Fresh sliced apples are simmered in maple syrup and baked into a pancake large enough to feed the entire family. When September rolls around, this apple cinnamon upside down pancake is my kids’ absolute favorite pancake recipe…and mine too because it simplifies Saturday morning breakfast. Who wants to stand around the griddle flipping pancakes all morning? After a quick 5-minute prep, pop this family-sized pancake into the oven, pour a cup of coffee and in 20 minutes you’ll have a tasty breakfast the whole family can enjoy…together.
The possibilities are endless.
Adding apples and cinnamon to a baked pancake is one of my favorite flavor combinations, but there are so many delicious variations of this baked upside down pancake recipe. So have some fun experimenting. Here are a few ideas to get you started.
- Pineapple upside down pancake I love this play on traditional pineapple upside down cake. It’s part breakfast and part dessert and 100% delicious. Canned pineapple works great in this recipe. Simply drain a can of pineapple rings and absorb any excess water left on the rings with a kitchen towel or paper towel. Simmer the pineapple rings in the maple syrup for 2-3 minutes on each side until they just start to turn golden brown. Skip the cinnamon but if you’d like to add some color like a traditional pineapple upside down cake, add Maraschino cherries, halved (or fresh cherries, halved) to the center of each pineapple ring before pouring the pancake batter on top and baking.
- Banana + Fruit Combinations Caramelize banana slices in the maple syrup. Caramelized bananas are delicious alone in this recipe or try adding additional fruit to the pancake batter to create tasty flavor combinations. Try a handful of fresh blueberries, fresh strawberries, chopped fresh or canned peaches or the zest of an orange. Fold the fruit into the batter before pouring it onto the skillet.
Apple Cinnamon Upside Down Pancake Toppings
This Apple Cinnamon Upside Down Pancake is already pretty sweet since it’s baked with maple syrup, but feel free to pour a little extra on top, if you’d like. Here are a few other options you might want to try.
- A sprinkle of powdered sugar
- A sprinkle of cinnamon/sugar
- A dollop of whipped cream
- A drizzle of honey
- A drizzle of caramel syrup
- Here’s an interesting twist. Serve each slice of this pancake with a scoop of vanilla ice cream to transform this pancake into a tasty dessert.
Looking for more breakfast ideas?
Apple Cinnamon Upside Down Pancake
Ingredients
- Cooking spray. This is used to grease the skillet.
- 3 tablespoons butter 1 tablespoon is used to caramelize the apples and 2 tablespoons are used in the batter.
- 1 large ripe apple or 2 small ripe apples sliced thin, peeled or unpeeled
- â…“ cup maple syrup
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 ¼ cup flour To make this recipe gluten-free, use a 1-to-1 gluten free flour like Bob's Red Mill or King Arthur Baking.
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 ¼ cup milk
- 1 egg
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 375 degrees.
- Grease a 9-inch cast iron skillet or an oven safe nonstick pan with cooking spray. Be sure to thoroughly cover the inside edges to ensure the pancake doesn’t stick and for ease of flipping the pancake after it’s baked. Add the butter to the skillet on medium- low heat. Once the butter is melted, pour the maple syrup into the skillet.
- Place the apple slices on the bottom of the skillet and simmer for 2-3 minutes on each side. Sprinkle the cinnamon over the apples and turn off the heat.
- Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. Set aside.
- Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter in the microwave for about 30 seconds or until melted.
- Combine the milk and egg in a bowl and mix throughly. Add the melted butter slowly while whisking the mixture.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix well with a whisk.
- Pour the batter in the skillet. Pour it evenly over the apple slices.
- Place the skillet in the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick or knife can be inserted into the middle and comes out clean (without any wet batter stuck to it).
- Carefully flip the pancake onto a plate. Slice and serve on its own or with additional maple syrup.
Notes
- A sprinkle of powdered sugar
- A sprinkle of cinnamon/sugar
- A dollop of whipped cream
- A drizzle of honey
- A drizzle of caramel syrup
- Here’s an interesting twist. Serve each slice of this pancake with a scoop of vanilla ice cream to transform this pancake into a tasty dessert.
Sooooo good! Easy crowd pleaser!