These delicious applesauce pancakes are not only a high-protein breakfast (17g per serving!) but also gluten free, grain free and paleo friendly! Perfect for meal prep or a weekend breakfast, make a batch of these nutritious pancakes today.
From applesauce pancakes to carrot cake pancakes to banana pancakes and more! We’ve got your pancake-loving hearts covered here on Fit Foodie Finds.
Applesauce + Pancakes = LOVE
These pancakes are made from a base of applesauce, eggs, and almond meal with a few other delicious add-ins. Not only that, they’re also:
- Vegetarian
- Gluten free
- Grain free
- Paleo friendly
What a great start to your day, if you ask us!
Applesauce Pancakes Tips
A few best practices will go a long way when it comes to these applesauce pancakes. Follow these for healthy pancake success 😀
Unsweetened Applesauce is Your Friend!
You’ll want to make sure you buy unsweetened applesauce for these pancakes (or make your own!)! Not only does this ensure that your applesauce is only naturally sweetened (by apples!), but you’ll also be leaving behind the filler ingredients often found in sweetened apple sauces.
Pro Tip: jazz this pancake recipe up even more, and use unsweetened cinnamon applesauce!
Cook Low and Slow!
Cook temp is very important with these applesauce pancakes: COOK ON LOW. I cooked my first batch on medium/high, and the outsides burned without fully cooking in the middle. You want to let the pancakes fully cook on both sides, so they need a low cook temperature to avoid burning.
Toppings Make All the Difference
These applesauce pancakes are oh so delicious on their own, but feel free to jazz them up with some fun toppings to make the ultimate healthy breakfast. We love:
- Thinly sliced apples
- Nut butter
- Chopped nuts
- Maple syrup
- Ground cinnamon
- All of the above!
Can you Freeze Applesauce Pancakes?
Heck yes, you can! And this is a great way to meal prep breakfasts for you and your family. We recommend:
- Make a double batch of applesauce pancakes by following the directions in the recipe card.
- Let the pancakes cool completely before freezing. Wrap the pancakes up in a plastic wrap or place in an air-tight bag like a Ziploc. Bag or wrap these up in whatever quantity you’ll want to thaw them in.
- Date each pancake with the date they were made, what type of pancake they are, and place them in the freezer. Pancakes will last up to 3 months in the freezer.
- When you are ready to eat your applesauce pancakes, unwrap the pancakes and place them in the toaster. When reheating, toast the pancakes until the center is thawed and the outside of the pancakes are golden brown and a little crispy.
- Enjoy!
How Long Do Applesauce Pancakes Last?
Applesauce pancakes will last 3-5 days in an air-tight container in the refrigerator, or 3 months in an air-tight container in the freezer.
More Pancakes
- Healthy Sweet Potato Pancakes
- Peanut Butter Banana Pancakes
- Cottage Cheese Protein Pancakes
- Healthy Chocolate Chip Pancakes
- ALL Pancake Recipes

Grain Free Applesauce Pancakes
Ingredients
- 3 large eggs
- 1/2 cup applesauce
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1.5 cup super-fine almond flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- First, whisk 3 eggs in a small bowl. Then add in applesauce and maple syrup.
- Next, add in almond flour, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon, and mix until combined.
- Spray a pan with coconut oil cooking spray and heat over low heat. Spoon in 1/4 cups of batter for each pancake.
- Let cook for about 4 minutes on the first side, or until firm enough to flip. You'll want to move quickly when flipping with a spatula.
- Cook the second side for around 3 minutes or until fully cooked. Repeat for all 8 pancakes.
- Serve with maple syrup, sliced apples, and chopped nuts. Enjoy!
Would vanilla extract be a good addition?
Yes! I would add 1 teaspoon.
These were easy to make and my Husband and daughter thought they were good.
I will be adding this recipe to my go to list. Thanks Dr Axe!
These did not turn out I followed the record exactly and cooked them on medium low heat, they took forever and then just didn’t have any structure
Can these be made with flax eggs?
Hi Casey! I would not suggest using a flax egg!
Hi Lee,
I made my first batch of the applesauce pancakes this morning and they are Mmm-Mmm good! I did read the recipe but I failed to really take in the Low-Medium heat warning and the first set got a little messy, just as you said. But turning down the heat worked and the remainder were perfect. Thanks so much for sharing and for a recipe that works AND tastes delicious! I served mine topped with strawberries and blueberries and, while I love berries, I think the pancakes are actually better on their own.
So. Normally I lay in bed scrolling thru food blogs fantasizing about all that delish food that could be mine. Yet I’m too lazy to actually go make anything. Buuuut, all those comments made me overly jealous and I decided I deserved a good breakfast once in a while too. Suprised to say, found it incredibly easy! Coming from me who hates cooking, that’s a rare one. I doubled the amount (coz if I’m cooking might aswel make it worthwhile eh), added in a cup of oatflour and some oatmilk, and left out the maple syrup. Only coz i drowned them in it later. All that banana debate brought out the banana man in me so I made caramalised banana sauce (which is just mashed bananas cooked in butter, yh I made it up and what)…ate like a king. Breakfast was a cross between apple and banoffee pie. Yummmmyyy
Is yes nutrition info for 1 pancake or 5?
Is the calorie count for the full recipe or per pancake? I’m guessing per pancake but want to be sure.
It’s for the whole recipe!
What is the topping you used for pancake?
I topped mine with Greek yogurt, but all toppings are welcome 🙂
I know I’m late to the party but I made these this morning and LOVED them! Delicate without being too eggy and with a pleasant pastry aroma…Brilliant!
AH!!! Yay. Glad you loved these. Merry Christmas 🙂
For those of you looking for a substitute for the nut meal… I just made these, substituting a combo of flax meal and chia meal(one or the other would work fine, I just happened to have both on hand) an they turned out great! A little more most and “eggy” than a grain-based pancake, but that’s too be expected. Added some cinnamon and the flavor was delish!
Hey Cindy! Thanks so much for sharing your modifications! So glad things worked out 🙂
Is there a difference between “almond meal” and “almond flour”? Do you suggest flipping these once? Didn’t understand “repeat three times”.
Thank you
Almond flour is a bit finer than almond meal. I’ve only tried it with meal (the kind from Trader Joe’s). Flip 3 times just means flip all the pancakes on the pan 🙂
Love the taste! It is tricky to handle the baking of this pancake as a whole … texture is quite challenging. Why does it fall apart so easily? Anyhow, crumble taste good too!
Hi! I am making these right now and they smell and look amazing. I can’t wait to try them! I wanted to share that my batter was very runny and I wondered if it was the right consistency. I am happy to share that it was just right, in case anyone else has the same question.
Have you tried making a big batch and freezing these? I am thinking this would make a great school-morning breakfast, but only if I could reheat from the freezer. Thoughts?
Hi Tracy! Thanks so much for sharing that tip! I have not personally made and froze this specific pancake, but I don’t see why not! I would say to reheat, I would throw them in the microwave on defrost for a few minutes!
I LOVE these waffles. I have been sharing your recipe to a dear friend of mine. Yummy recipes always need to be shared. I have been tracking my calories lately and I just added your waffles on my recipe list. I noticed the sodium content was a whopping 750 milligrams. Who knew banking powder was so high in sodium. Well, I didn’t. My question is can I make these waffles with a baking powder substitute?
Hi Stephanie! That is a really good question. I think baking powder is necessary because it needs a rising agent. You could try it without and see what happens, though!
I was really excited for this recipe because it seemed so simple and I love applesauce. The texture of the batter is really good for pancakes. I followed the directions to a T and sprayed my pan with coconut oil over low/med heat. The flavor was ok but the pancake turned out to be very rubbery and not moist, also it was gritty from the almond flour.
can i use oatmeal flour instead of almond meal?
Hello! I am allergic to almonds….do you think it is possible to use coconut flour in the place of the almond? Thanks!
Hi Katie! Before you use coconut flour, I’d try cashew meal (if you’re able to have that). Otherwise- follow this recipe for coconut flour pancakes (still grain-free!): https://fitfoodiefinds.com/2015/05/paleo-coconut-flour-pancakes/
My favorite recipe by far!! I find it even better with nutmeg and cinnamon added to the batter!
YUMMMMMMMM! I’ve got another 3 ingredient pancake coming soon, too!
I never leave comments… but on this… I had to. Attempting a whole new lifestyle of eating cleaner and mostly grain free, but missing the hearty breakfast options that would hurt my belly. Made these and WOW… I couldn’t stop eating them… well that’s until they were ALL GONE from my 3 year old and 11 month old. YUP… toddler and baby approved recipe… now that is something to cheer about! Thank you! So easy to make and had no trouble flipping. waited patiently 2-3 min each side on low-med. Perfect! THANK YOU!
AHHHHH this comment absolutely totally made my day! I am totally the opposite and have no patience when it comes to flipping pancakes. I always flip too soon!