredibly moist and flavorful. If you substitute a non-dairy milk, let me know how your pancakes turn out! 

Apple Pie Pancakes with Vanilla Maple Syrup - Just as good as apple pie but healthier & way less work!

Can I Use an Egg Substitute? 

Again, I’m not sure. I’ve only ever made these apple cinnamon pancakes as written so I don’t know if you can use an egg substitute in this recipe. 

Apple Pancakes with Vanilla Maple Syrup โ€” These apple pancakes are packed with cinnamon and other fall spices. Slather with butter and dunk them in some homemade vanilla maple syrup! 

Tips for Making Apple Pancakes 

Preheating your pan is really important for perfect pancakes. If the skillet isn’t warm enough when you make the first pancake, it won’t rise properly and won’t become golden brown. To test whether or not your skillet is hot enough, flick a little water onto it and see if it sizzles. 

If desired, you can adjust the amount of spices in these apple pancakes. I like my pancakes to be super flavorful, but if you’d rather use less cinnamon or cloves, go for it. 

If you have extra time on your hands, you could cook down some diced apple with a little cinnamon in a small saucepan and top these apple pancakes with that as well as the vanilla maple syrup. Extra apple pie flavor is always a good idea!  

Apple Pancakes with Vanilla Maple Syrup โ€” These apple pancakes are packed with cinnamon and other fall spices. Slather with butter and dunk them in some homemade vanilla maple syrup! 

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4.45 from 84 votes

Apple Pancakes with Vanilla Maple Syrup

By Averie Sunshine
These apple pancakes are packed with cinnamon and other fall spices. Slather with butter and dunk them in some homemade vanilla maple syrup!
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 8 pancakes
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Ingredients  

Pancakes

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 tablespoons light brown sugar, packed
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, original recipe calls for 1 teaspoon
  • ยฝ teaspoon ground nutmeg, original recipe calls for 1/8 teaspoon
  • ยฝ teaspoon ground clove
  • โ…› teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup grated apple, about 1 medium apple
  • Butter or vegetable oil for skillet

Vanilla Maple Syrup

  • about 1/2 cup maple syrup, warmed gently
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or the scrapings of 1 vanilla bean

Instructions 

  • Make the Pancakes
  • In a medium bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients.
  • In a measuring cup or small bowl, measure out the milk. Add the remaining wet ingredients and beat until combined.
  • All at once, add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, and mix until just combined. The batter should have some small to medium lumps; donโ€™t overmix or try to stir them smooth.
  • Gently fold in the grated apple.
  • Preheat your skillet over medium heat and brush with 1 1/2 teaspoons of butter or 1 teaspoon vegetable oil.
  • Using a 1/4-cup measure, scoop batter onto warm skillet. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes until small bubbles form on the surface of the pancakes, and then flip.
  • Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook on the opposite side for about 1 minute, or until golden brown. (My pancakes were slightly larger than 1/4-cup of batter each, and I yielded 7 rather than 8; and they took slightly longer to cook than recipe indicates).
  • Transfer cooked pancakes to a baking sheet and place in a preheated 200F oven to keep warm.
  • Repeat the process with the remaining batter, adding more butter or oil to the skilled when needed. Serve immediately.
  • Make the Vanilla Maple Syrup
  • Stir together the syrup, vanilla, and serve over pancakes. Optionally, serve with Vanilla Maple Butter.

Notes

Recipe reprinted with permission and adapted from Pancakes: 72 Sweet and Savory Recipes for the Perfect Stack.

Nutrition

Serving: 1, Calories: 202kcal, Carbohydrates: 33g, Protein: 4g, Fat: 6g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g, Cholesterol: 34mg, Sodium: 131mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 18g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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Cinnamon French Toast Sticks โ€” These are slightly firm on the outside, tender in the middle, and the cinnamon flavor shines through.

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Pumpkin French Toast โ€” Thick slices of French toast that are full of rich pumpkin, cinnamon and brown sugar flavor.

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Thick and Fluffy Mini Buttermilk Pancakes โ€” Buttermilk keeps the pancakes tender, light, fluffy, not at all heavy, and these are the thickest, fullest pancakes Iโ€™ve ever made.

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Pumpkin Waffles โ€” The waffles are brimming with pumpkin flavor between the entire can of pumpkin puree and the pumpkin pie spice.

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Overnight Syrup-On-The-Bottom French Toast โ€“ Assemble it the night before and wake up to AMAZING French toast the next morning!

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4.45 from 84 votes (57 ratings without comment)

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Please note: I have only made the recipe as written, and cannot give advice or predict what will happen if you change something. If you have a question regarding changing, altering, or making substitutions to the recipe, please check out the FAQ page for more info.

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Comments

  1. Oh. Em. Gee! Just made these and they were lovely!!! I used an ice cream scoop to dollop out the pancakes and spread them out a wee bit. This is huge for me because I don’t usually like pancakes. Thanks for sharing, Averie!!!!

  2. hello, thanks for the recipe. My pancakes came out doughy and the clove overpowered the dish. If I were to try it again I would omit the clove and maybe more baking powder.

    1. The recipe is from the acozykitchen.com cookbook. If you have issues with it, you may want to write to her for trouble-shooting advice.

  3. Just made these and they were amazing! Had some apple butter handy as well and added a dollop to the batter in the pan and folded the pancake over like a turnover!! SOoo Yummy :) Thanks for the recipe!

  4. Made these this morning and they were absolutely delicious! I think the strawberry sprinkle pancakes are next on my list.

  5. I just made these tonight for a late supper. I had apples just picked from the tree! I didn’t have cloves and used skim milk, but we both loved them! I have just enough for a serving for breakfast…for me!

    1. Glad you loved them and have just enough for breakfast! Perfect timing for your freshly picked apples :)

  6. So I just made these (to freeze and reheat for my toddlers’ breakfast during the week). I followed the recipe exactly and they turned out with almost no flavor. They didn’t fluff up when cooking and were almost rubbery. Any idea what I might of done wrong?

    1. Sounds like your baking powder could be old/expired if they didn’t puff at all. That would create the rubbery texture, so can overmixing. If you don’t think the flavor is strong enough, add more spices, to taste. Make sure your spices are high-quality and fresh too as that really impacts final results, too!

      1. Thank you. I think I need to buy new spices as well. I was excited about these and it seems I am the ONLY one who has had a problem with them. I will buy some new baking stuff and try again tomorrow. Plus the Vanilla I had was weird…Bought it brand new, doesn’t expire until 2015 and it was thick & syrupy. I’ve never seen vanilla like that before.

      2. When I read the comment, I just had a feeling you probably just need to scrap things and start fresh! Glad that you’re doing that!

      3. I will let you know how they turn out. I was reading some other comments about them being to “doughy” which mine were as well and some of the replies stated too much baking soda….is there baking soda in this recipe? If so it isn’t mentioned in the directions. I just added baking powder.

      4. The recipe is directly from the cookbook that I sited. If you’d like to ask the author of the cookbook these questions, she blogs at acozykitchen.com

        I had no issues with them and they worked out great for me but for detailed inquiries, she’s the pancake expert!

  7. Happy Pancake Day! We just had these for breakfast, delish! You won me over with “pancakes taste like apple pie”. :)

  8. Any idea if these are any good with dehydrated apples? I’d like to make the dry mix to send to someone so they can add the wet ingredients and be ready to be floored.

  9. Wow, Averie you are making me so hungry over here! Those pancakes look fabulous. I would like a whole stack, please. :)
    They are so perfectly puffy and thick. ahhh, in love with these!
    Pinning!!

  10. Averie, I had to tell you that i made these this morning and they were absolutely delicious! The Husband and I inhaled them. It was seriously like eating apple pie for breakfast. (but so much easier to make). This is going into my regular breakfast rotation. Thank you thank you thank you :)

    1. Glad you enjoyed them and that they’re going into your regular breakfast rotation – that’s wonderful. And that the hubs inhaled them. Love it!