This super easy Paleo German apple pancake is the perfect thanksgiving day breakfast! With sweet caramelized apples, and notes of cinnamon, this custard-y pancake is a scrumptious fall treat everyone will love! It’s also gluten-free, dairy-free and Paleo. 

Have you ever had a german apple pancake? 

A traditional german recipe, It’s basically a giant custard-y pancake, topped with sweet caramelized apple slices, and baked in the oven instead of cooked on the stovetop. As it bakes, the batter puffs up like a souffle, creating a beautiful light and airy pancake. The texture is deliciously similar to french toast or crepes. 

Drizzle with a bit of maple syrup, a dash of cinnamon, and it’s decadent and easy fall breakfast or dessert! 

What does Apfelpfannkuchen mean?

In German, Apfel means apple, and pfannkuchen pancake, put them together and we get this delicious apple pancake. You might also see it called a dutch baby here in the US.  

How to make German Apple Pancake

What I love about this recipe is just how simple and easy it is to make! Just a few minutes of prep, pop it in the oven and you’ve got a scrumptious and beautiful breakfast. And no tricky pancake flipping required! 

So, let’s talk about what you will need to make this apple pancake. 

Ingredients:

Almond Flour-To make this nut-free, tigernut flour would be the best option. However, I haven’t tried making this recipe with anything except almond flour so I can’t guarantee results!

Arrowroot flour-substitute tapioca flour if you don’t have arrowroot on hand. 

Eggs-you will need 4 large room temperature eggs for this recipe.

Coconut Milk-you can use any kind of dairy-free milk here, however, I like the creaminess that full-fat coconut milk lends to the dough. 

Coconut sugar- maple sugar is another paleo option, and would add a rich maple-y flavor. 

Coconut oil-You could also use avocado oil or ghee. 

Apples- This recipe calls for honeycrisp apples, but any sweet, crisp apples will do!

Cinnamon

Now that we’ve gathered all the ingredients, let’s get cooking!

Begin by preheating the oven to 400° F. 

Saute the apple slices. Heat the coconut oil in a 12” skillet over medium high heat and saute the apple slices until they begin to soften. Remove from the skillet and set aside. 

Seperate the egg. In two medium mixing bowls, separate the egg whites from the egg yolks. 

Add the dry ingredients. In the bowl containing the egg yolks, combine the almond flour, arrowroot flour, coconut milk, egg yolks and salt. Stirring to combine. 

Whip the egg whites. With a handheld mixer or whisk, beat the egg whites until fluffy. About 2 minutes.

Gently fold in the egg whites. Fold the egg whites into the flour mixture. Carefully string until a batter forms, but not overmixing. 

Pour the batter into the skillet. Arrange the apple slices around the edges, and sprinkle with coconut sugar.

Bake at 400° F for 15-20 minutes, until the batter rises and is golden brown.

Remove from the oven. And allow to cool slightly before dusting with more coconut sugar if desired. 

When you first remove the pancake from the oven it will be very puffy, don’t be alarmed! As it cools the crust will settle, making it easier to serve! 

Can I make this ahead of time? 

You can certainly prepare this recipe up to one day in advance. However, as the dough cools the crust will lose some of the puff that this dish is known for. It will still be delicious though! 

Paleo German Apple Pancake (Apfelpfannkuchen)

This super easy Paleo German apple pancake is the perfect thanksgiving day breakfast! With sweet caramelized apples, and notes of cinnamon, this custard-y pancake is a scrumptious fall treat everyone will love! It’s also gluten-free, dairy-free and Paleo.

• Author: Molly

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

1 honeycrisp apple, cored and sliced

1 teaspoon cinnamon

3 tablespoons coconut oil

4 large eggs

½ cup almond flour

1/2 cup arrowroot flour

¼ teaspoon salt

1 cup full-fat coconut milk

2 tablespoons coconut sugar

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400° F.
2. Saute the apple slices. Heat the coconut oil in a 12” skillet over medium high heat and saute the apple slices until they begin to soften. Remove from the skillet and set aside. 
3. Seperate the egg. In two medium mixing bowls, separate the egg whites from the egg yolks. 
4. Add the dry ingredients. In the bowl containing the egg yolks, combine the almond flour, arrowroot flour, coconut milk, egg yolks and salt. Stirring to combine. 
5. Whip the egg whites. With a handheld mixer or whisk, beat the egg whites until fluffy. About 2 minutes.
6. Gently fold in the egg whites. Fold the egg whites into the flour mixture. Carefully string until a batter forms, but not overmixing. 
7. Pour the batter into the skillet. Arrange the apple slices around the edges, and sprinkle with coconut sugar.
8. Bake at 400° F for 15-20 minutes, until the batter rises and is golden brown.
9. Remove from the oven. And allow to cool slightly before dusting with more coconut sugar if desired.