These Apple Ring Pancakes are the perfect breakfast or brunch for a crisp fall morning! They're made with simple ingredients you probably already have and can be ready in just 30 minutes!
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What Makes These Pancakes Special
These are not your regular pancakes! They have apple slices hidden in them! I wanted to call these apple fritter pancakes but apple ring pancakes just make more sense since we're not frying them.
They're so good, it's definitely one of my most favorite pancake recipes ever along with these Healthy Greek Yogurt Pancakes!
- They're really easy to make and they're so much more fun than your usual pancakes.
- The batter is gluten-free, dairy-free, and there are only two tablespoons of maple syrup so they're fairly low in sugar too!
- You can store the leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days! They're just as tasty reheated as they are fresh!
Ingredients Notes
The ingredient list for these pancakes is pretty simple. There are no exotic or hard-to-find ingredients. In fact, you probably already have most of these, if not all, already at home!
There are 11 simple ingredients you can see in the photo. Below the photo are notes about the most important ones:
- Flour - I'm using a store-bought gluten-free flour blend but you can use all-purpose flour too. I really like Bob's Red Mill 1:1 gluten-free flour. So far, it's worked great for me in all recipes!
- Apple sauce - this adds extra apple flavor to the batter and provides moisture without adding any bananas or more liquid.
- Maple syrup - I like to sweeten the batter with maple syrup instead of sugar because it's slightly healthier and adds more flavor. Any liquid sweetener works.
- Milk - I like using almond milk, but you can use any milk you prefer here. I recommend almond, cashew, oat, walnut, or hazelnut milk.
- Apple Pie Spice - This spice just goes so well with apples, I had to include it! If you don't have any, use plain cinnamon.
- Apples - The star of the show! It doesn't matter how big or small the apples are, or what kind. Any apples work.
Step-by-Step Instructions
You can do this before or after you make the batter but slice your apples to dip into the batter. You should get 4-6 slices per apple. I don't peel my apples and use the ends too, not just the pretty slices, because why not!
Use a small round cookie cutter or a small knife to carefully cut out the middle part of each slice.
Whisk all your wet ingredients together in a large bowl, add the dry ingredients, and whisk again until combined. The batter shouldn't be too thin or too thick, just thick enough to coat an apple slice.
When you have your pancake batter ready, it's time to dip those apple rings! You can dip 2-3 at a time, pick them up with a fork, and let the batter drip off a little bit before transferring to a pan.
I recommend heating up your pan over medium-high heat without any oil or butter first, once it's hot, add your oil, lower the heat to medium, and then add your pancakes. Pancakes are like eggs, they need lower heat and time. Cook for 2-3 minutes on each side, flipping them carefully.
Pro tip: You can preheat your oven to 200F, lay your pancakes out on a baking sheet in a single layer, and keep them in the warm oven until you finish cooking the whole batch.
It varies based on what kind of pan you use and what type of stove you have. It comes with practice, you'll know after a while of using the same pans. I just hover my hand above the pan and if I feel any heat coming off of it, it's hot. Be careful, never touch a pan that could be hot.
How to keep your pancakes warm
- Like I mentioned above, I recommend keeping your pancakes in a warm oven (200F or 95C) until you finish the whole batch. This way they stay perfectly warm until you're ready to eat!
- If you're anything like me, you don't like cold pancakes. If you want to be extra sure they will stay warm, you can preheat your plates too! Most plates should be oven-safe at low temperatures (except for paper and plastic plates). I usually don't go above 170-200F (75-95C). Just pop them in the oven for a few minutes before serving with the pancakes.
Serving
- Apple Syrup - I highly recommend the apple syrup from my Iced Apple Crisp Macchiato instead of maple syrup for drizzling! It's so good and it adds even more apple flavor to the pancakes.
- Stewed Apples - If you want to make your breakfast extra fancy, make the stewed apples from my Chocolate Chip Apple Cider Pancakes with Stewed Apples recipe. They would go amazing with these pancakes!
- Sweet Cashew Cream - This is an older recipe of mine but it's one of the most popular ones on the blog and my old time favorite! It takes some preparation but I highly recommend it.
- More tasty toppings: berries, chopped apples, yogurt, whipped cream, honey, maple syrup, roasted nuts, hemp seeds, or nut butter
Storing
These pancakes store well in the fridge. Just keep them in an airtight container for up to three days and reheat them on a pan with a little bit of butter or oil. I wouldn't recommend freezing them because of the apples inside, they would be too mushy.
FAQS
I had great results with a gluten-free flour blend, regular all-purpose flour would work great too. I haven't tried any special flours like almond or brown rice. I'd probably play around with the quantities and add only ¾ of either and ¼ cup of tapioca flour.
I haven't tried it, but it should be ok if you leave out the maple syrup. Add 1-2 tablespoon of milk if the batter is too thick.
You might be able to use an egg substitute but I haven't tried. Vegan baking can be tricky but pancakes are pretty forgiving so it might work!
Yes but only for a few days ahead. They don't freeze well and stay fresh for up to 3 days in the fridge. You can quickly heat up the refrigerated pancakes on the stove in the morning.
More Breakfast Recipes with Apples
- Chocolate Chip Apple Cider Pancakes with Stewed Apples -great for using up leftover apple puree! (gluten-free)
- Gluten-Free Apple Butter Waffles (gluten and dairy-free)
- Apple Pie Oatmeal with Raisins and Goji Berries (vegan)
📖 Recipe
Apple Ring Pancakes
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 20 mins
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 16-18 pancakes 1x
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Cooking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
Delicious, comforting fall-flavored pancakes, perfect for cold mornings.
Ingredients
- 1 cup gluten-free flour (I use Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1 flour)
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp apple pie spice
- 2 large eggs
- ¼ tsp fine sea salt
- ½ cup apple puree
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- 2 tbsp avocado oil (or other cooking oil, plus more for cooking)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ cup plant-based milk
- 3 apples (I got 5-6 slices per apple)
- Optional for serving: maple syrup, yogurt, nut butter, berries, more chopped apples, hemp seeds, sweet cashew cream, or apple syrup from the Iced Apple Crisp Macchiato recipe
Instructions
- Mix the flour, baking powder, and apple pie spice together and set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk the egg, and add the fine sea salt, apple puree, maple syrup, avocado oil, vanilla extract, and plant-based milk. Whisk until combined well.
- Whisk in the flour mix and set aside.
- Cut the apples into rounds and carefully cut out the middle part with a small knife. You should get about 5 slices per apple.
- Heat a shallow large pan over medium-high heat. Spray or drizzle with cooking oil. Dip the apple rings one by one in the batter, let drip off, and transfer to the pan. Lower the heat to low-medium and cook for 2-3 minutes on each side.
- Keep the pancakes in a warm oven while you finish cooking the rest.
- Serve with maple syrup and other toppings of your choice.
Notes
Batter: you can use any plant-based milk you like. Almond, cashew, hazelnut, oat, or boxed coconut all work great. Don’t use canned coconut milk.
Keep the pancakes warm: Preheat your oven to 200F (95C) with a baking sheet or a plate to keep the pancakes hot while you finish cooking them all.
Storing: Store the pancakes in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat on a dry pan or with a little bit of oil.
Amanda Dixon says
This is just the cutest pancake idea! I've had plenty of pancakes with an apple topping but never an apple-stuffed pancake -- so fun and creative! I'll definitely make these all throughout the fall.
Lauren Michael Harris says
What a great idea for pancakes! I've never seen apples cooked in pancakes before but I want to try it ASAP! We are picking apples this weekend and I am most definitely making these!
Julie Huston says
I may have to try this.
Lori | The Kitchen Whisperer says
NEED! WANT! HAVE TO HAVE!!! These look crazy delicious! I just picked up 8 pounds of apples and these are the first thing I'm making!
Bernice says
I'm drooling on my keyboard over here. These amazing pancakes are going straight onto the 'to make' list and I'm pinning the recipe for when my niece comes to visit. She'll love the surprise inside.
Elaine says
I can't wait for the morning now. This is a fantastic breakfast option and just the perfect recipe to enjoy any day of the week!
Tristin says
We had a bunch of apples from apple picking so needed to try out this interesting twist on pancakes. My kids loved, loved, loved these! Keeping this recipe for sure!!
Aya says
These were a family hit! I loved the crunchy apples against the soft pancakes. It was so much fun to make and made the perfect weekend breakfast!
chefdennis says
I made these for breakfast yesterday and my family loved them!! Thanks!
Hayley Dhanecha says
What a fanratstic looking apple ring pancake! Delicious and easy to make weekend treat for me :)
Kayla DiMaggio says
Yum! these apple ring pancakes are so delicious! I loved all the apple flavor and how fun they were to make!