Cozy fall flavors meet weekend pancake perfection! These Apple Butter Pancakes are fluffy, spiced, and packed full of apple butter. Make them in under 30 minutes for an easy breakfast the whole family will love.

My Favorite Fall Pancakes

I’ve shared two new apple desserts this season (caramel apple upside-down cake and an applesauce spice cake) and now it’s time to talk about breakfast!

I’ve tested a lot of pancake recipes over the years, but these are the ones I reach for every fall. They’re fluffy without feeling heavy, warmly spiced without being overly sweet, and full of apple flavor. Apple butter is the secret to these pancakes: it’s thicker and more concentrated than apple sauce, so every bite tastes like spiced cider.

And of course, the toppings make the pancakes seem extra special. Some mornings we keep it simple with warm maple syrup and a spoonful of apple butter. Other days, it’s chopped tosted pecans, sauteed cinnamon apples, or just a swipe of melted salted better.

The best part: these pancakes freeze beautifully, so go ahead and make a double batch to pull out on weekday mornings for an extra special treat on busy mornings.

Ingredients and Substitutions

Here’s what you’ll need to make these apple butter pancakes, along with some key recipe notes and substitutions listed below.

• All-Purpose Flour: For gluten-free pancakes, use a 1:1 gluten-free baking blend with xanthan gum. For heartier pancakes, swap up to a third of the all-purpose flour with whole wheat flour; add a few extra minutes to the rest time to fully hydrate the wheat flour.
• Buttermilk: If you don’t have buterimlk, add 1 tablespoon vinegar or lemon juice to 1 cup whole milk, mix, and let rest for 5 minutes, or use 3/4 cup Greek yogurt whisked with 1/4 cup whole milk. For a dairy-free version, use almond, oat, or soy milk plus 1 tablespoon vinegar or lemon juice.
• Apple Butter: Either homemade or store bought works. Applesauce will work in a pinch, but use slightly less milk to keep the batter from thinning.
• Eggs: For egg-free pancakes, use a flax egg (1 tablespoon ground flax seeds plus 3 tablespoons of water, mixed and set aside to rest for 5 minutes).
• Butter: To keep the pancakes dairy-free, use melted coconut oil, neutral oil, or plant-based butter.

How to Make Apple Butter Pancakes.

1. Mix the Ingredients: Whisk together the flour, sugar, leaveners, spices, and salt until well combined. In a separate bowl, whisk the buttermilk, apple butter, egg, and melted butter until smooth.

2. Combine Gently: Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir gently. Let the batter rest to fully hydrate the batter.

3. Cook the Pancakes: Scoop approximately 1/4-cup of batter to a preheated, greased skillet. Cook until bubbles form and the edges look set, then flip to cook completely.

4. Serve: Top with maple syrup, extra apple butter, sauteed apples, or toasted pecans or walnuts.

Buttermilk for Fluffy Pancakes

Apple butter brings the flavor, but buttermilk is doing the heavy lifting for these pancakes. Pairing acidic buttermilk with baking soda creates a fast acid-base reaction that releases carbon dioxide. Those tiny bubbles expand on the hot griddle and give the batter lift, so the pancakes rise tall instead of falling flat.

Kitchen Chemistry

When acidic buttermilk is mixed with basic baking soda, carbon dioxide gas forms immediately. On the griddle, heat expands the bubbles, setting them in place as the starches in the pancake batter start to gel and the proteins coagulate, pushing the pancakes upwards instead of spreading out.

You can see this chemistry happening in real time. Once the wet and dry ingredients are mixed, bubbles start forming in the bowl and across the surface of the pancakes as they cook. Flip the pancakes when those bubbles start to pop and the edges look set, which means the structure is already setting around the gas pockets and flipping won’t deflate them.

Tips and Tricks for the Best Apple Butter Pancakes

1. Measure Accurately: I always recommend baking by weight, but if you’re using a measuring cup, spoon and level the flour to avoid dense pancakes.
2. Don’t Overmix: A few lumps in the pancake mix are fine – too much mixing and the gluten will overdevelop, leading to tough pancakes.
3. Watch for Bubbles: Flip the pancakes when bubbles on the surface pop and the edges look set.
4. Keep Pancakes Warm: If you’re making a big batch, set the cooked pancakes on a wire rack in a 150-200°F oven to prevent sogginess.
5. Serving Ideas: We love these pancakes with maple syrup and a pat of butter, warm apple butter or sauteed cinnamon apples, or chopped toasted pecans or walnuts.
6. Storage: Pancakes can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days in an airtight container or frozen for up to 3 months. Freeze cooled pancakes flat in a single layer, then transfer to a zip-top freezer safe bag layered with parchment paper. Frozen pancakes can be reheated in the microwave or in the oven at 300°F for a few minutes.
7. Recommended Tools: Mixing Bowls | Whisk | Griddle Pan | Kitchen Scale

More Breakfast Recipes

• Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls
• Lemon Ricotta Pancakes
• Apple Pie Cinnamon Rolls
• Best Belgian Waffles
• Babka French Toast Casserole