It’s not every day you get to have apple pie for breakfast. I’m not so sure I’d recommend that anyway. I do love a homemade apple pie, especially when it’s topped with some vanilla ice cream, but that’s a bit more than I can handle when I first wake up.

Pancakes, on the other hand, are just sweet enough to start waking up the senses, but not so sweet that I feel overwhelmed at 7:00 in the morning, pre-coffee, when the dog is grumbling to go out, the cats are hungry for breakfast and act like they haven’t eaten in days, and there’s an 8:30 meeting on the horizon.

Then there’s this German apple pancake recipe. It’s not the quickest recipe, but you can always bake it the night before and heat it up in the morning. The nutmeg, cinnamon, brown sugar, and, of course, apple give the recipe the flavors of apple pie, while the eggs, milk, and flour make it more like a giant pancake.

Variations on the recipe are entirely possible, too. I went a bit easier on the sugar than the recipe calls for. I also added a little more cinnamon and nutmeg. Not much, but enough to make the pancake less sugary and a bit more spicy.

The type of apples you use can alter the flavor, too. Apples like Granny Smiths are sour, while Macintosh are much more sweet.

As for serving suggestions? Yeah, you can make it at night and reheat it for breakfast on a busy morning. But! It’s nice to make this on a weekend morning when you can sip coffee, listen to your favorite Charlie Parker album, and take it easy while you mix things together and cook. Top it off with warm maple syrup and you’re golden.

German Apple Pancake

The deep flavors of apple pie and the sweet goodness of pancakes come together in this German Apple Pancake recipe.

• Author: Addie Gundry
• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 25 minutes
• Total Time: 40 minutes
• Yield: Serves 2-4 1x
• Category: Breakfast

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 2 apples, thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup milk
• 5 large eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Maple syrup, for serving

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a small bowl, toss the apple slices, 2 tablespoons of the sugar, the cinnamon, and nutmeg. Set aside.
3. Cut the butter into four pieces, and place them in a deep cast-iron skillet.
4. Put the skillet or baking dish in the oven for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the butter has melted.
5. Take the pan out of the oven; sprinkle the brown sugar over the melted butter.
6. Add the apple slice mixture evenly over the brown sugar.
7. Put the pan back in the oven while you make the remaining batter, about 5 minutes.
8. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar, and the salt.
9. Whisk in the milk and continue whisking until no flour lumps remain.
10. Add the eggs, one at a time and whisk until incorporated. Stir in the vanilla extract.
11. Take the pan out of the oven, and pour the batter over the apples.
12. Bake for 18–25 minutes, or until the center is set and sides are lightly browned.
13. The pancake with start to deflate once it is re- moved from the oven. Serve warm with syrup.

Keywords: apple, pancake

Have you had this recipe? What did you think about it?