Applesauce Pancakes (Soft & Fluffy Homemade Recipe)

Recipe

These fluffy applesauce pancakes come together with simple pantry staples and a jar of applesauce for an easy homemade breakfast. They're perfect served warm with butter, maple syrup, and a sprinkle of cinnamon.

These applesauce pancakes are soft, fluffy, and full of homemade flavor. It’s hard to believe one simple ingredient makes such a difference.

a stack of applesauce pancakes topped with syrup and banana slices

Pancakes with Applesauce

Laura fuentes holding a skillet of food standing in front of a blue door

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve found a forgotten jar of applesauce in the back of the fridge. These fluffy pancakes are my favorite way to use it up. Unlike my apple pancakes and apple oatmeal pancakes, which have diced apples, these get their moisture and subtle apple flavor from applesauce mixed right into the batter.

Ingredients

These pancakes are made with pantry staples plus one ingredient that adds extra moisture: applesauce. The flour, baking powder, and egg create fluffy pancakes, while milk, melted butter, and vanilla make the batter rich and tender. A little brown sugar adds warmth, although regular granulated sugar works just as well. If you love cinnamon with apples, add it to the batter. It’s optional, but it gives these pancakes a cozy flavor.

How to Make Applesauce Pancakes

Make the batter.
Whisk the dry ingredients together first, then add liquid ingredients to the bowl. Mix just until the flour disappears because overmixing makes pancakes chewy instead of fluffy.
Wait 5 minutes.
Let the batter rest so the flour can absorb the moisture from the applesauce and milk. The batter will thicken slightly and cook up fluffier.
Cook the pancakes.
Cook the pancakes over medium heat for about 2 minutes per side.
Serve.
Serve warm with butter, cinnamon syrup or pancake syrup, and an extra sprinkle of cinnamon if you’d like.

Laura’s Tips & Tricks for Perfect Pancakes

Sweetened or unsweetened applesauce?

Both will work. I usually make these with whatever applesauce I have in the fridge. If you’re using sweetened applesauce, you can reduce the brown sugar slightly if you’d like, but the recipe works well either way.

Can I use homemade applesauce?

Absolutely! Both homemade and store-bought applesauce work for this recipe.

Why does the batter need to rest before cooking?

This helps the flour absorb the moisture from the milk and applesauce; it thickens it and ensures that your first pancake is as good as the last.

Why are my pancakes wet in the middle?

This usually happens when the pancakes are flipped too soon because the pan is too hot. The outside cooks faster than the center has time to set. For your next batch, rinse the pan to cool it down, reduce the heat slightly, and let the pancakes cook a little longer before flipping.

Always See My Recipes In Google

Fluffy Apple Sauce Pancakes

Servings: 4

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 10

Total Time: 20

5 from 1 vote

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Ingredients

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons brown sugar, or regular
1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon, optional
2 ½ teaspoons baking powder, aluminum-free
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup milk, any
½ cup applesauce
1 egg
3 tablespoons butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

Make the batter:

In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar (brown or regular granulated), cinnamon (if using), baking powder, and salt. Make a well in the middle, moving the dry ingredients to the side of the bowl, and pour in the milk, applesauce, egg, melted butter, and vanilla extract. Break up the egg first with a fork, then mix it with the other liquid ingredients, and then combine it with the flour, working from the outside of the bowl in, until just combined and mostly smooth. Stop mixing when you no longer see flour to avoid chewy pancakes.

Wait 5 minutes:

Let the batter sit in the bowl for 5 minutes to let the flour soak up some of the applesauce and liquid moisture.

Cook the pancakes:

Heat a non-stick griddle or large pan over medium heat. Once hot, grease, spray, or melt butter on the hot surface. Immediately, pour ¼ cup of batter per pancake and use the back of the scoop to lightly spread it.
Cook the first side for about 2 minutes, until the edges begin to look defined and bubbles form. Flip the pancakes over and cook the second side for a little less time. Avoid pressing down on the pancake with the spatula after flipping; this will make the pancakes dense by eliminating the air pockets and/or cause the batter to ooze out on the sides and be undercooked.
Remove the cooked pancakes from the pan and repeat the process with the remaining batter, serving the pancakes as you go or keeping them warm on a sheet pan in a 200F oven. Rinse the pan between batches to avoid burning.

Serve & store:

Plate a few pancakes on a plate, top with butter, a little cinnamon, and pancake syrup.
Refrigerate leftover pancakes in an airtight container for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 3 months. Warm up in the microwave or toaster.

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