Learn how to make apple pancakes that are easier than pie! Thick and fluffy, these healthy pancakes are full of the flavor of apple pie and don’t contain refined sugar or wheat flour.
If you enjoy apple pie-flavored sweets year-round, these applesauce pancakes will become one of your favorite recipes, along with our all-time favorite apple blondies, protein bars, and muffins.
Just like our zucchini, banana, and cinnamon roll pancakes, These are your excuse to have dessert for breakfast. The easy apple pie topping is the cherry on top that turns these pancakes into something special.
Table of Contents
Why this recipe works
- Apple pie flavor. You don’t have to bake a pie to enjoy your favorite flavor. These pancakes are easier and much quicker to make.
- Vegan and gluten-free. There are no eggs or dairy, which makes them perfect if you are celiac or vegan.
- Healthy. These pancakes use applesauce instead of butter in the batter. Not only does this cut down on the fat and calories, but it intensifies the apple flavor.
- Perfect for meal prep. These apple pie-flavored pancakes freeze very well. Make a big batch and freeze it for later for a quick healthy breakfast on busy mornings.
If you’d like to try pancakes lower in carbs, you might like almond or coconut flour pancakes.
Ingredients in applesauce pancakes
As noted earlier, this apple pancake recipe uses simple ingredients that you’ll likely have on hand. Here is everything that you will need.
- Rolled oats. You can use quick oats too. We don’t recommend using other oats for this pancake recipe as they yield a tougher and chewier texture.
- Milk. Use any milk of your choice. I used almond milk, but any milk works.
- Applesauce. Unsweetened. Applesauce provides moisture and acts as an oil and egg substitute. It also brings out the apple flavor.
- Baking powder. To help the pancakes rise.
- Vinegar. Apple cider vinegar reacts with the baking powder, creating bubbles and making the pancakes light and fluffy.
- Maple syrup. Adds a subtle sweetness without being too sweet. Honey or agave nectar will also work.
- Apple pie spice. A key ingredient that gives these pancakes their signature flavor.
For the topping:
- Apple. Finely chopped.
- Apple pie spice. To season.
How to make apple pancakes
Making these pancakes is a matter of minutes. Here’s how you make them.
Step 1- make the batter
Start by adding the apple pie spice to the applesauce and mix well. Add all ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth. You can also mix the ingredients using a bowl and a whisk. If you are mixing by hand, mix the dry ingredients first and only then add the wet ones.
Let the batter sit for 5 minutes until it thickens. If the batter turns out too thick, thin it out by adding a splash of milk.
Step 2- cook the pancakes
Preheat a non-stick frying pan. Pour ¼ cup portions of the batter into the pan and cook the pancakes for 1-2 minutes per side until golden. Cook the pancakes covered.
Step 3- make the apple compote
While the pancakes are cooking, make the topping by chopping an apple and covering it in a bowl with water. Add the apple pie spice. Microwave or cook on the stove until the apples are soft and tender.
Tips to make the best recipe
- Make your own apple pie spice. If you can’t find apple pie spice where you live or don’t have it, make it yourself. To make apple pie spice, mix eight parts of cinnamon with four parts ground nutmeg and 1 part cardamom. A small amount of ground ginger can also be added to the mix.
- Swap the oats. If you can’t consume oats, replace them with quinoa flakes. The pancakes will turn out slightly different in texture and flavor but will still be healthy and delicious.
- Serve with ice cream. These pancakes are perfect for breakfast. But if you have leftovers, it’s a great idea to enjoy them with a dollop of whipped cream or ice cream as dessert.
Storage instructions
To store. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
To freeze. Freeze these pancakes for up to 3 months.
To reheat. Reheat the pancakes in a non-stick pan over medium heat or in the microwave for 20 seconds.
More pancake recipes to try
Frequently asked questions
Yes, you can use applesauce instead of eggs to make pancakes. As a general rule, ¼ cup of applesauce replaces one egg in pancake recipes.
To make fluffy pancakes, use a leavening ingredient and don’t overbeat the pancake batter. If you use eggs, you can whip the egg whites separately to get extra fluffy pancakes.
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Apple Pancakes
Ingredients
- 1 cup gluten free rolled oats can sub for quinoa or buckwheat flakes
- 1/4 cup milk of choice I used unsweetened almond milk
- 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1 teaspoon apple pie spice see notes above to make your own
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
Apple Pie Compete
- 1/2 small apple chopped
- 1 teaspoon apple pie spice
Instructions
- Premix your spices into your applesauce. Combine all the ingredients in a blender. Blend until smooth. Alternatively, use a large mixing bowl. Start with the dry ingredients, before adding in the wet ones. Mix until fully combined.
- Let the batter sit for at least 5 minutes, for the mixture to thicken.
- Preheat a nonstick frying pan over medium heat. Once the pan is hot, pour the batter in the pan, using a 1/4 measuring cup as a scoop. Cook for 1-2 minutes or until golden on the edges and a spatula can easily flip it. Cook for another 1-2 minutes, or until thick, fluffy and crispy.
- Repeat until all the batter is used up. If possible, cover the pan when cooking. Serve up or allow to cool and freeze individual portions.
- While the pancakes cook, make the apple compote. Stovetop or microwave, heat up the chopped apple in a layer of water and apple pie spice until soft and tender. Sprinkle with extra cinnamon and top your pancakes with them.
Notes
Nutrition
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i cannot wait to give this a try – so much Fall goodness in here.
I don’t know if there’s anything I love more than pancakes. These flourless apple pie pancakes look amazing!!
The ultimate fall breakfast. YUM!
Next time I’m going to double the almond milk (liquid) for a more pour able batter. I will also use less than half the amount of baking powder called for, I could taste the baking powder in the pancakes.
No worries! It really depends on how well you blend and what brand baking powder you use- As long as you got the fluffy results that taste good, I’m glad 🙂
These look TO DIE FOR, and I fell in love with them the moment I saw the Facebook video! <3 Definitely will have to make a pumpkin spice version of these pancakes too, but I'm totally calling dibs on this apple pie stack first!
WHAT is the ice cream looking stuff on top?!
Coconut milk ice cream 🙂
I doubled the recipe and only used 1.5 tablespoon of baking powder. It was too much.
Hi Shirley- It really depends on the brand of baking powder 🙂
Just ordered your cookbook !! I cannot wait !!
That means so much, Julia! 🙂
Hi, I was wondering if the calories are per serving or per pancake?If possible please get back to me ASAP since I really want to make them in the morning! By the way they look amazing!
Lauren ?
Hi Lauren! Feel free to calculate it using myfinesspal for specific macros 🙂
These were delicious! I read the comments before I started and added one teaspoon of baking powder (and apple cider vinegar) instead of one tablespoon which seems like way too much for only one cup of oats/flour. I also doubled the almond milk to make a more pourable batter.
That sounds fabulous!
So easy to make and they are delicious! Even my boyfriend liked these pancakes and he’s very picky. You have to try them =)
That means so much, thank you!
These were delicious. I made the batter a day ahead because I like to soak grains before eating them. (The batter thickened overnight and needed to be thinned a with a little water before frying.) The only change I’ll make next time is to add a pinch of a salt. Thanks for a great gluten-free pancake recipe!
😀 Cheers, Kelly!
Greetings to you! I plan to use grated apple instead of applesauce & I will report back. Take care…
Hope it works okay!
When it says three servings, about how many “medium-sized” (4-5” maybe?) pancakes does that mean for the whole recipe, or per serving? Sorry, I’m just trying to figure out what I need to times the recipe by to get about 4 pancakes per serving for a certain number of days for meal prep. I’ve made huge batches of your Banana Smoothie Pancakes for meal prep many times and my husband and I love them, but I’d like to try and switch things up (annnd, I’m almost out of bananas).
Hi Tavia! This would be the same 🙂
Very good! I felt like the 1.5 tbsp coconut sugar I used wasn’t enough. Maybe it needed some honey in addition? So I put a tad of maple syrup on it and it fixed my lack of sweetness.
Thanks for the feedback!