German Apple Pancake Recipe

Do you find yourself craving carbohydrates as the temperatures start to drop? You're hardly alone in this. According to WebMD, this may be because sweet, delicious carbs can help to boost your mood when the skies — and your outlook on life — start to get gloomy. They say you shouldn't always fight these cravings because, while overindulgence is never a good thing, neither is overdenial. (Is that a word? Well, you know what we mean.) Instead, it's best to budget for those seasonal indulgences, and also to make sure that the treats you allow yourself are truly crave-worthy.

Such is this German apple pancake, a warm and satisfying dish that turns our favorite fall fruit into something recipe developer Kristen Carli describes as "a showstopper ... delicious but also so pretty! " She tells us, "It's ideal for a morning brunch with a crowd, or a baby/bridal shower," but we think it would work equally well as the kind of lazy weekend morning meal you can look forward to throughout the week.

The apples in these pancakes are Granny Smiths, a baking apple found year-round in just about any supermarket. As to why Carli used Granny Smiths, she explains, "A very tart apple works best here." She does say, though, that "You could also use Rave apples" if this variety is available in your region, or you could use any other firm, tart apple that happens to be in season where you live. You'll need to peel and dice the apples.

The rest of the ingredients are things you may well have on hand, such as eggs, flour, baking powder, brown sugar, ground cinnamon, milk, vanilla extract, and unsalted butter. Carli uses whole milk when she makes these pancakes, but says "2% milk should be fine as a substitute." You can also use salted butter if that's what you've got on hand since salted butter only adds a negligible amount of this seasoning and the dish contains no additional salt.

Begin making the batter by melting 2 tablespoons of the butter. Now whisk together the eggs, milk, vanilla, and melted butter in a bowl. Don't add the hot butter directly to the eggs, though, as it might cause them to cook a little bit. It is better to combine the eggs with the cold milk and vanilla first, then add the butter. Now whisk in the flour and baking powder. Put the bowl with the batter in the fridge for ½ hour to rest.

When your batter is almost done resting, preheat the oven to 425 F and mix the brown sugar with the cinnamon.

Melt the remaining butter in a large oven-safe skillet, then use a pastry brush to coat the sides of the pan with the melted butter. Sprinkle half the cinnamon sugar over the skillet, then spread the apples out in the pan. Top the apples with the remaining sugar, then pour the batter over the apples. Remove the skillet from the stovetop and place it in the oven. Bake the pancake for 15 minutes, then turn the oven down to 375 F and bake it for 15 minutes longer.

This pancake is best served fresh and hot from the oven. Carli says, "I love to eat this plain, but a sprinkle of powdered sugar or whip[ped] cream would be extra decadent." You can also top it with maple syrup (it is a pancake, after all!), or maybe even some caramel syrup to make it a caramel apple pancake.

If you are thinking of how to work this into a menu, you could go with typical breakfast sides like bacon, ham, and eggs, but Carli also suggests "I would pair this with a light arugula salad and bagels at a party!"