German Apple Pancakes

My grandmother would always make us pancakes when we went to visit. They were quite different from the traditional pancakes you are probably thinking of. They are fried in a pan and we only ate them dusted with a bit of sugar. She always had apples on hand for those of us who wanted them in our pancakes.

This recipe is not quite the same in that it is baked in the oven instead of fried in a pan but it was still very tasty and brought back some fond memories. This is a perfect warm breakfast dish for the chilly winter mornings.



German Apple Pancakes:
from cooks illustrated


3/4 cup flour
2 tbsp sugar
1 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp kosher salt
3 large eggs
1 cup whole milk
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
3 tbsp unsalted butter
5 large granny smith apples, peeled, quartered and cut into 1/2 inch thick slices
1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp packed golden brown sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
powdered sugar


Preheat oven to 500 degrees. In a large bowl combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. In a separate bowl whisk together the eggs, milk and vanilla. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix until there are no lumps. In a large skillet melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add apples, brown sugar and cinnamon. Stir gently to coat all apples. While stirring occasionally, cook the apples until they are golden brown, about 10-15 minutes. Remove from heat and add lemon juice.

Meanwhile spray 9x9 square pan or deep dish pie pan with pam. Place on baking sheet and heat in the over for 3 minutes. Remove from oven and add apple mixture. Pour batter evenly over apples into baking dish. Immediately place in the oven and reduce temperature to 425 degrees. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until edges are brown and puffed. Carefully remove dish from the oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes. Dust with powdered sugar and serve with maple syrup if desired.

This pancake was so tasty with just the sugar but had a really nice flavor topped with maple syrup as well. The sweetness goes really well with the tart apples.