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    Home » Vegetarian

    Apfelpfannkuchen Recipe (German Apple Pancakes)

    Published: Sep 23, 2021 · Modified: Nov 2, 2021 by Marita ·

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    These delicious German apple pancakes (Apfelpfannkuchen) are an easy and delicious treat. These fluffy pancakes are ready in just 30 minutes. All you need are just basic pantry ingredients, a frying pan and some fresh crunchy apples. 

    German apple pancake on a white plate that is set on a wooden background. On top of the pancakes there are two apple slices. Around the pancake there you can see a bowl of cinnamon sugar, an apple and part of a plate with another pancake

    Freshly made and still warm from the pan is the best way of eating them. This is one of those nostalgic recipes that Oma's always made best. Today we still love to eat them. Especially in Autumn when the apple harvest begins and you can get the juiciest, crispiest apples straight from the tree. 

    What we will cover in this post:

    • What are German Apple Pancakes?
    • What are Apple Pancakes called in German 
    • How to make Apfelpfannkuchen 
    • Recipe Steps
    • How to serve Apfelpfannkuchen
    • Recipe Variations
    • Storage Instructions
    • More German Sweet Dishes
    • Apfelpfannkuchen (German Apple Pancakes)

    What are German Apple Pancakes?

    German apple pancakes are sweet pancakes that are fried in a pan. They are made with fresh apples, that are peeled and cut up, and then either added to the dough or placed on top of the pancake. 

    The difference to the common German pancake (Pfannkuchen or Eierkuchen) is that the dough is a lot lighter and fluffier. It almost resembles American pancakes, although the dough does not use a raising agent like baking powder (affiliate link). The secret for the fluffiness is the egg whites are whisked until stiff. They get carefully folded into the batter, which adds air to the dough. The result is super light and fluffy pancakes.

    What are Apple Pancakes called in German 

    Apfelpfannkuchen is the German word for apple pancakes. "Apfel" is the word for apple in German. "Pfannkuchen" is the word for pancake. You pronounce it as an English speaker as "APP-FELL-FAN-COOK-EN". 

    What is the difference between Dutch Babies Pancakes and Apfelpfannkuchen? 

    I was surprised to find a completely different recipe when I googled "German apple pancake" from what I grew up with. I quickly discovered that this is a name for another recipe that is very popular in the US. It is also called Dutch Baby Pancake. 

    This apple pancake recipe is not baked in a cast iron pan in the oven. It also does not use baking powder (affiliate link) as a raising agent. 

    A wooden table top. On the table on white plates you can see three apple pancakes. A bowl of cinnamon sgar and two apples. One apple is slices in alf. The plates have blue and white

    How to make Apfelpfannkuchen 

    Ingridients: 

    • 250 g/ 8.8 oz flour 
    • 3 eggs
    • 180 ml/ 6 fl oz milk
    • pinch of salt
    • 100 g/3.5 oz butter
    • 3 apples
    • 2 teaspoon cinnamon
    • 50 gr /1.7 oz sugar
    • 4 teaspoon brown sugar

    Recipe Steps

    1. Separate the eggs. Add the egg yolk and egg whites into two separate bowls and set aside.
    2. Peal the apples, core them and slice into 5mm slices.
    3. In a large mixing bowl, mix the egg yolks and milk until combined. Then carefully add the flour in little portions to the dough. Mix to a smooth batter.
    4. In a separate bowl ,whisk the eggs whites with a pinch of salt until stiff and you see soft peaks.
    5. Using a spoon, fold the stiff egg whites into the pancake batter. Carefully mix until combined.
    6. Melt a table spoon of butter in the frying pan. When the butter is melted add a ladle of pancake batter to the pan.
    7. On top of the pancake batter you place the apple slices in a circular pattern. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of brown sugar on top of the apples. This will help them caramelise a little.
    8. Cook on a low to medium heat for approx. 3 minutes. You will notice that the pancake is ready by checking if you can life the sides.
    9. To prevent the pancake from breaking, place a serving plate over the pan. Pressing down on the plate firmly with your free hand while flipping the pan over using the other hand, so that the plate catches the pancake. Now place the pan down & slide the pancake back into the pan from off the plate.Cook on the other side for a further 3 minutes.
    10. To serve, sprinkle the pancake with cinnamon sugar.

    How to serve Apfelpfannkuchen

    In Germany, you would serve this dish as a sweet lunch or with a cup of coffee in the afternoon.

    The apple pancake itself has no sugar in it. The sweetness comes from the caramelised apples and the cinnamon sugar that is sprinkled on top. However, it is also common to serve pancakes with other dessert sauces. Here are some suggestions

    • vanilla ice-cream
    • vanilla sauce
    • fruit compote
    • chocolate sauce
    • vanilla pudding
    • icing sugar
    • whipped cream

    Recipe Variations

    1. Make it sweeter - like many German recipes, these pancakes are not overly sweet. The sweetness comes form the caramelised apples and the topping at the end. If you like your pancakes a bit sweater than add 2 tablespoon granulated sugar to the batter.
    2. Add the apples straight into the batter. This is another way of baking these pancakes. Instead of slicing the apples and laying them on top, you can slice the apples into small chunks and add them directly into the batter.
    3. Add some raisins to the batter for a bit of natural sweetness.
    German apple pancake on a white plate that is set on a wooden. A fork is picking up a piece

    Storage Instructions

    You can keep these pancakes in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. These pancakes also freeze very well. Just place them in an airtight container and freeze them for up to 6 months.

    Defrost the pancakes at room temperature. You can either warm them up in the microwave or quickly fry them in a pan to crisp up again.

    More German Sweet Dishes

    • Milchreis (German Rice Pudding)
    • Heart Waffles - German Waffles
    • Pfannkuchen - German Pancakes
    • German Apple Pancakes (Apfelpfannkuchen)
    • Plum Dumplings (Zwetschgenknödel)

    This post was first published in March 2014 and updated in September 2021.

    German apple pancake on a white plate that is set on a wooden background. On top of the pancakes there are two apple slices. Around the pancake there you can see a bowl of cinnamon sugar, an apple and part of a plate with another pancake

    Apfelpfannkuchen (German Apple Pancakes)

    Marita
    These delicious German Apple Pancakes and be assembled within 30 minutes and taste so delicious with cinnamon sugar.
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 10 mins
    Cook Time 15 mins
    Total Time 15 mins
    Course Dessert, Main Course
    Cuisine German
    Servings 4 people
    Calories 455 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    • 250 g flour 8.8 oz
    • 3 eggs medium size at room temperature
    • 180 ml milk 6 fl oz
    • 1 pinch salt
    • 3 apples
    • 100 g butter 3.5 oz

    For the topping

    • 2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
    • 50 g caster sugar 1.7 oz
    • 4 teaspoon brown sugar (optional)

    Instructions
     

    • Separate the eggs. Add the egg yolk and egg whites into two seperate bowls and set aside.
    • Peal the apples, core them and slice them into 5mm slices.
    • In a large mixing bowl, mix the egg yolks and milk until combined. Then carefully add the flour in little portions to the dough. Mix to a smooth batter.
    • In a seperate bowl whisk the eggs whites with a pinch of salt until stiff and you see soft peaks.
    • Using a spoon fold the stiff egg whites into the pancake batter. Carefully mix until combined.
    • Melt a table spoon of butter in the frying pan. When the butter is melted add a lade of pancake batter to the pan.
    • On top of the pancake batter you add apple slices in a cirular pattern. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of brown sugar on top of the apples. This will help them caramelise a little.
    • Cook on low to medium heat for approx 3 minutes. You will notice that the pancake is ready by checking if you can lift the sides.
    • To prevent the pancake from breaking, place a serving plate over the pan. Pressing down on the plate firmly with your free hand while flipping the pan over using the other hand, so that the plate catches the pancake. Now place the pan down & slide the pancake back into the pan from off the plate. Cook on the other side for a further 3 minutes.
    • To serve you sprinkle the pancake with cinnamon sugar.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 455kcalCarbohydrates: 87gProtein: 13gFat: 6gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 130mgSodium: 106mgPotassium: 362mgFiber: 5gSugar: 34gVitamin A: 369IUVitamin C: 6mgCalcium: 129mgIron: 4mg
    Keyword apfelpfannkuchen, German apple pancakes, german apple pancakes recipe
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
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    Filed Under: Breakfast, Desserts, Vegetarian

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    Comments

    1. Alicia

      March 05, 2014 at 11:42 am

      Looks so tasty!!!

      • Marita

        March 05, 2014 at 12:31 pm

        Thanks Alicia! It was very tasty as well! And very easy to make

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    Food enthusiast & home cook. I returned to Germany after living in the UK for 20 years. I love making German recipes and exploring the cultural history behind each dish.

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