Apple Sourdough Pancakes
Made with Sourdough Starter Discard, Fresh Apples, and Caramel

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My favorite time of the year is here again, and I am so excited to experiment more with a sourdough starter and create new recipes for Fall. Last year I was obsessed with pumpkins and made this Sourdough Pumpkin Pancakes recipe which I used as a base for these apple pancakes. And, my, oh, my, are they delicious! So fluffy and soft, with pieces of fresh apples, a little bit of cinnamon, and caramel - they taste like mini apple cakes. I have no doubt that these sourdough starter discard pancakes will become one of your favorite Fall breakfast recipes. They turn out amazing every time, no matter which starter I use - whole wheat, rye, or all-purpose.

As to the apples, I used the Pink Lady kind, which I tried before in my Sourdough Apple Coffee Cake recipe, also made with starter discard. They have a sweet-tart flavor which I love for baking. Granny Smith apples will also be great in this recipe.
Besides the whole apples, I used 1 cup of unsweetened apple sauce to make the pancakes moist, add more fiber, and of course, more apple taste! Using apple sauce also reduced the amount of additional sugar needed due to its natural sweetness; it also eliminated the need for oil, thus reducing calories.
But if calories are not a concern and you prefer your pancakes sweet, I would suggest mixing in Butterscotch baking chips along with the apples.
Useful Tips:
Cut the apples into small cubes, so they cook through by the time the pancake is done
If you cut the apples in advance, use a tiny bit of lemon juice to keep them from darkening
Don't over-mix the batter to avoid gluten development from the flour, which will make the pancakes chewy
Let the batter rest for at least 5-10 min before baking, so the pancakes come out light and fluffy.
Cook on an evenly heated, well-oiled surface.
Flip the pancakes only once; over-flipping can cause the pancakes to deflate.

Recipe
Ingredients:
1 cup Sourdough Starter Discard
1 cup Apple Sauce
1.5 cups Milk (I used coconut)
1 Large Egg
1tsp Vanilla Extract
2 cups Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
2 tbsp Baking Powder
3 tbsp Sugar
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp Cinnamon
2 Apples
Caramel Sauce (for topping)
Oil for frying ( I used coconut)
Ingredients for homemade Caramel Sauce:
1 cup Sugar (regular, not brown)
6 tbsp Butter (salted or unsalted)
1/2 cup Heavy Whipping Cream
Pancake Instructions:
Whisk together 1 cup of sourdough starter discard, 1 cup of apple sauce, 1.5 cups of coconut milk, 1 egg, and 1 tsp vanilla in a large mixing bowl.
In another bowl, mix all of the dry ingredients: 2 cups of flour, 2 tbsp baking powder, 3 tsp of sugar, 1 tsp of salt, 1 tsp of cinnamon. Add them to the wet ingredients and stir them together to combine.
Cut 2 apples into cubes and add them to the batter. If using butterscotch baking chips, add them as well. Let the batter rest for 5-10 minutes.
Heat the frying pan to medium heat, add a little bit of oil (I used coconut oil). Pour about 1/2 cup of batter into the frying pan and cook the pancakes for 2-3 min on each side until golden brown.
Serve the pancakes warm with caramel sauce.
Caramel Sauce Instructions:
Melt the sugar in a saucepan on medium heat, stirring it vigorously in the process. It will become liquid and turn amber brown.
Add butter to the pan and whisk until it melts as well.
Take the saucepan off of the stove and add cream.
Whisk everything together until smooth.
Serve warm. Store in the refrigerator.
Enjoy Baking!
Tools for Sourdough Bread Baking: