Apple Pancakes

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

Instructions

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.