SERVES 4 TO 5 · VEGETARIAN, GF ADAPTABLE, DF ADAPTABLE
These pancakes taste like an apple fritter, only much more nutritious! And your kitchen will smell heavenly when you make them. The key is slicing the apples to just the right thickness—too thick and they won’t become tender; too thin and they can break easily when dipped into the batter. Try eating these without syrup—they’re perfectly sweet without it. Gluten-free: Substitute half buckwheat flour and half brown rice flour for the spelt flour. Or you can use certified-GF oat flour, too, such as part oat flour, part buckwheat flour, and part brown rice flour.
2 large or 3 medium-size apples, cored and sliced crosswise into ¼-inch slices
1⅔ cups whole spelt flour (see headnote for GF substitutions)
1 teaspoon aluminum-free baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pinch of ground nutmeg
2 cups buttermilk (not DF) (see here for substitutions, including DF)
2 large eggs (see here for substitutions)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 tablespoon pure Grade A or B maple syrup
4 tablespoons unsalted butter (not DF), melted, or unrefined virgin coconut oil
Unrefined virgin coconut oil, melted, for brushing the griddle
1. Preheat a griddle to 375°F or over medium heat.
2. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a large mixing bowl.
3. In a medium-size bowl or 4- to 6-cup measuring cup, whisk together the buttermilk, eggs, vanilla, maple syrup, and melted butter until well blended. (A blender can do this easily, too.)
4. Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and stir until just combined.
5. Brush the griddle with a little coconut oil.
6. Dip the apple slices one at a time into the batter and turn to coat. I do this with my fingers, but you can use a toothpick or a wooden skewer, if you prefer.
7. Cook the dipped apple slices as you would regular pancakes, flipping once the bottoms are golden and the edges are dry. Cook until the second side is golden brown and the pancake is cooked through.