Apple-Cinnamon Buttermilk Pancakes Recipe

These apple-cinnamon buttermilk pancakes are something that recipe developer Stephanie Rapone suggests are "a little extra special ... [and] perfect for apple season." She describes their flavor as "slightly caramel-y," and the idea of a caramel-apple flavored pancake is something that's bound to make you get out of bed even on a chilly morning.

While these pancakes are perfect for leisurely fall or even winter breakfasts, Rapone says that they can also make for a quick and easy morning-after meal if you don't polish them off in one sitting. As this generous-sized recipe makes up to two dozen pancakes, there's a good chance you won't. She explains that both the toppings and the pancakes can easily be reheated in the microwave, something that allows her to "get two mornings from cooking just once." She also notes that the pancakes freeze well, too, although you'll need to lay them out in a single layer for the initial freezing, then wait until they've solidified before stacking them up in a freezer container or bag. This will prevent them from sticking together.

To make the pancakes, you'll need flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, butter, eggs, and buttermilk. If you're not a buttermilk drinker, you may be wondering what to do with a carton of the stuff. Rapone says she uses the leftovers in other recipes, telling us, "Typically I'll make buttermilk biscuits the following weekend." You could also make a quick and easy buttermilk substitute by combining 2 ½ tablespoons of lemon juice with 2 cups + 5 ½ tablespoons of milk to get the 2 ½ cups of liquid needed here.

For the apple topping, you'll be using Granny Smith apples, cinnamon, and brown sugar, plus a bit more of the aforementioned butter. A teensy bit more butter will also be needed to grease the pan for cooking the pancakes.

Mix the dry ingredients together, then melt 3 tablespoons of the butter and mix the eggs with the buttermilk. Add the egg mixture and the butter to the flour and stir until you have a relatively homogeneous, but still lumpy, batter. Let the batter sit and rest for at least 15 minutes, although it should be okay for up to an hour at room temperature.

As your batter rests, you can use the downtime to make the apple topping. Peel and core the apples, then cut them into thin slices. Don't want to bother peeling the apples? Rapone does say, "You can leave the peels on." She notes, "They don't cook down," so the unpeeled apple slices may have a slight bit of chewiness to them.

Melt another 3 tablespoons of butter in a pan, then stir in the cinnamon and keep stirring and cooking for 30 seconds. Now add the apples and brown sugar and cook everything for another 5 minutes or until the apples are tender. Turn off the heat under the pan and turn your attention back to the pancakes.

Has it been 15 minutes? If so, the batter should be ready. Heat up a pan over medium until it is hot but has not yet started to smoke. Drop in a teaspoon of butter and melt it, spreading it out to coat the pan bottom. Pour the batter in blobs about ¼ cup in size, leaving 3 to 4 inches between each pancake-to-be. Cook the batter until there are big bubbles showing and the edges of the pancakes look set, then flip each one over and cook for about 2 minutes to brown the bottoms.

Repeat the process as many times as necessary until you've used up all the batter. You don't have to keep adding a teaspoon of butter each time, though, as Rapone says she just does it for the first 2 or 3 times.

Depending on the size of your pan, it may take a while to cook up all of the pancakes. If you're concerned about the early batches getting cold, Rapone advises, "You can hold the pancakes warm in a 250 F oven while you are cooking the batter."

Once all of the pancakes have been cooked, spoon some apple topping over a short (or tall) stack. Remember to refrigerate the leftover topping and pancakes so you can enjoy them later, as well.