This recipe started from an egg-free pancake recipe that I had been making for a day or two. I got inspired by the snow and the holiday season to make something festive. These pancakes have apple in three different forms, and taste so delicious. One of those apple forms is from a treat my mom made when I was growing up - and still makes it today! Follow a simple recipe for 'Spiced Apples', and just mix those into the pancake batter!
There's a bit more to these - I'll even share my 'secret' ingredient! There are also plenty of my favorite spices: cinnamon, cloves, and - the king of spices - nutmeg. So I hope you're stocked up on those before you dive into making these! This also happens to be a dairy-free recipe, so don't worry if you are lactose intolerant or allergic to milk or butter - yes, you can have these.
This is also designed to be a large recipe so it can feed a family of four for a couple of days. Feel free to cut it down or even double it again as needed for your family!
The recipe is just down below!
TRIPLE APPLE AUTUMN PANCAKES
Ingredients
DRY:
4.5 cups flour
1.5 cups oats (quick oats or rolled oats)
10 tsp baking powder
4 tsp salt
WET:
½ cup brown sugar
5 cups apple cider >>> the secret Autumn ingredient!!!
5 tbsp applesauce
4 eggs
¼ cup maple syrup
5 tsp vanilla extract
Spiced Apples:
2 honeycrisp or gala apples, sliced & chopped
½ cup brown sugar
2-3 tbsp. flour
generous amt. of cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg
¼ cup butter (dairy-free butter if you need to!)
CREATIVE TIP: MILK SUBSTITUTE
Now that the secret ingredient is no longer a secret ingredient, I'll tell you more... The inspiration really came to me when 1) I didn't have enough milk to make another batch of pancakes, and 2) had a whole huge jar of apple cider that needed to be used soon or it was going to ferment. And I thought... huh, I bet I could just use the cider as the main liquid base instead of milk... so I did. Now, I wonder what else I could swap out milk for! Orange juice... other fruit juices... so many things to try...
CREATIVE TIP: MAKING BROWN SUGAR
If you're short on brown sugar - or just feeling adventurous! - just make your own! We have found that it actually tastes better too. Just mix plain sugar (we like to get sugar-in-the-raw, vs. plain sugar) with molasses, adding 1 tablespoon at a time. Add just a couple tablespoons for a lighter brown sugar with a softer flavor, or add more molasses for a darker brown sugar with a richer flavor.
Instructions
Spiced Apples:
Make these first as they will need to bake while you are preparing the batter.
preheat the oven to 375°
place the butter in a baking pan in the oven to melt
add apples, brown sugar, flour, and spices to a freezer bag
shake until apples are well coated
add more flour and/or brown sugar as needed
pull the baking pan out of the oven and dump the apple mix into the baking pan
bake for 20-25min until apples are soft
While the Spiced Apples are baking...
In a large bowl, using a whisk, mix the dry ingredients
In a separate medium bowl, mix the wet ingredients
Create a well in the flour mixture and pour the cider mixture into the large bowl
Use the whisk to incorporate the wet into the dry ingredients
Add more flour and/or oats as necessary; the batter should not be runny or thin.
Once combined, let sit until Spiced Apples are done.
When you are ready to make the pancakes, add the apple mix to the finished batter, and stir gently. You don't want to mix them in too vigorously, as the flour/sugar/spice coating will get lost in the batter. Use a spoon or a silicone spatula (my favorite option), not the whisk.
Use a ¼ measuring cup to scoop out the batter onto the griddle. If you'd like bigger (but also fewer) pancakes, use a ⅓ measuring cup. Use cooking spray to oil the surface to avoid the batter sticking. Cook 1-2min each side. Exercise those flapjack-flipping skills!
Store in two freezer bags, and reheat in the oven at 250° for a few minutes or in the toaster! They should keep for 3-4 days just fine. If you expect to take longer to eat through this large batch, then store the bags in the fridge.
These make a great Autumn breakfast whether you are sitting down at the table with a cup of coffee or grabbing from the toaster on the go. Even though they are filled with apple-y goodness, they are not messy at all.
Who knows?! Maybe these are a new Thanksgiving breakfast tradition! Let me know how your Triple Apple Autumn Pancakes turn out in the comments below!
Happy Cooking!
"Anyone can cook."
Comments