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These Apple Chai Pancakes combine two of my favorite fall flavors: apples and chai! They’re hearty, filling and a fun twist on classic pancakes. Easily made gluten-free if desired!

Are you sick of peach recipes yet? Honestly I wish peaches were in season all year round because I cannot get enough! What do I love more than peaches though? Fall. I am so inspired by fall cooking and baking. I don’t know if it’s the fresh produce I prefer or the cooler temps but I am here. for. it. 

Pancakes might be my favorite breakfast food so naturally I needed to create a recipe that involved two of my favorite flavors: chai and apples. These pancakes are hearty, slightly sweet, earthy (in a good way!)… basically fall in a recipe. 

Here’s What You Need:

  • Apple – any kind works!
  • Oat flour – you can make your own by grinding up oats. 
  • Coconut flour
  • Applesauce – make sure you grab unsweetened!
  • Chai tea – a tea bag or loose leaf tea bags both work. 
  • Egg whites
  • Vanilla extract
  • Baking powder and baking soda
  • Spices – cinnamon, ginger, cardamom and salt.

How to Make Apple Chai Pancakes

These apple chai pancakes are super easy to make! Ditch the pre-made stuff and try this fall-flavored version of pancakes instead.

STEP 1: Make your chai tea by boiling water and steeping the tea for at least 10 minutes. 

STEP 2: Add 1/2 tbsp coconut oil to a skillet over medium heat. Add chopped apple and cook for 2-3 minutes or until softened and lightly browned.

STEP 3: Combine flour, baking powder and spices and mix well. Set dry ingredient mixture aside. In a separate bowl, mix the wet ingredients – the applesauce, chai tea and egg whites. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until well combined. Stir in the softened apples.

STEP 4: Spray a pan or pancake griddle with coconut oil and heat to medium heat. Add your pancake batter and cook for about 3 minutes on one side and 1.5 minutes on the other. You know your pancakes are ready to be flipped when all the bubbles have popped at the outer rim is golden brown. Top with maple syrup, nut butter and/or more apple slices!

How to Cook Perfect Pancakes

I have four main tips to perfect pancakes. The common thread through these tips is patience!

  1. Preheat the griddle. If you start with a griddle that isn’t hot enough it will mess up your cooking time so be patient and wait for your griddle to be hot.
  2. Use oil to grease the pan. No one wants to scrape their pancakes off the pan!
  3. Be patient but attentive when cooking side one. Bubbles will start to form on the top of the batter. When the bubbles pop and the edges are browning and/or look cooked, your pancakes are ready to flip! 

Cook your pancakes about half as long on side two. Cook your pancakes longer on side one for a more seamless flip. If your pancakes aren’t cooked enough, you’ll end up with a doughy, messy flip. Side two only needs half as long! The end result will be fluffy, delicious pancakes.

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Apple Chai Pancakes

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These Apple Chai Pancakes combine two of my favorite fall flavors: apples and chai! They’re hearty, filling and a fun twist on classic pancakes. Easily made gluten-free if desired!

  • Author: Davida Lederle
  • Prep Time: 5 mins
  • Cook Time: 20 minutes
  • Total Time: 25 minutes
  • Yield: 6-8 pancakes 1x
  • Category: Breakfast
  • Method: Cook
  • Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 cup chopped apple (any kind)
  • 1/2 tbsp coconut oil + more for greasing
  • 1 cup white flour (or gluten-free flour)
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp ginger
  • 1/4 tsp cardamom
  • pinch of salt
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
  • 3/4 cup of chai tea (1 cup of water with TWO chai tea bags or loose-leaf tea)
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 large egg

Instructions

  1. Boil water and steep tea for at least 10 minutes.
  2. Add 1/2 tbsp coconut oil to a skillet over medium heat. Add chopped apple and cook for 2-3 minutes or until softened and lightly browned.
  3. Combine dry ingredients and mix well.
  4. Add wet ingredients to dry and stir until well combined.
  5. Stir in apple.
  6. If batter is too thick, add in a bit more tea or non-dairy milk.
  7. Add a tsp of coconut oil to your skillet. Add a 1/4 cup of batter to skillet per pancake.
  8. Over medium heat cook pancakes for about 3 minutes on one side and about 1 min on the other side. Pancakes will be ready to be flipped once all bubbles have popped and the outer rim looks cooked.
  9. Top with maple syrup, nut butter, extra apple or preserves. Or a combination of all three!

Like these apple chai pancakes? Here are some other apple recipes you might enjoy:

Meet the Maven

Hi! I'm Davida and welcome to my corner of the internet. I'm a wellness blogger, yoga teacher, certified herbalist, and green beauty lover.

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72 Comments

  1. These look wonderful! However, I am doing the Paleo diet and I cannot have the oats… any ideas of a good substitution? I am dying to make these for breakfast

    1. Almond meal might work! I actually plan on making them with almond meal this weekend. I’ll keep you posted how they turn out 🙂

  2. What a great idea for a combination for pancakes!!! I have some chai seasoning I have been wanting to use!

  3. I am with you- I am horrible at making pancakes and most of the time end up with a gooey, mis-shapen mess! It’s actually quite incredible that I have so many pancake recipes on my blog all things considered haha. I think these look beautiful though 🙂

  4. I would happily drown my pancakes in maple syrup, pour shot or not. Mmm….I’d dip those apple slices in it too.

  5. Truthfully, I’m a pretty bad pancake flipper. I either undercook or overcook my pancakes.

    I bought a ton of Sugar Cookie tea with the purpose of making pancakes/oatmeal but haven’t yet. The extra steps intimidate me. I just need to do it!

    1. Is Sugar cookie tea allowed on 21DSD? I feel like no but that would be an epic way to beat the system lol

  6. What a great idea to use a chai tea bag! I love your whimsical pancake pictures. You’re right, pancakes are so hard to shoot, but you did it expertly!

    Heather