Lightly sweet and spiced apples are topped with a fluffy pancake batter in these fall-inspired apple cinnamon pancake skillet. Comes together easily in a skillet– cook the apples slightly first, then pour the pancake batter on top and bake! Less work than regular pancakes!

baked apple cinnamon pancake on a white plate with a fork.

The fall season is here, and like clock work, I dive right into the classic apple and cinnamon combination. Have you tried this apple crumb cake or pumpkin French toast casserole yet? It's a staple in this house.

Today I'm sharing the ideal weekend breakfast... apple cinnamon pancake skillet. It's for when you're craving warm homemade pancakes but want less work (with fall inspiration of course!), this recipe is for you.

Reasons To Love These Apple Cinnamon Pancakes

Extra comforting and fall-inspired: When apples and pumpkin are in surplus, it's a must to make a seasonal breakfast. It gives you the opportunity to enjoy the cozy spices that are iconic and comforting for fall.
Much easier than pancakes: The most time consuming part of these cinnamon apple pancakes is peeling and slicing the apples. You can choose to leave the skin on, though most prefer it removed. While the apples cook, work on the pancake batter.
Quicker than pancakes: Instead of standing over the griddle cooking individual pancakes, this is a simple 3 step process– cook apples, spread batter over apples, bake. That's it!
Made with basic ingredients: There's nothing fancy in this recipe, just basic pancake ingredients plus some fall spices like cinnamon, allspice, cloves, and nutmeg.

Grab These Ingredients

Here's the list of ingredients used in the cinnamon apples and skillet pancake.

Apples: Use your favorite apple variety. I usually use Gala, but Honeycrisp or Granny Smith work too. Whatever type of apples you use in these apple banana muffins or whole wheat apple cinnamon muffins, you'll love here too.
Butter: In both the cinnamon apples and the pancake. This especially gives the pancake richness.
Brown Sugar: Using brown sugar in the cinnamon apples adds more flavor because of the molasses.
Egg: You need 1 egg to bind the ingredients together.
Granulated Sugar: To help sweeten the pancake.
Cinnamon & Vanilla: For flavor.
Milk: I recommend using whole milk for a richer pancake, but it's not required. You can use a lower fat milk if that's what you have already.
Flour: Using all-purpose flour helps gives the pancake enough structure.
Baking Soda & Baking Powder: Both help give the pancake the lift that it needs.
Lemon: Using lemon helps prevent the apples from browning and adds a touch of brightness.
Salt: Helps balance the sweetness from the apples and the pancake.

baked apple cinnamon pancake ingredients with overlay text.

Overview: How To Make Apple Cinnamon Pancakes

Start with the Apples: While you preheat the oven, begin cooking the apples over medium heat with the brown sugar, lemon juice, flour, and spices until they begin to soften.
Make the Pancake Batter: Whisk together the melted butter, sugar, egg, vanilla, and milk. Then, add the dry ingredients and whisk until mostly smooth.
Assemble: Once the apples are done, pour and spread the pancake batter over the cinnamon apples. If desired, sprinkle cinnamon sugar evenly on top.
Bake: Bake for 12-14 minutes or until the pancake is slightly golden brown. The pancake should spring back when pressed with your finger.

cinnamon apples in a cast iron skillet with brown sugar, spices and a wooden spoon.

cinnamon apples in a black skillet topped with pancake batter.

spreading pancake batter over cinnamon apples in a skillet.

pancake batter over cinnamon apples topped with cinnamon sugar in a skillet.

baked apple cinnamon pancake in a skillet.

Apple Cinnamon Pancake Skillet #1 Success Tip

The trick to these cinnamon apple pancakes is to pre-cook the apples slightly before baking. Why? The apples take longer to cook than the pancake so we give them a head start that way they cook through completely.

Time Saving Tips

What I love most about this recipe is it's versatility– whether it's just for a weekend breakfast and want to prep the night before or for a larger crowd... you're covered.

You can make the cinnamon apples the night before and store them in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. If it's just overnight, leave them in the skillet or transfer to baking dish and cover. When ready, preheat the oven to 400º and begin at step 3.