Apple Pecan Pancakes
These Apple Pecan Pancakes are so easy to make and incredibly delicious! Apples, pecans, and warm spices are combined in the batter, and they’re topped with nutmeg whipped cream. A wonderful fall morning breakfast or brunch!
If you want to fix an easy breakfast that’s delicious and brings the aroma of fall into your kitchen, you need to make these Apple Pecan Pancakes. They are easy and full of fall flavors, and won’t disappoint!
I love ALL pancakes and fall happens to be my favorite time of year. Two years ago, I posted my Pumpkin Spice Pecan Pancakes when I was in full-on fall mode, and here it is almost fall again, and I’m ready to share another pancake recipe with warm fall spices.
Besides pumpkin, when I think of warm spices, apples come to mind. I knew apple chunks wouldn’t work in pancakes. They wouldn’t have time to cook in the pancakes, yet apples are a great complement to warm spices. I wondered if shredded apples would work. Only one way to find out! So I went to work by shredding some apples.
Then I made my regular buttermilk pancake batter, adding some warm spices to the mix. Something else was missing. Oh yes…pecans. The pecans were perfect in my pumpkin spice pancakes, so they were a sure add-in. My experimental batter was ready to test.
I couldn’t wait to pour the batter onto my hot griddle. The only thing I was nervous about was the shredded apples. I hoped they would cook through. But wait a minute. Even if they didn’t cook all the way through, they should be okay, since they are shredded pretty fine. I mean, do they really need to be cooked? Blueberries aren’t cooked when they’re added to pancake batter. What am I worried about?
When I took the last pancake off the griddle, I couldn’t wait to cut into one with my fork. I couldn’t even wait for the nutmeg whipped cream. I just had to taste one, so I dived in. To my surprise, the pancakes were perfect in every way. The perfect amount of warm spices, and the apples were tender. They were also nice and fluffy.
So, without further ado…let’s get into the tips and tricks for making these fluffy delicious Pecan Apple Pancakes.
What makes these pancakes light and fluffy?
- Baking Powder: Quite a bit of baking powder, but not so much that it leaves a metallic taste. It needs to be in proportion to the amount of flour used. The baking powder gives pancakes their lift, and gives them a fluffy texture. In this recipe, I used 2 teaspoons of baking powder. Baking powder reacts twice in a recipe, once when mixed with the wet ingredients, and a second time when introduced to heat.
- Baking Soda: Baking soda reacts with buttermilk and also helps to give some lift and fluff to pancakes. I used buttermilk in this recipe, therefore, I used some baking soda. Again, it’s important to use the right ratio of baking soda to buttermilk. I used 1 3/4 cups of buttermilk and 1 teaspoon of baking soda in this recipe.
- Medium thick batter: You don’t want a thin and runny batter for pancakes. However, you don’t want a batter so thick that it won’t pour either. I prefer a batter that is in between thin and thick. When I make this particular batter it is fairly thick before I even leave it to rest. I always leave it to rest while I preheat my griddle.
Batter Instructions
Here’s an easy step-by-step for these pancakes.
- Add all the dry ingredients, including sugar, to a medium bowl and whisk to combine thoroughly or sift them together. Set aside.
- Add the buttermilk, eggs, and oil to a large bowl and whisk to thoroughly combine.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients.
- Mix only until the dry ingredients are mostly incorporated. Don’t over mix.
- Fold in the apples and pecans.
- Make sure the apples are all evenly coated and distributed throughout the batter.
Making the nutmeg whipped cream
The whipped cream takes 5 minutes to make, and make sure you don’t forget the nutmeg. It totally complements the pancakes.
- Add the whipping cream, nutmeg, and powdered sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with the whisk attachment.
- Beat on medium low until the whipped cream begins to slightly thicken.
- Turn the mixer on high and beat until it becomes thick, about 1 minute.
Pro tips for this recipe
- Don’t over mix the pancake batter. Once you add the dry ingredients, only mix just to incorporate the flour.
- Use a hot griddle. Allow your pancake batter to rest while you heat your griddle. Make sure to butter your hot griddle a few seconds before pouring the batter.
- Keep the pancakes uniform: Use a measuring cup or large cookie scoop to ensure all pancakes are the same size. I use a 1/2 cup cookie scoop for some pancakes. In this recipe, I used a 1/4 cup measuring cup. It depends on your preference. Regardless of what size scoop or measuring cup you use, the pancakes should result in the same thickness. I scoop the batter onto the griddle. Then I use the bottom of my measuring cup to just slightly spread it out…not too much!
- Make sure the pancakes are done. Don’t flip the pancakes until the edges are crispy, and there are bubbles forming all over the top of the pancakes. Once you flip them, check the bottoms for doneness by lifting up on the edge of the pancakes. They should be golden brown on the bottom.
More pancake recipes you might like…
Sour Cream Buttermilk Pancakes
Buttermilk Pancakes with Strawberry Compote
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Apple Pecan Pancakes
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 2 minutes
- Total Time: 17 minutes
- Yield: 14 small pancakes 1x
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Cook
- Cuisine: American
Description
These Apple Pecan Pancakes are so easy to make and incredibly delicious! Apples, pecans, and warm spices are combined in the batter, and they’re topped with nutmeg whipped cream. A wonderful fall morning breakfast!
Ingredients
PANCAKES
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 3/4 cups full-fat buttermilk
- 2 large eggs
- 3 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil
- 1 3/4 cups apple, peeled and shredded (about 2 medium apples)
- 1/2 cup coarsely chopped pecans
NUTMEG WHIPPED CREAM
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream, cold
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar, sifted
Instructions
PANCAKES
- Add all the dry ingredients, including sugar, to a medium bowl and whisk to combine thoroughly or sift them together. Set aside.
- Add the buttermilk, eggs, and oil to a large bowl and whisk or mix with a wooden spoon to combine. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix only until the dry ingredients are mostly incorporated. Don’t over mix. Fold in the apples and pecans, making sure the apples are all coated and evenly folded in.
- Brush butter on a griddle that’s been preheated to 350 degrees. Allow the butter to become hot, ( a few seconds). Pour 1/4 cupfuls of the batter onto the buttered griddle. Cook until you see bubbles forming on the top. The underneath should be golden brown. Flip over and cook until the other side is golden brown, about 1 minute per side. Once you flip them, go ahead and butter the top sides. Transfer to a warm plate. Serve with syrup and nutmeg whipped cream.
NUTMEG WHIPPED CREAM
- Add the whipping cream, nutmeg, and powdered sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on medium low until the whipped cream begins to slightly thicken. Turn the mixer on high and beat until it becomes thick, about 1 minute.
- Serve dollops on each serving of pancakes. Refrigerate leftover whipping cream for up to 2 days.
Notes
- This recipe makes about 14 small pancakes if using a 1/4 cup measuring cup filled just slightly over the rim. It makes about 9 large pancakes if using a 1/2 cup measuring cup or scoop.