The perfect weekend breakfast must be made right! Whether you like American-style pancakes or thinner crepe-style ones, pancakes are a global favourite, but sometimes can be tricky to perfect. We’ve got the perfect recipes for you to try at home and get excellent results just in time for Pancake Day!
These recipes will not let you down, and we’ll let you in on the best tips and tricks so that you can nail your pancakes every time, whether you prefer them thick or thin. With Pancake Day just under a month away, there’s still time to master the art of making the perfect pancake!
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Perfect English pancakes
English pancakes are meant to be light, buttery and thin.
Ingredients
- 150g plain flour
- 300ml semi-skimmed milk
- 2 medium eggs
- 1½ tbsp olive oi
- 1tsp vanilla essence
Method
- Sift the flour into a large bowl. By sifting the flour, you’ll minimise clumping.
- Make a well in the centre of the flour.
- Crack the eggs into the well.
- Add the vanilla essence.
- Whisk the eggs so that you mix in the flour from the sides. Whisk the eggs while gradually adding the milk.
- Continue to whisk until the batter is smooth. Ensure there are no lumpy bits of un-whisked flour!
- Leave to rest for 30 mins.
- Lightly brush oil over a large pan.
- Heat the pan on the stove.
- With a ladle evenly spread the batter around the heated pan. Make sure it thinly coats the base of the pan.
- Allow the batter to cook for 1 - 2 minutes then gently flip them over.
- Cook until golden on both sides.
- Put them in the oven on a low heat on a plate to keep them warm while preparing the rest of the batch.
Tips and Tricks
- If you don’t have an oil brush, dip some kitchen towel in olive oil and grease the pan with it. This will ensure you don’t over oil your pancakes, which will make them sloppy.
- If you have an electric whisk, use this to mix the milk, eggs and flour. This will make the mixture lighter and fluffier.
- The thinner, the better! You’ll get the perfect results if you spread the batter as thinly as possible around the pan. Move the pan around until the batter has covered the whole base.
Chunky American pancakes
For thick fluffy pancakes, American style, the key is a rising agent. These buttery and delicious breakfast favourites will wow the family on your pancake day celebrations.
Ingredients
- 2 large eggs
- 1 1/4 cups whole milk
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 3/4 cups flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- Vanilla essence
- Olive oil
Method
- Sift the flour into a large bowl.
- Mix the sugar, salt and baking powder in with the flour. Use a whisk to avoid clumping while combining the ingredients thoroughly.
- Melt the butter in the microwave or on the hob.
- In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs, butter, milk and vanilla essence. Whisk until light the eggs are fluffy.
- Put the whisked, wet ingredients in the large bowl with the dry ingredients.
- Use a wooden spoon to combine. Make sure you mix them gently, but not too much! Over mixing will make the batter too thick for pouring.
- Grease a large frying pan with olive oil.
- Heat the pan until very hot.
- Using a ladle, spoon the batter onto the heated pan and watch the pancake. Cook on one side until you see bubbles forming in the batter.
- Flip the pancake and cook for another 1 - 2 minutes or until golden.
- Place the ready-made pancakes on a plate and pop them in the oven on low heat to keep them warm while you prepare the rest.
- Serve with any fillings and enjoy!
Tips and tricks
- With thicker pancakes, you can have fun with them. If you want to really indulge in experimenting with delicious recipes, add chocolate chips for a sweet treat.
- Unlike English pancakes, these can be a bit chunkier, so don’t worry too much about spreading the batter thinly over the base of the pan. Smaller dollops of batter will help you make bite-size mini pancakes.
- If you want to make colourful pancakes, add food colouring instead of vanilla essence. This will keep the consistency of the batter as you need it.
Filling ideas
Now that you have your spectacular pancakes, you need to dress them up with spectacular fillings. Pancakes are great because you can have them with pretty much anything you like. You can have a hearty, wholesome brunch or use lighter ingredients for the perfect start to the day. Some ideas for fillings and toppings are below.
Sweet treats
- Banana and syrup
- Summer berries and whipped cream
- Brie, ham and syrup
- Lemon, sugar and cinnamon
- Nutella and strawberries
Savoury sensations
- Mushrooms cooked in garlic and cream
- Bacon, mature cheddar, fresh tomato and rocket
- Creamy spinach and feta
- Mashed butternut squash, chickpeas and yoghurt
Your breakfast table will look like the perfect breakfast or brunch feast with a couple of these options on show.
Pancake proud
With these tips, tricks, and fail-proof recipes, you’ll impress anyone with your homemade pancakes. Don ’t be scared to get experimental and have some fun with your batter and, of course, your toppings and fillings. Have a fabulous Pancake Day, or a tasty breakfast whenever you wish!
