I'm usually aching to start the Christmas season early in October, however here in Gwangju the Fall weather just set in last week, and the only hint of Christmas you'll find is at Starbucks (yes, they sell Christmas drinks here as well, much to my delight!). I'm still in "Fall recipe" mode, although I will admit I listened to some Christmas music while I was making these incredible pancakes. While these pancakes scream "Autumn" with the apples-cinnamon combination, they would truly be good any time of the year. Simple, healthy ingredients make this a hearty breakfast that will keep you full for a good while.

Apple cinnamon pancakes with vanilla cinnamon syrup

Combine these pancakes with the warm maple syrup infused with vanilla and cinnamon, and you've got a breakfast that will have your family running to the table! To whip these babies up, grab the following ingredients:

For the pancakes:

1 cup whole wheat or white whole wheat flour

1 cup milk

1 medium apple, chopped in small pieces

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 egg

1 Tablespoon butter, melted

2 teaspoons baking powder

For the maple syrup:

1/2 cup pure maple syrup

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Apple cinnamon pancakes with vanilla cinnamon syrupIMG_0475

Chop up your apple into small pieces, and add in your vanilla extract and cinnamon. You can also throw in some cloves, nutmeg, or allspice if you wish! Mix up the apples until they are well coated, and set them aside.

Put the other ingredients in a mixing bowl and stir until well-combined. Gently mix in the apples while you heat up a non-stick frying pan. I like to add a spot of butter in the pan, but it's not neccessary. One of my biggest mistakes is turning up the heat too high on the frying pan, therefore scorching my pancakes. I've found the best way to get perfect pancakes is to slowly heat the pan over medium heat, and then after the first couple of pancakes I drop the heat again since the pan has gotten pleanty hot by this time.

Don't mind the barley in the background. I cooked some up this morning for the awesome fall salad we're going to have tomorrow!

You'll know the pancake is ready to flip when there are a lot of bubbles on top, and you can firmly get your spatula underneath of it. Flip it, and let it cook for a couple more minutes. I wish I could give you an exact time frame, but it all depends on the kind of flour you use, how hot your pan is, and what type of stove you have. This batch of pancakes should make about 4 medium pancakes, more if you make them smaller. Since they have apple and are made with whole wheat flour, these things are incredible filling! As soon as they are finished, set them aside and whip up your maple syrup, which will only take about 2 minutes! I let some butter melt on my pancakes while I fixed the syrup.

In the same pan you cooked the pancakes in, turn off the heat and pour in your maple syrup, vanilla, and cinnamon. Turn the heat on to medium and whisk consistently for 2 minutes.

Pour over your warm pancakes, and dig in!

What are your favorite things to add to pancakes?

Can't get enough cinnamon? Check out these other cinnamon recipes:

Cinnamon Fried Bananas (Clean Eating)

Vanilla Cinnamon Whipped Body Butter

Homemade Granola

Cinnamon Roll Creamer

Pumpkin Spice Latte

Yes, you read that correctly.

I'm talking all of the warm fuzzies that come with biting into a warm cinnamon roll, now in liquid form. I spent a lot of time perfecting this recipe, trying different combinations of extracts and cinnamon. Here's my panel of samples:

Yes, those are shot glasses. Of course, I had to do many more than three "shots" of coffee to reach the desired flavor of creamer. It's a tough job, but someone's gotta do it.

Quite a few samples, and one caffeine-buzzed blogger later, I finally found the perfect combination. Bonus: It's way simpler than it sounds.

First, grab your ingredients. You'll need milk (either 2% or whole milk), sweetened condensed milk, cinnamon, almond extract, and vanilla extract.

Pour 1 cup of milk and the can of sweetened condensed milk into a saucepan over medium heat. DO NOT use high heat or your milk might curdle, and that would be sad. Use a whisk to mix them together, and add 1 Tablespoon of cinnamon. The cinnamon takes a bit to dissolve, so whisk for about 3 minutes, and add 1 1/2 teaspoons of almond extract, and 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract. Whisk for about three minutes more, and remove from heat.

Pour into a jar and strain. This handy dandy new funnel I bought has a strainer attached inside. Cool, right?

Technically you don't have to strain the creamer. However, you might end up with a ton of cinnamon on the bottom of your glass if you don't. I love cinnamon, but I don't want a mouthful of it after I finish my coffee.

Pour into coffee, and enjoy! The creamer should last in your fridge for as long as your milk would. So, if your milk's expiration date is two weeks from now, then your creamer will last that long as well. Provided it's not devoured by then...

Cinnamon Roll Creamer Recipe

1 cup milk

1 can or 14 oz sweetened condensed milk

1 Tablespoon pure, high quality cinnamon

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 1/2 teaspoons almond extract

Mix together milk, sweetened condensed milk, and cinnamon in a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk for three minutes, add the extracts, and whisk for three more minutes. Strain, and enjoy!

Note: I buy all of my herbs and spices from Mountain Rose Herbs. They are certified organic, fair trade, and are WAY cheaper than buying lesser quality products from grocery stores. I absolutely love them!