Name: Apple Pancakes
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 8
Ingredients: 1 cup buttermilk or make your own*; 1 cup white whole wheat flour or regular whole wheat flour or all-purpose flour; 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder; ½ teaspoon baking soda; ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon; ¼ teaspoon salt; 1 large egg; 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted; 2 tablespoons maple syrup or honey; 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract; 1 cup grated Honeycrisp or Granny Smith apple (about 1 medium); Avocado oil or vegetable oil, for greasing the pan

1 In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.

2 In a smaller bowl, combine the buttermilk, egg, melted butter, maple syrup, and vanilla. Whisk until thoroughly blended.

3 Pour the liquid mixture into the flour mixture. Add the grated apple. Stir just until combined (a few small lumps of flour are okay). Let the batter rest for 5 minutes so your pancakes will be nice and fluffy.

4 Meanwhile, if you’re using an electric griddle, preheat it to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Otherwise, heat a large stainless steel or nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. You’re ready to start cooking pancakes once a drop of water sizzles on contact with the hot surface. If necessary, lightly oil the cooking surface and wipe off the excess with a paper towel (nonstick surfaces likely won’t require any oil).

5 Scoop a scant ¼ cup of batter onto the warm skillet, leaving a couple of inches around each pancake for expansion. Cook until small bubbles form on the surface of the pancakes, 2 to 3 minutes (you’ll know it’s ready to flip when about ½-inch of the perimeter is matte instead of glossy). Flip the pancakes, then cook until lightly golden on both sides, 1 to 2 minutes more.

6 Repeat the process with the remaining batter, adding more oil and reducing the heat as necessary (I usually end up on low heat after a while—if the pancakes are turning too dark on the outside before they cook through, it’s too hot). Serve the pancakes immediately with toppings of your choice, or keep them warm in a 200 degree Fahrenheit oven.

7 Leftover pancakes can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 4 days, or frozen* for up to 2 months. To reheat, stack leftover pancakes and wrap them in a paper towel before gently reheating in the microwave.