Home > Breakfast > Pancakes & Waffles > Applesauce Pancakes (Thick & Fluffy!) Applesauce Pancakes (Thick & Fluffy!) September 26, 2022 | 6 Comments SAVE TO RECIPE BOX Jump to Recipe This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy. These Applesauce Pancakes will blow you away! Not only are they packed with good-for-you ingredients, but they’re also so easy to make. Just add everything to a blender, let it whirl, and pour the batter from the blender into the pan for cooking! How To Make Applesauce Pancakes Quick overview: Blend the pancake batter together all at once — so easy, so quick! From there, pour directly from the blender jar onto a heated pan. Doesn’t get much easier than that! The Magic of These Pancakes After working through the recipe for this practically life-changing Applesauce, I had to put the jars (and jars) of applesauce to some good use (which…mostly meant eating it by the jar-full). Luckily, there was enough left to add to my beloved Bircher Muesli and to test these tasty Applesauce Pancakes! These pancakes are ridiculously thick, have crisp exteriors with a soft, chewy interior, are loaded with flavor, and leave you feeling great after enjoying them. Here’s why: These pancakes have no flour. We use old-fashioned oats instead. There are no refined sugars. See “quick tip” box below for more info. They’ve got cashews. These nuts are loaded with good-for-you fats and protein, ensuring they’re satiating. They’re loaded with protein. Thanks to the nuts and eggs, there’s lots of protein in the batter. These pancakes are naturally dairy free. We use plant-based milk (almond milk). You control the ingredients. You could use an instant mix to make pancakes, but you might be left wondering what is actually in your pancakes — there is comfort knowing exactly whats in the food you’re eating. And these pancakes are just about as easy as tearing open a package of mix. QUICK TIP For these healthy Applesauce Pancakes, we use natural sugars derived from plant sources. Honey comes from nature (bees!) and applesauce comes from apples. Foods with natural sugars (like fruits, milk, and cheese) are not the same as those with refined sugars. Refined sugar typically starts with sugar cane or sugar beets, which are then processed to extract the sugar. Processing (refining) removes the nutrients and leaves the sugar. Applesauce In Pancakes Any applesauce works, but I’d be remiss if I didn’t put in a plug for using Homemade Applesauce in pancakes — literally, nothing compares! That said, any applesauce works! Stick to an unsweetened applesauce or leave out the honey if using a sweetened applesauce. What Is The Secret To Good Pancakes? This Applesauce Pancakes recipe is easy to make, but you do need a good, powerful blender like Blendtec® or Vitamix® to break down the cashews and oats into a smooth batter. Pay attention to the temperature: If the pancakes are browning too quickly, turn the heat down a bit and cool the pan for a minute. Sticking a lot? Add a bit more cooking spray to the pan. Stay close to the stovetop and griddle to monitor and make adjustments to the temperature as necessary. Before your pancake batter hits the hot pan, run a cold stick of butter or a generous spray of cooking spray on the pan to grease it. This gives the pancakes an evenly distributed layer of fat to cook in. Toppings for Applesauce Pancakes The best thing about making your own pancakes is that you get to top them exactly how you want! Below are some ideas: A drizzle of peanut butter, almond butter, cashew butter, etc. Pure maple syrup or Pancake Syrup Skillet sautéed apples Toasted coconut Chia seeds, hemp seeds, or flaxseeds Coarsely chopped roasted and lightly salted pecans or pepitas (pumpkin seeds) A smear of apple butter This homemade Blueberry Syrup (double-the-fruit pancakes!) Or try one of our favorite pancake sauces like this Vanilla Sauce or Buttermilk Syrup (with a scoop of Whipped Cream of course!) A sprinkle of apple pie spice Applesauce Pancakes FAQs1Can I use applesauce instead of eggs in pancakes?Fruit purees, like applesauce, are a well-known substitute for eggs and oil in recipes. That said, this recipe relies on the applesauce and the eggs! 2Why are restaurant pancakes so fluffy?Leavening agents ensure fluffy, soft pancakes. Eggs also ensure a great rise. We think you’ll be impressed how thick and fluffy these pancakes are! P.S. See if your baking agents are fresh by using this quick test! 3Is it better to cook pancakes with butter or oil?We like either — butter tastes better, but it browns quickly. To keep these on the lighter side, we use an olive oil or coconut oil cooking spray! 4Should you let pancake batter rest?For a standard homemade pancakes recipe, we recommend letting the batter rest to allow the flour to absorb the liquid. That makes the pancakes fluffier and lighter. But for this recipe, we don’t want the batter to rest at all! The oats will continue to absorb the liquid and make the batter far too thick. 5How do you keep pancakes from getting soggy?If you aren’t eating the pancakes fresh off the heat, you’ll want a foolproof way to keep them warm and crispy. If you stack pancakes on top of each other, you’ll end up creating steam, which will make the pancakes soggy as they lose that crispy exterior. To avoid soggy pancakes, follow the steps below: Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F. Place a cooling rack on a large sheet pan. As soon as you pull the pancake from the heat source, place it on the cooling rack in a single layer. Place that sheet pan in the oven until ready to eat. If you’ll be eating the pancakes right away, just set them on a wire cooling rack right off the heat source and serve from there! In fact, we like setting them on a cooling rack even if we are digging in right away — this gives a chance for the exteriors to crisp up nicely. 6Can you make applesauce pancakes with oatmeal?Yes, we’re using oatmeal (or old-fashioned oats) in this recipe. No need for flour! STORAGE Freezing Applesauce Pancakes We love multiplying this recipe to have leftovers or to make in advance when anticipating guests. Those leftovers make a great last-minute dinner or breakfast! Frozen pancakes can be kept in the freezer for up to three months. To freeze: Allow pancakes to cool completely at room temperature on a wire cooling rack. Then, place the cooled pancakes on a parchment-paper-lined tray. Freeze until solid, about 1-2 hours. Transfer to a freezer-safe bag or container. To thaw: Use the microwave, toaster, or oven to reheat! We like popping ’em in our toaster to reheat. More Recipes With Applesauce: Applesauce Brownies with chocolate chips Applesauce Cake with cream cheese frosting Healthy Apple Cake without flour or refined sugars Applesauce Muffins with Greek yogurt Applesauce Bread with a cinnamon-sugar topping FOLLOW ALONG! Subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for the latest updates, recipes and content. Applesauce Pancakes 5 from 1 vote - Review this recipe These Applesauce Pancakes are going to blow you away! Not only are they packed with good-for-you ingredients, but they're also so easy to make. Just add everything to a blender, let it whirl, and pour the batter from the blender into the pan for cooking! SAVE TO RECIPE BOX Print Recipe Applesauce Pancakes 5 from 1 vote - Review this recipe SAVE TO RECIPE BOX Print Recipe These Applesauce Pancakes are going to blow you away! Not only are they packed with good-for-you ingredients, but they're also so easy to make. Just add everything to a blender, let it whirl, and pour the batter from the blender into the pan for cooking! Course Breakfast, Snack Cuisine American, Healthy, Vegetarian Keyword applesauce pancakes Prep Time 15 minutes Cook Time 15 minutes Total Time 30 minutes Servings 11 -12 small pancakes Calories 119kcal Author Chelsea Lords Cost $4.21 EquipmentPowerful blender like Blendtec® or Vitamix®Cooking spray (olive oil or coconut) Ingredients▢ 1 cup old-fashioned oats (Note 1)▢ 1/2 cup cashews (Note 2)▢ 2 large eggs▢ 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce▢ 1/4 cup melted coconut oil (Note 3)▢ 1 tablespoon honey▢ 1/4 cup milk (Note 4)▢ 2 teaspoons vanilla extract▢ 1 tablespoon baking powder▢ heaping 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt▢ 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon▢ 1/4 teaspoon apple pie spice or ground nutmeg▢ Serving Suggestions: pure maple syrup, sautéed apples, whipped cream, almond/peanut butter, etc.US - Metric USMetric InstructionsPREP: Place a wire cooling rack on a tray and set it right next to the cooking pan. (See Note 5 if you won't be eating these pancakes right away and want to keep them warm.)BLEND: Add everything (except "serving suggestions") to a powerful blender in the order listed. Blend until completely smooth, about 90-120 seconds. Scrape down sides and blend longer if needed. There shouldn't be any chunks of oats or cashews remaining. The batter will get thicker and thicker as it stands, so it's best to cook the pancakes right away! COOK: Heat a wide/large nonstick skillet or griddle over medium-low heat. Generously spray the surface with cooking spray. Scoop batter from the blender to get 2 heaping tablespoons batter per pancake (the recipe works best at this size) and pour onto the heated surface, leaving a couple of inches around each pancake so there is room for it to expand as it cooks. Cook until small bubbles form on the surface and/or the perimeter turns matte instead of glossy, about 2 minutes. Using a wide metal spatula, flip the pancakes and continue cooking until lightly golden on the other side, another 90 seconds to 2 minutes. REPEAT USING REST OF THE BATTER: Wipe the skillet/pan/griddle clean with a paper towel and repeat the process, adding more cooking spray and cooking the rest of the batter. Adjust heat as needed. If your pancakes are browning too quickly, reduce heat a touch; increase if they aren't browning nicely or taking too long.SERVE: As soon as the pancakes are done, remove them from the heat source to the prepared wire cooling rack. This will allow edges to slightly crisp up. Serve immediately or keep warm in the oven (Note 5). Serve with your favorite pancake toppings -- we love pure maple syrup, a drizzle of almond butter, and/or sautéed apples on top! Honestly, they're even great plain! Video Recipe NotesNote 1: Oats: Although it would seem that any oats would work since they’re getting blended anyways, it’s important to use old-fashioned to ensure you get the right measurement. Both quick and steel-cut oats are smaller, denser, and more compact so measurements would be off. Note 2: Cashews: We love roasted and lightly salted cashews best — more flavor without any extra effort on your part. Here are the exact cashews we use. Note 3: Coconut oil: Measure in the melted state. Butter or ghee (melted) can also be used. Vegetable/canola oil work as well. Note 4: Milk: Any milk will work in these pancakes; we like unsweetened vanilla almond milk best. Note 5: Keeping pancakes warm: Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F. Place a cooling rack on a large sheet pan. As soon as you pull the pancake from the heat source, place it on the cooling rack in a single layer. Place that sheet pan in the oven until ready to eat. Nutrition FactsServing: 1serving | Calories: 119kcal | Carbohydrates: 9.5g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 7.5g | Cholesterol: 31.1mg | Sodium: 64.4mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3.1g We do our best to provide accurate nutritional analysis for our recipes. Our nutritional data is calculated using a third-party algorithm and may vary, based on individual cooking styles, measurements, and ingredient sizes. Please use this information for comparison purposes and consult a health professional for nutrition guidance as needed. DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE? I love hearing from you when you've made one of my recipes! Tag me on Instagram at @ChelseasMessyApron or leave me a comment below.
Us poor people can not afford some of the elements of your recipes, Cashew’s, Coconut oil, almond milk ext. Reply
Sorry Larry! You can swap coconut oil for a cheaper oil (vegetable or canola), just not quite as healthy. Any milk works there too. The only essential is cashews 🙂 Reply
I love receiving your recipes and have tried a few with great success. I was wondering if this recipe could be used the same as waffle batter? Reply
Thanks Tracy! So kind of you to leave a comment, it makes my day! 🙂 I haven’t tried it as a waffle batter, but I’d recommend using this waffle recipe instead (it is similar) 🙂 https://www.chelseasmessyapron.com/healthy-waffle-recipe/ Reply
Sorry! The cashews are integral for texture here; this recipe doesn’t work without them unfortunately 🙁 Reply
