My husband has declared Apple Pie Coffee Cake not only the best coffee cake recipe, but THE BEST thing I have ever made (!!). 

This apple cinnamon coffee cake recipe is like a glorious combination of Dutch apple pie and sour cream coffee cake. It has layers of soft, moist yellow cake, gooey apple filling, cinnamon brown sugar crumble topping, and a sweet, simple glaze. 

The best part? This apple crumb cake starts with a boxed cake mix and canned apple pie filling -- so easy!! 

Why You're Going to Love This

• Perfect holiday dessert or Christmas morning breakfast cake
• Delicious coffee cake from a cake mix that tastes like homemade
• Incredibly moist cake with gooey apple pie filling
• Easy coffee cake recipe with simple ingredients

Ingredients

Box of yellow cake mix. Go ahead and ignore the directions on the box. 

Sour cream. Sour cream makes the cake moist and rich. 

Apple pie filling. Two full cans of apple filling create a gooey apple pie layer in the middle of the cake. You can use store-bought canned pie filling or homemade apple pie filling. 

Variations

Cake mix. You can use any kind of box cake mix in this delicious recipe like white or spice cake mix. 

Spices. Spice up the box of yellow or white cake mix with some cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice or apple pie spice. 

Pie filling. Try an apple cherry coffee cake with one can of apple pie filling and one can of cherry pie filling. 

Glaze. Change up the glaze ingredients and make a maple glaze. Just swap out the milk for a little maple syrup. 

How to Make Coffee Cake Using Cake Mix and Apple Pie Filling

Step 1: In a large bowl, mix the dry cake mix, melted butter, egg, and sour cream with an electric mixer on medium speed for two minutes. The batter will be quite thick and sticky. 

Step 2: Pour the cake batter into a baking dish and spread it into the pan with a metal offset spatula or a silicone spatula sprayed with cooking spray. Bake for 10 minutes.

Step 3: While the cake bakes, combine the flour, brown sugar, ground cinnamon, and salt in a medium bowl. Add the cubed butter and cut it into the mixture using a pastry blender, two knives, or clean hands until you get pea-sized buttery crumbs. 

Step 4: Spoon the apple pie filling on top of the cake. 

Success Tips

• If you add too much milk to the glaze, just add a little more confectioners' sugar until it reaches your desired consistency. 
• Keep the butter in the refrigerator until it's time to make the streusel. Cold butter keeps the texture crumbly. 
• Bake until the top is golden brown and set and no longer appears wet in the center. Internal temperature should read 205-210 on a digital instant read thermometer.

Homemade Apple Pie Filling

Making your own pre-cooked apple pie filling is really easy to do. Once you peel and chop the apples, it only takes about 15 minutes and you're rewarded with the best gooey, caramelly homemade pie filling for all your favorite apple desserts.

Get my recipe here.

FAQs

More Easy Recipes

Craving banana bread, but you're all out of flour?  Guess what? You can use Bisquick pancake mix to make the most delicious banana bread recipe!

After all, Bisquick is made from all purpose flour, vegetable oil, baking soda, salt, and sugar -- things you were going to put in your banana bread anyway. 

Just add a few basic pantry ingredients, and you're minutes away from sliding a pan of banana bread into your oven. 

One bowl banana bread with Bisquick is such an easy recipe, and as moist and tender as any classic banana bread recipe, it just might become your new go-to!

No one will guess pancake mix is your secret ingredient ;). 

Be sure to try Fluffy Banana Pancakes with Pancake Mix, Pumpkin Pancakes with Pancake Mix, and 4 Ingredient Banana Bread Muffins next! 

Why You're Going to Love This Recipe

• Easy one-bowl Bisquick banana bread recipe
• Quick recipe with minimal prep time 
• Great way to make soft and moist banana bread, even if you're out of flour!

Ingredients

Please see the recipe card at the bottom of the post for the full list of ingredients. 

Ripe bananas. You'll need 3-4 large bananas. Overripe bananas with brown or black peels are ideal for banana bread because they are sweeter and have the best flavor.

⭐If your bananas aren't quite ready yet, you can "ripen" them in the oven. You can also use frozen bananas. Keep reading for tips on how to do both. 

Brown sugar. Brown sugar adds moisture and rich molasses flavor to the banana bread. 

Oil. I use canola oil, a neutral-flavored oil. But any kind of vegetable oil will work. 

Cinnamon. One teaspoon ground cinnamon perfectly complements the bananas and adds warm and cozy flavor.  

Bisquick Pancake & Baking Mix. There's no need to add baking powder or baking soda, as Bisquick contains leavening agents. This recipe has been tested with Original and Heart Smart Bisquick pancake mixes. 

Chocolate chips, optional. Chocolate chips are awesome in banana bread. If using chocolate chips, I recommend mini chocolate chips because they disperse more evenly throughout the bread and don't sink. 

Nuts, optional. If you like nuts in your banana bread, stir ½ cup of chopped walnuts, pecans, or macadamia nuts into the batter at the very end. 

How to Make Banana Bread with Pancake Mix

Step 1: Place bananas in a large bowl and mash them with a fork or potato masher. 

Step 2: To the mashed banana, add the brown sugar, oil, eggs, vanilla, and cinnamon. Stir until well combined.

Expert Tips

• Overripe brown or even black bananas will give this pancake mix banana bread recipe the most intense banana flavor. 
• Measure Bisquick mix the same way you measure flour -- spoon it into a measuring cup and level off the top. Don't scoop straight out of the bag of pancake mix. 
• Be careful not to overmix the batter, as it can result in a dense texture. 
• Banana bread is even better the next day. Try to save a little for tomorrow!
• Banana bread is done when the internal temperature reaches 200 degrees on an instant read thermometer or a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with moist crumbs.

How to Ripen Bananas in the Oven

What to do when your sweet tooth craves banana bread, but your bananas are underripe? With minimal effort, you can use your oven to ripen your bananas. 

• Place bananas (unpeeled) on a baking sheet lined with foil or parchment for easy clean-up. 
• Bake for about 20 minutes at 300 degrees until the peels turn completely black. 
• Let the bananas cool completely, scoop out the flesh, and mash. If there's a lot of liquid, strain it off, or it can affect the texture of your baked goods. 
• Use your oven-ripened bananas for banana cake, bread, muffins, and pancakes. 

How to Make Banana Bread with Frozen Bananas

Feeling pressure to do something with all those overripe bananas? No need. Just throw them in the freezer -- whole, with peels on. Because you can use frozen bananas to make banana bread when you're good and ready. Just follow these easy steps!

• Defrost the bananas. Place the frozen bananas on a plate and let them sit at room temperature. Or defrost frozen bananas in the microwave at 50% power for 3-4 minutes or until they're completely thawed. 
• Strain off the liquid. Thawed bananas are very soft and very watery, and all that liquid can make banana bread dense and heavy. Mash the bananas and strain off the liquid (unless you're following a recipe that specifically says otherwise). After straining off the liquid, the remaining mashed banana should be the same consistency as bananas that were never frozen.  

FAQs

Did you know you can make delicious banana pancakes that are this thick, this fluffy, and full of banana flavor from a box of pancake mix? 

With just a couple of easy tricks, you can impress your whole family (and yourself!) with this delicious banana pancake recipe topped with cinnamon maple bananas. 

It's such a yummy and easy pancake recipe, it'll be your new favorite thing to make with overripe bananas (sorry, banana bread). 

Be sure to try Pumpkin Pancakes from Pancake Mix and Pumpkin Syrup for Pancakes next! 

Why You're Going to Love This Recipe

• Best banana pancakes from a pancake mix
• The recipe is full of easy tips for thick, fluffy, tender pancakes 
• Great recipe to make ahead -- banana pancakes freeze beautifully!
• Best way to use over-ripe bananas 

How to Make Fluffy Pancakes from Pancake Mix

You don't have to make homemade pancakes to get thick and fluffy pancakes. These are my tricks for making thick and puffy pancakes from a mix. 

• Add baking powder. A little bit of extra leavening lifts up the batter.
• Don’t overmix the batter. Mix pancake batter just until the ingredients are combined and there are still some lumps. 
• Separate the egg and whip the whites. Mix the yolk into the batter for rich flavor. Then beat the egg white into soft peaks and fold them separately into the batter. The whipped egg whites will help the pancakes puff up. 
• Let the batter rest. Letting the pancake batter mixture rest gives the liquid time to hydrate the flour and the leavening agents time to distribute evenly through the batter. 

Ingredients

These easy banana pancakes come together with simple ingredients. 

Pancake mix. This recipe has been tested with regular Bisquick, Heart Smart Bisquick, and a complete "just add water" pancake mix. All worked equally well. 

Bananas. You'll need about two medium bananas to get one cup of mashed banana for the pancakes.

If you're using frozen and thawed bananas, you may need more than 2. And be sure to strain off the excess liquid or it will thin the batter. 

Butter or oil. You'll need a little butter or vegetable oil to lightly coat the pan for the pancakes and the banana topping. 

Variations

Extracts. Add a splash of maple, almond, coconut, or vanilla extract. 

Spices. Nutmeg, cloves, allspice, cardamom, or any of your favorite warm baking spices would be delicious! 

Nuts. Add walnuts, pecans, almonds, or macadamia nuts for crunchy nuttiness. 

Chocolate chips. A handful of chocolate chips is always a welcome addition to banana pancakes. 

Blueberries. Add fresh blueberries to the batter or sprinkle a few frozen blueberries on top of the pancakes before you flip them. 

How to Make Banana Pancakes with Pancake Mix

1. Combine the dry ingredients. 

Whisk the pancake mix, baking powder, and cinnamon together in a large bowl. Push the mixture to the sides of the bowl making a well in the center. 

2. Separate the eggs and whip the egg whites. 

Separate the eggs, letting the whites fall into a small bowl. Place the yolks in the center of the well in the dry ingredients. 

Beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. Set aside.

3. Mix the wet ingredients with the dry ingredients. 

Add the mashed banana and milk to the well. Whisk the wet ingredients together in the center of the bowl, then whisk the banana mixture into the dry mixture until just combined. Do not overmix, it's okay if there are lumps. 

Use a spatula to gently fold the beaten egg whites into the pancake batter until just incorporated. 

Let the batter rest for 5-10 minutes. 

4. Make the delicious pancakes. 

Heat a cast iron skillet or non-stick pan over medium-low to medium heat until a sprinkle of water sizzles across the surface of the pan. 

Use a folded paper towel or pastry brush to coat the pan with a thin layer of butter or oil. Repeat this step between batches, wiping out any residue from the previous batch to keep it from burning. 

Using a measuring cup, drop ⅓ cup of batter into the frying pan.

Cook the first side until the edges are dry and small bubbles start to form and pop on the surface of the pancake, 2-4 minutes. Flip and cook the second side for another minute or two. 

5. Make caramelized bananas. 

Warm a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Place the butter into the pan. 

Slice the bananas into ½" to ¾" slices. Add the slices of bananas, maple syrup, a sprinkle of cinnamon, and a dash of salt to the pan.  

Cook for a few minutes on each side until golden brown. 

6. Serve and enjoy!

Serve pancakes with warm caramelized bananas and a drizzle of maple syrup. 

We also like to smear a little peanut butter in between layers of pancakes :). 

Freezing Instructions

Leftover pancakes freeze beautifully. Place them on a wire rack to cool completely, then stack them in an airtight container or zip-top bag in between layers of paper towels or parchment paper. Freeze for up to 3 months. 

To thaw, place frozen pancakes on a plate, uncovered, and heat in the microwave for a minute or two until hot. 

Success Tips

• To ensure the center of the pancake is done, insert a toothpick into the center. If it comes out clean, it's done. 
• If your pancakes are too brown before it's time to flip, the pan is too hot. Turn down the heat. 
• Keep pancakes warm until ready to serve on a baking sheet or platter in a 200-degree oven. 

FAQs

This easy recipe for fluffy air fryer cinnamon rolls was inspired by popular Tiktok cinnamon rolls videos that transform store-bought Pillsbury brand cinnamon rolls into something that tastes more like homemade cinnamon rolls.

These delicious cinnamon rolls are baked in heavy cream, which makes them super moist and tender, then slathered in a thick layer of easy homemade cream cheese frosting -- the best part IMO! 

You're Going to Love This Recipe

• Soft, fluffy cinnamon rolls with homemade cream cheese frosting in about 12 minutes!
• Moist, tender Pillsbury air fryer cinnamon rolls baked in heavy cream
• Homemade tasting air fryer cinnamon roll recipe from a can of Pillsbury cinnamon rolls

Ingredients

Pillsbury Grands Cinnamon Rolls. This is the BIG tube with 5 rolls. I get the ones with Cinnabon Cream Cheese Icing.

Heavy cream. It may also be called heavy whipping cream -- same thing.

Softened butter. You want the butter to be very soft so it creams well with the cream cheese.

Softened cream cheese. Use room temperature cream cheese that's nice and soft so it whips up without lumps.

Powdered sugar. If you prefer stiffer icing, you can add a little more powdered sugar.

Heavy cream. Just a teaspoon is all you need to make the frosting smooth and creamy.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: In a medium bowl, beat the cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, cream, and vanilla until smooth and fluffy.

If desired, stir or mix the frosting from the tube of cinnamon rolls into the homemade cream cheese frosting.

Step 2: Preheat the air fryer to 360 degrees. Spray avocado oil or olive oil into an 8 or 9-inch square baking pan that fits your 6-quart air fryer. You can also line the pan with parchment paper.

Separate dough and arrange the cinnamon rolls in a single layer in the pan. Pour ½ cup cream around the rolls.

Expert Tips

• Use an aluminum foil sling to lower and lift the pan into and out of the air fryer basket.
• For best results, check for doneness a couple minutes before the end of the cooking time -- no one wants hard cinnamon rolls!
• The secret to making perfectly cooked cinnamon rolls in the air fryer is flipping them halfway through. Don't forget this step!

FAQs

More Delicious Breakfast Recipes

Why You'll Love This Recipe

• Hearty meat lover's breakfast with TWO pounds of sausage
• Perfect overnight breakfast casserole for Christmas morning or a lazy Sunday
• Hearty egg casserole with tons of sausage, cheese, and vegetables -- no bread, no potatoes

Ingredients

See recipe card at the bottom of the post for the full list of ingredients and exact quantities.

Pork sausage. I use regular pork sausage, but you can also use turkey sausage or seasoned sausages like breakfast sausage, hot sausage, or Italian sausage. 

Cheddar cheese. I use sharp cheddar cheese because I love the bold flavor. You can use mild cheddar or a different kind of cheese like Monterey Jack, pepper Jack, mozzarella cheese, Swiss, or a combination.

Sour cream. Sour cream whipped in with the eggs and milk makes the eggs super creamy.

Green onions. Green onions add fresh, mild onion flavor and pretty green color. You can also use red onion or shallots.

Red bell pepper. I love red peppers because they are the mildest of the bell peppers, but you can use yellow, orange, or green bell pepper. 

Dijon. A little bit of Dijon adds rich flavor to the egg bake.

How to Make Sausage Egg Bake

Step 1: Brown sausage with salt and pepper in a large skillet over medium-high heat, breaking it up into small pieces, until the meat is no longer pink. Drain off excess grease. 

Step 2: Whisk eggs in a large bowl. Add milk, sour cream, Dijon, salt, and black pepper, and whisk until combined.

Step 3: Place cooked sausage in a greased 3-quart casserole dish. Add the diced red pepper, sliced green onions, and 1 cup of shredded cheese. Evenly pour egg mixture on top.

If making ahead, cover with aluminum foil or plastic wrap and chill for up to 24 hours. Let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before baking.

Step 4: Bake in preheated oven at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes or until the center is just about set. Add remaining 1 cup of cheese and bake for 5 more minutes or until the cheese is melted.

Cool for 10 minutes. 

Serve with hot sauce or salsa, Fluffy Pumpkin Pancakes, Apple Cinnamon Roll Bake, hash browns, and a fresh fruit salad. 

Expert Tips

• Whisk the eggs before adding the rest of the egg mixture ingredients. It can be difficult to tell if you've broken all the yolks once the sour cream and milk have been added.
• Be careful not to overbake your sausage egg casserole or it can become tough. Bake until the center is just about set, then add the cheese.
• If you're baking this the next day, let it sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes before baking. If it's still cold, you may need to add a few minutes to the bake time.

FAQs

You’re going to love this

Easy — just stir together three ingredients and warm it up, if you like.

Fast — you can have your own homemade pumpkin syrup on the breakfast table in about 5 minutes.

Versatile — add warm pumpkin flavors to your favorite pancake recipes, desserts, coffee drinks, or cocktails

Ingredients

Maple syrup. Use real maple syrup, not pancake syrup, for the best flavor in this pumpkin spice syrup recipe. 

Pumpkin puree. Canned pumpkin blends perfectly into the maple syrup and adds that sweet, earthy flavor we crave in the fall. 

Pumpkin pie spice. Just ½ teaspoon of pumpkin spice adds rich flavor and warmth to this delicious syrup. If you don’t have pumpkin pie spice in your cabinet, you can make your own. For one teaspoon of pumpkin spice, use ½ teaspoon cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon ginger, ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg, and ⅛ teaspoon cloves. Get my homemade pumpkin spice recipe here. 

Instructions

Whisk the maple syrup, pumpkin puree, and pumpkin pie spice together in a small bowl or mason jar.

If desired, warm through in a small saucepan on the stove over medium heat or in the microwave for 30-60 seconds. 

Pour syrup over pancakes, waffles, and French toast.

Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 weeks. 

Pumpkin Pancakes from Box Mix

This pumpkin maple syrup is a delicious topping for my fluffy pumpkin pancakes. These easy pumpkin pancakes start with grocery store pancake mix that's doctored up with pumpkin, pumpkin pie spice, and maple syrup.

In the blog post, I also share a bunch of secret tips to make these pancakes super thick and fluffy -- like separating the egg and beating the egg whites.

Get the full recipe, step-by-step instructions and all my tips and tricks right here. 

Serving Ideas

You'll definitely want to make a double batch of this homemade syrup recipe so you can enjoy it:

• Mixed into pancake batter
• Over waffles, French toast, or bread pudding
• On ice cream
• In your coffee
• Swirled into oatmeal
• Whisked into a vinaigrette
• Drizzled over sweet potatoes
• Stirred into yogurt
• Whipped into butter for pumpkin maple butter
• Shaken into cocktails

Expert Tips

• Use pure maple syrup for the richest flavor. 
• If you don’t have pumpkin pie spice, mix up your own with cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and nutmeg. 
• If you prefer more pumpkin or pumpkin spice flavor, feel free to add more!

FAQs

Is maple syrup the same as pancake syrup?

No. Pure maple syrup is made from maple tree sap that's been boiled down to a thick, syrup consistency. Pancake syrup is made from corn syrup and artificial maple flavorings.

What is pumpkin spice made from?

Pumpkin spice is a spice blend that typically contains cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves. Sometimes allspice, mace, and cardamom are also in the mix.

Can I add maple syrup to pancake batter?

Absolutely! A couple of tablespoons of maple syrup mixed into pancake mix adds a warm, rich flavor.

More pumpkin recipes

Thick, Fluffy Pumpkin Pancakes with Pancake Mix

Ready to pumpkin spice up your fall breakfasts? In this easy pumpkin pancake recipe, I'm sharing all my secrets to turn an easy pancake mix into restaurant-quality fluffy pumpkin pancakes your family will beg you to make every weekend. 

All you need is your favorite pancake mix and a few basic ingredients, and in no time, you'll have deliciously perfect pumpkin pancakes that are thick, soft, and loaded with warm pumpkin flavor.

These fluffy pancakes are absolutely scrumptious with a simple pat of butter and drizzle of maple syrup, or you can make them extra special with my easy recipe for Pumpkin Syrup and caramelized banana topping.  

Round out your fall breakfast or holiday brunch with Easy Cheesy Sausage Egg Bake, Egg & Sausage Biscuit Muffins, Crock Pot Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal, and fresh fruit. 

You’re going to love these

• Big fluffy flavorful pumpkin pancakes packed with real pumpkin and pumpkin spice flavor
• Easy pumpkin pancakes that stir together in minutes with simple ingredients
• Great freezer-friendly breakfast recipe for busy mornings -- so make a double batch! 

Step-by-step Instructions

Step 1: In a large bowl, whisk the pancake mix, baking powder, and pumpkin pie spice together.

Push the dry ingredients to the sides of the bowl to make a well in the center for the wet ingredients.

Step 2: Separate the egg yolk and egg white and drop the yolk into the well. See FAQs below for how to separate an egg. 

In a small bowl, whip the egg white with a whisk or mixer until light and fluffy and soft peaks form. 

Step 3: Add the pumpkin puree, maple syrup, and milk to the well in the dry ingredients.

Whisk the wet ingredients together, then incorporate them into the dry ingredients until just combined. There should still be lumps. 

Step 4: Fold the beaten egg white into the pancake batter with a spatula until just combined. The batter will be thick. Let the batter rest for 5-10 minutes. 

Step 5: Heat a large cast iron or nonstick skillet over medium-low to medium heat. Lightly coat the skillet with butter.

Drop ⅓ cup of pumpkin pancake batter onto the hot skillet.  Cook until the edges of the pancakes are slightly dry, and small bubbles just start to form and pop on the surface, 3-4 minutes.

Step 6: Flip and cook the second side for 1-2 minutes or until cooked through.

Add a thin layer of butter to the skillet between batches.

This recipe makes six to seven 5-inch fluffy pumpkin pancakes. 

What to serve with Pumpkin Pancakes

These delicious pancakes need very little to enhance the flavors. So a little butter and maple syrup are all you really need. But where’s the fun in that? Try one or both of these yummy toppers to make the best pumpkin pancakes ever.

 Pumpkin Maple Syrup

Top your fluffy stacks of pumpkin spice pancakes with even more fall flavors with this delicious pumpkin maple syrup. It’s an easy recipe made from pure maple syrup, pumpkin puree, and a little pumpkin pie spice.

Get the full recipe and instructions here. 

Caramelized Banana Topping for Pancakes

For an extra special treat, serve your pumpkin pancakes with bananas caramelized in butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, and toasted pecans.

• Melt 2 tablespoons of butter and 2 tablespoons of brown sugar together over medium heat in a skillet.
• Add ½ teaspoon of cinnamon and stir it all together.
• When the mixture is bubbly, add 2 sliced bananas and stir them around in the sauce for a minute or two, until the sauce is thickened and the bananas are evenly coated.
• Remove the bananas from the heat. Spoon the bananas over the pancakes and sprinkle with toasted pecans.

Expert Tips

• Don’t overmix the batter; it should be a little lumpy. 
• A cast iron skillet or nonstick pan work best for making pancakes.  
• Be careful not to overheat the skillet. If the pancakes turn brown before they’re ready to flip, turn the heat down. 
• This pancake batter is thick. To know when it's time to flip, watch for dry edges and a few small bubbles that form and pop around the edges.
• To check for doneness, poke the center of a pancake with a toothpick. If it comes out clean, the pancake is done.

FAQs