Cinnamon Applesauce Pancakes
Applesauce pancakes with a touch of cinnamon will make your family so happy. This recipe for cinnamon applesauce pancakes has a couple ingredient swaps so you can serve up a healthier batch of hot and tasty pancakes with no one the wiser. Fluffy and flavorful with a hint of apple and cinnamon, cinnamon applesauce pancakes are so damn good.
I will love my Sunday Morning Buttermilk Waffles until I die, but these tasty Cinnamon Applesauce Pancakes are my new favorite way to change up weekend breakfast for my family. Make them on your Blackstone griddle or in a skillet on the stovetop burner, this is an easy recipe AND you can feel good about making it for the ones you love.
Why this recipe works
This recipe is where I took a standard old pancake recipe I had, and started changing out the ingredients to make a healthier pancake. It is not perfectly healthy – and I don’t claim it to be – but it definitely a big improvement over regular pancakes with zero nutritional value and so I’m fine with that.
The changes I made to improve this recipe are thusly:
- Swapped out half the white flour for whole wheat flour.
- Replaced half the oil with applesauce and added yummy apple flavor that way.
- Swapped out the remaining oil for avocado oil which is a heart-healthier oil.
- Took out an egg yolk, thereby reducing the cholesterol quite a bit.
- Cooked with cooking spray rather than straight up butter.
- Used low fat (or reduced fat) buttermilk rather than full fat.
All these changes came at no expense to achieving flavorful, kid-pleasing, fluffy pancake-ness. There is plenty of liquid and leavening agent for the whole wheat flour to lend yummy flavor and satiating fiber without weighing the batter down.
About the ingredients
- Flours: all-purpose flour and whole wheat flour. Using half each for this recipe ensures that our pancakes stay fluffy.
- Granulated sugar. Sugar substitute likely works as a replacement for the sugar, but I have not tried that myself.
- Leavening agents: baking powder and baking soda. The baking powder and baking soda react with the acidity of the buttermilk to create the fluffy fluff for our applesauce pancakes.
- Seasonings: kosher salt and cinnamon. Kosher salt way tastier and better for all cooking over table salt. In general, salt serves to enhance flavors.
- Light or low-fat buttermilk.
- Applesauce. I use no-sugar-added applesauce.
- Pure vanilla extract. Vanilla extract is such an easy way to add gorgeous flavor.
- Avocado oil for a healthier oil, but alternatives are vegetable or canola oils.
- A large egg plus one egg white. This cuts out a yolk and bunch of cholesterol.
How to make applesauce pancakes
Mix the dry ingredients in one bowl, and the wet ingredients in another bowl. Then mix the two. You will want your griddle or skillet ready to cook, because once the baking powder and baking soda mix with the buttermilk, they will react to create the fluffy bubbles in the batter.
While cooking, use cooking spray each time before putting down more applesauce pancake batter. Alternatively, use a bit of butter. Either way, be sure not to let your pan get too hot or your pancakes will burn.
Pancakes are ready to turn when you see bubbles around the edge and they are golden on the underside. Once turned, wait for then to puff and give resistance when you gently push with your finger. Then they are cooked through completely.
TIP: a 1/4 cup measure cup makes just the right sized scoop for pancake batter.
FAQs
Yes these pancakes can be stored in the freezer for up to a month in a resealable freezer bag or plastic container. Reheat either in a microwave or toaster once thawed.
Yes. I used avocado oil for a heart-healthy option, but vegetable or canola oils both work in this recipe.
If you love breakfast, be sure to check out my Savory Crepes recipe.
Cinnamon Applesauce Pancakes
Ingredients
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup whole wheat flour
- 2 Tbsp granulated sugar
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- ¼ tsp cinnamon
- 1 ½ cup light or low-fat buttermilk
- 3 Tbsp applesauce
- ½ tsp pure vanilla extract
- ½ Tbsp avocado oil
- 1 large egg
- 1 large egg white
- cooking spray
- pure maple syrup
Instructions
- Combine flours, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in a large mixing bowl, stirring with a whisk.
- Separately, whisk together the buttermilk, applesauce, egg, and egg white.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, stirring just until moist.
- Heat a nonstick griddle or skillet (*see Notes) sprayed with cooking spray over medium heat.
- Spoon ¼ cup batter per pancake onto the griddle. Turn pancakes when you start to see bubbles around the edges. Serve with syrup.
