Baked Apple Pancake

With my mom visiting for the weekend and a little spare time on Sunday morning, we decided to make a German-style baked apple pancake using a recipe that my mom had recently been experimenting with and our organic Honeycrisp apples from Peck & Bushel Fruit Company.

Even though this puffy pancake looks dramatic (if only for a few minutes before it deflates!), I found it easier than normal pancakes because you bake one for the entire family and don’t have to sit over the griddle flipping individual platefuls. A great way to use only a few apples and still have some for snacking on!

Baked Apple Pancake
2 apples, cored, peeled and sliced into thin wedges
2 Tbsp brown sugar
2 Tbsp butter, divided
1/2 C flour
1/2 C half & half
4 eggs
2 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1/8 tsp salt
1/4 C pecans
powdered sugar, maple syrup and/or whipped cream for serving

Preheat oven to 450. In a cast iron pan or oven-safe pan, melt 1 Tbsp butter and brown sugar. Add apples and saute over med-low heat for 7-8 minutes or until apples are beginning to soften but aren’t mushy. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, melt other 1 Tbsp butter and whisk in half and half. Add eggs, one and a time, and vanilla and continue whisking until combined. Next, whisk in sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Whisk in flour, beating gently until batter is mostly smooth.

Gently use a fork to arrange apples evenly across the bottom of the pan. Slowly(!) pour batter into pan over apples. Pouring too fast will cause the apples to move around. Sprinkle pecans evenly on top. Bake in pan for 13-15 minutes until pancake is puffy and golden brown. Remove from oven and dust with powdered sugar. Serve immediately with whipped cream or maple syrup.