Have you ever mixed up a batch of pancake batter, (because they sounded so amazing 15 minutes earlier when you were in bed), only to find yourself in front of the stove, spatula in hand, thinking "I really don't have the patience for this?" For us, that scenario was this morning — so we turned to an idea from last year to help us out...

While we were standing in front of the stove while our pan was heating up, it dawned on us... we just didn't want to go through all the waiting and flipping and there were more important things to do before our day started — like a shower. Remembering this idea from last year, we took the lazy way out and we still had time to bathe (which we're sure everyone we come across today, will appreciate). Here's how we did it:
Baked Apple Streusel Pancake Bars
Yields: 20 Bars
Adapted from: Martha Stewart's Buttermilk Pancakes
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, or slightly less table salt
3 tablespoons sugar
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 3/4 cups buttermilk (whole milk can be substituted without any problems)
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 small apple, diced into 1/2" pieces
2 cups Granola (we used an apple cinnamon granola from Bear Naked)
For Topping:
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
3 tablespoons butter, melted
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
Grease and Parchment your choice of baking dish. We used 2 8"x8" pans (for the straight sides), but a large pyrex baking dish should work just fine! Set aside. Mix dry ingredients and stir with a wire whisk. Add wet ingredients and stir until just barely combined. Add in Granola and apples, stirring just until coated. You want your batter to be lumpy with out any dry spots.
Pour into prepared pans. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Allow batter to rest in pans while oven is coming to temperature and mix Streusel topping ingredients in a small bowl. Drizzle over pancake mixture with a fork, or spoon into a zip top bag and use like a pastry bag, making thin, even lines. Bake for 12-15 minutes, when touched, it should spring back gently. Remove from oven and remove from pan (thanks parchment paper!) and place on wire rack to cool slightly. If you wish, brush tops with 2 more tablespoons of melted butter for a great shine.
These are great eaten the morning of, or as you have need throughout the week. You can also wrap individual portions and freeze them. Just take them out the night before, (or if you forget, pop them in the microwave to defrost) and let them sit on the counter so your breakfast is ready as you bolt out the door!
They're great for a brunch where people might find themselves eating away from the table, serve them with a little lemon curd, apple butter, or small amount of maple syrup! Enjoy!
Related: Pancake Roundup: Recipes, Tips, and Products
(Image: Sarah Rae Trover)
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Comments (10)
This is a great idea!
Wow, you read my mind. EVERY time I make pancakes for me and Mr. Tofu I look at all that extra batter and say "we can't ever eat this all..." And I get sick of making them after like, 4 of them. I'll give this a try. I love struesel anything!
These look soooo delicious - also love the fact that theres and ad for Gap's best fitting jeans right below the recipe. Nothins gonna fit me "best" after baking/consuming those! good inspiration though! haha.
I am just obsessing over that little Fiestaware-ish baking dish. Is it vintage?
crispywaffle - It was a gift, but to my knowledge it was from a standard big box store. It's the perfect size for a casserole for two!
I made this on Monday night, and it was DELICIOUS! It took about an hour I think--with preparation & bake time. I've been reheating them in the morning like the post recommended, and they reheat wonderfully! If you like, you could add more granola to make the bars a bit crunchier.
Finally made these-- very yummy! However I definitely recommend using 2 dishes for a little thinner final product. I didn't and the texture wasn't ideal, just a little too thick for a pancake. But definitely will make again--delicious dipped in syrup!
i made these when my boyfriends family was in town as an easy breakfast for the masses. a couple thoughts
1. i echo the syrup. definitly needed.
2. i had to bake these for about 15 minutes longer than suggested, though it could have been the boy's oven.
3. the boy suggested an extra layer of topping. he's talking layers. good idea, a middle layer of topping would have made it better.
Does this recipe really supposed to have 2 3/4 cups of milk? I made this and it didn't resemble pancake batter at all it was more like soup and it took twice the listed time to bake
Did anyone else have this problem?
I was very disappointed with this recipe. It's a good idea, but in actuality there were a plethora of snags. 1) the cooking time was more like 45 minutes 2) the texture never truly solidified - the "bars" resembled bread pudding even after letting them rest. 3) the flavor of the bars relied heavily on the quality of the apples, and so the batter needed extra sugar and maple syrup to make them palatable. 4) Finally, no one in the family enjoyed them, and, since it made a colossal batch, we have too many leftovers. All in all, this was a waste of a perfectly fine Saturday morning breakfast.