Polish Apple Pancakes
Polish apple pancakes (Rachuchy) are soft, fluffy yeasted pancakes filled with fresh apples and dusted with powdered sugar. An easy family favorite!
Polish apple pancakes, or racuchy z jabłkami are soft, fluffy pancakes with filled little pieces of fresh apple and finished with a dusting of powdered sugar instead of maple syrup. Made with yeast and given a short rise before cooking, they are thicker and more pillowy than the typical pancakes you might make for a Saturday morning.
They are also the kind of recipe that I love for introducing kids to foods from around the world. Pancakes and apples with sugar? Yeah, that’s a super kid friendly plate!
But that familiar combination gives kids a chance to discover something new, too. Pancakes aren’t just one food and families around the world make them in all different kinds of ways!
Why you’ll love this recipe
- They are soft and fluffy. Yeast gives these pancakes a wonderfully light, pillowy texture and the addition of the baking powder gives them an additional boost.
- There are apples in every bite. Finely diced apples are folded right into the batter, so you get little pieces of tender apple in each pancake.
- They are an easy family food adventure. Pancakes are easily recognizable, but we are changing it just enough to spark some curiosity.
Foodie Family Adventure: Ask your kids what they think makes something a “pancake”. Does it have to be sweet? Does it have to be eaten for breakfast? Compare these to pancakes your family normally eats, or try another pancake from somewhere else in the world!
How to make these pancakes
Below is a brief overview of the directions so you know what to expect when you head into the kitchen. For the full set of instructions, please scroll down to the recipe card below.
Step One: Activate the yeast
Warm the milk until it is comfortable warm, but not hot (about 110 F). Stir in the sugar and the yeast and allow it to sit for 5-10 minutes, until the yeast looks foamy.
Step Two: Make the batter
In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Add in the eggs and the yeast mixture and stir to combine. The batter should be thick and scoop able instead of thin and pourable.
Step Three: Let it rise
Cover the bowl and place it somewhere warm for about 30 minutes. The batter should become noticeably lighter and bubbly.
Step Four: Add the apples
While the batter rises, peel, core, and finely dice the apples. Gently fold them into into the risen batter, trying not to knock out all the bubbles.
Step Five: Cook the pancakes
Heat a cast iron skillet or griddle over medium heat. Add a thin layer of neutral cooking oil. Scoop a scant 1/4 cup batter per pancake onto the skillet. Don’t spread the batter, it it settle naturally so the pancakes stay nice and thick.
Cook until the bottoms are golden and the bubbles begin to appear toward the surface, then flip and cook on the other side until golden and cooked through.
Serve the pancakes with a generous dusting of powered sugar on top.
Recipe Tips:
- Keep the pancakes small and thick. This helps gives the racuchy their soft, fluffy centers.
- Pay attention to your skillet temperature. These pancakes are thicker than standard pancakes, so you don’t want it super hot. The outside needs to not scorch before the center cooks through.
- Choose an apple variety that holds its shape when cooked. Honeycrisp, Pink Lady, Gala or Granny Smith would all work. Dice them fairly small so they soften during cooking, or you can shred them, too.
Serving
These are best served warm from the skillet with a generous dusting of powdered sugar.
I think this is one pancake where I would resist suggesting maple syrup and all the toppings. Not that you can’t, but because part of the adventure is experiencing the dish differently from your usual American pancake breakfast.
Discover your next culinary adventure
If your family loved discovering polish apple pancakes, keep exploring how pancakes look around the world. Try my Korean vegetable pancakes for a unique savory version, or my Moroccan pancakes for something else different!
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Polish Apple Pancakes
Ingredients
Method
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the warmed milk, sugar and yeast.
- Stir and allow to sit for 5-10 minutes, until frothy and it smells yeasty.
- Stir in the flour, powdered sugar and salt until combined.
- Cover and allow to sit in a warm place for 30 minutes.
- Mix in the eggs and the diced apple.
- Heat skillets over medium heat and spray with cooking spray or grease with a small amount of butter.
- Drop 1/4 cup of batter into the center of each skillet.
- Cook for 2-3 minutes, or until the top of the pancake has bubbles on the top and the bottom is golden brown.
- Carefully flip the pancake to the other side and cook until it is golden brown, another 2-3 minutes.
- Remove to a plate and keep warm with a kitchen towel.
- Repeat with remaining batter.
- Dust with powdered sugar and serve.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is provided as a general estimate and may vary based on ingredients, brands, and substitutions. For specific dietary needs, we recommend calculating nutrition using your preferred tool.
