Healthy apple cinnamon pancakes with white whole wheat flour, honey, shredded apples, and cinnamon. You won’t believe how fluffy these are!

Serve them with butter and pure maple syrup for yummy fall breakfast. Or enjoy these cold the next day for a snack topped with plain Greek yogurt and no-can strawberry-blueberry honey jam. So good!

Apple Cinnamon Pancakes

The best part of fall besides everything pumpkin is the apple season. There are so many varieties of apples to choose from and you can incorporate them into every meal.

Everything from chili, salads, and apple crisp. Now you can make the yummiest apple cinnamon pancake recipe.

These apple pancakes are so fluffy and full of apple flavor. No to mention they’re made with white whole wheat flour and sweetened only with honey.

The trick to getting these pancakes super fluffy is milk and little vinegar. Combine the two and you have homemade “buttermilk” and we know that buttermilk makes the best pancakes.

The rest of the recipe is incredibly basic and easy. You can use any variety of sweet apples, such as Fuji, Gala, Honeycrisp, or Ambrosia.

Ingredients for Apple Pancake Recipe

Milk – you want cow’s milk, preferably whole
Vinegar – either white vinegar or apple cider vinegar
White whole wheat flour – I absolutely love baking with this flour! It has the exact same nutritional value of whole wheat flour but because of the wheat variety used, it has a milder flavor and paler color. I love King Arthur Flour brand. You can use 100% whole wheat flour but just keep in mind you’ll have more dense pancakes.
Baking powder, ground cinnamon, salt
Egg – you’ll need one large egg
Butter – unsalted butter or substitute melted coconut oil
Honey – or swap it out for maple syrup
Vanilla – pure vanilla extract
Apples – use any variety of sweet apples, such as Gala. Just remember to peel them before shredding.

How to Make Apple Pancakes

Step 1: Make buttermilk – combine the milk and vinegar together. Let the mixture stand for 5-8 minutes. It will curdle and that’s exactly what you want.

Step 2: Dry ingredients – in a mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.

flour in a bowl for apple cinnamon pancakes

Step 3: Wet ingredients – to the milk mixture, add the egg, butter, honey, and vanilla. Whisk until blended.

Step 4: Combine dry + wet ingredients – pour the milk mixture into the flour and using a wooden spoon, stir until combined. Do not overmix. Gently stir in the shredded apples and let the mixture rest for 5-10 minutes.

Step 5: Cook the pancakes – heat a non-stick pan over medium. Coat the skillet with either cooking spray or butter.

Pour 1/3 cup of pancake batter into the skillet. Cook for about 2-3 minutes or until you see little bubbles on top and the edges starting to turn golden brown.

Flip and cook for another 1-2 minutes until the pancakes are cooked through.

How to Keep Pancakes Warm

The best way to keep your pancakes warm is in the oven. If you simply cover them, they’ll become limp and lose those crisped edges but in the oven, they stay warm without losing that beautiful texture.

Heat oven to 225 degrees F and place a large baking sheet inside. By the time you make your batter the oven should be nice and warm.

As you cook the pancakes, transfer them to the heated oven. Keep them in a single layer. Some overlapping is okay.

Toppings for Pancakes

Pure maple syrup – classic and always a favorite! Tip: warm your maple syrup before serving.
Honey Vanilla Mascarpone – so good and creamy!
Greek yogurt
Jam
Fresh fruit
Healthy caramel sauce – this one looks amazing!
Nuts – toasted pecans, walnuts, or almonds