Cinnamon Apple Pancakes With Warm Sautéed Apples

These Cinnamon Apple Pancakes With Sautéed Apples are the perfect breakfast on a cool fall morning. The pancakes are fluffy and loaded with sweet tender apples and flavored with spicy cinnamon, then topped with sweet caramelized apples. It’s like a taste of fall in every bite.

As autumn rolls around and there is a slight chill in the air I start to have a craving for more fall flavors, you know the ones, spicy pumpkin drinks or crunchy apples coated in warm flavors like cinnamon and nutmeg They are the flavors that just give you a cozy feeling inside.

Since we had just gone apple picking and I had more apple then I knew what to do with, I wanted to make something that incorporated those warm cozy flavors into a delicious breakfast. Pancakes where the first thing that came to mind.

These pancakes where tender and loaded with sweet crunchy apples that were coated in warm cinnamon and nutmeg, and the addition of brown butter which gave them a rich toasty flavor. But I didn’t want to stop there. They needed a topping that gave you that cozy feeling, like sitting in front of a fire on a cool fall day. Then it came to me, warm sautéed apples that were caramelized in butter and coated with brown sugar, cinnamon and maple syrup. What could be better?

What you will need to make Cinnamon Apple Pancakes With Warm Sautéed Apples

All purpose flour:
Baking Powder:
Baking Soda:
Ground Cinnamon:
Ground Nutmeg:
Salt:
Eggs:
Buttermilk:
Unsalted Butter Browned:
Pure Vanilla Extract:
Apples: I like to use Fuji or Gala because they hold there shape when cooked.
Brown Sugar:
Maple Syrup:

How To Make Cinnamon Apple Pancakes With Warm Sautéed Apples

It all starts with those caramelized apples. Peel and dice the apples and place them in a large skillet along with butter over medium heat.

To the apples, add the brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg and stir to coat.

Sauté the apples for 15 to 20 minutes or until they become soft. Add the maple syrup and stir to coat. Lower the heat to low to keep warm until ready to use.

To prepare the pancakes, Start by placing the butter in a small saucepan over over medium heat. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until liquid starts to turn golden brown and brown bits start to form at the bottom of the pan. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

While the butter is cooling, add the all purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt to a large mixing bowl and whisk to combine.

To a separate medium mixing bowl add the eggs, buttermilk, pure vanilla extract and cooled brown butter and whisk until completely combined.

Pour the wet ingredient into the dry ingredient and mix to combine, being careful not to over mix.

Fold in the diced apples until combined.

Place a large frying pan over medium heat. Add a small amount of butter to the pan and swirl to coat. Scoop out about 1/4 cup of batter for each pancake and place in the hot pan. Cook pancakes for 2 to 3 minutes or until bubbles start to form on the top of the pancakes. Flip pancake and continue cooking for an additional 2 to 3 minutes or until the pancakes are golden brown on both sides. Remove from heat and and serve immediately or place on a wire rack to cool and then freeze. Once again, place a small amount of butter in the pan before adding more batter. Continue this process until all the batter has been used.

How To Store These Pancakes:

When I make pancakes, I make sure to double my ingredients so that I have plenty extra. I like to store the pancakes in the freezer so that when I am having a busy morning, I can just pop one in the toaster and have a quick breakfast. To do this I make sure the pancakes are completely cool. I place a single layer of pancakes in a zip lock bag, cover them with a piece of wax paper then place another layer of pancakes on top. This will prevent the pancakes from freezing together. I seal the ziplock bag and place it flat in the freezer. They will last up to three months frozen.
If there are extra sautéed apples, they can be stored in a small container in the refrigerator for up to three days, but in my family they would never last that long. They are perfect stirred into some warm oatmeal or reheated and scattered over vanilla ice cream.

Tips For Making These Pancakes:

When making any pancake batter, try not to over mix it. Over mixing will create a dense pancake rather then a fluffy one.
Brown butter makes every recipe better in my option. It gives it a richness that you don’t get with plain butter. The secret to making it, is to cook it on medium low and to swirl it around the pan occasionally. You want the butter to be a nice amber color with a small amount of brown bits on the bottom of the pan. Too many brown bits means you burned it.
Bring your pan up to temperature before adding any batter. Ever wonder why the first pancakes you cook never come out perfect? It’s because your pan is not warm enough. So warm up your pan before adding any butter or batter.
Cook these pancakes over medium heat. This will get your pan hot enough so that your pancakes will have a nice sear on them.