These fluffy Applesauce Pancakes are easy to mix up, taste sweet and comforting, and the leftovers store nicely in the fridge or freezer. Oh: They are really yummy topped with maple syrup—or served plain!
Applesauce Pancakes
Every weekend, we have pancakes or waffles. We have a little more time to cook and it’s a lot easier to enjoy this sort of breakfast at home with all of us in our pjs, than trekking out to a restaurant. And making pancakes at home lets me use whole grains and lots of produce to ensure that the kids get a yummy start to the day.
The applesauce in this recipe adds a lovely sweet undertone and then you can use either buckwheat flour or whole wheat flour, according to what you prefer. The batter simply needs to be stirred together and it spreads nicely on the skillet. You definitely can be a beginner cook and have success with this pancake recipe. These are great topped with maple syrup or nut butter and even reheat beautifully.
(You may also like more recipes that use applesauce and my Apple Sheet Pan Pancakes.)
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Ingredients You Need
Here’s a look at the ingredients in this easy pancake recipe (that works as a baby pancake as well as it does as one for adults).
- Applesauce: You can use homemade applesauce or a jar of it from the store. I use smooth, unsweetened applesauce, but you can use what you prefer.
- Milk: I usually cook and bake with whole dairy milk, but you can use your favorite nondairy milk or type of milk in this recipe as they all work very similarly.
- Buckwheat or whole-wheat flour: You can use either type of flour here. I prefer buckwheat as it’s rich in protein and fiber and pairs really nicely with the flavor of the applesauce. Its also naturally gluten-free. Look for it near other specialty flours in your supermarket. You can also use whole-wheat flour though.
- Cinnamon: A little cinnamon adds flavor that pairs really nicely with the flavor in the applesauce.
- Baking powder: Fresh, active baking powder ensures that the pancakes fluff up and cook through properly.
- Vanilla extract: A little vanilla adds extra flavor that is great in the mix with the rest of the ingredients.
- Eggs: Large eggs help bind the batter together and create tender, moist pancakes.
Can I use whole-wheat flour?
Using whole-wheat flour in this recipe is an option, though the pancakes will take longer to cook through and the texture will be very moist. So spread them thin and be patient. And know that buckwheat flour works better.
Step-by-Step Instructions
This pancake recipe is really easy. Here’s a look at the process so you know what to expect. Scroll down to the bottom of this post for the full information.
- Stir together the dry ingredients in a medium bowl and the wet ingredients in a separate bowl.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir gently to combine.
- Warm a nonstick or cast iron pan with a little butter or neutral oil and pour out a little pancake batter. Spread very thin and let cook until you see bubbles around the edges.
- Flip and cook for a few more minutes and serve warm.
Baby Pancakes
The applesauce helps the batter cook up into fluffy and tender pancakes, so they are perfect for babies who are newer eaters or those starting out with baby led weaning. Cut the applesauce pancakes into very small pieces and offer water between bites to ensure that baby can move them around in her mouth well.
And if they do seem dry, smear a little extra applesauce on top before slicing.
(These are great baby pancakes, too.)
Vegan Applesauce Pancakes (Egg-Free Pancakes)
You can make these pancakes vegan by omitting the eggs and adding 2 tablespoons chia seeds or flaxseeds. Just let the batter sit for about 5 minutes before you start cooking and add a touch more milk if needed to create a normal pancake batter consistency. Flip them gently after they set and start to firm on top.
TIP: You may also like my Vegan Banana Pancakes.
What kind of applesauce is best in these pancakes?
You can use homemade or store-bought applesauce, depending on what you have on hand and prefer. Plain unsweetened is great, as is unsweetened with cinnamon. Homemade recipe options include:
Best Tips for Success
- Spread the batter thinly when you add it to the pan.
- Let the edges set on each pancake–look for bubbles and firmness around the edges—before you flip each to ensure the middle is cooked through. Again, this is key to ensuring that the centers will be cooked through.
- Top with maple syrup, nut butter, yogurt, or other favorite topping.
- Using buckwheat flour will ensure that you have the best results in this recipe.
Related Recipes
I’d love to hear what your family thinks of this recipe so please comment below!
Fluffy Applesauce Pancakes
Ingredients
- 1 cup buckwheat flour (or whole-wheat flour)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ¾ cup unsweetened applesauce
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten
- ½ cup milk (dairy or nondairy)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Stir together all ingredients in a medium bowl. Heat a cast iron or nonstick skillet or griddle over medium heat. Coat with neutral oil, butter, or nonstick spray.
- Spoon out ¼ cup of the batter at a time—or less to make smaller pancakes—and spread to an even thickness about 1/4-inch thick. Let cook about 3-4 minutes OR until the edges are totally set and bubbles start to appear. You want the pancakes to be mostly cooked before you flip them. (The first batch may take longer to cook as the pan heats up.)
- Carefully flip and cook for another 2-3 minutes.
- Serve immediately and repeat with the rest of the batter, or keep warm on a baking sheet in a 200 degree F oven.
Notes
- To store leftovers, let cool and place into an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat for about 30 seconds in the microwave. You can also store cooled pancakes in a zip top freezer bag in the freezer for up to 3 months. Reheat for 60 seconds, flipping over halfway through for even heating.
- Egg-free: Omit the eggs and adding 2 tablespoons chia seeds or flaxseeds. Let the batter sit for about 5 minutes before you start cooking and add a touch more milk if needed to create a normal pancake batter consistency. Flip them gently after they set and start to firm on top.
- Spread the batter thinly when you add it to the pan.
- Let the edges set on each pancake–look for bubbles and firmness around the edges—before you flip each to ensure the middle is cooked through.
- Top with maple syrup, nut butter, yogurt, or other favorite topping.
Nutrition
This post was first published August 2020.
My 2.5yo and almost 10 month old loves these pancakes. The toddler ate maybe 3-4 which was crazy. Only thing I changed was using white whole wheat flour instead of buckwheat because I didn’t have buckwheat and already easily have 4-5 different flours and didn’t want to buy another. They worked perfect without changing any quantities of any ingredients. Will definitely make again.
I’m so glad to hear it!
Great! I recommend adding about a tablespoon lemon juice and zest to the milk before hand and letting it sit for a minute to curdle, then using baking soda instead of powder. The reaction once you mix everything gives you lovely fluffy pancakes, and the lemon flavor is nice and light with the buckwheat. 🙂
Does regular all purpose flour work for these? I can’t see to find buckwheat flour locally and will have to find somewhere that will let me order it.
You could try that, though you may either want to increase the flour by 2 tablespoons or reduce the amount of applesauce a little to be sure they cook through in the middle
This is a great recipe! Would you ever add minced apple and shredded carrots to it?
You could definitely try doing that! I haven’t done that in this recipe, but I’ve done it in others and it’s delicious.
Can you make these as a sheet pan pancake? I made them over the weekend and my 2.5 year old daughter has been LOVING them in the mornings before preschool! She finished the last one this morning and I need to make more, but not sure I will have time to stand over the stove and cook all of them. My daughter isn’t usually super into pancakes, so these have been amazing during busy weekday mornings!
I bet you could! I do that with my Fresh Apple Pancakes—here’s the method I use for that one that I think would work well. “To make as a Sheet Pan Pancake: Preheat oven to 400ºF. Line an 11-by-17-inch rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Scrape the batter onto the parchment paper, smoothing into an even layer with a spatula just about to the edges. You want it to be about ½ inch thick all around. Bake until the pancake is lightly golden and springs back in the center when poked, 18 to 20 minutes.”
Hi really want to like this recipe, I think I’m doing something wrong. My pancakes come out dry and caky..though they taste good. What am I doing wrong?
I had a similar issue! They were nearly impossible to flip because they stuck to the pan and they were soggy in the middle. Not sure what to change to make them fluffy. I followed the recipe with buckwheat flour but substituted chia seeds for the egg and had to add a lot more almond milk to get it to a good consistency.
I would suspect they didn’t cook through due to the egg substitute. I haven’t had good luck with chia or flax eggs in pancakes myself. I’m sorry you had that happen.
Extremely tasty and have made with a variety of puréed fruits rather than applesauce if I don’t have any on hand (eg plum and pear, or apricot and pear). They’ve still worked and tasted just as nice topped with some fresh fruit and yoghurt.
I love knowing they work well with other fruits, thanks for sharing that!
Do you think you could use this batter and bake it in a muffin tin? Would it fluff in the oven?
Hi- I’ve never tried it so I can’t say for sure if it would work. Probably! Or you could try my Applesauce Muffins? https://www.yummytoddlerfood.com/applesauce-muffins/
It says serves 4 but how many pancakes is that?
It depends on how many you make but we usually get about 2 dozen smallish ones.
I wish I would’ve seen the comment about whole wheat flour before! I just tried with whole wheat flour and can attest to them being hard to cook through, dense and soggy. Will try to get my hands on some buckwheat flour. Flavor wise they were great with a good amount of natural sweetness that my toddler is used to and enjoys 🙂
Can I sub whole wheat flour?
You can though maybe use a little bit more than is called for as sometimes they are hard to cook through when making them with any other flour. (I’ve tried a lot and they can be a little soggy)
These come out perfect every time! Thank you!
Maybe try a different kind of applesauce?
I have an pampered chef waffle stick pan (it goes in the oven). Do you think this recipe would work with that? I’m not a great cook (I follow recipes well but not a lot of intuition about things) so I’m not sure how the change im cooking technique might impact them. I’m trying to make ahead of time for busy mornings. Thanks!
Hi. I think so but I’ve never used it so I can’t say for sure. Do you have general baking instructions for waffle batter than came with the pan that you could share?
Hi, Amy!
I just made these for my sister (who is celiac), brother-in-law, niece, and myself (I’m dairy-free). I added frozen wild blueberries to the batter, which made it thicker/harder to spread out in the skillet (so compensated with a bit more gluten-free oat milk and water), but they were LOVELY. We topped them with Canadian maple syrup and banana slices! I will also try the egg-free version soon, and will tuck this away in my go-to recipe box. Yay!
Thanks for the awesome blog! 🙂
Britt