I’ve been making these pancakes for years, and I used to serve them through my catering business during apple season and at fall events. The warm, cinnamon-y caramel apple compote topping always made them feel a little extra special.
These apple pancakes are ready in about 25 minutes and just indulgent enough for a weekend brunch. Finish each stack with the warm caramel apples and an extra drizzle of caramel sauce – because this is not the moment for restraint.
⭐ Recipe Highlights
- Quick and Easy: The pancakes and warm apple topping are ready in about 25 minutes.
- Double the Apple: Grated apple keeps the pancakes moist, while diced apples give the topping plenty of texture.
- Fall Flavor: Cinnamon, brown sugar, butter, and caramel make this an especially delicious apple-season breakfast.
- Light and Fluffy: A short rest and minimal mixing help keep the pancakes tender instead of tough.
- Customizable: Use your favorite prepared caramel or make a batch of homemade salted caramel sauce.
🔎 Ingredients, Substitutions and Swaps
For the complete list of ingredients and exact quantities, check the printable recipe card below.
- Apples: Granny Smith apples are my first choice because their tart flavor balances the sweet caramel. Honeycrisp, Pink Lady, or Fuji apples work well. Pick firm apples and choose organic when available.
- Caramel sauce: Use your favorite prepared caramel sauce or homemade caramel.
- Flour: Regular all-purpose flour gives the pancakes their structure.
- Baking powder: Provides lift and fluffiness.
- Cinnamon: A small amount gives the pancakes warm fall flavor without covering up the fresh apple taste.
- Milk, eggs, and butter: These add richness and help create a soft, tender pancake. Unsalted butter is preferred, but I have made them with salted butter before without any problems.
- Brown sugar, vanilla, and salt: These round out the caramelized apple topping and balance its sweetness.
🔎 How to Make Caramel Apple Pancakes
Scroll down to the printable recipe card below for detailed instructions and cooking times.
- Make the caramelized apple topping: Melt the butter in a skillet over medium-low heat. Add the diced apples and cook, stirring frequently, for about 2 minutes.
- Finish the apple compote topping: Add the brown sugar, vanilla, and a pinch of salt. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring frequently, until the apples are tender and the juices look syrupy. Stir in the caramel sauce and cook just until warmed through. Remove the skillet from the heat and keep the topping warm.
- Whisk the dry ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.
- Add the wet ingredients: Add the milk, melted butter, and beaten eggs. Stir just until the dry ingredients are moistened. A few small lumps are perfectly fine.
- Fold in the apple: Gently stir in the grated apple. Let the batter rest for about 5 minutes while the griddle heats. Avoid stirring it again after resting.
- Cook the pancakes: Heat a griddle or skillet over medium heat and lightly coat it with butter or cooking spray. Portion to cup of batter per pancake. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until bubbles form on the surface and the edges begin to look set. Flip and cook for approximately 2 minutes, until golden brown and cooked through.
- Serve: Top the warm apple pancakes with the caramelized apples and an extra drizzle of caramel sauce. Butter is optional, but nobody at my table has ever complained about it.
🔪 Chef’s Tips for Fluffy Apple Pancakes
- Use the large holes of a box grater: Finely shredded apple distributes moisture and flavor throughout the batter and cooks quickly.
- Don’t overmix: Stirring develops gluten, which can make the pancakes tough. Mix only until the flour is incorporated so the pancakes stay tender.
- Give the batter a short rest: Five minutes allows the flour to hydrate and the batter to thicken slightly. This helps the pancakes hold their shape on the griddle.
- Watch the heat: Apple adds moisture and natural sugar. If the pan is too hot, the outside may brown before the center cooks. Reduce the heat to medium-low if needed.
- Wait for the right flipping cues: Flip when bubbles rise through the batter, the edges look set, and the underside is golden.
- Never press the pancakes: Pressing them with the spatula pushes out the air that makes them fluffy.
- Let the apple topping sit briefly while you cook the pancakes: The caramelized apple sauce thickens as it cools, helping it cling to the pancakes instead of running off the plate.
✅ Make Ahead, Storage and Reheating
- Make Ahead: The caramelized apple topping can be prepared a day ahead. Refrigerate it in an airtight container and reheat it gently on the stove before serving.
- Storage: Store leftover pancakes and topping separately in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days.
- Freezing: To freeze the pancakes, arrange them in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Freeze until firm, then transfer them to a freezer-safe container or bag for up to 2 months.
- Reheating: Reheat individual pancakes in the microwave in 20-second intervals. For several pancakes, warm them in a 300F oven until heated through.
💛 Conscious Bites
Your priorities, your recipe. Learn about Intentional Cooking.
Health & Healing: If it fits your budget, consider organic apples to reduce exposure to synthetic pesticides.
Environment: Slightly bruised apples are perfect for this recipe because they are peeled, grated, or diced anyway. Trim away any damaged spots and turn the rest into breakfast instead of sending perfectly usable fruit to the trash.
👀 Take a look at these other pancake recipes:
🛒 My Favorite Kitchen Essentials
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Electric Griddle (Ceramic 22-inches)
A 22-inch surface means you can cook a whole batch of pancakes at once and serve everyone hot, instead of keeping the first round warm in the oven. The heat control holds a steady temperature, the ceramic surface releases easily, and the handles come off for storage.
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10-inch Nonstick Frying Pan
A 10-inch pan is the everyday size for eggs, a few pancakes or a quick sauté. Hard-anodized aluminum heats evenly, so you don’t get a pale center and scorched edges, the nonstick holds up to metal utensils, and it can go from the stovetop into a 500°F oven.
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Glass Mixing Bowl Set in Three Useful Sizes
1-quart, 1.5, and 2.5 — the sizes most recipes actually call for, without spending much. Glass takes you from whisking to the microwave to the fridge, so fewer dishes pile up. They nest down small, don’t hold onion smell, and go in the dishwasher.
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A Balloon Whisk for Whipping, Beating, and Smoothing Lumps
Twelve wires, all stainless, nothing plastic to stain or warp. Springy enough for egg whites, sturdy enough to beat lumpy gravy smooth. At eleven inches it keeps knuckles out of the batter without feeling clumsy in a small bowl.
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Measuring Cups and Spoons Set
Baking is chemistry, and eyeballed measurements are where most cakes and cookies go wrong. Thick stainless steel won’t crack, warp or hold onto butter like plastic, and the extra sizes like 1/8 teaspoon and 1/2 tablespoon mean no guessing at small amounts.
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Cheese Grater
Four sides cover coarse shreds, fine grating and thin slices, so one tool replaces a drawer full of gadgets. The extra-wide surface gets through a block of cheese fast, the stainless blades stay sharp, and the rubber base keeps it from sliding while you work.
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Flexible Spatula
A thin, flexible edge slides under pancakes, eggs and delicate fish without tearing them, which is the whole job of a turner. It’s nylon, so it’s safe on nonstick pans and heat resistant to 450°F, and the soft handle stays comfortable through a big batch of pancakes.
Caramel Apple Pancakes
Ingredients
For the Caramel Apples
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 apples, peeled, cored, and diced
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
- 2 to 3 tablespoons prepared caramel sauce, plus more for serving
For the Apple Pancakes
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- pinch of salt
- 1 cup milk
- 2 tablespoons butter, melted
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- 1 medium apple, peeled and grated
- butter or cooking spray, for the griddle
Instructions
Make the Caramel Apples
- Melt the butter in a medium skillet over medium-low heat. Add the diced apples and cook, stirring frequently, for about 2 minutes.
- Add the brown sugar, vanilla, and salt. Cook, stirring frequently, for 5 to 7 minutes or until the apples are tender and the juices look syrupy.
- Stir in the caramel sauce and cook just until warmed through, about 1 minute. Remove from the heat and keep warm.
Make the Apple Pancakes
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.
- Add the milk, melted butter, and beaten eggs. Stir just until combined. Do not overmix.
- Gently fold in the grated apple. Let the batter rest for about 5 minutes while the griddle heats.
- Heat a griddle or skillet over medium heat. Lightly coat it with butter or cooking spray.
- Pour ¼ to ⅓ cup of batter onto the griddle for each pancake. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until bubbles form and the edges look set.
- Flip and cook for approximately 2 minutes, or until golden brown and cooked through.
- Serve topped with the warm caramelized apples and an additional drizzle of caramel sauce.
Notes
- Firm apples such as Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, Pink Lady, and Fuji work best.
- Reduce the heat if the pancakes brown before the centers cook.
- Keep finished pancakes warm in a 250°F oven.
- Refrigerate leftovers for 3 to 4 days or freeze the pancakes for up to 2 months.
Nutrition
🤔 Frequently Asked Questions
What are the best apples for apple pancakes?
Granny Smith apples have a firm texture and tart flavor that balance the caramel beautifully. Honeycrisp, Pink Lady, and Fuji are also good choices because they hold their shape while cooking.
Should I peel the apples?
I recommend peeling them for this recipe. Peeled grated apple blends smoothly into the batter, and peeled diced apples give the topping a softer texture.
Can I use homemade caramel sauce?
Absolutely. Homemade caramel sauce is wonderful here, especially if you prefer to control the sweetness and salt. Try my homemade salted caramel sauce.
Why are my pancakes browning too quickly?
The pan is probably too hot. Apple and sugar encourage browning, so cook these pancakes over medium heat and reduce it to medium-low if necessary.
How do I keep pancakes warm while cooking the remaining batter?
Place the cooked pancakes on a baking sheet in a 250F oven. Keep them uncovered so they stay soft without becoming soggy.
This post was originally published in 2020 and has been updated with clearer instructions, step-by-step photos, cooking tips and an FAQ. The tested recipe remains unchanged.
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