Forget about leftovers with this recipe for German Apple Pancakes. You won’t believe how easy it is to make such a scrumptious breakfast treat.
German Pancakes with Apples
I added apples to a batch of these pancakes for the first time over ten years ago and my family went absolutely crazy over them. I made this recipe one morning a couple of weeks ago to reshoot the photos and fell in love with these pancakes all over again.
I enjoyed the German apple pancakes so much that I’ve already made them again for family dinner. Whether it’s my grandmother’s traditional recipe or a grain and gluten free variation, we just plain love German pancakes.
For a fun change, try making miniature German pancakes in a muffin tin or these cranberry almond German pancakes during the holidays. (You know I can never have enough cranberry recipes!) However you make them, they are always delicious.
My grandmother handed down a recipe for sweet orange sauce that has become traditional in my family when eating German pancakes. I love that sauce, both because it is delicious, and because it reminds me of her.
But, honestly, I like these German pancakes with apples best on their own. Sweet enough from the apples, all the finished pancake required was a light dusting of powdered sugar. (My kids sure do like them with a drizzle of maple syrup though.)
A word of warning when you’re making the apples for these pancakes, you may want to make extra. It’s hard to resist tasting a few straight from the saucepan–just try not to eat them all before you can bake the pancakes!
Apple Dutch Baby
Depending on where you’re from, you might know these pancakes by a different name. I’ve heard them called Dutch babies and Dutch puffs, and they’re also quite similar to popovers.
The Dutch baby apple pancake highlights the fabulous sweetness and flavor of the fruit, much as you might find in an apple pie. But the apple Dutch baby recipe has a lot less added sugar.
We might have different names for this recipe, but anyone who tastes a Dutch apple pancake calls it delicious. Light and airy because of the way that the egg puffs up in the oven, and with an endless array of available toppings, this is a breakfast I’ll happily eat as often as possible.
German Apple Pancake Recipe
You’ll need the following ingredients to make this recipe:
- apple
- lemon juice
- milk
- eggs
- butter
- flour
- salt and ground cinnamon
- light brown sugar and powdered sugar
To begin this recipe, preheat the oven to 500°F. Add the apples, sugar, cinnamon, and lemon juice to a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until golden brown–about 5 minutes.
While the apples are cooking, whisk together the flour, salt, and milk. Add the eggs, then whisk again and set aside. Place the butter in a glass pie plate and melt it in the oven, this should take about 2 minutes.
When the butter has melted, carefully remove the hot dish from the oven and turn it in your hands to coat the bottom and sides. Add the apples to the dish and spread them out on the bottom. Pour the pancake mixture over the apples.
Return the pan to the oven and reduce heat to 425°F. Bake for 18 minutes; the sides of the pancake will rise over the rim of the pie plate and brown slightly.
Remove from the oven and place a large plate on top of the pancake. Invert the pie dish over the plate to release the pancake. Dust them generously with powdered sugar, slice, and serve.
I triple this recipe for my family and it easily serves six. When making this, I divide the tripled recipe between a pie plate (⅓ of the mixture) and a 9×13 baking dish (2/3 of the mixture).
German Apple Pancakes
If you liked these German apple pancakes, and want to try some other breakfasts with apples, you’ve got to give this old fashioned apple crisp, a try. It’s truly wonderful. (And yes, an apple crisp can be breakfast. Oats + apples = my kind of way to start the day.)
You also might like this recipe for apple cinnamon oatmeal. (I love a hearty bowl of steaming hot oatmeal!) But I also like the texture oatmeal gets when it is baked, like in this apple pie baked oatmeal.
I’m considering these apple cinammon muffins for my next breakfast. The recipe reminds me of banana bread, which I adore.
German Apple Pancake
Ingredients
To Cook the Apples
- 1 medium apple cored and very thinly sliced, about 1 cup
- 1½ tablespoons light brown sugar
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
To Make the Pancakes
- ⅓ cup all-purpose flour * (see note below for GF alternative)
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ⅓ cup milk
- 3 eggs
- 2 tablespoons butter
- powdered sugar for serving
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 500°F. In a small saucepan, combine the apples, sugar, cinnamon, and lemon juice. Stir to combine and cook over medium heat until golden brown, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes.
- While the apples are cooking, whisk together the flour, salt, and milk. Add the eggs, whisk again, and set aside. Place the butter in a glass pie plate and melt it in the oven, this should take about 2 minutes.
- When the butter has melted, carefully remove the hot dish from the oven and turn to coat the bottom and sides with the melted butter. Add the cooked apples to the butter and spread them across the pie plate. Pour the pancake mixture over the apples.
- Return the pan to the oven and reduce heat to 425°F. Bake for 18 minutes; the sides of the pancake will rise over the rim of the pie plate and brown slightly.
- Using hot pads, remove from the oven and place a large plate on top of the pancake. Invert the pie plate over the plate to release the pancake. Dust generously with powdered sugar, slice and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
{originally published 7/12/12 – recipe notes and photos updated 5/10/23}
Kim says
This was a quick and tasty recipe. Didn’t change a thing but next time I would double the cinnamon. It was nice to have something out of the ordinary for breakfast. I would definitely make again.
Mary Younkin says
Glad to hear that you’re loving the pancakes, Kim. More cinnamon rarely hurts, right? Enjoy!
Doloris Steinhausser says
I used a quart of home canned apples, drained well, added two tablespoons of brown sugar. Heated them in the microwave. Then poured them into the buttered pie dish and baked per directions. It was absolutely delicious. Thank you so much for the recipe.😊
Mary Younkin says
You are welcome, Doloris. I’m glad you found a way to make the recipe your own. Happy cooking!
Richard says
What’s the best type of apples for this?
Mary Younkin says
Hi, Richard! I use whatever I have on hand. However, honey crisps and pink ladies are two of my favorites for baking.
Marge says
Will a glass pie plate shatter at that high of a temperature?
Mary Younkin says
Mine never have, Marge.
Cristine says
I was reading the directions for German apple pancakes & came across the heating instructions. Is 500° in the oven correct? Please let me know because the recipe sounds delicious & I would love to make it! Thank you
Mary Younkin says
Yes, I start at 500, because it’s going to drop significantly when the oven is opened. You’ll reduce to 425 to bake the pancakes.
Suzanne Peterson says
I use Trader Joe’s gluten free flour and it always comes out perfect!
Mary Younkin says
Glad to hear that you’re loving the German pancakes, Suzanne!
Heather says
This was so delicious! We have an abundance of apples and eggs right now so I wanted to make something with them but I was drawn to the recipe because it called for such a toasty oven temperature and we are right at the time where it’s too early to turn the furnace on but our nights have been so cold!! It was great to warm the morning up with and we were rewarded with a scrumptious breakfast too! I used the 1:1 gluten free flour from King Arthur and maple syrup instead of sugar and it worked perfectly! Made caramel apples! Next time I think I’ll double the apples, they were so good! Heck, I might double the whole recipe! Cannot wait to make for Christmas Eve breakfast! Thank you!
Mary Younkin says
Happy to hear that the pancakes turned out well for you, Heather! I hope everyone continues to love the recipe; happy cooking.
Patty Snyder says
I used a pyrex white pie plate. Following the directions exactly, the pancake stuck to the plate. The butter burned. I created a mess trying to get it out of the pie pan. I don’t like to use teflon. Any suggestions?
Mary Younkin says
Hi, Patty! I actually call for a glass pan in this recipe. A ceramic or metal pan will heat quickly and distribute heat more evenly throughout the dish, but glass dishes don’t heat as well, and they heat the outside first, so the pancake will cook more slowly and the inside won’t cook as much (meaning it shouldn’t stick to the pan).
Sandy says
This looks delicious and so much easier than any other apple dutch recipe I have seen. I am going to make it this next week. Can I use Kodiak pancake mix in place of the flour and just add the milk and eggs?
Mary Younkin says
Hi, Sandy. I’m not sure how using pancake mix in this recipe would work; since the ingredients vary widely between brands, I’m not sure how they’d turn out.