German Apple Pancake Recipe
You can also turn it into a lightly-sweetened dessert by serving with whipped cream or ice cream. It’s very versatile!
One day recently, I got out a cast iron skillet and started making this recipe. The house filled with the heavenly aroma of apples, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. It drew the whole family to the kitchen!
We had an abundance of apples from a recent trip to the apple orchard. It was a great way to use them up and also make my family happy.
We all ate a thick wedge of apple pancake right before heading out to take a hike in the woods. So good!
I love this pancake with maple syrup, but you can also sprinkle confectioner’s sugar on the top.
How to Make a German Apple Pancake from Scratch
Another thing to love about this recipe is how simple it is. Fry the apples, mix up the batter, and pour it over the apples.
Then pop the whole thing into the oven to bake. It’s that easy!
You could also try leaving the skins on if you have organic apples. I usually end up peeling mine, but you could save a step (and save more of the apple) by leaving the skins on.
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I usually use a 10 inch cast iron skillet (like this one) for this recipe, although you could try a slightly smaller size, and your apple pancake might puff up more.
This is a classic recipe that is also known as a Dutch Baby Apple pancake. As it cooks, the pancake will usually rise a bit and then fall.
Tools for This Recipe
Ingredients for This Recipe
- 3-4 medium apples, peeled, cored, and sliced
- 1/4 cup coconut sugar or maple syrup
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground cloves
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- 2 tbsp butter or coconut oil
- 5 eggs
- 1/2 cup milk or almond milk
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp vanilla
- 3/4 cup spelt flour or almond flour
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Peel, core, and slice apples and set aside.
- In a small bowl, mix together the coconut sugar and the spices. (If you’re using maple syrup, skip this step and add the maple syrup and spices to the skillet in the next step.)
- Melt the butter in a large cast iron skillet. Once the butter is melting, add the apples and sprinkle with coconut sugar, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg mixture. Stir and cook gently.
- While the apples are cooking, whisk together the eggs, milk, salt, vanilla, and flour in a medium bowl.
- Once the apples are beginning to soften, remove them from the heat and allow the pan to cool down slightly. Pour the batter over the apples.
- Put the skillet in the preheated oven and bake for 20-30 minutes, until the pancake is puffed and golden.
- Serve with maple syrup or powdered sugar.
German Apple Pancake Recipe
German Apple Pancake
Ingredients
- 4 medium apples peeled, cored, and sliced thin
- 1/4 cup coconut sugar or maple syrup
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground cloves
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- 2 tbsp butter or coconut oil
- 5 eggs
- 1/2 cup milk or almond milk
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp vanilla
- 3/4 cup spelt flour or whole wheat (or almond flour)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Peel, core, and slice apples and set aside.
- In a small bowl, mix together the coconut sugar and the spices. (If using maple syrup, skip this step and add the maple syrup and spices to the skillet in the next step.)
- Melt the butter in a large cast iron skillet. Once the butter is melting, add the apples and sprinkle with the coconut sugar spice mixture you already mixed together. Stir and cook gently.
- While the apples are cooking, whisk together the eggs, milk, salt, vanilla, and flour in a medium bowl. Whisk until the mixture is smooth.
- Once the apples are beginning to soften, remove skillet from the heat and allow the pan to cool down slightly. Pour the batter over the apples.
- Put the skillet in the preheated oven and bake for 20-30 minutes, until the pancake is puffed and golden. Serve with maple syrup or powdered sugar.
Notes
More Fall Breakfast Ideas
If you’re looking for more easy fall breakfast ideas, here are some of our favorites!
- Apple Pecan Baked Oatmeal
- Pumpkin Pie Granola
- Easy Healthy Homemade Granola with Honey
- Einkorn Pumpkin Muffins with Coconut Sugar
- Simple Breakfast Casserole
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This looks so delicious!
We just got back from a mini orchard trip today and have some apples! Maybe I’ll give this a try for a change.
Thanks for sharing this at the Homestead Blog Hop
Laurie
Thank you, Laurie! I’m so excited that it’s apple season again!
YUM! Everything about this sounds awesome. Saving this for sure.
Thank you, Danya!
Hey there! I made this for lunch today, (so yummy) and am giving you a shout out tomorrow at our link party. Thanks for joining us!
https://theeverydayfarmhouse.com/embracing-home-and-family-link-up-party-15/
Oh, so happy you enjoyed it, Jennifer! And thank you so much for the feature!
I am making this tomorrow! Thank you for sharing with us on Embracing Home and Family!
Yay! I hope you enjoyed it! 🙂
This looks amazing. I would love to try it with gluten free flour. I would also have to replace the eggs as I have an egg allergy. I know it won’t be exactly the same, but I think it would still be very good!
We enjoy it with almond flour just as much!
Yum! What a cozy recipe for chilly fall mornings! Visiting from Tuesday Turn About. 🙂 Marie This Dear Casa
Thank you so much for stopping by, Marie!
Oh yum! Just the thing I need to finish up that bag of apples I bought at the orchard! I'm featuring you on this week's Hearts for Home Blog Hop.
Thank you, Tara! I hope you enjoy it as much as we do!
This looks so yummy. Have you made any dairy substitutions? Do you think it would taste good using coconut oil instead of butter and coconut or almond milk instead of regular cow's milk?
I haven't tried any substitutions yet, but I've actually been thinking about it! The butter and milk might give it a richer, creamier flavor/texture, but I bet it would still be yummy with coconut oil and coconut or almond milk. I may try it since I have those things on hand!
Okay, Carol, I tried it! I used coconut oil in place of butter and almond milk in place of cow's milk. And it worked! It wasn't as rich as the original recipe, and it seemed like it wanted to stick to the pan more. Also, I didn't need to cook it as long for some reason. I only cooked it for about 18 minutes instead of 30.
But it was still yummy, and when one of my children came in from playing outside, she said, "Mmmm, it smells like fall in here–smells like apple cider!" We all enjoyed it for an afternoon treat. 🙂
Joy,
Thank you for experimenting on my behalf! I made it this morning – just as you posted, but with no sugar, thinking that the apples would be sweet enough. I think you should stick with your 1/4 cup. It's not much. I can't wait to try it with coconut oil and almond milk.
I have to say that the apples smelled so good when I sautéed them with the spices. 🙂
You're welcome! I was glad to try it out since we often have no butter or cow's milk in the house. I agree about the sugar–I think it needs it!