A little bit nourishing, a little bit decadent. These gluten-free brown butter apple pancakes are the perfect fall breakfast.
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If I’m being honest these Gluten-Free Brown Butter Apple Pancakes are the epitome of balance. They’re made with just enough brown butter to create an indulgent flavor but are otherwise packed with nutrient-dense ingredients like oat flour and unsweetened applesauce. They’re an ideal autumn brunch situation that I just can’t get enough of.
Key Ingredients for Brown Butter Apple Pancakes
Butter: Dairy butter will be essential to get that perfectly nutty brown butter deliciousness. However, you could sub vegan butter or coconut oil and skip the brown butter altogether.
Milk and Apple Cider Vinegar: To make homemade buttermilk!
Applesauce and Apples: These are apple pancakes, after all, and we’re going for maximum flavor. Feel free to use your favorite apple variety. I’m partial to Honeycrisp or Pink Lady.
Egg: For structure and binding.
Maple Syrup: Just a splash to sweeten things up a tad. You’ll want to reserve plenty for topping as well.
Oat Flour: My go-to gluten-free flour because it’s cheap, packed with fiber, and operates similarly to all-purpose flour.
Cinnamon and Nutmeg: Key spices for taking the fall coziness of this recipe to the next level.
Tips for Success
- Timing: The big thing with this recipe (and really any pancake recipe) is to follow the instructions when it comes to timing. Be sure to let the milk and vinegar linger together for the full five minutes in order to get that proper buttermilk consistency. Once you’ve mixed everything together, let it sit for the full 10 minutes. This allows the batter to thicken so that your pancakes will be thick and fluffy.
- Don’t over-mix! Oat flour can get gummy if you over-mix. A few lumps are okay in your batter. Mix until just combined and not a second more.
- When to flip: You’ll want to look for those telltale bubbles on the tops of your pancakes. You’ll also notice the edges become matte and the bottoms will have browned nicely. The whole process should take 3-4 minutes per side once your pan is fully heated.
- When to Add the Apples: You’ll want to follow the recipe and sprinkle the finely diced apples on top of the pancakes once they’ve been added to the frying pan. I tried mixing them directly into the batter and the pancakes did not come out as fluffy.
I hope these Gluten-Free Brown Butter Apple Pancakes are your new fall favorite! If you give it a try, be sure to leave a rating and review. This helps me perfect my recipes even more, for you the reader. You can also connect with me on Pinterest, Instagram, and TikTok.
More Amazing Apple Recipes
- Vegan Apple Oatmeal Cream Pies
- Morning Glory Overnight Oats
- Gluten-Free Brown Butter Cinnamon Apple Bread
- Overnight Caramel Apple French Toast Casserole (Vegan!)
- Cozy and Nutritious Apple Pie Smoothie
- Roasted Squash Apple Salad with Tahini Apple Cider Vinaigrette
Gluten-Free Brown Butter Apple Pancakes
Equipment
- Medium Saucepan
- Whisk
- Large Bowl
- medium bowl
- large frying pan
- Spatula
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter
- ½ cup milk of choice
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- ½ cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1 large egg
- 1 tbsp maple syrup plus more for topping
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1½ cups oat flour gluten-free if needed
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 1 tbsp cinnamon
- ¼ tsp nutmeg (optional)
- ¼ tsp sea salt
- 1 cup finely diced apple
Instructions
- First, brown your butter. Add butter to a medium saucepan over medium heat. As the butter melts, it will begin to bubble and foam. Whisk or stir constantly during this process to ensure it doesn't burn. Continue to whisk until the butter turns golden brown and takes on a nutty scent, 3-5 minutes. Remove from heat immediately and set aside to cool slightly.
- Meanwhile, combine your milk of choice and vinegar in a medium bowl and set aside for five minutes to make "buttermilk."
- In a large bowl, whisk together oat flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and sea salt until combined.
- After five minutes, add browned butter, applesauce, egg, maple syrup and vanilla extract to the buttermilk mixture and stir to combine. Pour wet ingredients into large bowl with dry ingredients and fold together until just combined. Set aside for 10 minutes so the batter can thicken.
- Once your batter has thickened, grease a large frying pan with butter or non-stick cooking spray and warm over medium heat (remove any excess butter with a paper towel so it doesn't burn). Add about ⅓ cup of batter per pancake to the frying pan. Evenly sprinkle the finely diced apple over each pancake. Cook for 3-4 minutes, or until the tops of the pancakes bubble and the bottoms have browned. Flip and cook for another 2-3 minutes, or until the other side has browned properly. Repeat this process until you've used up all the batter!
- Serve with maple syrup, butter, whipped cream, additional apple, or whatever your little heart desires!
Notes
Photography by Hope Agresti
