With a super fast prep and easy blender batter, you can make an unforgettable apple skillet pancake using healthy, real food ingredients!
One of our favorite fall races…and favorite cozy breakfast afterward!
The first time my oldest ran this cross-country course with the bales of hay to jump over, I remember thinking, “This is crazy!” Over the years, it has become one of both of my runners’ favorite race days, and I couldn’t agree more! It welcomes the fall (even if it was still 80 degrees this year!), and it is just so impressive to watch these kids not only run the 5k, but run it while hurdling bales of hay! We celebrated afterward with a cozy fall breakfast of apple pancakes to refuel, too!
Of of momma’s favorites because of the easy prep!
I love a good kitchen project just as much as any other foodie, but on a race morning that we already have to get up well before I’d like to, the post-race meal just needs to be faster. We have been picking up apples from the little farmstand down the road for the last couple weeks, and it was time for a fall favorite breakfast that preps as quick as a snap!
Let’s talk about the apples
The little farmstand down the road from our house currently has Honeycrisp apples available. Really, any apple variety will do, and we use all kinds of apples for this recipe as the fall season progresses and different varieties are at the stand. Slice the apples thinly for this skillet pancake (I don’t peel them, but you can). Alternatively, you can dice them if you or the kids might prefer that texture or visual look.
The Method :: Pre-heating your oven safe skillet
Getting your skillet screaming hot is the key to this skillet pancake baking fast, and providing the best flavor. Set your oven-safe skillet into your oven and preheat to 450 degrees. While the skillet is preheating, you can slice the apples. As soon as the oven is preheated, take it out (use oven mitts!), add the butter, and watch it sizzle! Add the apples, cinnamon, and nutmeg to the melted butter, and return the skillet to the oven to soften the apples.
The Method :: Cooking the apples
You’ll let the apples cook in the preheated skillet and butter for a good 5 minutes – 7 if you want them extra soft. While the apples cook, you can blend up the pancake batter.
The Method :: The pancake blender batter
Truly, this doesn’t get any easier! Dump all of the pancake batter ingredients into your blender, and blend until smooth. You can do this while your apples are cooking. This batter has a fiber-rich, whole-grain oatmeal base, so you can truly feel good about serving this week in and week out if your family loves it.
The Method :: Adding the pancake batter to the skillet to bake
Once the apples have cooked for 5 minutes and softened, remove the skillet from the oven and pour the blended pancake batter over the softened apples.
The Method :: Baking the skillet apple pancake
Return the skillet to the oven to fully bake the pancake. This will take about 14 minutes, and the pancake will set, coming out fluffy and golden. As the pancake cools, you’ll notice it “deflate” a little! That is the character of a “Dutch baby” style skillet pancake, and it lends the most tender texture.
Serving your skillet apple pancake
Let the skillet pancake cool a few minutes before slicing. I like to use a serrated knife so the apples stay intact while cutting. We like to serve our slices with fried eggs and sausage. Your little ones might find a slice with a glass of milk just enough to fill their little bellies up! If it is a special occasion, you could potentially add a pretty dusting of powdered sugar or drizzle of maple syrup, but we find the pancake plenty sweet on its own.
Leftovers?!
This skillet feeds my family of 5 with breakfast sides for one meal. If you need more, you can double the recipe into a larger oven-safe skillet and just about double the oven time. Or you can use 2 ten-inch cast iron skillets, double the batter in your blender, and then divide it between the 2 skillets, baking for the same 14-minute time. I love to double this recipe so that we have enough for the weekend and 1 school morning. I warm the slices up on a sheet tray in the oven.
Blender Batter Skillet Oatmeal Apple Pancake
Ingredients
- 2/3 cup full fat coconut milk
- 4 eggs
- ¾ cup oats Not quick oats. I use sprouted oats from Costco
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tsp blackstrap molasses
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ tsp aluminum free baking powder
- ¼ tsp sea salt
- 4 tbsp butter
- 2 small apples sliced thin or diced depending on the look you want
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
Instructions
- Place a 10-inch oven safe skillet into the oven and pre-heat to 450 degrees while you make the pancake batter and slice the apples.
- Put the coconut milk, eggs, oats, syrup, molasses, vanilla, baking powder, and sea salt, and blend on high speed for 1 minute. Set this aside.
- Once the oven has pre-heated to 450 degrees, take the skillet out of the hot oven using an oven mitt, and add 4 tablespoons of butter to the pan to melt. Coat the skillet in the melted butter, and add the apples, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Stir to combine and return to the oven for 5-7 minutes, until the apples soften.
- After the apples cook in the hot skillet for 5-7 minutes, use an oven mitt to remove the skillet from the oven, and give the apples a stir. Pour the prepared blender pancake batter into the hot pan, and return the skillet to the oven to bake for another 14 minutes, until the edges are golden and the middle is set.
- Let the skillet pancake rest for 5 minutes before slicing and serving.
Notes
- This skillet feeds my family of 5 with breakfast sides for one meal. If you need more, you can double the recipe into a larger oven-safe skillet and just about double the oven time. Or you can use 2 ten-inch cast iron skillets, double the batter in your blender, and then divide it between the 2 skillets, baking for the same 14-minute time.
- Milk/raw milk will swap for the coconut milk just fine if you tolerate the dairy.
- If you cannot have butter, pasture-raised lard or avocado oil would work well.
- Swap the apples for pears if you have those around too!
More real food APPLE recipes you might like! ::
- Baked Apple Donuts
- Healthy Apple Quickbread
- Pumpkin Apple Baked Oatmeal
- Sweet Potato, Sausage, & Apple Breakfast Casserole
- Butternut Squash & Apple Soup
- Sausage & Apple Stuffed Acorn Squash
- Dutch Apple Pie
- How to Make Instant Pot Applesauce
- Our Favorite Sunday Dinner Apple Crisp
- Fresh Apple Pancakes
- Apple Oat & Buckwheat Porridge
- Apple Coffee Cake
