Cherry Pie Pancakes
Cherry pie pancakes are the perfect way to enjoy cherry pie for breakfast! Light, fluffy buttermilk pancakes are topped with sweet-tart cherry pie filling for a special treat breakfast your whole family will love!
We like making pies into pancakes here at Pancake Recipes. We’ve made banoffee pie pancakes, banana cream pie pancakes, and key lime pie pancakes, but somehow up to now, we’ve neglected to tackle an American classic: cherry pie.
Obviously, it was time to post a cherry pie pancake recipe, but no one wants to have to hunch over the counter pitting cherries for an hour (and staining your fingers red in the process), so we made it with canned cherry pie filling instead. This makes these pancakes easy as… well, pie!
Simply whip up the pancake batter, cook ‘em up on the griddle, then spoon cherry pie filling over the tops. Easy! Take it to the next level with a dollop of whipped cream, because we want that full pie experience here, right?
About this cherry pie pancake recipe
There’s a secret ingredient in this recipe that really takes it to the next level; it makes the pancakes taste amazing and it makes the canned pie filling taste like homemade. It’s that little je ne sais quoi you’ll find in a lot of bakery desserts or those marzipan fruits they sell around Christmastime.
What is it? It’s almond extract!
Almond extract is practically magic. It’s fragrant and almost floral, and it smells (and tastes) nothing like the nut. That’s because it comes from bitter almonds, not the almonds we snack on.
Bitter almonds get their flavor and aroma from something called benzaldehyde, which is also present in the pits of cherries—and this is why almond extract has a cherry-like taste and why adding it to recipes with cherries amps up the cherry flavor.
It’s also why adding almond extract to canned cherry pie filling makes it taste homemade!
All this wind-up is to say that these cherry pie pancakes really aren’t the same if you omit the almond extract, but if you buy it, you’ll be glad you have it on hand. You can use it in all kinds of recipes in place of vanilla! Try it in ricotta pancakes and blueberry muffins.
What you need
- Wet ingredients: Butter, eggs, water, buttermilk (here’s how to make buttermilk if you don’t have it on hand), vanilla extract, almond extract
- Dry ingredients: All-purpose flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, salt
- For the topping: Cherry pie filling, almond extract
How to make them
Prepare. Preheat an electric griddle to 375ºF or set a nonstick frying pan over medium-low heat.
Make the pancake batter. Whisk the melted butter and eggs in a mixing bowl, then whisk in the water, buttermilk, and extracts.
Add the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt, and whisk to combine. Let the batter rest for 5 minutes.
Cook the pancakes. Pour about ¼ cup of batter onto your cooking surface for each pancake. Cook the first side for about 3 to 4 minutes, then flip and cook the other side for a minute or 2, or until the pancakes are cooked through and golden brown.
Warm the topping. Place the cherry pie filling in a small saucepan and warm it up on medium-low. Remove from heat and stir in the almond extract.
Serve. Plate the pancakes and top each with about 2 tablespoons of the cherry pie filling.
FAQs
How do you make cherry pie filling taste better?
The almond extract should do the trick, but if you find your cherry pie filling is a little more tart than you’d like, you can also add some brown sugar or honey to sweeten it up.
Does cherry pie filling need to be cooked?
Cherry pie filling is already cooked, so you could skip warming it up and spoon it onto the pancakes at room temperature if you’d like!
How to make these cherry pie pancakes your own
Here are some fun ways to switch up this recipe!
- Make cherry chocolate pancakes. Pair the cherry pie filling with chocolate pancakes or chocolate chip pancakes. Or, you could add a drizzle of chocolate syrup!
- Swap the cherry pie filling for homemade cherry compote. All you need to do is cook down fresh or frozen pitted cherries with sugar and lemon juice until the cherries are soft and the liquid is syrupy.
- Go to town on the toppings. Add crumbled Oreos or graham crackers! Sprinkle on Demerara sugar for a little bit of crunch and sweetness! Try a flavored whipped cream like chocolate whipped cream, cinnamon whipped cream, or lemon whipped cream.
Make Ahead Ideas
These cherry pie pancakes can be made ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Storage Suggestions
Place the pancakes in an airtight storage container or a freezer bag with parchment paper between the layers to keep them from sticking together. Store the cherry pie filling separately.
Reheating Tips
Heat the pancakes in the microwave a few seconds at a time until they’re warmed through, or place them on a sheet pan, cover it with foil, and heat them in a 350ºF oven for about 10 minutes. The cherry pie filling can be warmed up in the microwave or on the stovetop.
To reheat your pancakes from frozen, simply add a few more minutes to the cooking time.
More fruity pancake recipes
Get the Recipe: Cherry Pie Pancakes
Ingredients
For the batter:
- ¼ cup butter melted
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup water
- ¾ cup buttermilk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 ½ tablespoons baking powder
- Dash of salt
For the topping:
- 1 can (18-20 oz) cherry pie filling
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
Instructions
- Preheat an electric griddle to 375ºF or a nonstick frying pan over medium low heat.
- Whisk together the melted butter and the eggs. Then whisk in the water, buttermilk, and vanilla & almond extracts.
- Add the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt then whisk until the flour is incorporated. Set aside for 5 minutes.
- Place about a ¼ cup of batter on the preheated griddle or frying pan.
- Cook the first side for about 3-4 minutes then flip and cook about 1-2 minutes on the second side.
- Open the can of cherry pie filling and empty into a pot. Heat on medium low heat until warm. Remove from the heat and stir in the almond extract.
- Serve each pancake topped with about 2 tablespoons of cherry pie filling.
Notes
- Makes about 20 pancakes.
- These cherry pie pancakes can be made ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Place the pancakes in an airtight storage container or a freezer bag with parchment paper between the layers to keep them from sticking together. Store the cherry pie filling separately.
- To reheat, place the pancakes in the microwave a few seconds at a time until they’re warmed through, or place them on a sheet pan, cover it with foil, and heat them in a 350ºF oven for about 10 minutes. The cherry pie filling can be warmed up in the microwave or on the stovetop. To reheat your pancakes from frozen, simply add a few more minutes to the cooking time.