Name: Apple Pie Pancakes
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 45 min
Ingredients: 1 3/4 cups all purpose flour; 3 tbsp light brown sugar; 1 tsp ground cinnamon; 1/2 tsp apple pie spice; 2 tsp baking powder; 1/4 tsp baking soda; 1/8 tsp salt; 4 oz unsalted butter (melted); 2 eggs (room temperature); 1 tsp vanilla extract; 1 3/4 cups low fat buttermilk; 4 tbsp unsalted butter; 1 lb apples; 3/4 cup light brown sugar; 1 tsp apple pie spice

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Apple Pie Pancakes is a perfect fall breakfast! Spiced, fluffy buttermilk pancakes topped with warm, homemade apple pie topping. It’s a comforting breakfast for the holidays and family weekend breakfast.

stack of pancakes topped with apple topping

Perfect Pancake Breakfast

I’ve created this pancake recipe for my son and my husband many years ago and it is still our favorite breakfast during the fall months. It’s the season for comfort food, apples, pumpkins, warm and toasty ciders, and beautiful colors.

The minute you flip that calendar and see “September,” it almost soul-warning. It’s the feeling that the fall bring with the changing of the season, changing of the colors, and of course, comfort food. We can’t get enough comforting breakfast recipes, soups, hot drinks, desserts, and so much more. After all, food can bring you as much joy and the holidays and time with family.

That’s why these apple pie pancakes are so perfect for family breakfast on weekends and for fall holidays. So next time you go apple picking, make sure to set some apple aside to make these soft and fluffy pancakes topped with sweet apple pie topping.

It’s truly the best topping for the pancakes because it combined warm, spiced apples and it also acts as a syrup. If I had to choose between pumpkin pancakes and these pancakes, it would be apple all the way.

ingredients to make pancakes and apple topping

How To Make Apple Pie Pancakes

scooping out apple pancake topping with a spoon

Apple Pie Topping:

Peel and core all the apples and then dice them into small pieces.

Melt butter in a sauce pot over medium heat and add diced apples, sugar, cinnamon, and apple pie spice. Gently mix everything until apples are evenly coated and mixed. Lower the heat to medium-low, cover the pot with a lid and let apple cook for about 15 minutes. Remember to stir once in a while.

Tip 1: to get a lot of nice juices out of apples, make sure to cook them covered with a lid first.

Take off the lid and cook for another 10-15 minutes until apples are soft and tender. Make sure to stir once in a while. Take the pot off the heat until ready to serve on pancakes.

mixing bowl filled with batter and a whisk coming out of the batter

Buttermilk Pancakes:

Whisk together wet pancake ingredients first and then add your dry ingredients.

TIP 2: let the batter stand for about 10-15 minutes. This will give ingredients time to incorporate and help make your pancakes fluffy.

TIP 3: it’s important to preheat the pan or the griddle first, before cooking the pancakes.

First, preheat a cooking pan or pancake griddle over medium heat and then lower it a little bit before adding pancake batter.

Then, use a 1/4 cup scoop to get the same amount of batter for each pancake. Add the batter to the hot pan and let it cook without touching it.

Wait for the bubbles to appear all over the top, that is your indication that pancakes are ready to flip. Use a spatula to slide all the way under the pancake, lift it off, and use your wrist to quickly flip. (It will take 3-5 minutes for each pancake to cook.)

Finally, divide pancakes among the plates and top them with warm apple pie topping.

adding apple topping to the stack of pancakes

What Apple To Use?

You’ll be happy to know what there isn’t just one type of apples you have to use in apple pie topping. Go with your favorites but keep in mind that apple do taste slightly different.

Granny Smith apples are meaty, rich, but also have some tang and sourness.

Golden Delicious apples are juicy, and very sweet.

Honeycrisp apples are great meaty apples that are also bright and sweet. Honesycrisp apples are actually my favorite ones to use.

You can also choose Pink Lady, Braeburn, Fuji, or McIntosh apples.

If there was one type of apples that I would

cutting into the stacked pancakes with apple topping

What Is Apple Pie Spice?

Apple pie spice is a blend of ground cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice. You can buy this seasoning mixed at the store or make your own.

To make your own, simply combine 2 tablespoons of ground cinnamon with 2 teaspoons or ground nutmeg and 1 teaspoon of ground allspice. Mix it all together and store in a small glass jar with a lid.

Can I Add Apple Pie Topping Right Into Pancake Batter?

Tip 4: if you plan to add some of the apples from the apple topping into the batter, add an extra apple.

Yes, you can! Although, you have to be careful with the added liquid. To add some of the apples from the topping into the batter, you will need to drain it first. So use a slotted spoon or a mesh strainer and get about 1/2 cup of apples from the topping.

Let all the juice/syrup strain back into the pot with the topping so you can add on top of pancakes later. Once the juices are strained off, add the cooked apples right into the batter. If you feel like your pancake batter is a little thin, add just a tablespoon or two of flour.

Make Ahead Tips:

These pancakes are great for weekends and holidays because they do take a little extra time and best to eat fresh. Although, you can easily prepare apple pie topping ahead of time and store it in an air-tight food container, in the refrigerator. It’s easy to reheat in a sauce pot over medium-low heat.

You can even freeze the apple pie topping in a freezer friendly, zip-top bag or a freezer container. Thaw it overnight in the refrigerator and reheat in a small pot over medium-low heat.

Some More Recipes For Weekend Breakfast

Pancakes are always a classic comforting option for breakfast. Try our favorite Banana Pancakes or Eggnog Pancakes too.

I also have an Apple Pie French Toast version filled with apples and topped with them. If you want to go a little more classic, try The Best French Toast or French Toast Casserole.

Casseroles are also great savory options for a comforting breakfast, just like this Sausage Breakfast Casserole and Broccoli Cheese Hashbrown Casserole.