Gluten Free Baked Apple Pancake

I cooked this Gluten Free Baked Apple Pancake for Shrove Tuesday which is traditionally the day before Lent. It’s the day you eat all the goodies before fasting for 40 days. However, I wasn’t intending on fasting for 40 days, just looking for an alternative for breakfast or dessert to fill up my hungry teens!

Autumn Apples

I had some really lovely first season Autumn apples that were just asking to be in this recipe. The varieties of apples available these days is almost ridiculous. When I was growing up, there was Granny Smith, Jonothan and Delicious. These days there’s a plethora of apple varieties. Gala, Jazz, Bravo, Kalei, Envy, Modi, Eve, Kanzi, Greenstar, Pink Lady, Fuji, Braeburn, Jonogold, Sundowner and Golden Delicious and that’s just in Australia. Apples are packed with nutrition and have high levels of Vitamin C, making them the perfect power punch to help ward off colds and flu. If you have a salicylate sensitivity then stick with golden or red delicious apple or swap it for a Nashi pear or a ripe Williams pear.

Pancake or Custard

This pancake is slightly unusual in that it is quite custardy. The tapioca flour and the egg/milk combination gives it a soft custard type texture. It works well as a breakfast dish and equally as great as a dessert served warm with cream or yogurt.

Gluten Free

The flours used in this are gluten free but you could easily swap them with a wheat flour. The texture will change from a custardy one to slightly cakier.  If you don’t have tapioca flour you can use arrowroot instead. I also think you could make this with Buckwheat flour and or almond flour. This recipe is from Lee Holmes at Supercharged Food. I’ve altered a few ingredients.

Gluten Free Baked Apple Pancake

A baked pancake with a custard middle and spiced apple topping.

• 2 medium apples (peeled, cored and sliced)
• 2 medium apples (peeled, cored and sliced)
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1/4 cup maple syrup or coconut sugar
• 1/4 cup maple syrup or coconut sugar
• 3 eggs
• 3 eggs
• 1/2 cup Tapioca Flour or arrowroot flour
• 1/2 cup Tapioca Flour or arrowroot flour
• 1 tablespoon Banana Flour or coconut flour (optional)
• 1 tablespoon Banana Flour or coconut flour (optional)
• 1/2 cup coconut milk + 1 tablespoon
• 1/2 cup coconut milk + 1 tablespoon
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• pinch nutmeg
• pinch nutmeg
• pinch sea salt

1. Preheat oven to 200° C or 390° F
2. Grease and line a loaf tin with baking paper
3. Mix the 3/4 of the sliced apple with maple syrup or coconut sugar and lemon juice.
4. Beat the eggs and add the other wet ingredients and whisk together.
5. Add in the dry ingredients except for cinnamon and nutmeg, and fold through until combined.
6. Fold through the apple mix.
7. Let sit for a few minutes to thicken
8. Pour into loaf tin

9. Top with remaining apple slices then sprinkle with nutmeg and cinnamon.

10. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden.
11. Let cool for a few minutes and slice into squares and serve warm.

Whether it’s Shrove Tuesday or let’s use up Apple day, this Gluten Free Baked Apple Pancake will be sure to hit the spot and fill up hungry tummies. The slice will last a few days in the fridge stored in an airtight container.