Apple Cinnamon Pancakes

This week I have been making a lot of pancakes.  My husband loves pancakes as much as I do, so when he requests them as a breakfast treat I am more than happy to oblige.  I love to experiment with different kinds of pancakes as well and this week I have really hit the mother load for tasty new pancake concoctions!  This experimenting with pancakes has resulted in us eating pancakes for breakfast four times this week!  But oh it was worth it! 

I try to make my pancakes a bit healthier by substituting some ingredients out for others, such as replacing butter with olive oil. I try to see pancakes as a treat, but I also like them to be somewhat good for me all the same.  Since we don't often eat pancakes, this week was really a rarity, we always buy 100% pure maple syrup to top them with.  There really is no comparison for high fructose corn syrup and real, pure maple syrup.  Maple syrup, of course, is the superior taste and once you have eaten truly delicious home made pancakes topped with real maple syrup, well I promise you won't want to go back to boxed, just add water pancakes topped with high fructose corn syrup.

The secret to my most recent recipe this week?  A fresh apple and cinnamon!

The fresh apple gives a gentle apple flavor, not overpowering in the slightest, which compliments the sweetness of the syrup. These pancakes were fluffy, nearly melt in your mouth good.  

Apple Cinnamon Pancakes

(makes approx. 5-4" pancakes)

1 egg

2 tbsp. olive oil

1 cup vanilla almond milk

2 tbsp. sugar

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 apple

dash of cinnamon

Preheat a cast iron pan for the pancakes on medium-low heat.  Beat an egg into a large mixing bowl, with a whisk mix the olive oil, sugar, milk, baking powder and flour into the egg. Take the apple and grate it (skin and all) with a cheese grater. Be careful of the pit of the apple, you don't want to get the seeds in there!

Next toss the grated apple and some cinnamon into the pancake mixture:

Mix the mixture well with a spatula:

Now butter your heated pan and scoop the pancake mixture onto the griddle.  Cook until the edges begin to turn solid and small air bubbles start to pop up on the pancake.  Flip the pancakes and cook another minute, check if it is done by poking the bottom of the pancake with the spatula. 

Keep the pancakes warm in the oven until the rest of the batter is used up.  When they are all cooked, plate up, top them with butter and 100% real maple syrup and enjoy!

- Night Owl Gal