Grannys Pancakes – German Apple Pancake Recipe
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Grannys Pancakes aka the best German Apple Pancake Recipe – sweet, easy, and quick to make. A traditional recipe for the best German apple pancakes ever.
Grannys pancake recipe is simply the best!
Autumn in Germany meant delicious apple desserts every day. Along with her German apple fritters recipe, my granny used to make delicious fluffy German apple pancakes and today I’ll show you how to prepare apple pancakes just like Oma used to.
On a cozy fall afternoon, there’s nothing like a stack of grannys pancakes served with a few tablespoons of salted butter and cinnamon sugar!
Grannys German Apple pancakes are a family favorite and if you ask me, the best pancakes ever.
Grandma’s recipe for apple pancakes is made with simple ingredients and simply perfect for the cozy season.
Fluffy pancake batter is pan-fried in a hot griddle with thin slices of apple and served warm, sprinkled with cinnamon sugar for ultimate fall coziness.
The delicious apple pancake recipe is quick and super easy and delicious. A keeper!
Grandma’s apple pancakes are perfect for a sweet lunch but can also be served for brunch or breakfast. I always make them with fresh apples from the garden – the sour kind are best in these.
Ingredients:
The nice thing about grandma’s pancakes is that you usually already have the ingredients for them at home. For delicious pancakes, you only need eggs, milk, flour and sugar.
- Sugar – white granulated sugar. If you want to cut down on the calories, you can use xylitol
- Vanilla sugar – I use German vanilla sugar sachets but vanilla paste or essence also works
- Lemon – some lemon zest is really good in these. I use the juice to drizzle over the apple slices to keep them from browning
- Eggs – preferably organic ones
- All Purpose Flour for the dry ingredients, but spelt flour also works
- Milk – fresh milk. Lactose-free alternatives such as soy, rice, oat, coconut or almond milk are also fine.
- sparkling lemonade or apple cider – sparkling water also works – the carbon dioxide gives you the perfect, fluffy pancakes
- Apples – sour varieties
- Cinnamon & Sugar – you can use brown sugar as well
- optional: flaked almonds
- The exact quantities are on the recipe card.
The German pancake batter – light and fluffy
There are a few tricks to making German pancake batter. We don’t make crepes here – they won’t be thin pancakes, Granny’s pancake batter is relatively thick.
We want the apple pancakes fluffy and the apple pieces to “sink” into the batter when frying. To achieve the perfect texture, we beat the eggs with the sugar until thick and fluffy.
A bit like when making German sponge cake. For a delicious lemon flavor, we flavor the sugar with lemon zest.
Then flour, milk, and a splash of lemonade, apple cider or mineral water are briefly stirred in and the pancake batter is ready. The basic recipe for grandma’s delicious apple pancakes is that simple.
The apples – which varieties are best for grannys pancakes?
Fluffy pancakes with crunchy juicy pieces of apple – that’s how we like it. Ideally, your apples should be tart and have firm flesh and release only a little liquid when frying. I recommend tart apple varieties such as:
- Braeburn
- Jonagold
- granny smith
- Pink Lady
- Cox Orange
- Elstar
- Idared
You can learn more about apple varieties in my post about best apples for baking. I also use these varieties for my apple wine cake and my healthy apple muffins and my German muffins.
How to make German apple pancakes
You can slice the apples thinly or cut them into small pieces or small cubes. They can be prepared well in advance and the apple slices can be sprinkled with lemon juice so that they do not turn brown.
We want them thin so they don’t stick out when baking and the pancake will brown evenly.
Grate lemon zest directly into the sugar and rub into the sugar with your fingertips to flavor.
Using a hand mixer, beat the eggs, lemon sugar and vanilla sugar in a large bowl until fluffy ( pic 1). Add the sifted flour, pinch of salt, and the wet ingredients, so milk and your sparkling liquid, so lemonade, cider or mineral water and stir in.
You can do this with a handheld whisk ( pic 3)
Now let’s start frying the batter.
I prefer to bake the apple pancakes in a coated pan using ghee or clarified butter as it cannot burn. My tip: the sweet pancakes turn out perfectly over medium heat.
This way they can cook slowly and don’t burn.
How to serve German Apple Pancakes
I serve them German Style with melted butter and some cinnamon sugar on top of the pancakes! Can it get any better? A dollop of sour cream or a drizzle of maple syrup is of course also delicious.
If you want, you can also serve the delicious German apple pancakes with a scoop of cinnamon ice cream.
American and Canadian friends sometimes ask for peanut butter and I guess that’s a thing.
More pancake recipes
Pancake Lovers also have to try my blueberry pancakes and my glutenfree sheet pan pancakes.
Grannys Pancakes - German Apple Pancakes
Grannys Pancakes aka the best German Apple Pancake Recipe - sweet, easy, and quick to make. A traditional recipe for the best German apple pancakes ever.
Ingredients
- 2 sour apples
- 2 eggs
- 1 lemon juice and zest of it
- 1 sachet of vanilla sugar or 1 tsp vanilla essence
- 50 grams of sugar - 4 tbsps
- 220 grams of flour - 1 3/4 cups
- 200 ml milk - 5/6 cup or 1 scant cup
- 100 ml Lemon Lime Cider or sparkling mineral water - 1/3 cup + 1 tbsp
- some clarified butter or butter for frying
- some cinnamon and sugar for servings
- optional: flaked almonds
Instructions
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Peel or wash the apples and cut into thin slices using a mandoline or cut them into slices by hand or into small cubes. Drizzle slices with lemon juice.
-
Grate lemon zest directly into the sugar and rub into the sugar with your fingertips to flavor it.
-
Using a hand mixer, beat the eggs, lemon sugar and vanilla sugar or essence until fluffy. Add the sifted flour, pinch of salt, milk and lemonade, cider or mineral water and stir in.
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Heat a non-stick pan on the stove on medium heat and melt butter or clarified butter in it.
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Pour about 1 ladleful of batter into the pan, top the pancake with apple slices and (optional) slivered almonds and slowly bake the apple pancake at medium temperature.
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When the apple pancake is firm on top and the first small bubbles form, you can turn it carefully. If you want, use a plate to flip the pancake.Only let the apple pancake brown briefly on the 2nd side so that it doesn't burn. If you want, sprinkle the apple slices with some brown sugar before flipping.
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Put the finished apple pancakes on some kitchen paper to absorb excess fat.
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Serve the pancakes sprinkled with cinnamon sugar or maple syrup.
