Apple Oatmeal Pancakes

This easy Apple Oatmeal Pancakes recipe is a perfect healthy meal for breakfast or brunch and can be made in under 15 minutes.

Pancakes have probably been one of your breakfast classics for as long as you have been alive. However, they came into existence thousands of years ago. 

What Is A Pancake?

A pancake, also known as a hotcake, griddlecake, or flapjack, is a flat cake that is usually a thin circular disc. Pancakes are typically made using starches such as all-purpose flour, potatoes, or buckwheat flour and eggs, milk, and butter. Pancakes are cooked on a griddle or frying pan greased with oil or butter. 

The History of Pancakes

Examinations of starch granules found on 30,000-year-old grinding utensils imply Stone Age cooks were producing flour from cattails and ferns. Scientists speculate this flour was combined with water and cooked on a heated, greased rock. Although the result may have been similar to a hard textured biscuit rather than the contemporary variations of pancakes we all know and love, the concept is the same. 

According to the historical record, before the famous Otzi, the Iceman took his last hike more than 5000 years ago, one of his last meals was pancakes. Although his remains were not discovered until 1991, they provided us with a glimpse into the past of what foods Neolithic people consumed. Scientists suggest his last meals included red deer, ibex, and einkorn wheat. The remnants of charcoal found on the remains provide evidence to support the consumption of a pancake prepared over an open flame. 

Where Did The Pancake Get Its Name? 

The term "pancake" emerged sometime during the 15th century. However, pancakes did not become an American staple until the 19th century. Ancient Americans often made pancakes with cornmeal or buckwheat flour like this apple oatmeal pancake recipe below. Beforehand, pancakes were known as Indian cakes, hoecakes, johnnycakes, journey cakes, buckwheat cakes, buckwheats, griddle cakes, or flapjacks. 

Pancake Day: A Day In Celebration Of Pancakes 

Ancient Greeks and Romans used wheat flour, olive oil, honey, and curdled milk to make pancakes. Cooks used spices, rosewater, sherry, and apples to add a burst of rich flavor to pancakes during the English Renaissance. In fact, several great literary artists wrote about pancakes in their work. Cratinus and Magnes, who were Greek poets by trade, mentioned pancakes in their poetry. Pancakes even made an appearance in some of Shakespeare's well-known plays. 

Pancakes were generally consumed on Shrove Tuesday or Pancake Day, which is the day of feasting and partying before the start of Lent. During the season of lent, individuals were prohibited from consuming allowed to eat animal products like milk, butter, and eggs. Thanks to the ingenuity of the people, these ingredients were cooked into stacks of pancakes as a way to prevent the ingredients from spoiling. This gave the community one final day to have a pancake party and enjoy the tasty forbidden foods before their fast.

Pancake Variations 

The pancake's shape, structure, and texture differ around the globe. Pancakes produced in the United Kingdom are usually unleavened and are akin to a crepe. North American pancakes typically feature a leavening agent such as baking powder to produce a pancake that has a thick fluffy texture. 

Crepes are thin Breton pancakes originating from the culinary treasure trove of France. The batter is poured onto a specially crafted pan to create a lacelike chain of delicate bubbles. The palačinke is another popular favorite that emerges from southeast Europe. This thin pancake is cooked on both sides and stuffed with jam, cream cheese, chocolate, or crushed walnuts. It also serves as a sweet or savory dish since it can be filled with several types of fillings. 

Pancakes that feature potatoes as a major ingredient are known as potato pancakes. While pancakes that substitute milk with buttermilk are known as buttermilk pancakes and take on a deliciously tart flavor. These pancakes are frequently found in Scotland and the US. Buckwheat pancakes are in a class of their own and usually include Blini, Kaletez, Ploye, and Memil-buchimgae.

What Makes This Apple Oatmeal Pancake Recipe So Different?

I think that we can all agree pancakes are delicious. However, they can easily become boring if eaten in excess. This is where flapjacks like this apple pancake recipe comes in. Instead of using the standard pancake calorie-rich ingredients such as eggs, butter, milk, and all-purpose flour, it uses low-carb ingredients such as buckwheat flour and oats. Best of all, there are no dairy products in these apple oatmeal pancakes. That's right! No eggs, milk, or butter! You won't even miss them. Flavored with honey, maple, cinnamon, ginger, and apples, these pancakes are the perfect guilty pleasure without any of the guilt. Feel free to consume as many or as little apple pancakes as you like!

How To Make Apple Oatmeal Pancakes 

This apple oatmeal pancake is super easy to prepare. It requires little to no effort and is ready in just a few minutes. Combine the oats, baking powder, ground cinnamon, and ginger, then add the apple sauce, mashed banana, flaxseed oil, and honey. Fold in the freshly grated apples, walnuts, and buckwheat flour, and your pancake batter is finished. Fry the pancakes in a nonstick skillet coated with flaxseed oil until they are a rich brown color, top with more apples, maple syrup, or your favorite pancake toppings, and it's time to eat!

How To Freeze Apple Oatmeal Pancakes

The beauty of making pancakes is that you can freeze the ones you don't eat. The key to freezing pancakes is to freeze them bare. Do not add any syrup, butter, granola, or fruit to your pancakes if you plan to freeze them.  

To freeze your apple pancakes, let them cool to room temperature and place the pancakes into a freezer-safe airtight container or freezer bag with sheets of parchment paper separating each apple pancake. Seal the container or bag, place it into your freezer, and your apple pancakes will last for up to two months.

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