These Fluffy Applesauce Pancakes are a favorite weekend breakfast recipe because they are easy to mix up, they taste sweet and comforting, and the leftovers store nicely in the fridge or freezer. They are a healthy and easy toddler breakfast that the entire family will enjoy. Oh: They are really yummy topped with maple syrup—or served plain!
Healthy 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 healthy start to the day. This healthy pancake recipe is the sort of yummy family food that I make again and again.
Easy Applesauce Pancakes Recipe
One of the secret reasons that I love making these pancakes is that it’s so easy to tuck a serving of fruits or vegetables inside without anyone really noticing. So perfect for picky eaters! The applesauce here adds moisture, flavor, and a really nice undertone of natural sweetness. 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.
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How to Make Applesauce Pancakes Step-by-Step
This pancake recipe is really easy. Here’s a look at the process.
- Gather your ingredients including applesauce, milk (dairy or nondairy), flour (whole wheat or buckwheat), cinnamon, baking powder, vanilla, and eggs.
- Stir ingredients together.
- Warm a nonstick or cast iron pan with a little butter or neutral oil and pour out pancakes of 1/4 cup batter. Spread and let cook until you see bubbles around the edges.
- Flip and cook for a few more minutes, then eat!
Applesauce Pancakes for Baby
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.
Gluten-Free Applesauce Pancakes
The flour that I use in this recipe is buckwheat, which is one of my favorite gluten-free flours. It has a nutty flavor and is high in both protein and fiber. And it’s not terribly expensive compared with some other specialty flours. That said, if you don’t need or want to eat gluten-free, simply use whole wheat flour instead and you’ll still have great results.
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. They will hold together best if you use whole-wheat flour, but as long as you flip them gently after they set and start to firm on top, you can make them with buckwheat flour too.
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. I tend to not buy sweetened applesauce (just check the ingredients label and look to see that it doesn’t include things like cane sugar, honey, or maple syrup) since I like to control and limit the amount of added sugar in toddler food.
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We like these pancakes topped with a little maple syrup, peanut butter, or additional applesauce. Leftovers make really yummy sandwiches with nut butter or cream cheese in between!
Ingredients
- • 1 cup buckwheat flour (or whole wheat flour)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten
- 1/2 cup milk (dairy or nondairy)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
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 1/4 cup of the batter at a time—or less to make smaller pancakes—and spread to an even thickness about 1/4-1/2-inch thick. Let cook about 3-4 minutes or until the edges are totally set and bubbles start to appear.
- 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
You can store cooled pancakes in 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.
Hi there- I wondered if I could sub pureed strawberries for apple sauce in this recipe? Since strawberries are not a high pectin fruit I assume it might not turn out so well? Thanks!
I’ve made them with pureed pears and mashed bananas, but never strawberries—I’m not sure that it would be thick enough. A mixture of banana and strawberry might work (or applesauce and strawberries). Let me know if you try it out!
Hello! I want to try this recipe, but do you know if they would freeze well?
Absolutely! Let cool completely, then stack with parchment or wax paper between and freeze in a zip top bag.
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I used this recipe to use up baby purees… I did a jar of carrot and a jar of pear and they were amazing!
Awesome and that sounds delicious!!
Hello, tasty but a bit wet, are they supposed to be fluffy yet the texture feel slightly undercooked because the mixuture is so wet?
It sounds like they either needed to be spread a little thinner or cooked a little longer. If you used buckwheat, the texture is a little spongier than wheat flour, but they should be cooked through if you let bubbles form around the edges and wait to flip them until they’re mostly set!
Great flavor and my baby loved them, but I struggled to get them cooked through without burning them! Maybe I just need to try again on a lower heat setting!
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Hi Sarah! Lowering the heat a bit could help and be sure to spread them thinly so that they have a chance to cook through almost all the way before you flip them over. I’m glad that your baby enjoyed them!
We love this recipe! I always make a double batch and freeze the extras. My kiddo who’s 18 months loves these for a snack or breakfast. I’ve never had any trouble making them. I use a quarter cup to add the batter to the pan and then use the back of the cup to make the battered the required thickness. That way it Cooks through. We also like to use apple cinnamon sauce or on brand called North Coast makes a pumpkin spice applesauce for fall! You could probably make your own by substituting 1/4 cup pumpkin puree and use only three quarter cup applesauce. Then just substitute pumpkin pie spice it’s super yummy!
★★★★★
I can’t wait to try it with some pumpkin in the mix! Thanks for sharing!
I used whole wheat flour since I ran out of buckwheat flour and the pancakes turned out a bit wet. Cooked through, just looked a bit moist. Next time I’ll used buckwheat flour but if not, maybe the amount of applesauce should be reduced? They’re really tasty though & my kiddos gobbled them up! Thanks for sharing!
★★★★
They are definitely moist and need to be spread fairly thin. You could totally reduce the applesauce by 1/4 cup the next time if you prefer drier pancakes! Thanks for sharing!