Caramel Apple Pancakes are a fun breakfast for the fall. Don’t we all have fond memories of making and eating caramel apples or buying them at a stand? For this recipe, we make a very simple caramel sauce that is used as the syrup for the pancakes. The pancakes are fluffy and light with a cinnamon undertone and grated apples. They really go well with the caramel sauce.
I tried something new while making this recipe. I separated the egg yolks from the egg whites before adding them to the pancake mix. I beat the egg whites with an electric mixer until they formed soft peaks. When the rest of the pancake batter was mixed together, I gently folded the egg whites into the batter. This step is optional! You can simply add the eggs whole to the batter. You might want to try it though. I did notice a difference.
Apples are a favorite for fall breakfasts. If you want some other ideas, check out Overnight Apple Cinnamon French Toast, Apple Cinnamon Quinoa, and Apple Cinnamon Yogurt Cake.
Caramel Apple Pancakes
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Ingredients
- PANCAKES:
- 1 ½ cups all purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs
- 1 ½ cups buttermilk* see note
- 3 tablespoons canola oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 large apple, peeled, cored, and grated
- CARAMEL SAUCE:
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
PANCAKES:
In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.
In a medium bowl, beat the eggs. If you want to try the added step of beating the egg whites, separate the whites from the yolk. Beat the yolks only in the bowl and place the egg whites into another bowl to be beaten. If you do not want to beat the egg whites, simple add both eggs to the bowl.
Add the buttermilk, canola oil, and vanilla extract to the bowl with the eggs.
If you are beating the egg whites, use an electric mixer and beat them on a medium speed until they have increased in volume, are white and hold soft peaks.
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and combine well. Stir in the grated apple.
If you have beaten your egg whites, carefully fold them into the batter. Check out How to Fold Eggs Whites to see how its done.
Heat a griddle, or large skillet over medium low heat. Spray with cooking spray or brush on a very small amount of vegetable oil all over the bottom of the skillet to avoid sticking.
Measure out ¼ cup of the batter for each pancake. Slowly pour the batter into the pan. Pour in as many as you can leaving enough space so that they do not spread into each other.
Cook for 2 minutes on the first side. You will see bubbles start to rise on the batter of the top of the pancake.
Turn the pancakes over and cook for 2 minutes on the other side.
If you need to make these in batches, you can keep the pancakes warm in a preheated 200 degree oven. Place them on a baking sheet and cover them loosely with a clean dish towel.
CARAMEL SAUCE:
Melt the butter in a quart sauce pan over medium heat. Add the brown sugar and heavy cream and bring it to a boil. Let it simmer for 1 minute. Remove from the heat. Do not let it go past this time of it will start to harden and you will not be able to use it over the pancakes.
Stir in the vanilla extract and pour into a serving vessel.
Serve the pancakes with the caramel sauce.
Notes
*You can make your own buttermilk at home. Add 1 ½ tablespoons white vinegar to 1 ½ cup milk and let it sit for 10 minutes.
