German Pfannkuchen Pancakes with Apples Recipe
Pfannkuchen are German pancakes that are often a bit thicker than Polish ones and are fried in butter. In many homes they’re served as a sweet lunch or a lazy weekend breakfast. The apple version smells like a cross between pancakes and apple pie.
In Germany, apple Pfannkuchen are often served as a simple sweet lunch or dinner, especially for children. It’s a homestyle dish that feels more like a fluffy skillet cake than the very thin crêpe-style pancakes common in Poland.
German apple Pfannkuchen are slightly thicker and fluffier than Polish pancakes, so they’re something between an omelette and a flat cake. Fried in butter and topped with apples and sugar, they make a dessert that smells like freshly baked apple pie from a pan. In many German homes they’re a full sweet main course for a lazy day.
Why this version works
- The thicker batter makes pancakes that are fluffy and don’t tear under the weight of the apples.
- A short resting time for the batter keeps the Pfannkuchen soft and flexible rather than chewy.
- Placing the apples on top after pouring the batter lets you spread them evenly and control how many you use.
Chef's tips
Let the batter rest for at least 15–20 minutes so the flour can fully hydrate – this keeps the Pfannkuchen from turning rubbery. Slice the apples thinly or into small cubes and gently sauté them in butter with a little sugar before adding the batter, so they soften but don’t turn to mush. Heat the pan well, then reduce to medium – if it’s too hot, the butter will burn and the centre of the pancake will stay raw.
How to serve
Serve Pfannkuchen immediately after frying, sprinkled with cinnamon and icing sugar or with a dollop of sour cream to balance the sweetness. A mug of hot tea with lemon or coffee with milk is the perfect drink alongside – ideal for a lazy Sunday breakfast. They also work well as a quick “dessert lunch” in the middle of the week when there’s no time to bake a cake.
Watch out for
- Don’t pour too thick a layer of batter – if the Pfannkuchen is too thick, it may stay raw in the middle while the edges burn.
- Too high a heat will quickly burn the butter; if you see dark spots forming around the edges, lower the temperature.
Substitutions
- You can replace part of the milk with buttermilk to add a light tang and even more fluffiness.
- You can swap regular butter for clarified butter for frying, as it burns more slowly.
- Instead of white sugar, use fine cane sugar to boost the caramel flavour of the apples.
Ingredients
- wheat flour type 450 or 500 - 200 g
- milk at room temperature - 300 ml
- egg large - 3 piece
- sugar - 2 tablespoon
- salt - 0.25 teaspoon
- apple firm, slightly tart - 2 piece
- butter for frying - 40 g
- cinnamon - 0.5 teaspoon
- icing sugar for dusting
Preparation
- Put the flour, sugar and salt into a bowl and mix with a spoon so the ingredients are evenly combined. This helps the sugar dissolve more easily in the batter and prevents lumps.
- Add the eggs and about half of the milk. Whisk by hand or with a mixer until you have a smooth batter, scraping down the sides of the bowl. Pour in the remaining milk and mix again – the batter should flow easily off the spoon but be noticeably thicker than for thin crêpe-style pancakes.
- Let the batter rest for 10–15 minutes at room temperature so the flour can hydrate. After this time it should be silky and a bit thicker; if it’s very thick and barely pours, add 1–2 tablespoons of milk.
- Peel the apples, remove the cores and slice into very thin slices or half‑slices. Toss them with the cinnamon in a bowl so each piece is lightly coated – the slices should be flexible, not chunky wedges.
- Heat a pan (about 24 cm) over medium heat. Add about 1 teaspoon of butter and wait until it melts and foams lightly but stays pale yellow; if it starts browning quickly or smoking, reduce the heat.
- Pour in enough batter to clearly, but not too thickly, cover the bottom of the pan. Quickly arrange a layer of apple slices on top, pressing them lightly into the batter so they don’t fall off when you flip.
- Fry the pancake for 2–3 minutes, until the edges set, lift slightly and turn lightly golden, and dull patches appear on the surface instead of wet batter. Loosen the Pfannkuchen with a wide spatula and flip it over in one confident motion.
- Fry the second side for 1–2 minutes, until the apples soften, take on a light colour and smell of cinnamon, and the centre of the pancake feels springy to the touch. Transfer the finished Pfannkuchen to a plate and cover with a cloth so it doesn’t dry out.
- Before each new pancake, add a little butter to the pan and wait until it foams lightly again. If the first Pfannkuchen turned out very thin, add 1–2 tablespoons of flour to the batter and mix thoroughly.
- Serve the Pfannkuchen as soon as they’re cooked, dusted with icing sugar and, if you like, a little extra cinnamon. The edges should be a gentle golden colour, with a soft interior that’s slightly moist from the apples.
Storage
Store cooled pancakes in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. Reheat in a dry pan or in a low oven before serving.
I always make these Pfannkuchen when there are two sad apples left in the fruit bowl that no one wants to eat raw anymore. The kids call them “pancake apple pie” and will happily wait by the stove until I slide the first one straight onto a plate.
