Active Time

　　5 minutes

　　Total Time

　　30 minutes

　　“Pancake” may be in the name, but this large-format apple pancake recipe doesn’t require a griddle. Also known as a German apple pancake, this autumnal breakfast combines the lift and puff of a Dutch baby with the warm flavor of apple pie. Pour the simple batter—which comes together in less than five minutes—over sliced apples in a hot baking dish and watch it balloon in the oven, resulting in crisp edges and a tender center.

　　The key to a perfectly puffy pancake? Preheating the baking vessel (in this case, a 13x9" baking dish or cast-iron skillet). Let the pan heat in the oven just until the butter melts or, for a toastier, nuttier flavor, until the butter browns. From there, you’ll want to work quickly: Arrange the thinly sliced apples in the hot pan—we like to use sweet-tart Golden Delicious apples here, but you can use another baking apple like Braeburn or Honeycrisp—and pour the cinnamon-spiked batter over top. The apples soften in the oven, caramelizing just slightly under a layer of brown sugar.

　　With minimal prep time and maximum visual appeal, this company-ready apple pancake is a low-effort brunch showstopper (or easy dessert), particularly suited for the fall months. Like a soufflé, the pancake will deflate as it sits, so slide it in the oven just before guests arrive and serve warm, straight from the casserole dish.

　　

Ingredients

4 servings

　　4 large eggs

　　1 cup whole milk

　　3 Tbsp. granulated sugar

　　1 tsp. vanilla extract

　　½ tsp. Diamond Crystal or ¼ tsp. Morton kosher salt

　　¼ tsp. ground cinnamon

　　⅔ cup (84 g) all-purpose flour

　　4 Tbsp. unsalted butter

　　2 Golden Delicious apples (about 12 oz.), peeled, cored, thinly sliced

　　3 Tbsp. (packed) light brown sugar

　　Powdered sugar (for serving; optional)

　　

Step 1

Preheat oven to 425°. Whisk 4 large eggs, 1 cup whole milk, 3 Tbsp. granulated sugar, 1 tsp. vanilla extract, ½ tsp. Diamond Crystal or ¼ tsp. Morton kosher salt, and ¼ tsp. ground cinnamon in a large bowl until to combine. Add ⅔ cup (84 g) all-purpose flour and whisk just until batter is smooth.

　　

Step 2

Heat 4 Tbsp. unsalted butter in a 13x9" baking dish in oven until melted, about 5 minutes. Remove baking dish from oven; swirl butter in dish to coat bottom and partially up sides. Arrange 2 Golden Delicious apples (about 12 oz.), peeled, cored, thinly sliced, in overlapping rows in dish. Bake until apples are slightly softened and butter is bubbling and beginning to brown around edges of dish, 8–10 minutes. Immediately pour batter over apples and sprinkle 3 Tbsp. (packed) light brown sugar evenly over. Bake pancake until puffed and brown around edges, 20–25 minutes.

　　

Step 3

Dust pancake with powdered sugar if desired; serve immediately (pancake will deflate as it cools). 

　　Editor’s note: This recipe first appeared on Epicurious in August 2004 as ‘Puffed Apple Pancake.’ This way for more breakfast favorites →