"We need to make Apple Pancake," announced my friend Jennie. It was nearly a dozen years ago; I was fresh out of college and knocking around my own kitchen for the first time, doing experimental things like putting cinnamon in pasta sauce and struggling to bake chicken breasts. "Apple pancakes?" I said, forming a pleasant picture of a stack of chunky apple buttermilk pancakes, beaded with syrup. "No," she said. "THE Apple Pancake." There were not multiple apple pancakes; there was no stack. The Apple Pancake was something altogether new to me, involving apples, a family story, a cast iron skillet, and the magic of a hot oven — all before breakfast.
I learned that Jennie's parents would go on dates to the Original Pancake House in Chicago, where they would split an apple Dutch baby — an eggy, puffy cloud baked in a skillet, with a towering crown of crisp, airy crust over layers of wobbly custard, apples and molten cinnamon sugar. After they moved away from Chicago, her mom developed a version of THE apple pancake, and it became a defining treasure of the family, to be made for special friends and company. (See more from Jennie and her mom in the comments below!)
So, one weekend morning Jennie and a few other friends gathered in my kitchen to chop apples and put sticks of butter in the oven to melt. We crumbled clumps of brown sugar and spread the apples out to soften in the pan. We whisked flour, milk, and eggs together and poured them over the apples. Then we waited, buoyed by the smell of dramatic things happening in the hot oven.
Then we took those pancakes out and dug in, our forks breaking that crisp crust, letting cinnamon-scented steam billow out. The apples were tender; the custard just sweet enough. It was a breakfast devoured. It wasn't like anything I had ever made before, and I was rapt with enjoyment of this apple and butter-soaked deliciousness, not to mention the dramatic crust. "See?" said Jennie, with a modest grin.
I can't say that this dish suddenly turned me into a serious cook, but the memory of pouring in the batter, watching it puff up and out, the sheer simple magic of eggs in the oven — it stands out like few other cooking memories in my life. Such a simple thing, right? Such pleasure, being ushered in to the magic of Jennie's family Apple Pancake, and learning that while the process of learning to cook is slow and gradual, the power of family story makes nearly everything taste a little more delicious, and that some dishes create delight with such force that we decide we must return to the kitchen, and soon.
But enough about me. This dish is for you — Jennie is so generous to share it, and I can't think of a better way to start a weekend morning. (Yes, it's Thursday; I'm helping you plan ahead here.) Jennie's Apple Pancake has the caramelized apples of a tarte Tatin crossed with the eggy puff of a Dutch baby. Warm and tender on a snappy fall morning in apple season, this is my very favorite weekend breakfast.
This recipe, along with most others involving baked apples, does best with a tart, crisp variety. If you use softer or sweeter apples, toss the slices with some lemon juice before putting them in the pan to bring up the acidity and balance out the sweetness.

Weekend Apple Pancake
serves 3 to 4
2 large or 3 medium apples, preferably tart ones like Granny Smith
4 tablespoons white sugar, divided
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/3 cup unsalted butter
1/3 cup dark brown sugar
3/4 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
5 eggs
Powdered or cinnamon sugar, to serve
Heat the oven to 400°F. Peel, core, and quarter the apples, then cut them into medium slices (1/4-inch thick or less). Then cut the slices in halves or thirds. You should have about 3 cups of chopped apples.
In a small bowl, mix 3 tablespoons of sugar with the cinnamon and ginger and set aside.
Cut the butter into chunks and place them in a deep cast iron skillet or 8x8-inch baking dish. Put the skillet or baking dish in the oven for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the butter is melted. Take the pan out of the oven and sprinkle the 1/3 cup brown sugar over the melted butter. Carefully spread the apples on top of the brown sugar and sprinkle the cinnamon sugar mixture over the apples. Put the pan back in the oven to caramelize the apples and sugar.
Whisk the flour with the remaining tablespoon of sugar, salt, and nutmeg. Gradually add the milk, whisking constantly with a large wire whisk to beat out any lumps. When the flour is smoothly incorporated into the milk, beat in the vanilla and the eggs one by one. Beat by hand for 2 minutes, or until foamy. Let the batter rest for 5 minutes. By now the sugar should be bubbling around the apples.
Take the pan out of the oven and pour the batter over the apples. Bake for about 20 more minutes or until center is set and sides are lightly browned. The pancake will puff up dramatically but fall after a few minutes after you take it out of the oven.
If you want, serve with powdered sugar or more cinnamon sugar. I usually find that it is just sweet enough as it is.

Related: Recipe: Big Pancake
(Images: Faith Durand)
(Originally published October 5, 2006)
Colorful Kitchen Bo...

Comments (75)
Swoon is right!! Can I just say how much I love the Big Pancake? It became our Sunday morning routine right after we tried it the first time.
I can't wait to try this recipe, though.
i've been eating dutch baby since i was...well, a baby. i've made it with cheese, with applesauce & various sliced/diced/shredded fruits but always thrown on top or heated separately and rolled within. but actually cooked within! aha! of course. makes total sense. i think i might have to have this for dinner. with a little cheddar cheese so i don't feel like a total degenerate. genius faith.
When I was growing up in LA my family went to breakfast regularly at Dinah's, where both the Dutch Baby and the Apple Pancake have been on the menu for at least 30 years. Since leaving LA, I have often lamented the weekends bereft of Apple Pancake, but despite cooking all the time, never even thought of trying to recreate the sacred object at home. This post has made me so happy! I can't wait to try it!
Great! If you make it, let us know how it turns out...
holy crap, this looks amazing. this is definitely going on my to make list. reason 87680987 why breakfast is my favorite meal of the day.
Aloha Ya'll,
Never had a dutch baby, it sounds great. But I have made poffertjes, sometimes referred to as "baby dutch pancakes"
http://www-us.flickr.com/photos/fotosesther/119868713/
I have the cast iron and teflon pans to make these. Looking forward to the apple pancake :-)
Cooking Cajun
Where are they custard layers in this recipe??
Hey Faith-
My honey and I made this on Sunday, and it was absolutely great. Not quite the same animal as the Dinah's version, but that wasn't at all disappointing because it was so delicious. We modified it a little by putting half of the cinnamon-sugar mixture on top to form a crust.
Over the last few days I have been heating the remaining pieces in the oven at 400 degrees for (another) 20 minutes, which makes the custard a little more solid, but I found I even preferred that. I just finished the last piece today for lunch. Yum! We will definitely do this again!
Thanks oodles!
Kit, the batter creates a custardy center between the apples. The whole pancake is more of a custard than a conventional griddle pancake. But it could set into a more firm filling, depending on oven time.
beebe - that's great! I have driven by Dinah's - next time I'm in LA I'm totally going to visit.
i just made this on saturday for my roommate's birthday breakfast. absolutely delish! thanks.
Fantastic! Made it this morning, and it was incredible!
Thank you!
Just wanted to chime in that I made this on Sunday, but instead of apples I used pears. Deeee-Licious! An instant classic in our house!
made it this morning and used fuji rather than granny smith. came out superb. thanks for this one....
Just recently found this recipe. It's the ultimate Dutch Baby. I used Granny Smith apples I needed to use up. Baked in a Lodge cast iron skillet and it turned out perfectly - a bit hit for a Sunday breakfast.
I have been making a version of this recipe ever since I was about 12 -- the recipe I use is out of the book Vegetarian Epicure, and it is called a "German Apple Pancake". Cook's Illustrated had a great version of the recipe in their Christmas 2006 issue.
According to family lore, my mom & dad used to go on dates to the Original Pancake House in Chicago and split an apple Dutch Baby. They liked it so much that Mom started working on her own version. It's become one of our family's classic weekend breakfast (or dinner) dishes, and is frequently served when guests come to visit. We normally serve this with a side of pretel (a goetta-like sausage patty that we've only been able to find in Northwest Ohio), and some of us like to top both the pancake and the pretel with maple syrup...
-- Jennie
Guess I need to jump in here to defend myself. It is true our first German Apple Pancake was devoured circa 1975 at Chicago's Original Pancake House near the Lincoln Park Zoo. Yes, we did split the pancake because of it's large serving size (fills a dinner plate) and the small size of our student funds. Original Pancake House has franchises all over the country. www.originalpancakehouse.com . My variation came about when a Chicago friend mailed me one of those cooking columns that attempts to copy some restaurant fare. It has been tweaked over the years to accomodate crowd size. I have found pans with higher sides are best. And have experimented with oven temperature to prevent the corners from growing too fast and getting too brown. Have even used Egg-beaters which seems to make the custard portion more airy and less dense. I grew up eating the thin Swedish Pancakes. A variation of that is called FlaskPankaka and is made in the oven like the Dutch Baby. As to the Prettles - they are another German fare found only in NW Ohio. You can buy frozen Prettles at Brookview Farm Meats (419) 445-6366. I find the seasoning to Prettles more pleasing than Goetta. I think the are very similar and just come from different areas of Germany.
Just came out of my oven and looks and smells amazing!!!
It is a weekday and morning already passed but I can't resist the temptation and will try this tonight. I hope they'll taste as good as they look!
Well, I made it and ate it with my fiancée. We both loved it and I put the recipe in my do-it-lots-of-time list.
Pancake part was so soft and tasty while the apples gave an amazing taste with cinnamon and ginger. But the butter is too much for my taste, I'll use less in the future.
My pancake ended up having some areas that were really eggy, and some that were more cakey. I don't know where I went wrong? Can anyone help me out?
Core the apples? Should the apples be cored? Thanks.
I made this for Christmas breakfast. I threw the butter in my cast iron pan; my dad saw this and declared, "She's trying to kill us!" But it was a big hit. More custardy than I was expecting, with the references to Dutch Baby. The 1/4 cup less of flour and extra egg really make a big difference! Still, so delicious. And it reheats well.
@thatmeggirl - It sounds like the batter wasn't mixed thoroughly. Try using a whisk to combine the batter ingredients? Also, did you use a square pan or a round one? A round one will bake more evenly - a round cast iron pan would be best if you have an oven that doesn't heat evenly.
@yooj - Apples should always be cored. The seeds are not good eats.
So funny and delicious! I just posted a similar piece here, days ago http://www.poormansfeast.com/archives/an-edible-conundrum-the-pancake-thats-not-a-pancake.html
Loving the pancake theme. I just did a webisode on pancakes today!! http://www.thenaptimechef.com/2010/04/homemade-pancake-mix-and-awesome.html
We do something similar at our house...we cook a Dutch Baby, however we cook apples with sugar, cinnamon and a little spirits on top of the stove. Remove the baby out of the oven and top with the cooked apples. A dusting of powdered sugar and fresh lemon juice on the baby is good too.
A friend introduced us to her Dutch Baby a few years ago. Absolutely delish. I have passed this recipe on to her as well as to our friend who could never recall the name and always referred to it as a "Dead Betty". HA!
The Original Pancake House! Yes, yes, yes! We used to go there before school on special days. Always a treat. Their chocolate chip pancakes were pretty flippin' tasty too. Thanks for the recipe.
I have to say, I grew up near the Walker Brothers (Original Pancake House) on the North Side of Chicago, and this is not what an Apple pancake is supposed to look like. Thinking back, I can safely say that I've eaten at least 100 of these, and honestly can't remember ever eating anything but an apple pancake there. I can't vouch for the flavor, but I don't see nearly enough apples or caramelized brown sugar.
This is what it should look like: http://www.roadfood.com/Photos/5352.jpg
There appear to be multiple recipes online, so I'd recommend experimenting. This should come out of the oven so hot and sticky that you will be punished for impatience by burning the roof of your mouth.
Now my mouth is watering...
Holy heck that looks so darn good!!!
Staceyann Dolenti
As soon as I saw "THE Apple Pancake" in my email, I knew you were talking Walker Brothers. VIVA CHICAGO!
@coneeleven1 a couple notes: In this recipe, the pancake isn't flipped out of the pan as it is the photo. There is a solid layer of apples, butter, and sugar on the bottom here; it's just hard to see.
Also, this recipe was adapted - in fact, I cut down the sugar even further from the recipe I received. It was a little too sweet for my taste. So, feel free to tweak and adapt! I'm sure it isn't just like the original; it has definitely passed through a few kitchens since then.
Anyone else from MN remember Pannekoechen Huis? They made stuff like this. I went there several times as a child, but they apparently declared bankruptcy in 1997, so I never got to go again.
I remember that if you ordered a pannekoechen, the waitstaff would yell "Pannekoechen!" as they brought it to your table.
I miss kitchy things like that.
what if I don't (sadly) have a cast iron deep pan? the only cast iron i have is a grill, and a comal.... neither of which would work. help!
@coneeleven1 also, oh - I just looked at another copycat recipe and it seems like the apples are piled on top halfway through baking, which is interesting.
Overall I guess I don't think of this as a copycat recipe as much as an "inspired by..." recipe. But now I do want to go to Chicago and try the original for myself! :)
@megfaywer you can use a regular square baking pan too! A 9x9 or 8x8 (metal or glass - I've used both) will work just fine.
@vintagejenta I'm not from MN but recently moved here and the Pannekoeken Huis still exists! There's one on Excelsior between Quentin Ave and Wooddale Ave. The friend I went with ordered their version of this and it was incredible! I had a banana cream version - pretty much just a banana cream pie. :)
i don't have a cast iron pan... can i use a (yawn) glass casserole dish?
My mouth is watering! Brings back memories of "paper-thin pancakes" my mother used to make when I was little. :)
I have done a dutch baby pancake in my regular skillet and it worked just fine, just make sure your pan doesn't have a plastic handle.
Thank you for posting this... I am so excited to make this Saturday morning!
There are a few Original Pancake Houses in the Detroit area and the Dutch Baby there (and its big brother, The Big German) is pretty tasty. Definitely going to try this recipe!
I haven't made the recipe listed here - but I notice it has 5 eggs in it...which means lots of eggy custard. If you like eggy custard - go for it! I'm not a huge fan of egg custards, so when I make this type of pancake, I use fewer eggs, and I cook it till it doesn't jiggle in the center. Also, what a great excuse to go buy a cast iron skillet...they really aren't that expensive and once you start using one...you'll be hooked and use it for everything! I got one pre-seasoned for under $30 - and you don't have to go to a fancy kitchen store - they sell the same pans at Target, etc. (Log Cabin I think is the brand name...something like that.)
Faith, there are six Original Pancake Houses in Ohio - 2 in the Cincinnati area, 1 in Dayton, 1 in Toledo and 2 in the Cleveland area. http://www.originalpancakehouse.com Although Chicago is a great destination for all sorts of good eating.
Yes, this is not just like the Original Pancake House because it isn't flipped out onto a plate, and the batter is probably a little different, but I'm content with our version.
I have continued to experiment with the recipe after seeing one of those TV shows highlighting a restaurant. I tried separating the eggs and beating the whites until foamy, which changes the whole thing. I had to break through crust to check for doneness, and maybe even to let the center finish cooking. It is still a tasty recipe, but I prefer the custard to the souffle texture.
As for cast iron - it works fine, but I usually chose a pan with the tallest sides - either aluminum pan 9x13, or Pyrex roaster - depending on the number eating. Round works best because the batter crawls up the corners more that a straight edge - and the upper edges tend to brown too quickly.
My Dad was a full blooded Swede so I grew up eating Swedish pancakes many Saturday mornings. What we ate was not exactly like the Swedish pancakes served at the Original Pancake House. Again, I prefer what I ate as a child. So 'best' depends on perspective.
My Dad was also a math geek, so he calculated various options for this recipe for my Mom from the basic 3 egg recipe.
3 eggs
3/4 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
3 tablespoon oil or melted bacon fat
1-1/4 cup milk
Beat eggs till foamy. Gradually add in flour, salt, sugar. Mix, then add milk and oil. Batter will be thin. Pour 1/3 -1/2 cup to hot oiled 9 inch skillet with low sides, tilting the pan until batter covers the full surface. Flip once after edges are firm, using a long 1 inch spatula. Remove from pan and fold once. If pancake wants to tear, add a bit more flour to remaining batter. Serve with warm maple syrup and blueberries, strawberries, or peaches - either fresh or simmered into a sauce.
OK so I have a cast iron dutch oven or a stainless steel skillet to choose from... which should I use? (I know I "should" have a cast iron skillet BUT my hands & I are too small to be able to manage one single-handed without creating a dangerously hot mess!) ... LOVE your recipes!
One of my favorite restaurants used to make these but stopped serving breakfast. :(
I'm excited to try this out at home. :)
There can never be too many recipes for apple pancakes!
I can't wait to try this one; I am intrigued by the custardy middle.
We've been making a German Apple Pancake since the '70s from the Vegetarian Epicure Cookbook. It looks like this:
http://www.bhg.com/recipe/pancakes-waffles/apfelpfannkuchen-german-apple-pancake/
I would really love to learn how to make true Dutch apple pancakes -- appel pannekoeken.
I made this with my daughter as soon as I saw this email, but as soon as I poured the flour/milk/egg mixture over the apples, the apples floated to the top and so it cooked with the apples on top and a this "jello" like substance under it. It still tasted good, but I followed the recipe exactly. Anyone else have this problem?
I am making this tomorrow morning. I can't wait!! I've had Dutch Babies on my to-cook list for a while, so it's the perfect opportunity. Thanks for sharing!!
@Faith - Interesting...I never thought of flipping it. I am pretty sure that I've never had one flipped out of the pan, judging by the flatness of the bottom, with the apples still visible from the top. Maybe there needs to be more apples. It was just that when I looked at your picture, I thought I was looking at the Dutch Baby, because that picture looks more like that than the Apple. I'm sure your recipe is good, maybe it just needs more apples. And yes, it is very sweet, but that's kind of the best part (I never eat more than half). Piling apples on halfway through could work...
There are Original Pancake Houses all over, but only one time was one as good as it always is at Walker Bros. It's definitely worth a trip if you're ever in Chicago. If you go on a weekend, expect a long wait, but it's so worth it. It's one of the few places I go to whenever going back to Chicago for visits.
I can't wait to try this. How do you think it would be with honeybutter? (If you haven't had honeybutter, it's one part honey, one part butter, one part milk or cream and a splash of vanilla. Straight liquid breakfast crack.)
Just made this for a surprise for my husband - it was delicious!!!
Made this for brunch today. It was a good flavor, but the texture was different than what I was hoping for. All of the eggs almost make it like an overly thick crepe. It was tasty - just different than anticipated.
I moved to Chicago with my family in 1975 when I was 10 yo and have been eating THE apple pancake since that time. I have tried MANY wannabe apple pancakes and none have made the grade.....till now! Thank you, Thank you, Thank you for allowing me to make heaven in my own home. I tried this recipe and it was darn near perfect.
I made this for breakfast yesterday and it was delicious! I even messed up the recipe (added 3/4 cup brown sugar instead of 1/3 cup on top of the apples when it should've gone in the bottom of the pan. And put the cinnamon/sugar/ginger mixture in the bottom of the pan. I was afraid it would come out too sweet, but it was perfect! I also used a mandolin to slice the apples, which made it easier to get uniform thickness.
This was really beautifully written, and I'm so glad you reposted it! I read it from my iphone while lying in bed this (Sunday) morning... and 30 minutes later I was making it. Now I'm eating it... and it's fantastic! A real keeper. :) Thanks to you and Jennie and her mom!
This, some coffee and some bacon!
Thanks for this fabulous recipe! I made it today in an 8-inch square cake pan and had absolutely no trouble. The texture was great! Very custardy. I squeezed some lemon juice over the top and sprinkled with a little powdered sugar and . . . WOW!
This recipe has gone into my recipe manager for much future use.
Thanks again!
Amazing recipe! My husbands loves anything apple. I made this today as our post-bicycle ride brunch and he loved it! It was my first shot at homemade anything. Thank you for a great dish and making it worth the try.
So tasty! I used maple sugar in place of brown sugar, with a mix of cortland and honeycrisp apples, and the whole family absolutely loved it. This will definitely become a staple in our weekend playbook.
I made this for dessert last night and finished it for breakfast this morning :) I probably could have eaten the whole thing, it is so delicious. My apples floated to the top, too, but I didn't have a problem with that.
It'll be a regular in our house; ingredients we always have, and uses up lots of eggs! (our hens lay more than we can eat!)
I've made this twice now. Today, the second time, I made it in the biggest cast iron pan that I own (13' dia.). I increased the measurement essentially making a batch and a half. It needed to bake a bit longer. I also decreased the amount of sugar. It came out great!
Next, I'm going to adapt this recipe/method to make a savory pancake with mushroom, onion, thyme and rosemary!
Oh, I forgot- I'm going to top it with chopped bacon! Yum!!!
I maded this with 2 TBS butter, only two eggs, canned evaporated skim milk (we don't use cow's milk so keep it on hand for baking) mixed cinamon with the brown sugar and omitted the white sugar and added about half a cup of coarsely chopped pecans. Came out tasty - not exactly a Dutch baby but it was delish. Flipped it so the crusty sugar, apple, pecan mixture was the top crust and spanked that baby with some powdered sugar. Husband loved it. Will continue to play with it until it has less fat and more protein.
After several weekends with no time, I finally made this today. Delicious. I made the same mistake someone else made... put the cinnamon (or in my case, pumpkin spice) sugar mixture in under the apples and the brown sugar over them. After a little debate with myself, I stirred everything up before putting it into the oven. It seemed to work fine. Some of my apple mixture also rose to the top when I poured the batter in. None of it seems to have made any difference. It cooked up perfectly. Mine ended up with the apples more mixed in than in the pictures, but I like it that way. The only thing I might change next time is to use a little less butter. Or maybe not. It's so, so good.
Sunset (Lane Pub) has one of these in their early cookbooks, only the apple or other cooked fruit compote is ladled on top after the oven-cooked pancake is taken out of the oven. The Northern Europeans in Seattle like these a lot, too. The pancake is somewhere between a popover and a cream puff pastry. I should think you would get a dryer, higher puff by adding the fruit after cooking the pastry. Delish.
I made this exactly as the recipe says and it was fantastic. It came out so puffy and pretty that I had to take a photo. The edges were extra caramelized and delicious. Everyone loved it. Didn't need anything on top as it was as sweet and moist as it needed to be as is. A great breakfast treat for company.
I've made this twice now, doubled both times to share w/groups -- what a lovely story and an amazing recipe! Today, I made the following modifications: doubled, with 7 eggs (not 10), and half and half instead of milk (only substitute on hand). Made more of a thick pancake consistency rather than super eggy. All gone save one piece for me tonight! YUM!!
My favorite recipe for this comes from Faith's casserole book. Just too delicious! You can see my review of the recipe HERE on cookbooker.
I just made this this morning. What a delicious start of a day!
Made this this morning! Just estimated for butter and sugar mix...needed additional 5 minutes in oven. At 20 minutes was finished but very eggy tasting and a little too moist-- at 25 minutes it had the right eggy crepe consistency. It was easy and fast. Served with maple syrup cause here in Canada that is how we do. I like it better than normal pancakes because it doesn't make you brain dead - there's actually a lot of protein in there. I can see you could make this much fancier too by adding a spirit (rum? bourbon?) to the initial caramelization of the apples, and serve with a flavoured cream....(maple/whiskey creme anglais?) or icecream for dessert.
Faith, I'm with coneeleven1 - the Walker Brothers version is incredibly rich and that picture is the one I've been trying to recreate since I moved away from Chicago's northside. I'm loving the sound of your recipe, but I'll be trying this (oh, indeedy yes) this weekend and adding MORE apples halfway through the bake. I'll give you an update and a pic if all goes well. It's great to know how many other folks are trying to recreate this amazing food experience!!
One of the best apps I've gotten for my tablet is the Edamam one. And one of the first recipes I came across was this one. I made it today. I took it out of the oven just before 2:00, right before my son & I left the house to run a few errands. When we returned at 4:15 it was gone! My husband & our other 2 sons had polished it off. Good thing my son & I nabbed our share of it before leaving the house. Looks like I'll have to make another one. I still have plenty of apples left. Using a mandolin slicer & my stick blender instead of a whisk helped cut down on the prep time a bit. Oh, what did I think of the recipe? One of the yummiest treats I've ever had in my entire life!
Made this for dinner tonight (that's how I roll :)). I was born and raised in Chicago and have had the Walker Bros apple pancake more times than I should probably admit and this is a FANTASTIC replacement. I agree with the comment that Walker Bros does flip theirs over when serving, but this was spot on flavor-wise and so easy to prepare. I will make this every holiday morning, it's amazing. Thanks for sharing!