Change up the same old pancake and make these Apple Cinnamon Pancakes! Fluffy cinnamon pancakes with an ooey, gooey apple topping make the most perfect cozy breakfast.
Looking for more delicious breakfast dishes? You should make these ASAP: Easy Crepes, German Pancakes, and Banana Bread Pancakes.
When apple season arrives, it’s somewhat bittersweet, isn’t it? Even though it usually means swimsuits are getting packed away and we’re gonna be busting out the ear warmers before ya know it, I end up pretty happy about the change of seasons. Sure, I’m always sad to see summer go, but the fact that all things apple, cinnamon, and pumpkin are on the way certainly makes the transition a little more bearable.
I have those days where I want absolutely nothing more than to pack my bags and move to Southern Cali where the temps stay right around perfect for the entire year. But then the weather changes and I start to pull out my sweaters and boots and smell maple pecan pie candles, and suddenly I’m so glad I live somewhere with 4 distinct seasons.
But enough small talk about the seasons changing. Let’s talk breakfasts, shall we? In particular, I think we need to discuss cinnamon pancakes loaded with ooey, gooey caramel-y apple topping. Now that’s what I call breakfast, any time of year!
These pancakes are perfectly fluffy and soft and good enough on their own but that’s nothing compared to how wonderful they are when you’ve piled on that apple topping. I mean, look at all of that apple goodness! Mmmmm…time to dig in!
Here’s How You Make Cinnamon Pancakes
Are you ready to make the most delicious pancakes you’ve ever had ever? Raise your hand if you are! Ah I can feel so many hands in the air right now, I love it! Let’s get to it:
- Preheat a large skillet (or use a griddle if you have one) to medium-high heat. Whisk together the milk and vinegar and let it rest for 5 minutes. While that curdles (yes, that’s what the vinegar does to the milk, it’s okay though, it’s needed!), whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl.
- Whisk the eggs and oil into the milk, then add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir them together until just combined (don’t over-mix, it should still have some lumps).
- Spray the skillet or griddle with cooking spray. Use a 1/4 cup measuring cup to pour batter onto the skillet, leaving a couple inches between each pancake. Cook on the first side for about 2 minutes, or until bubbles form and the edges start to look “dry”.
- Use a spatula to gently flip the pancake and cook another 1-2 minutes on the other side. Set finished pancakes aside and repeat the process with the remaining batter.
Here’s How You Make Apple Topping for Pancakes
And now for the pièce de ré·sis·tance: the apple topping!!!
1. Add butter, diced apples, brown sugar, and cinnamon to a medium saucepan.
2. Stir the mixture over medium heat for about 3-5 minutes, or until the apples are very tender.
3. Then, stir in the syrup.
4. Serve this apple topping right over the top of your warm pancakes.
Expert Tips and Tricks
- Be sure not to overmix the batter or you’ll lose that whole fluffiness factor and we don’t want that.
- Although I don’t have a specific favorite apple that I always use when I’m making this apple topping, I do have a few that I prefer for baking in general. I tend to rotate through granny smith, honeycrisp, golden delicious, braeburn, and jonagold. It all depends what’s available and what kind of flavors am I feeling? Sweeter? Honeycrisp. A little tart? Granny smith. Feel free to mix and match too — there’s really no way to get this apple topping wrong!
- Measuring your pancakes out into the griddle is the best way to make sure you have uniform sizes of pancakes and that they all cook about the same time. You can also use an ice cream or cookie scoop if you prefer over a measuring cup.
- Butter your griddle or skillet instead of using cooking spray if you want to make your pancakes a little more on the buttery side.
- These pancakes will store well in an airtight bag or container in the fridge for 3-5 days. (I pop mine in the toaster to reheat.) They also freeze really well, you can stack them up and put them in a freezer bag or another airtight container for up to 6 months. Thaw completely in the fridge before reheating.
- The topping works best only kept in the fridge for about 3-5 days. Freezing it can cause the apples to turn mushy and watery.
More Delicious Fall Recipes
- Easiest Homemade Cinnamon Rolls
- Pumpkin French Toast
- Pumpkin Pie
- Apple Crisp Stuffed Baked Apples
- Cinnamon Streusel Muffins
Did you make this ultra-tasty Apple Cinnamon Pancakes recipe?? AWESOME! Please rate the recipe below!
Apple Cinnamon Pancakes
Ingredients
- ¾ cup milk
- 1 ½ tablespoons vinegar
- 1 cup flour
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon - (if you really love cinnamon you can add another ½ teaspoon)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 egg
- 2 tablespoons oil
Apple Topping
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 apples - peeled, cored, and diced
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ⅓ cup maple syrup
Instructions
- Preheat a skillet to medium-high heat (275 degrees).
- Whisk together the milk and vinegar and allow to rest for 5 minutes.
- While milk is curdling, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl.
- Whisk egg and oil into milk. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and stir until combined (don’t over-mix, it should still have some lumps).
- Spray skillet with cooking spray. Use a 1/4 cup measuring cup to pour batter onto skillet. Cook about 2 minutes until bubbles form and the edges start to look “dry”. Use a spatula to flip the pancake and cook another 1-2 minutes on the other side. Set pancakes aside and repeat with remaining batter.
- Add butter, apples, brown sugar, and cinnamon to a medium sauce pan. Stir over medium heat 3-5 minutes until apples are very tender. Stir in syrup. Serve apple topping over warm pancakes.
Video
Notes
- Be sure not to overmix the batter or you’ll lose that whole fluffiness factor and we don’t want that.
- Although I don’t have a specific favorite apple that I always use when I’m making this apple topping, I do have a few that I prefer for baking in general. I tend to rotate through granny smith, honeycrisp, golden delicious, braeburn, and jonagold. It all depends what’s available and what kind of flavors am I feeling? Sweeter? Honeycrisp. A little tart? Granny smith. Feel free to mix and match too — there’s really no way to get this apple topping wrong!
- Measuring your pancakes out into the griddle is the best way to make sure you have uniform sizes of pancakes and that they all cook about the same time. You can also use an ice cream or cookie scoop if you prefer over a measuring cup.
- Butter your griddle or skillet instead of using cooking spray if you want to make your pancakes a little more on the buttery side.
- These pancakes will store well in an airtight bag or container in the fridge for 3-5 days. (I pop mine in the toaster to reheat.) They also freeze really well, you can stack them up and put them in a freezer bag or another airtight container for up to 6 months. Thaw completely in the fridge before reheating.
- The topping works best only kept in the fridge for about 3-5 days. Freezing it can cause the apples to turn mushy and watery.
Total recipe only made 6 fairly small pancakes, so they would have to be 4 very light eaters. Pancakes are delicious however and so is the topping. Making them for a second day in a row.
Had to go back to this recipe post and comment how good these were! Really great recipe and can’t wait until next weekend to make these again. Thanks for a five star recipe! Restaurant quality!
Aren’t they the best?! My husband isn’t even a big pancake fan and loves these alllllmost as much as I do. 😉 Glad you liked them Stephanie!!
I’m a little gunshy about using sour milk (and I hate the smell of vinegar). Could I use buttermilk instead? I know there’ll be a buttermilk-y flavor added, but would the rising come out the same?
Hi Hannah – you could definitely replace it with buttermilk!
That’s how you make buttermilk actuaLlY, mixing 1 tablespoon of vinegar to a cup of Milk and having it set for at least five minuTes! You honestly can’t taste the vinegar.
Can you use apple CIder vinegar? Or does that have a different affect on the milk?
Thank you so much! This recipe is simply wonderful!
do you think almond milk would work for this?
I’ve made these with almond milk (vanilla unsweetened) and they came out great!
The pancakes themselves were great but the sauce was too sweet. Next time I would leave out the brown sugar. Maybe it also has to do with the fact that I used gala apples. It’s possible that the brown sugar would be necessary with granny smiths.
I just made these for Easter breakfast and they were amazing! I wish I had tripled the batch to have extras. My husband doesn’t even like pancakes and he loved these. My 5 year old said they were the best pancakes she’d ever had. Thanks for the great recipe! I can’t wait to try more of yours.
Delicious!! Except, the pancakes call for cinnamon and in the directions is completely misses adding it into the pancakes… so mine were cinnamon free except for the sauce of course!!
These pancakes brought my boyfriend to his KNEES! He had me make them the following day as well! He said it tasted like a “cinnamon roll pancake”. Thank you!
Hi Tiffany!
I cannot wait to try these! I am culinarily challenged as I like to call myself and your website is a dream. Just looking at all of these recipes makes me happy! The ingredients are simple and cost friendly enough for a nursing student like myself who’s limited on time and energy. Thank you thank you I am so excited to try everything!! Maybe I will fool my boyfriend into thinking I can cook 😉
-Tiffany
Hi Tiffany! Believe it or not there was a time in my life when I was culinarily challenged! I even fooled my husband to believe I could cook! 😉 These recipes are definitely manageable and I hope you find lots to enjoy here on my site!! 🙂
Amazing recipe!!!! Soft and fluffy I used two granny smith s for the topping thank you for the great recipe
I just finished making the pancakes , they are amazing! I loved how fluffy they were , the topping was my favorite. Thank you for sharing is delicious recipe!
These look perfect! I’m always sad to let summer go as well, but the crisper the air gets and the more I see pumpkin and apple everywhere the more excited I get for this gorgeous season as well! Love these pancakes….& now I want them!
These pancakes were the best I’ve ever had, thank you so much for sharing that recipe. And the topping is my favorite!
I 100% agree with you – the topping is the best part! I’m so glad you liked these Lucie!!:)
Kansas weather is totally unpredictable as well, so annoying! Although it can be kind of nice in December when it’s magically 75 degrees! We’re having a cool moment right now, and these pancakes would totally warm my soul. So fall-y and yes, SO fluffy!
Oh now that would be a nice surprise – 75 degrees in the middle of December! We’re usually buried in 14 inches of snow all winter long, I’d gladly welcome a warm spell! I was expecting good weather today and I woke up to a torrential downpour! Crazy weather. 🙂
I would love to make these pancakes……but I don’t see cinnamon listed for the pancake batter?
Ha! Good eye, thanks for mentioning that – I’ve updated the recipe! 🙂