Apple-Bacon Cast Iron Skillet Pancake With Buckwheat Flour

This cast-iron skillet pancake is made with nutty buckwheat flour, sweet apple slices, crispy bacon, warm cinnamon, and raisins.

It is beautifully baked in the oven until deliciously brown, sweetened just right, and the perfect way to start your day.

It's also the ultimate weekend or Holiday breakfast or brunch to share with family and friends and one of our favorites.

This baked pancake takes me back to the lovely Sunday mornings of my childhood years.

Like my Oat Flour Pancakes or Plantain Pancakes, this giant buckwheat pancake (reminiscent of "Boekweit Koek") is also a sweet pancake but filled with warm, sweet apples and crispy bacon and all made in one large skillet. 

Enjoy as-is or with a drizzle of pure maple syrup. I often love to pair it with homemade Rhubarb Compote, Cranberry Sauce, or Instant Pot Apple Butter—so good.

Why You'll Love This Giant Pancake Recipe

• Easy recipe: It's all cooked in an oven-safe skillet and comes together rather quickly.
• Delicious breakfast or brunch: This big pancake looks beautifully rustic with a warm smell of caramelized apples and will instantly make your lazy weekend morning cozy.
• Versatile: You can enjoy this as-is since raisins, dates, and apples already make this dish slightly sweet. In contrast, the bacon adds a lovely savory flavor to the buckwheat's tender texture.

Ingredients

See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.

Here's what should be on your grocery list to make this cast iron skillet pancake:

• Apple: Choose a sweet apple, like Golden Delicious, Jonagold, or Honeycrisp. You will have plenty of choices with fall around the corner. I love Golden Delicious because they have almost a buttery honey taste that works well in this recipe.
• Molasses: Use organic Unsulfured Blackstrap Molasses as a sweetener. 
• Dates: Adds natural sweetness and pairs well with bacon flavors.
• Plant milk: If you want to keep it dairy-free. I often make this pancake with cashew or almond milk, which is creamy and a good source of protein. But you can use any milk of your choice. Avoid flavored ones or anything with added sugars.
• Flour: Gluten-free buckwheat flour makes this oven-baked pancake so beautifully rustic looking. Cinnamon and dates balance any bitter flavors of buckwheat and allow for the more nutty undertones to come through.
• Olive oil or butter: You can use either one. But there is something about apples and extra virgin olive oil that I find irresistible, plus it keeps this pancake recipe dairy-free.
• Raisins: It's optional, but I highly recommend it. It compliments the apples and adds a natural sweetness to the buckwheat flour.
• Bacon: It adds a wonderful sweet and savory component.
• Salt, cinnamon powder: Enhances the flavors of buckwheat flour and bacon.
• Baking powder: Used as a leavening agent.

How To Make It

See the full recipe with measurements in the recipe card.

Step One (Picture 1 above) - Blend milk and dates in a high-speed blender until smooth—set aside.

Step Two (Picture 2 above) -Place all dry ingredients in a large bowl, including the raisins.

Step Three (Picture 3 above) - Combine until everything is well incorporated.

Step Four (Picture 4 above) - Add the reserved milk mixture and beaten egg (wet ingredients) to the flour mixture. Stir to combine.

Step Five (Picture 5 above) - Heat olive oil in a large hot skillet. Divide the bacon across the bottom of the skillet. Then, arrange the apple slices on top and drizzle molasses evenly over the apples.

Step Six (Picture 6 above) - Cook everything for a minute over medium heat on the stovetop. Turn over the apple slices using a fork (not the bacon).

Step Seven (Picture 7 above) - Pour the pancake batter evenly over the apples and bacon. Use a rubber spatula, if needed, to divide it evenly across the pan. Cook for a few minutes on the stove until the edges of the batter have set.

Step Eight (Picture 8 above) - Carefully transfer the skillet from the stovetop to the hot oven. Bake until the pancake has a brownish and golden brown color and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Let it slightly cool once out of the oven.

Cut into large pie pieces and turn them around when serving.

Once cooled, you can also use a large spatula to turn around the whole pancake, revealing the apples and bacon, and cut out the desired amount of pie slices. 

The Apple Bacon cast iron skillet pancake is filling, healthy, delicious on its own, and a perfect and easy breakfast for sharing! 

Note: This is not your puffy pancake or anything similar to a German pancake. This oven-baked pancake is much sturdier but has amazing sweet and savory flavors and incredible texture.

Substitutions & Variations

• Molasses: You can also use maple syrup. But molasses will add that sweet and savory smokiness. Besides, it has a long shelf life and can be used in many other recipes like my Instant Pot Beef Stew, Instant Pot Apple Butter, or my Healthy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies.
• Buckwheat flour: You can replace one-fourth of the buckwheat flour with sweet Teff flour, which is also gluten-free and adds a wonderful nutty component. 
• If gluten is not a concern, and you don't like buckwheat, then I suggest Spelt flour like in my Quick Spelt Cake—a non-wheat, whole grain flour with a higher amount of proteins. It has a much better flavor than regular all-purpose flour.
• Olive oil: You can replace it with butter.
• Make it vegan-friendly: If you have guests over who happens to be vegan and vegetarian, then leave out the bacon, and it will still taste incredibly delicious.

Recipe FAQs

Other Delicious Pancakes Or Breakfasts To Try

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This cast-iron skillet pancake is one of our favorite breakfast recipes and a nice way to switch it up from serving traditional pancakes.

It's also a great option for celebratory moments or Holiday brunch.