These Apple Pancakes are fluffy, loaded with shredded apple and warm cinnamon, and topped with easy sautéed apples. A cozy fall breakfast the whole family will love!

Saturday mornings in the fall call for something a little extra special. These Apple Pancakes are exactly that. They are thick, fluffy, loaded with shredded fresh apple and cinnamon, and topped with the most gorgeous sautéed apple topping. They taste like apple pie for breakfast, which honestly should be a requirement for fall weekends.

 

The shredded apple is the secret here. It melts right into the batter so you get apple in every single bite without any chunky, undercooked pieces. And that 10-minute batter rest? It makes a real difference in how tall and fluffy these cook up. Trust me, don’t skip it.

Ingredients You’ll Need

Here’s everything that goes into the batter:

• All-purpose flour
• Baking powder and baking soda — using both gives these pancakes great rise and a tender crumb.
• Granulated sugar — just a little for sweetness. This is half the sugar called for in my traditional Buttermilk Pancakes because the apple gives you sweetness as well.
• Cinnamon
• Salt
• Milk or buttermilk — buttermilk gives a slight tang and even fluffier texture, but regular milk works perfectly well.
• Egg
• Vanilla extract
• Melted butter
• Shredded apple — about 1 cup, which is roughly one medium apple. More on apple variety below!

What’s The Best Apple

You want a firm apple that holds up a little during cooking and has good flavor. Honeycrisp, Gala, Fuji, and Granny Smith are all great picks. I personally love Honeycrisp or Gala for their natural sweetness and they complement the cinnamon without being too tart. Granny Smith is great if you want a slightly more pronounced apple flavor.

You don’t need to peel the apple before shredding — the skin is fine and pretty much disappears into the batter. But if you prefer to peel it, go for it!

How To Make Apple Pancakes

This comes together in one bowl (for dry ingredients) and a liquid measuring cup (for wet). Here’s the breakdown:

1. Mix the dry ingredients. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, cinnamon, and salt.
2. Mix the wet ingredients. In a liquid measuring cup, whisk together the milk, egg, and vanilla until the egg is fully incorporated.
3. Combine. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and stir until just barely combined. Add the melted butter and stir to incorporate.
4. Fold in the apple. Add the shredded apple and fold until evenly distributed. Let the batter rest for 10 minutes.
5. Cook. Preheat a griddle or large skillet over medium-high heat. Brush with butter or spray with cooking spray, then scoop about 1/3 cup of batter per pancake. Cook for 2–3 minutes until lots of tiny bubbles form on the surface, then flip and cook 2–3 more minutes. The pancake is done when the top springs back when lightly pressed.
6. Serve. Top with butter, maple syrup, and the sautéed apples (recipe below).

How To Make Sauteed Apple Topping

This topping is optional, but I’d strongly recommend it. It comes together in about 10 minutes and makes these pancakes genuinely special. Here’s what you need:

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 cups diced apple (peel if you’d like, but not required)
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the apples and cook for 5–6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they start to soften. Stir together the water and cornstarch and pour into the pan with the apples. Add the brown sugar and cinnamon. Bring to a boil and cook for 2–3 minutes, until the apples are tender and the sauce is thick and glossy. Spoon over the pancakes right before serving.

Tips For The Best Apple Pancakes

• Don’t over-mix the batter. A few lumps are totally fine and actually preferable. Over-mixing develops the gluten and makes pancakes tough and flat.
• Rest the batter. That 10-minute rest lets the baking powder and baking soda activate and gives the batter time to hydrate. You’ll notice a real difference in the fluffiness.
• Watch the heat. Medium-high is the goal — hot enough that the pancakes sizzle when the batter hits the pan, but not so high that they burn before cooking through. Adjust as needed based on your stovetop.
• Wait for the bubbles. Flip only when you see lots of tiny bubbles across the surface and the edges look set. If you flip too early, the pancakes won’t hold together as well.
• Don’t press down on the pancakes. It doesn’t speed up cooking and just deflates all that fluffiness you worked for.

Storage & Reheating

Let leftover pancakes cool completely, then store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4–5 days. You can also freeze them — lay them in a single layer on a baking sheet until frozen, then transfer to a freezer-safe bag for up to 3 months.

To reheat, pop them in the toaster or microwave. The toaster gives you slightly crispier edges and is my personal preference.

Can I Make Ahead

Pancake batter is best fresh since the leavening starts working as soon as it hits the wet ingredients. That said, you can mix the dry ingredients and wet ingredients separately the night before and combine them in the morning , just plan for that 10-minute batter rest once everything is mixed.

More Breakfast Recipes To Try

• Peach Cobbler Muffins
• Greek Yogurt Pancakes
• Sourdough French Toast
• Air Fryer Biscuit Donuts
• Chocolate Chip Waffles

If you make these Apple Pancakes, I’d love to hear what you think! Leave a comment below and let me know how they turned out. And if you topped them with those sautéed apples tell me what you thought!