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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. I’ve tried many times to flip my pancakes too early and suffered the consequences as a result!

    These look absolutely fluffy and delicious! Chai being one of my most favourite things to have, I have one every day instead of coffee so I am totally on board with this flavour combo. I can’t say I’ve ever put tea in pancakes before though 🙂

    1. Girl don’t I know you drink your daily chai 😉 I always think of you when I make something chai flavoured…and chocolate peppermint since I know that’s your fav lol

  2. Pancake flipping definitely takes LOTS of practice…and every now and then I STILL botch one in a batch! As for the syrup pour, it’s all about having it pre-measured so you don’t end up needing life-preservers for your little cakes! 😉

    I actually HAVE made chai pancakes before (https://www.kissmybroccoliblog.com/2011/06/26/coconut-chai-pancakes/), but totally FORGOT about them until I stumbled over an old post a few weeks ago! Fist…palm! Now I just need to fish the pics out of my external harddrive so I can add them to my Recipage! Thanks for reminding me!

    1. Umm, FACE…palm! Omg, see how these pancakes have me flabbergasted?! I can’t even speak properly! Lol

      1. I was going to say…is this some kinky new fetish I wasn’t aware of. We need to talk. 😉

        1. Seriously guys you two have some weird fetishes what with Heather and her fist (ing-gah ew) and Meghan and her cheese (yeah Meg I know what you do with your cheese…)!

          And obviously Heather you’ve done the tea bag in pancakes before. You’re the pancake queen. Please move in with me. Meghan you can come too I guess 😉

  3. Davida, adding chai tea to pancake batter is very creative. Now if only you would’ve posted these on Friday when I made my vitacost w/ the quinoa flour I told you i’d be ordering – I could’ve included some chai tea. Next time for sure 🙂

    p.s. I love flipping pancakes. However, now I have a waffle maker that is waffler maker on one side & omelet/pancake maker on the other. Takes care of all the work for me.

  4. I love chai pancakes, and did I see Kusmi Tea? They are everywhere in Paris! Pancakes are easy to photograph, you can add whatever you like on it, put some gooey sauce, decorate it with flowers and crushed nuts, etc. imagine it as a tall cake! Anyway how are you? I’m so sorry for the delay, I’m back on track and I look forward to catching up your posts! x Rika

    1. It’s everywhere in Paris! When I lived there for a few months I got addicted and brought so much back! They opened a store in Montreal and it’s been a godsend!

  5. I’m an excellent pancake flipper… my problem is pouring them roundly into the pan 😉
    BF and I have been making sunday morning pancakes a thing and I’m adding these to the to try list!!

  6. I have not made pancakes with chai or any other tea, but I’ve wanted to! They sound delicious. I absolutely love pancakes but haven’t made them in a while (I ran out of my GF mix). There’s nothing better than that salty/sweet mix of butter (or earth balance) and syrup! Have a great rest of your weekend!

  7. Love the flavours in these! And I can totally relate to your pancake photographing woes. One time I tried to do the pouring syrup shot, but I ended up pouring the syrup not on the pancakes, but all over the table. It was a mess! 😛