The pancakes are a perfect breakfast on a fall morning or anytime you want to savor the flavors of cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves, which pair wonderfully with apples. The bits of grated apple lend just a touch of texture to the otherwise soft, fluffy, and lightweight pancakes. Your house will smell incredible after making a batch of these easy pancakes that remind me of apple pie.

Ingredients

Dry Mix

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 Tablespoons light brown sugar, packed
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon ground clove
• 1/8 teaspoon salt

Wet Mix

• 1 cup whole milk
• 1 large egg
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Mix-In

• 1 cup grated apple (about 1 medium apple, original indicates to peel apple but I didn’t)
• Butter or vegetable oil for skillet

Vanilla Maple Syrup

•  1/2 cup maple syrup, warmed gently
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or the scrapings of 1 vanilla bean

Preparation

1. Pancakes – In a medium bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients.
2. In a measuring cup or small bowl, measure out the milk. Add the remaining wet ingredients and beat until combined.
3. All at once, add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, and mix until just combined. The batter should have some small to medium lumps; don’t overmix or try to stir them smooth.
4. Gently fold in the grated apple.
5. Preheat your skillet over medium heat and brush with 1 1/2 teaspoons of butter or 1 teaspoon vegetable oil.
6. Using a 1/4-cup measure, scoop batter onto warm skillet. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes until small bubbles form on the surface of the pancakes, and then flip.
7. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook on the opposite side for about 1 minute, or until golden brown. (My pancakes were slightly larger than 1/4-cup of batter each, and I yielded 7 rather than 8; and they took slightly longer to cook than recipe indicates).
8. Transfer cooked pancakes to a baking sheet and place in a preheated 200F oven to keep warm.
9. Repeat the process with the remaining batter, adding more butter or oil to the skilled when needed.
10. Serve immediately.
11. Vanilla Maple Syrup – Stir together the syrup, vanilla, and serve over pancakes. Optionally, serve with Vanilla Maple Butter.