Oven Baked Apple Pancakes

Name: Baked Apple Pancakes
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 50 min
Ingredients: 1/4 cup brown sugar; 3 teaspoons cinnamon powder; 4 Granny Smith apples; 2 tablespoons butter; 3/4 cup all purpose flour; 1 teaspoon baking powder; 1 teaspoon baking soda; 1 cup milk; 1 whole egg; 2 teaspoons cinnamon; 1 teaspoon nutmeg; 1 teaspoon vanilla; 1/2 cup brown sugar

By: Author Nathan Horst

Posted on Last updated: March 28, 2024

57 Comments

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Oven baked apple pancakes are an easy alternative to the traditional breakfast. They may the perfect breakfast, brunch, or even dessert when you want a taste of fall.

Oven Baked Apple Pancake Cakes on a white serving plate with a red napkin, apple, and fork next to it. — Oven baked apple pancake cakes ready to serve

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Oven baked apple pancakes are a household favorite. Originally crafted as a breakfast, we have made these apple pancakes more than once for dessert.

Yes, they are sweet. You may only need a little bit of whipped cream to top them. Or, if you’re like our daughter, half a bottle of syrup.

Ingredients and Kitchen Supplies

Oven Baked Apple Pancakes being cut with a knife to serve. — Cutting a slice of baked apple pancakes.

To make baked apple pancakes, you will need:

Brown sugar – You’ll need brown sugar to caramelize the apples and to add some sweetness to the batter.
Cinnamon powder and Nutmeg – Cinnamon powder and ground nutmeg give the apples and pancakes a bit of a spicy edge to them.
Granny Smith apples – You can use any type of tart, baking apple you prefer.
Butter – The butter helps give the apples a rich flavor.
All purpose flour – We’ve made this recipe with all purpose flour and gluten free flour.
Baking powder and baking soda – These ingredients help the pancakes rise in the oven.
Milk – During the fall, we often substitute in Pumpkin Spice creamer for milk. You can use any variety of milk you prefer, including non-dairy varieties.
Egg – This helps to keep the pancakes together in the oven.
Vanilla extract – Just a hint of added flavor to the pancakes.

Oven Baked Apple Pancakes served on a white plate — Ready to eat a slice of apple baked pancakes straight from the oven.

This recipe does not need a bunch of fancy kitchen equipment, but we do recommend you have on hand:

Cast Iron Skillet – A 15 inch skillet is a good option for this. You can use different sizes, but you may need to adjust cook times based on how thin or thick the pancake becomes. An oven safe skillet works well too.
Measuring Cups – You’ll need to measure out the ingredients to get the right portions.

How to make baked apple pancakes

1. Preheat oven and prep the apples.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. As it heats, slice the apples into cubes. You can also peel the apples first if you prefer.

2. Sauté the apples

Heat up the cast iron skillet over medium heat and melt the butter. Add the apples, cinnamon, nutmeg, and half of the brown sugar to skillet. Cook for about 5 to 10 minutes or until the apples begin to caramelize.

Remove from heat and set aside.

3. Mix the dry and wet ingredients.

Add the dry ingredients to a medium sized mixing bowl and whisk to combine.

Add the wet ingredients to a medium sized mixing bowl and whish to combine.

Combine the dry and wet ingredients in a single bowl. Mix until just combined. A few lumps are OK in the batter.

4. Bake apple pancakes in preheated oven

Spread the apples over the bottom of the cast iron skillet in an even layer.

Pour the batter over top of the apples making sure to evenly cover them.

Place the skillet in the oven and bake for about 40 to 45 minutes or until an inserted toothpick or fork comes out clean.

Serve with whipped cream, syrup, or your favorite toppings!

Storing baked apple pancakes

You can easily store baked apple pancakes either as a make ahead option or when you have leftovers.

To store, you can cover the cooled skillet with aluminum foil or plastic wrap and place in your fridge for up to about 5 days.

Alternatively, you can slice the pancake into smaller pieces and store in smaller air tight containers.

To reheat, you can place the skillet into an oven heated to 325 degrees or microwave a single serving for about a minute or until it is warmed through.

Tips and tricks

When making baked apple pancakes, these tips and tricks may help:

Use a cast iron skillet or oven safe skillet. This will allow you to place the pancake directly into the oven once the apples are done and the batter added.
Don’t over mix the batter. It can have a few lumps in it.
You can use gluten free flour if you prefer with similar results.
When available, adding Pumpkin Spice creamer adds a bit of flavor to the oven baked pancake.

FAQs

What do eggs do in baking pancakes?

Eggs are a crucial ingredient that you can’t skip when baking (or pan frying) pancakes. The egg helps to give it some rise, but more importantly gives it structure. Without eggs, the pancake would not rise or take shape properly.

What does adding milk to pancake do?

Milk helps to thin out the batter. This helps to create a fluffier baked pancake.

Is baking soda or powder better for fluffy pancakes?

In our recipe, we use both to help make the baked pancake fluffier. You will find most pancake recipes use at least one of these ingredients to help the pancakes rise a bit.

Other recipes you may like

Baked Apple Pancakes

Our baked apple pancakes are a combination of breakfast and dessert. A fall favorite in our house, this recipe is really filling and perfect for any day you want a delicious warm breakfast… or dessert.

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Prep Time: 5

Cook Time: 45

Total Time: 50

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: American

Keyword: German apple pancake

Servings: slices

Calories: 228kcal

Equipment

1 Cast Iron Skillet

Ingredients

For Apples

1/4 cup brown sugar
3 teaspoons cinnamon powder
4 Granny Smith apples
2 tablespoons butter

For Pancake

3/4 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup milk
1 whole egg
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup brown sugar

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Cut apples into small pieces, use an apple slicer to get wedges and cut the wedges apart. If you like, you can peel the apples before coring and slicing.
4 Granny Smith apples
Melt butter in a cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add apples, brown sugar, and cinnamon to the skillet.
1/4 cup brown sugar, 4 Granny Smith apples, 3 teaspoons cinnamon powder
Cook apples for about 5 to 10 minutes or until no longer firm and they start to brown up.
While apples cook, combine the dry ingredients (flour, baking soda, baking powder, nutmeg, and cinnamon) in a medium bowl.
3/4 cup all purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon nutmeg, 2 teaspoons cinnamon
Combine the wet ingredients (milk, white sugar, egg, and vanilla) in a small bowl and whisk to combine.
1 cup milk, 1 whole egg, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 1/2 cup brown sugar
Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and whisk until combined.
Spread the apples across the bottom of pan and then evenly pour the batter out over the apples.
Bake for 45-50 minutes or until a fork comes out clean.

Notes

You can peel the apples before slicing them.

When cooking the apples on the stovetop, it is easiest to use a cast iron skillet or oven-safe pan so you can easily transfer to the oven once you add the batter.

Don’t over mix the dry and wet ingredients. You just need to combine them, a few lumps are fine.