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    Home » Recipes » Desserts

    German Apple Pancakes (Apfelpfannkuchen)

    Published: Nov 30, 2022 by Neriz · This post contains some affiliate links.

    Jump to Recipe

    Apples in a pancake, how can you say no to that?  Yep, you can never go wrong with these German Apple Pancakes (locally known as ‘Apfelpfannkuchen‘) —- great as a snack or dessert and always a winner year-round!

    Baked apple pancake served on a plate, with a scoop of ice cream.

    Craving for a light dessert after enjoying two servings of Kartoffelsuppe (German Potato Soup)?  Apfelpfannkuchen, or German Apple Pancake, is what you need! 🙂

    Have it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream when the weather is warm and some fruit jam when the temperature drops a bit.

    Or, you can just sprinkle some sugar and cinnamon powder on top of your apfelpfannkuchen — simply delicious!

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    Ingredients

    All the ingredients you need to make German apple pancake at home.
    • Flour – all-purpose flour is all you need for making this German apple pancakes recipe.
    • Eggs – medium-sized (63 to 73 grams per piece) and separate the yolks from the egg whites.
    • Sugar – caster sugar or fine-textured white sugar would be excellent.
    • Lemon – you would only use the lemon zest for preparing German apple pancakes.
    • Milk – full cream milk, if possible.
    • Apples – peeled, cored, and chopped into thin wedges.
    • Butter – only for preparing the pan, not included in the batter, so salted or unsalted will work for apfelpfannkuchen.
    • Ground cinnamon & vanilla extract – just use your favorite brand.
    Closer shot of a newly baked German apple pancake, highlighting its golden color.

    Preparation

    Start making apfelpfannkuchen by preheating your oven to 200°C (400°F).

    Using a large mixing bowl, sift and combine flour and ground cinnamon.

    Add egg yolks, milk, lemon zest, and vanilla extract.

    First step for making German apple pancake recipe.

    Mix until there are no lumps and set aside.

    In a separate bowl, add egg whites and sugar.

    Egg whites and sugar to be beaten to soft peaks for apple pancake batter.

    Beat into soft peaks.

    Add a third of the beaten egg white into the egg and flour batter.

    Beaten egg whites added to the rest of German apple pancake batter.

    Fold the egg whites to combine gently with the rest.

    Repeat until all the beaten egg whites have been incorporated into the apple pancake batter.

    Place a small cast iron pan (or any oven-proof skillet) on medium-high heat on the stovetop and add half of the butter.

    Once the butter has melted, pour half of the batter, and arrange some apple slices on top.

    German apple pancake batter on a cast iron, with apple slices on top.

    Place the pan on the stovetop and adjust the heat to medium-low.

    Once the sides of the apple pancake start solidifying, transfer the skillet to the preheated oven.

    Apple pancake ready for a pre-heated oven.

    When your apfelpfannkuchen is cooked (but still not brown), take it out of the oven — it usually takes ten to twelve minutes.

    Generously sprinkle sugar, then place it back in the oven.

    An overhead image of German apple pancake generously sprinkled with sugar, for continued cooking.

    Cook for three to four more minutes or until the top turns golden.

    Take your apfelpfannkuchen out of the oven.

    Serve with a dollop of your favorite jam or ice cream — enjoy!

    Overhead shot of apple pancake, straight out of th oven.

    Helpful tips

    • I generally prefer using small apples for making apfelpfannkuchen because they’re easier to arrange them on top — feel free to do what you like.

    The key point is to chop them thinly so they will cook or soften more in the oven.

    • Instead of using a small pan and cooking them into two batches, you can pour the entire apfelpfannkuchen batter and use all the apples on top of a bigger skillet.

    But be mindful of the cooking time; you might need to adjust it.

    Pre-sliced apple pancake served on a plate, with a cup of coffee in the background.

    Recipe variation

    • Tart Apples.  While slightly tart apples are traditionally used to make German apple pancakes, you can also try your favorite types and decide which ones you prefer.
    • Liquor.  You can replace the vanilla extract with liquor if you want — rum is the generic choice for apfelpfannkuchen.

    So how about it?  Give this German apple pancakes recipe a try this weekend!

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    Feature image for German Apple Pancake, showing it served with a scoop of ice cream.

    German Apple Pancakes (Apfelpfannkuchen)

    Apples in a pancake, how can you say no to that? Yep, you can never go wrong with these German Apple Pancakes (locally known as 'Apfelpfannkuchen') —- great as a snack or dessert and always a winner year-round!
    No ratings yet
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: German
    Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 30 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 45 minutes minutes
    Servings: 4
    Calories: 309kcal
    Author: Neriz

    Equipment

    • Chopping Board
    • Kitchen Knife
    • Pyrex Measuring Cups
    • Measuring Spoons
    • Mixing Bowls
    • Hand Mixer
    • Cast Iron Skillet (8-inch)

    Ingredients

    • 150 grams flour (5.30 ounces or about 1 cup)
    • 2 medium eggs, separated
    • 1 cup milk
    • 1 teaspoon lemon zest, grated
    • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
    • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
    • 2 tablespoons sugar, caster or superfine (plus more for dusting)
    • 2 small apples, peeled, cored and chop into thin wedges
    • 4 teaspoons butter

    Instructions

    • Preheat your oven to 200°C (400°F).
    • Sift and combine flour and ground cinnamon in a bowl.
    • Add egg yolks, milk, lemon zest, and vanilla extract, then mix until you no longer see any lumps.
    • In a separate bowl, beat egg whites and sugar into soft peaks.
    • Add 1/3 of the beaten egg white into the milk and flour batter.
    • Fold the egg whites to combine gently with the rest.
    • Repeat until all the beaten egg whites have been incorporated with the rest of the ingredients.
    • Place a small cast iron skillet (or any oven-proof pan) on medium-high heat on the stovetop and add half of the butter.
    • Once the butter has melted, pour half of the batter, and arrange half of the apple slices on top.
    • Place the pan on the stovetop and adjust the heat to medium-low.
    • Once the sides of the German apple pancakes start solidifying, transfer the skillet to the preheated oven.
    • When the pancake is cooked (but still not brown on top), take it out of the oven — it generally takes 10 to 12 minutes.
    • Generously sprinkle sugar on top, then place it back in the oven.
    • Cook for 3 to 4 more minutes or when the top turns golden.
    • Remove apfelpfannkuchen from the oven and serve with your favorite jam or ice cream!

    Notes

    • Cook’s Tip #1:  Instead of using a small pan and cooking them in batches, you can pour the entire apfelpfannkuchen batter and use all the apples on top of a bigger skillet.  However, please take note of the time when cooking, and keep an eye on it.
    • Cook’s Tip #2:  You can replace the vanilla extract with liquor; rum is the general choice for apfelpfannkuchen.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 309kcal | Carbohydrates: 48g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 100mg | Sodium: 88mg | Potassium: 248mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 17g | Vitamin A: 384IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 102mg | Iron: 2mg
    Tried this Recipe? Pin it for Later!Mention @foodandjourneys or tag #foodandjourneys!

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