Maple Apple Pancake

I like to make this recipe on Saturday mornings.  It reminds me of a breakfast dish called "Sausage Apple Kuchen/Cake" that my mom used to make when I was younger.  It tasted a bit like "Pigs in a Blanket".  Fried sausages and sautéed apples were arranged in a spoke like fashion in the bottom of a pie pan and a thick pancake batter was poured on top.  After it was baked, it was inverted on a plate and served with the syrup that the apples were sautéed in at the start of the recipe.

It is difficult to get gluten-free sausages, so I now usually make it with just apples.  You can get gluten-free breakfast sausages at Spolumbo's  in Calgary.  I have tried this recipe with breakfast sausages, and I think it tastes even better!

I was inspired to try and create this recipe when I saw Kelly's post, from The Spunky Coconut, called German Pancake or Dutch Baby.  I modified Kelly's recipe to make it thicker and cake-like (similar to the Kuchen that I remembered).  Then I added maple syrup to make it sweeter and more Canadian!

Maple Apple Pancake

In a large cast iron frying pan, saute 3 peeled and sliced apples (sometimes I add 1/2 cup of frozen cranberries as well) in 2 tablespoons of butter or coconut oil until tender.  Add about 3 tablespoons of maple syrup and 1 tablespoons of water.  Simmer the mixture on very low heat for 10-15 minutes to reduce the syrup.  Heat oven to 375 degrees.

In a food processor:
1/2 cup almond milk
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp cinnamon
2 tbsp coconut sugar (now available at Costco)
Optional: 6 drops of vanilla liquid stevia (available at most natural foods stores)
Optional: dash of nutmeg or mace
Puree.

Add:
1 cup almond flour (I use jk gourmet brand almond flour from a natural foods store)
1/4 cup tapioca flour
1/4 cup coconut flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
Puree well.

Pour or spoon the batter evenly over the apples in the cast iron frying pan.  Bake for about 25-30 minutes.  While warm, slide a spatula around the edge to loosen the apples and invert on a plate or bread board.  You may need to put some of the apple slices back on top if they stick!  Cut into 4 wedges and serve.  Enjoy!