Beef and Broccoli is a classic Chinese dish that my boys LOVE! We used to order it in from a local restaurant, but now we just make it at home! No need to spend money on takeout–this is an easy recipe that tastes even better than your favorite re…
Beef and Broccoli is a classic Chinese dish that my boys LOVE! We used to order it in from a local restaurant, but now we just make it at home! No need to spend money on takeout–this is an easy recipe that tastes even better than your favorite restaurant and it only takes 30 minutes…
This applesauce pancakes recipe comes out moist and cozy-spiced! Using fruit puree makes for the perfect fluffy flapjacks. “These are the best pancakes you’ve made.” That was Alex’s feedback on this Cozy Applesauce Pancakes recipe, to my pleasant surprise! I’m the pancakes recipe writer around here: from vegan pancakes to Greek yogurt pancakes to lemon blueberry pancakes. This time, it was a jar of applesauce that inspired me. What to do with leftover applesauce? Make pancakes, of course! This fruit puree makes the ideal soft and moist texture for flapjacks. They’re perfect for a cozy breakfast…and easy enough for anyone (especially kids!). Ingredients in applesauce pancakes These applesauce pancakes were inspired by a jar of applesauce in our fridge we bought to make these iced applesauce cookies. (Side note: they’re a total must try!) The pancake version of these cookies has a similar set of ingredients: the normal cast of characters you’d expect for applesauce pancakes. Applesauce: store-bought or homemade! All-purpose flour Cinnamon & allspice (optional) Baking powder Light brown sugar (or granulated sugar) Kosher salt Egg Neutral oil: like grapeseed oil, organic canola oil, or organic vegetable oil Milk of choice Tip: You can make homemade applesauce on the […]
This applesauce pancakes recipe comes out moist and cozy-spiced! Using fruit puree makes for the perfect fluffy flapjacks.
“These are the best pancakes you’ve made.” That was Alex’s feedback on this Cozy Applesauce Pancakes recipe, to my pleasant surprise! I’m the pancakes recipe writer around here: from vegan pancakes to Greek yogurt pancakes to lemon blueberry pancakes. This time, it was a jar of applesauce that inspired me. What to do with leftover applesauce? Make pancakes, of course! This fruit puree makes the ideal soft and moist texture for flapjacks. They’re perfect for a cozy breakfast…and easy enough for anyone (especially kids!).
Ingredients in applesauce pancakes
These applesauce pancakes were inspired by a jar of applesauce in our fridge we bought to make these iced applesauce cookies. (Side note: they’re a total must try!) The pancake version of these cookies has a similar set of ingredients: the normal cast of characters you’d expect for applesauce pancakes.
Can I use applesauce as an oil substitute? Or an egg substitute?
Applesauce is often used as an oil substitute in quick breads, pancakes, and cookies. Why? It can replace the moisture without the fat, yielding lower calorie and super moist baked goods. It’s also often used as an egg substitute for vegan baked goods and pancakes.
This applesauce pancakes recipe we designed as a normal pancakes recipe that also includes applesauce to add moisture and flavor. But want to use it as a substitute? Here’s what to do:
Substitute 1 tablespoon applesauce for the 1 tablespoon oil. Keep in mind this affects the texture: the pancakes will be less smooth and a little more cakey.
Substitute 1/4 cup applesauce for the 1 egg, with these caveats. Again, this affects the texture: the pancake will be more delicate and fragile. Keep this in mind when flipping them! In all honesty, we prefer our Eggless Pancakes if you don’t want egg, or using a flax egg to act as a binder.
How to cook applesauce pancakes…perfectly!
Cooking pancakes sounds like an easy task: anyone can do that! But honestly: it’s a place where many home cooks mess up. Cook them at too high heat, and applesauce pancakes will burn on the outside and be gooey on the inside. Here are a few tips for cooking these pancakes to perfection:
Low and slow is key! Set the heat on low, or only as high as medium low. Cook them slowly, and they’ll come out perfectly cooked on the inside and golden brown on the outside. Don’t worry if it feels like it’s taking a long time: the extra minute or two is worth it!
When to flip? When bubbles form and pop. Wait until bubbles form on the surface and start to pop. Trust us: this trick works every time!
Holiday variation: snowman pancakes!
Here’s a cute holiday variation you can make with these applesauce pancakes: turn them into snowman pancakes! We made these with our son Larson and he loved decorating them. Here’s how to make them:
Make 3 small pancakes for the snowman’s body.
Place powdered sugar in a fine mesh strainer and gently tap it to make snow.
Use raisins or blueberries for eyes and buttons, a carrot for the nose, and apple slices or pretzels for arms.
Toppings for applesauce pancakes
Once you’ve cooked those beautifully golden pancakes: it’s time to top them! For us, we love simple toppings best. A drizzle of maple is all they need! But we’ve got lots of fancy ideas. Here are a few of our best toppings for these applesauce pancakes:
In a medium bowl, whisk together the all purpose flour, cinnamon, allspice (if using), baking powder, sugar, and kosher salt.
In another bowl, whisk together the egg, oil, applesauce, and milk. Add it to the batter, then immediately add the milk.
Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until a smooth, thick batter forms.
Lightly grease a skillet with butter and wipe off extra grease with a paper towel. Heat the skillet over low heat. Pour the batter into small circles (a little less than 1/4 cup each). Cook the pancakes until the bubbles pop on the top and the bottoms are golden: low and slow is the key! Then flip them and cook until golden on the other side.
If necessary, add a tiny splash of milk to the batter. Repeat with the remaining batter, adjusting the heat as necessary (the skillet can get very hot on the second batch). Place the cooked pancakes under an inverted bowl to keep them warm. Serve immediately with maple syrup.
I love cookies and brownies, two of my all-time favorite desserts. Combine them in ONE recipe and you’ve got the BEST dessert ever. These Brownie Cookies are phenomenal. The recipe is from 100 Cookies by Sarah Kieffer, one of my new favorite cook…
I love cookies and brownies, two of my all-time favorite desserts. Combine them in ONE recipe and you’ve got the BEST dessert ever. These Brownie Cookies are phenomenal. The recipe is from 100 Cookies by Sarah Kieffer, one of my new favorite cookbooks. It is ALL about cookies, so of course I am a huge…
Easy Cornbread – this is the BEST homemade cornbread and it’s super easy to make! The cornbread is tender, moist, buttery, and so good with a drizzle of honey! You will never buy boxed cornbread again! When Josh and I were first marrie…
Easy Cornbread – this is the BEST homemade cornbread and it’s super easy to make! The cornbread is tender, moist, buttery, and so good with a drizzle of honey! You will never buy boxed cornbread again! When Josh and I were first married, I discovered that Josh had a love affair with Jiffy cornbread. One day,…
This recipe is quite simple, but yielded some wonderfully flavorful and moist little cupcakes. They are a little more dense than your average cupcake – almost closer to pumpkin bread – but absolutely fantastic.
These pumpkin cupcakes are quick and easy to make, perfectly moist and fluffy and flavorful, and topped with the most heavenly cream cheese frosting.
Just going to leave this pumpkin cupcakes recipe riiiight here for you today. ♡
Because after making a few batches this week to share with friends and neighbors, I feel convinced that these pumpkin cupcakes are the perfect sweet treats we all need right about now.
The pumpkin cake batter in this recipe is wonderfully quick and easy to mix up by hand (no mixer required) and rises in the oven to form the most perfectly soft and fluffy cupcakes. It is mixed with the perfect amount of pumpkin spice and vanilla to bring out the best of those warm pumpkin flavors we all love. And it is paired with the dreamiest cream cheese frosting, which I will forever consider pumpkin’s match-made-in-flavor-heaven.
This pumpkin cupcakes recipe is a straight-ahead classic, but one I adore so, so much. So if you love a good pumpkin cupcake as much as I do, give it a try soon because it never disappoints!
These Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins with streusel topping are tender, moist, and perfectly spiced. Enjoy for breakfast, as a snack, or dessert. They are a must make for fall! I created this Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffin recipe for our cookbook and it …
These Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins with streusel topping are tender, moist, and perfectly spiced. Enjoy for breakfast, as a snack, or dessert. They are a must make for fall! I created this Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffin recipe for our cookbook and it has been a HUGE hit. I am so glad you guys agree that…
Homemade Enchilada Sauce-the best enchilada sauce and it’s incredibly easy to make, plus, it freezes beautifully! You will never buy store bought enchilada sauce again! Enchiladas are one of my all-time favorite meals…and I am glad my boys love t…
Homemade Enchilada Sauce-the best enchilada sauce and it’s incredibly easy to make, plus, it freezes beautifully! You will never buy store bought enchilada sauce again! Enchiladas are one of my all-time favorite meals…and I am glad my boys love them too! They are a regular at our dinner table. Enchilada night is always a good…
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread-perfectly spiced homemade pumpkin bread with chocolate chips. Everyone’s favorite fall quick bread recipe! I love fall for many reasons, but Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread is at the top of the list, along with Pumpkin C…
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread-perfectly spiced homemade pumpkin bread with chocolate chips. Everyone’s favorite fall quick bread recipe! I love fall for many reasons, but Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread is at the top of the list, along with Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies and Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bars. There is nothing better than pumpkin AND chocolate! This…
Pear Bread-this easy pear quick bread has a sweet almond streusel topping and simple almond glaze. It is great for breakfast, brunch, or dessert. Pear Bread What do you do when your nice neighbors bring you over a huge bag of pears from their tre…
Pear Bread-this easy pear quick bread has a sweet almond streusel topping and simple almond glaze. It is great for breakfast, brunch, or dessert. Pear Bread What do you do when your nice neighbors bring you over a huge bag of pears from their tree? First, you say thank you and then you make Easy Pear Sauce and…
My new favorite meal is watermelon halloumi skewers! If you think watermelon and feta is a good combo, just WAIT until your try watermelon and halloumi! Oh my goodness – it’s wonderful. And yes, I could totally eat this as a meal. Now Eddie? He might look at me like I have ten heads. It’s […]
My new favorite meal is watermelon halloumi skewers!
If you think watermelon and feta is a good combo, just WAIT until your try watermelon and halloumi!
Oh my goodness – it’s wonderful. And yes, I could totally eat this as a meal. Now Eddie? He might look at me like I have ten heads.
It’s been a very watermelony week around here. On instagram, I shared one of my favorite watermelon salads – a savory wedge salad. It has blue cheese and orange zest and tomatoes and it’s deeeelish.
It’s just so darn out hot right now that it’s like my body NEEDS all the watermelon to keep my hydrated. The kids love, it’s refreshing and delicious and you pretty much can’t go wrong.
Now, I’ve grilled watermelon before. With cheese too. Years ago I also made these grilled watermelon caprese salads. The combo of savory, smoky grilled watermelon with the caprese vibe is incredible.
And these skewers sort of remind me of that. We grill the halloumi and watermelon together – I like to do one piece of halloumi for every three or even four pieces of watermelon. The halloumi is so rich that you don’t need much. A little goes a long way.
And all that you need to flavor these skewers? A little olive oil, salt and pepper.
That’s it.
But! We also make a mint basil oil. Last year I also made this basil oil all the time – it’s delicious on pasta, on vegetables, drizzled on salads – everything.
So I decided to throw a few mint leaves into the bunch. Again, they are an ingredient that makes everything taste super fresh.
The oil is a little high maintenance, but worth it. Store it in the fridge and serve it with summer lunches and dinner!
Sure, this whole plate is a little mix of things that I’ve made before, in a whole new way. These are really fun to make on the weekend or a nice change to make for a dinner side dish. Especially if you have something else to throw on the grill.
They can feed a group too – if you have a few people over for dinner, I usually make one skewer per person. You can also slide everything off the skewer into a salad bowl!
Super versatile and fun too. Let it be fancy summer.
These grilled watermelon halloumi skewers are loaded with savory, slightly sweet flavor and drizzle with a fresh mint and basil oil. Delish!
Course Side Dish
Cuisine American
Prep Time 30minutes
Cook Time 15minutes
Total Time 45minutes
Servings 4people
Author How Sweet Eats
Ingredients
2cups1-inch cubed watermelon
18-ounce block halloumi cheese, cut into 1 inch cubes
salt and pepper
olive oil for drizzling or spraying
a few fresh mint and basil leaves for skewering
minted basil oil
1cuptightly packed sweet basil leaves
¼cupfresh mint leaves
1/2cupolive oil
½teaspoonsalt
Freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
Preheat the grill to medium-high. I like to keep mine around 400 degrees F.
Skewer the watermelon and halloumi. I like to do about 3 pieces of watermelon to every 1 piece of halloumi. The halloumi is rich enough that you don’t need a lot! Spritz or brush the watermelon skewers with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.
Place the skewers on the grill (you can use a grill pan if you wish! But directly on the grates is fine too) and grill for 1 to 2 minutes per side, rotating the skewers, Once they cheese and melon is golden and caramely, it’s good to go!
Remove and drizzle the skewers with the mint basil oil. Garnish with a few chopped leaves.
minted basil oil
Bring a pot of water to a boil to blanch the basil and mint. Prepare a bowl of ice water next to it. Once boiling, add the basil to the pot and cook for 10 seconds. Remove it and immediately place it in the ice bath. Leave it in there for a few minutes to make sure it is cold, then remove it and squeeze excess liquid from the leaves. Chop the basil into pieces.
Place the basil in a high powered blender or food processor. Add the olive oil and salt and puree until the oil is smooth and green. It may be frothy, so let the oil sit for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, strain it through a fine mesh sieve or cheesecloth to remove the basil bits. Ues a spoon to push any oil through the sieve.
At this point you can use the oil right away or store it in the fridge for a week!