An Old-Fashioned German Pancake
A traditional German recipe, this gluten-free baked apple pancake is something I grew up eating – the recipe is an old one, and I often made it with my mother growing up. You can make it with buckwheat flour as outlined in the recipe (the older style farmer’s pancake) or with spelt or plain flour for a more modern version.
You can also cook the batter on the stove top and make something like a thick, hearty crepe (see German pancakes, made with spelt flour). That’s how I often make it, especially when I’m looking for a quick dessert. Fill with applesauce rather than baking the apples into the batter. This style of pancake has fallen a little out of fashion in Germany as so many younger people make American-style pancakes now, but it’s still my first choice and a delicious recipe.
Either way, it’s a filling, hearty dessert or lightly sweet breakfast. Eggs play an important role in this recipe and can’t be omitted. If you want a gluten-free American pancake recipe made with baking powder, try my vegan banana buckwheat pancakes instead.
I first shared this recipe in 2014. It’s been updated with improvements to the recipe instructions and slight improvements to the recipe, updated photos, and more helpful information.
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Ingredients You’ll Need and Why
Despite being gluten-free, this is a single-flour recipe with just whole grain buckwheat flour. The eggs provide all of the lift for this style of baked pancake and no extra leavening agent (like baking powder) is used. These are my notes from recipe testing and you can find the full recipe card below.
- Buckwheat flour: for the lightest (gluten-free) pancake, use light or sifted buckwheat flour. Pictured is with whole grain. Whole-grain, or a mix of the two, can be used for a higher-fibre option. Spelt, plain flour, or other gluten flours like einkorn and khorasan can also be used. Don’t try subbing coconut or almond flour here.
- Eggs: for the best results, use eggs that are at room temperature. The whites will beat more easily. If you refrigerate your eggs, quickly bring them to room temperature by submerging in a bowl of warm water for ten minutes.
- Milk: I almost always use oat milk, but almond milk or another type can be used, and of course dairy milk works. Don’t use canned coconut milk.
- Coconut Oil: use refined coconut oil to avoid any slight coconut flavour. You can substitute vegan or dairy butter in equal amounts if preferred.
- Apple: use a good large baking apple that isn’t too tart here, as you want it to keep its shape during baking. I like cox or boskoop. Feel free to use two apples, especially if they’re rather small. You want to fill the bottom of the pan with apple slices.
How to Make an Apple Pancake
A German pancake varies slightly from a Dutch baby in that it’s typically baked in a casserole dish rather than a round pan (though I always use a cast iron pan, as pictured), and uses less fat. The eggs are also whisked separately which results in a different texture. A Dutch baby is, of course, not Dutch at all, but a linguistic variation of Deutsch, a recipe brought by Germans who moved to America, adapted to American food preferences and availability over time.
Step 1: whip the egg whites into soft peaks and set aside. You can do this by hand with a whisk or use electric beaters. If beating by hand, use a glass bowl if possible so that you can check the bottom.
Step 2: beat the egg yolks and remaining liquid ingredients in another bowl until frothy. Set aside while you prepare the apples.
Step 3: add the oil and apple slices to a pre-heated pan and place back into the oven. Starting the apples first has two benefits: first, the apples will cook slightly before adding the batter for the perfect texture, and second, the pan will be heated through again in time to add the batter.
Step 4: mix the flour into the egg yolk mixture. Remember that this is a gluten-free pancake and there’s almost no risk of over-mixing at this point. If using a flour that contains wheat you’ll want to be a little more careful not to mix too long.
Step 5: fold the egg whites into the batter. Here you can see a couple small lumps still visible because this is partway through folding. Those should be gently broken up and fully folded in.
Step 6: carefully remove the hot pan from the oven. The oil will be bubbling around the apples and the slices should be slightly softened at this point.
Step 7: pour the batter into the pan. Gently shake the pan if necessary to level the batter, but don’t keep it out of the oven too long. Be prepared to work quickly for this step.
Step 8: bake until golden and puffy. The pancake will be taller than the pan but won’t spill over the edges. It will deflate slightly as it cools, that’s normal.
Expert Tips for the Best Pancake
- Whisk like mad: the most important element for a pancake with the proper texture is to whip the egg whites fully to soft peaks. There should be no liquid yolk at the bottom of the bowl. Stiff peaks is taking it too far – then the egg whites won’t incorporate into the batter and you’ll get lumps.
- Peel or not: whether you peel the apples or not is personal preference. Some apples have a thicker, hard skin and should be peeled, but generally you don’t need to take the extra time to do so.
- Preheat properly: the pan and the oven must both be well preheated to bake the pancake. Cut the apples in advance and have them ready to add or you’ll be in a bit of a pickle when it’s time to pour the batter into the pan.
- Don’t over-bake: the centre should be slightly custardy when the pancake is finished, not baked all the way through. The edges will be quite golden and crisp when it’s ready but look for a middle that still jiggles a bit, or else the pancake will be dry.
- Sweeten after baking: this recipe doesn’t have much added sugar, only a bit of honey, and is sweetened primarily by the added apple. If it’s not sweet enough for you, add maple syrup or cinnamon sugar when serving rather than mixing sugar into the batter.
More Great Pancake Recipes
- Einkorn Pancakes – fluffy ancient grain pancakes made with 100% whole grain einkorn flour
- Red Lentil Pancakes – these are made with soaked lentils and are completely flour-free
- Spelt Sourdough Pancakes – if you have a sourdough starter, you can use it in pancakes. This recipe is made with whole grain spelt flour
- Vegan Pumpkin Pancakes – as an excellent binding agent, pumpkin replaces eggs here
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German Apple Pancake
Description
Ingredients
- 2 large eggs room temperature (or 3 small eggs)
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 120 ml (½ cup) non-dairy milk or any milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 50 grams (⅓ cup) buckwheat flour
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon optional
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil or butter
- 1 large apple cored and sliced
Instructions
To Bake
- Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F). Put the pan in the oven to preheat while the oven heats up (I use a 20 cm (8 in.) cast iron pan).
- Separate the eggs and place the egg whites into a mixing bowl. Whisk or beat until soft peaks form. Set aside.2 large eggs
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk the egg yolks and honey together to combine. Whisk in the milk and vanilla.2 large eggs, 120 ml (½ cup) non-dairy milk, 2 tablespoons honey, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Carefully take the hot pan out of the oven and add the coconut oil, swirling to coat the pan. Add the apples to the pan and place it back into the oven for five minutes to heat through again.
- Add the buckwheat flour and cinnamon and whisk to combine. Gently fold in the egg whites to form a fluffy, light batter.50 grams (⅓ cup) buckwheat flour, ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- Remove the pan from the oven again and pour the batter over the apples in an even layer. Bake for 12-14 minutes, or until golden. The middle should still be a bit wobbly when it's ready.1 large apple, 2 tablespoons coconut oil
- Remove from the oven and carefully flip the pancake out onto a large plate or serving dish. Serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate. If this information is important to you, please have it verified independently.
Love this recipe! Make it all the time. Yum!
Made these for the second time and double the apples – used 2 large ones cut into thick slices. And I did much prefer as there is enough juiciness to go with the dry dough now. Very tasty!
Just made it and also doubled the apples just because I had two old apples to use up. Turned out amazing – thank you!
Very tasty! I baked it in the oven and it was wonderfully fluffy. It was a little dry so I think next time I will double the apple and cut in thicker wedges or I will make an apple sauce to go with it. Or maybe mix in frozen blueberries. You see I enjoyed it so much it has sparked my imagination. Thank you for sharing!
This sounds really great! What size pan would recommend for baking? Are German pancakes typically made with buckwheat flour?
I usually use a 20cm pan for this recipe. Yes, these old-style pancakes – farmer’s pancakes – were almost always made with buckwheat instead of wheat. This is the kind of pancake I grew up eating, it’s great!