This thick, custardy baked apple pancake takes me straight back to my childhood. Dust it with powdered sugar for a sweet finishing touch & dig in!
My sister and I used to beg my mom for things like Fruity Pebbles and Frosted Flakes. She didn’t cave often, but I remember the few times she did… she’d sigh and say, “If I buy this, are you really going to eat it this time?” We’d smile and nod, excited to be taking home the same colorful boxes our friends had.
We’d each eat maybe one bowl full. Then up in the pantry it would go… to collect dust and then ultimately get tossed in the next pantry clean-out. The smiling kids on Saturday morning commercials would convince us to beg again… and we’d try SO hard to like the stuff. But sugary soggy flakes and blue milk were not for us.
Especially when homemade muffins, pancakes, eggs, doughnuts, and this German(ish) apple pancake were all part of our regular breakfast rotation.
This was a staple of our childhood, and my mom still makes it every time she visits.
Apples, brown sugar, and cinnamon get softened in a pan with butter, and an egg mixture gets poured on top. The thin egg layer and pillowy apples create more of a custard-like texture than a traditional doughy pancake.
Bake until it puffs up and serve hot slices right out of the pan.
For more brunch ideas, try these vegan banana pancakes, this shakshuka, or this frittata!
(The photo above is of a 5-inch mini skillet, but the recipe makes enough to fill approx a 12 or 13-inch skillet. Use either a seasoned cast iron skillet, or a non-stick pan).
Apple Pancake
- 2 tablespoons butter (or vegan earth balance)
- 3 apples, peeled, cored and sliced
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 3 large eggs
- ½ cup almond milk (or regular milk)
- 2 tablespoons flour (any kind: white, wheat, spelt*, or a gluten-free blend)
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- Powdered sugar, for dusting (optional)
- Preheat oven to 375.
- Combine brown sugar and cinnamon.
- Whisk together eggs and milk.
- Mix together flour and baking powder and stir it into the egg/milk mixture.
- In a skillet, heat butter, add the apple slices and 1 tablespoon of the brown sugar mixture and cook, stirring, until soft. About 5 minutes.
- Pour the batter over the apples and sprinkle the remaining brown sugar on top.
- Bake until it puffs up, about 18-20 minutes.
- Dust with a little powdered sugar.
Oh wow this looks so good! I’m pinning it now and will definitely be trying it out, thanks for sharing the recipe 🙂
This was amazing!!! Slicing the apples on my mandolin make that one step easy, but I did have an “oops.” I neglected to peel the apples. Nonetheless, it turned out delicious! Thanks for sharing. It was quick, easy, and amazing.
And we never had the “sugary” cereals growing up either. My son begs and begs for them, but even though “eating healthy” has never been one of my strengths, I just can’t see starting the morning with sugar and food coloring!
How do you know whether your skillet is able to be put in oven ?
Most skillets can be put in the oven (especially cast iron).
My mom would make this for breakfast all the time when I was growing up. The only thing we would do different was squeeze fresh lemon juice on the top right before eating.
Thanks for sharing! I have been looking for a recipe to make apple pancakes for years since my mom can’t remember how she made hers.
As for eating it cold; it tastes almost as good just a little squishy.
you’re welcome, hope our version brings back the same memories 🙂
This looks delicious. What kind of apples do you recommend using?
hmm… my mom usually gets whatever is on sale so I’m sure I’ve eaten this with many types :). I think it’s pretty flexible, I personally would choose ones that are more sweet than tart.
I am vegan what would you use in this recipe for the three eggs, please?
Diane
Hi Diane,
This one is really all about the eggs, I don’t think I can offer a direct substitution… the whole recipe would really have to be re-thought. But stay tuned, I have some great vegan pancake and french toast recipes coming up!
I have made this twice already from your recipe – and it is so very delicious and lovely – made it for dessert after supper 🙂
lovely!!! delicious!!! well done!!!
I actually enjoy eating the leftovers cold for breakfast from the fridge – the flavours as just as good if not better!!!
thank you for this recipe
B
I’m so glad you like it as much as we do!
just made this for sunday morning, so easy and wham! it was gone. i’m always looking for healthful egg dishes as our chicken girls are busy busy, and i got to thinking you could do this in a savory way too. love your blog and ideas, thanks so much
thanks Shannon, glad you liked it! It disappears quickly in our house too 🙂
Beautiful pictures! And, this particular recipe looks divine! I can’t wait to try it. Thank you for the inspiration.
Awe, this reminds of a recipe my mom always used to make for us kid. So delicious. Apples and cinnamon are really the best combination ever. Gorgeous photos! I love how all of your photos are always so bright and cheerful.
Oy, I dread the days when my daughter will beg me to buy sugary breakfast cereals – I hope she’ll appreciate my baking as much as you clearly appreciated your mom’s 🙂
Can’t go wrong with apples & pancakes, yum!!
Is there a way to heat up this properly for later?
Hi Abigail,
I don’t think this one would be as good later as it is straight out of the oven. I imagine it would get pretty flat and soggy.
What a delicious looking pancake! I’m going to try it out his weekend! Thanks for the wonderful recipe. Love your blog 🙂
My brothers and I were also never allowed the colourful sugary cereals, they were a very occasional treat. I’m in Australia so Weet Bix was our regular cereal! Mum and dad had a great rotation of pancakes, french toast, eggs many ways on Sundays for us.
This looks delicious. I pin so many of your recipes and am slowly making my way through them. Next on my list is the chocolate cupcakes with avocado – the combination intrigues me and I simply must try it. Your photos are delightful!
My family had a tradition of making these except without the apples. We ate ours with blueberries cooked on the stove until they were runny and syrupy. My favorite thing to eat ever.
Hello!?! This is not normal, it looks INCREDIBLE! YUM!
Can’t wait to try it out, your suchoke and brussels are on my menu tonight! x
oh I hope you like both!
Wow, this sounds really good :-). I have made a lot of these before and I LOVE the apple idea… mmm, mmm, mmm!! 😉
Wow! If this had been in my breakfast routine growing up, life would have been MUCH different. I.e. my breakfast fixation probably would have begun long before age 19! I’m really curious to see if someone will somehow come up with an egg-less version of this someday (not sure how that would work), but in the meantime, this looks absolutely delicious and I can’t wait to try it out.
thanks 🙂 Yep, this is totally more egg than “pancake” (especially this recipe – sometimes we don’t even use the flour).
We don’t have quite as many colourful breakfast cereals over here but anything that turns your milk an unnatural colour can’t be good for you! This pancake looks amazing, I can’t wait to try 🙂