I have a confession: I love apple fritters, but I do not love deep-frying anything on a weekday morning. Or any morning, really. So I did what I always do: I made a tiny pancake version and called it breakfast.
These are basically fritters in disguise. There’s barely enough batter to hold everything together. The rest is big, juicy chunks of apple that go soft and jammy as they cook. A splash of maple syrup, a little cinnamon and a drop of vanilla give them that cozy fritter flavor. My kid ate hers before I could even get the camera out (fine, I got the camera out).
Look at that inside! That’s what you’re here for.
The method is about as simple as it gets. Whisk, stir, throw in the chopped apple, and cook low and slow so the centers set before the outsides get too dark. The batter is thick and lumpy with apple, so the pancakes come out all craggy and rustic. That’s a feature, not a bug.
This recipe makes about 6 small pancakes, which is enough for 2 people (or one very hungry person, no judgment).
Make these this weekend, I promise you won’t miss the fryer!
Mini-batch Apple Fritter Pancakes
Equipment
- Medium mixing bowl
- Large nonstick skillet
Ingredients
- 1 large egg
- 1/3 cup (nut) milk (80 ml)
- 1 tbsp maple syrup or honey (20 g)
- 1 drop vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup flour (90 g) I used a mix of all-purpose and whole wheat
- 1/2 tsp baking powder I used low-sodium
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 medium apple (180 g) chopped into small chunks
- 1 tsp oil for cooking
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg, milk, maple syrup and vanilla until smooth.
- Add the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt and stir until just combined. DO NOT OVERMIX. A few lumps are fine.
- Fold in the chopped apple. The batter should be thick and mostly apple, so if it looks runny, add a little more flour until it thickens up.
- Heat the oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. Scoop about 1/4 cup of batter per pancake and gently spread it out a little.
- Cook until the edges look set and bubbles form on top, about 3 minutes. Flip and cook another 2-3 minutes until golden and cooked through. Low heat is key here so the apple-heavy centers cook before the outsides burn.
- Serve warm.
Notes
- Any apple works. Leaving the peel on gives you little pops of color.
- Whole wheat flour adds a nutty, more fritter-like flavor. All-purpose works on its own too.
- To sweeten the deal, add a dusting of powdered sugar, or whisk powdered sugar with a little maple syrup for a quick glaze and drizzle it on top.
- Store leftovers (if any!) in the fridge for up to 2 days and reheat in a skillet.
