15 sweet and savoury recipes for Pancake Day that are easy and delicious

My favourite day of the year is today: Pancake Day.

Whether you sway for sweet or savoury, our curated selection of 15 of flippin’ fantastic (yes, sorry) pancake recipes, from chefs, restaurants and even a gym, has you covered.

But first of all, let’s discuss the perfect pancake.

Executive chef of Scottish hotel The Caledonian Ryan MacFarlane says a non-stick pan over a medium-high heat with a small amount of clairifed butter is the way to go. “Cook one side until it develops a golden brown colour on the surface, then confidently flip it with a thin spatula in one swift motion to ensure an even cook on both sides,” he says.

His secret ingredient? A surprising one. Sparkling water. “For a pancake with a crispy exterior and fluffy interior, I suggest incorporating sparkling water into the batter. The carbonation in the water contributes to a lighter texture, while the batter still mains its structure for a good crunch.”

He also recommends letting the batter rest overnight, or for at least 30 minutes, to allow the flour to fully absorb the liquid resulting in a smoother batter and more consistent pancakes when cooked.

Tom Cenci, head chef of Nessa in London, also uses sparkling water, and says that if you’re going to commit the ultimate sin of buying a pre-made mix, “try pimping it up with things like vanilla essense, cinnamon or lemon zest”.

And, if you prefer something on the more exotic side, Saiphin Moore, co-founder of Rosa’s Thai, says one of her favourite pancakes is a roti-style version sold on street stalls in her home country. “It’s a roti topped with condensed milk, sugar and bananas, a favourite among backpackers! The roti is folded and fried in lots of butter until it’s crispy around the edges, typically topped with sugar, bananas and drizzled with condensed milk, but you can get lots of different toppings such as egg, or even chocolate.”

But now, what you’re really here for, the recipes. Get flippin’!

Silver dollar pancakes

“On a typical Shrove Tuesday, I make American-style ‘silver dollar’ pancakes for my kids in the morning. They’re named after their small size and are really fun to stack up. We normally serve them with maple syrup and have them for breakfast that day. Then, in the evening, my husband James (Chef James Knappett, co-founder of Kitchen Table) will make us traditional English pancakes for dessert after dinner. He serves them classic, with sugar and lemon juice.”

Recipe by: Sandia Chang, Kitchen Table

Ingredients:

1½ cups all-purpose flour

3 tbsp sugar

1 tbsp baking powder

¾ tsp salt

1 ½ cups milk

3 tbsp vegetable oil

2 eggs, separated

Method:

1. Add the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt to a large bowl. Whisk to combine.

2. In another bowl (or I use a large liquid measuring cup) combine the milk and vegetable oil. Add the egg yolks to the milk and whisk to break up the yolks.

3. Pour the liquid mixture into the dry ingredients and mix to combine. There will still be small lumps.

4. Place the egg whites in another bowl and beat until they have stiff peaks.

5. Add about 1/3 of the stiff egg whites to the pancake batter and stir it in to combine and lighten the batter.

6. Add the remaining egg whites and gently fold until no white streaks appear.

7. Heat a griddle or skillet over medium-high heat. Grease with butter or with nonstick cooking spray.

8. Pour about the size of a “silver dollar” of batter onto the hot griddle. Let the pancakes cook until bubbles form, then flip and continue to cook until browned and cooked through.

9. Continue with the remaining batter until all of the pancakes are cooked

Puffy pancakes (Emily Cuddeford, Twelve Triangles)

“For crepes, I would always say add an extra egg yolk, make sure the batter is thin enough and give it a good rest before cooking.”

Recipe by: Emily Cuddeford, Twelve Triangles

Makes: 9 large or 14 little ones

Ingredients:

220g plain flour

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

40g caster sugar

A pinch of salt

3 eggs

150g buttermilk (the thick stuff from the supermarket )

30g butter

Method:

1. Weigh the dry ingredients into a bowl.

2. Melt the butter in the frying pan you will use to cook the pancakes, then wipe off the excess with kitchen roll.

3. Whisk the eggs and buttermilk with the melted butter. Add this into the dry ingredients and whisk to mix, it will be quite thick and start to bubble as the bicarb starts to react with the acid from the butter milk.

4. On a medium heat, drop spoonfuls of the batter into the frying pan and cook for a few minutes on each side, you will see bubbles start to come through the batter and you are looking for them to be a nice deep golden colour on each side.

5. Serve with yoghurt, roasted rhubarb and sweet dukkah for some crunch. These are also great with butter and jam if you have leftovers.

Crepes suzette

“Many great dishes have been created by accident in the kitchens of absent-minded cooks and hot-headed chefs. One story of the origin of these crepes tells how a young assistant waiter was finishing off a dessert for the Prince of Wales at the Cafe de Paris, when it caught fire. What the chef was thinking in entrusting this grand finale to an amateur we can only guess. But we’re grateful he did, because we now have this wonderful, burnt sugar and orange liqueur flambéed classic. Serve the crepes with vanilla ice cream.”

Recipe by: Natasha Sideris, tashas

Serves: 4

For the crepes:

1 cup flour

½ tsp salt

500 ml milk

1 tsp sugar

5 tbsp soft unsalted butter 3 large eggs

1 vanilla pod, seeds removed 1 tbsp vegetable oil, plus extra for frying

125 ml beer, preferably lager

For the orange liqueur sauce:

500ml orange juice

½ cup sugar

1 vanilla pod, seeds removed

2 oranges, zested and segmented

180g butter, softened

100ml Grand Marnier (orange liqueur)

Method:

For the crepes:

Sift together the flour and salt. Whisk together the milk, sugar, butter, eggs and oil. Whisk milk mixture into the flour mixture. Pour the batter through a fine sieve into a large mixing bowl. Whisk in the beer,cover and refrigerate for about 4-5 hours, or best overnight. Remove the batter from the fridge and let it stand to reach room temperature. Heat a flat non-stick crepe pan to medium heat, lightly brush with a little bit of oil and pour 125ml of batter into the pan. Once the crepe starts to make bubbles all over it is ready to be flipped. It should be about two minutes per side. Remove the crepe from the pan, place on a platter and cover with a lid or dome to prevent the crepes from drying out. Repeat until the batter is finished.

For the orange liqueur sauce:

Heat the orange juice, then add the sugar, vanilla seeds and orange zest and bring to a boil. Once the sugar has dissolved, whisk the butter in, bit by bit. When the sauce is smooth and thickened, add the orange segments and bring back to a boil.

To serve:

Place the crepes one at a time into the boiling sauce. Make sure they are completely covered. Fold them in half and in half again to make triangles. Make sure you have a few orange segments inside each crepe. Once they are folded in the pan, covered in sauce and very hot, add the Grand Marnier. Carefully set the sauce alight with the flame of the gas burner or a lighter, and allow it to flame briefly. Serve with ice cream and the remaining sauce on the side.

Chocolate and banana pancakes

Recipe by: Cyril Lignac

Serves: 4

Prep time: 20 minutes | Cooking time: 12 minutes | Rest time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

For the pancakes:

250g of flour

30g caster sugar

17g baking powder

1 pinch of fine salt

2 organic eggs

65g butter

30ml whole milk

Grape seed oil

For the accompaniments:

1 banana

12.5ml of full liquid cream with 35% fat very cold

15g vanilla sugar

A few spoonfuls of spread

Method:

1. Place a bowl in the freezer to cool it, it will be used to mount the Chantilly cream. Melt the butter in the microwave.

2. In a bowl, mix the flour, sugar, baking powder and fine salt. Add the eggs, mix gently, then pour in the previously melted butter, slowly pour in the milk, stirring gently without whisking too much, if there are any lumps left, it does not matter. Leave to stand for 15 minutes at room temperature. The device must not be smooth and especially not fall.

3. Peel and cut the banana into slices 0.5 cm thick and place them on a plate. In a chilled bowl, pour the very cold cream, start whipping it, then add the vanilla sugar. When the whipped cream is firm, keep it cool.

4. In the pan, spread a little oil with a paper towel to avoid excess fat. Pour the batter little by little into discs 10 cm in diameter, place a tablespoon of spread in the center, pour over a second layer of pancake batter to cover the spread, then leave to color overheat medium and, when bubbles begin to appear on the surface, flip the pancakes using a spatula. Let brown on the other side for about 1 minute.

5. When the pancakes are golden on both sides, put the pancakes on the plates. Cover them with banana slices and a quenelle of whipped cream.

Kimchi potato pancakes

These kimchi potato pancakes are a delicious alternative to the traditional pancake –perfect for brunch or a mid-week dinner. Quick and easy to make, they can be ready in less than half an hour and are a tasty vegetarian option too.

Makes: 12 pancakes

Prep time: 20 mins | Cooking time: 3mins

Ingredients:

300g Maris Piper potatoes, chopped into 3cm chunks

150g kimchi (fermented cabbage), roughly chopped, plus extra to serve

Bunch spring onions, finely sliced

Zest of 1 lime, grated

75g self-raising flour

2 medium free range eggs

100ml whole milk

To serve:

4 eggs

400g babyleaf spinach, washed

1 tbsp toasted sesame oil

4 tsp sesame seeds

Lime wedges

Method:

Cook the potatoes in boiling water for 10 to 12 minutes, until just tender. Drain the potatoes and add back to the pan for 1 minute to dry, then mash.

In a large bowl, add the mashed potato, kimchi ,plus any liquid that comes with it, half of the spring onions, lime zest and flour. Season with salt and pepper and stir to combine.

Put the oven tolow (to keep the pancakes warm, before serving).

In a separate bowl, lightly beat 2 of the eggs, with the milk. Add this to the potato mixture and stir, until a batter like consistency is formed.

Attach the pancake plates to the waffle and pancake maker and set the temperature to medium. Once the green indicator light shows, pour approximately 50ml of batter into each pancake plate. Close the lid and cook for 3 minutes, or until golden brown. Transfer to a baking tray and keep warm in the oven. Repeat with the remaining mixture.

Take a medium frying pan and add a little oil. Fry the remaining 4 eggs, until cooked to your liking, before transferring to a plate.

Add the spinach to the same pan and let it start to wilt, over a medium heat. Stir occasionally, before adding the sesame oil.

Serve the kimchi pancakes, with the spinach and a fried egg.Sprinkle with the remaining spring onions, some extra kimchi and a wedge of lime.

Four-ingredient vegan crepes (sweet or savoury)

These four-ingredient crepes are incredibly versatile. As a plant-based dish they’re free from eggs and dairy, making them ideal for allergy sufferers. They can be made sweet or savoury.

Recipe from: Everyone Can Cook Vegan, from the UK’s leading vegan charity Viva!

Ingredients:

150g/1 cup plain flour

¼ tsp salt

350ml/1½ cups unsweetened plant milk (soya and almond work best)

1 tbsp neutral oil (eg rapeseed) plus extra for frying

Method:

1. In a large bowl, mix the flour and salt together before stirring in the plant milk and oil.

2. Heat a little oil in a crepe pan or wide frying pan on a medium-high heat.

3. When the oil is hot, pour a small ladle of batter into the pan, swirling it around so that it thinly coats the pan.

4. Fry on both sides until lightly golden.

Maca and oat pancakes

Recipe by: Aldi

Serves: 12

Prep time: 10 minutes | Cooking time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

130g plain flour

30g porridge oats

25g maca powder

½ tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp baking powder

½ tsp bicarbonate of soda

Pinch of salt

250ml sweetened almond drink

30ml coconut oil

30ml maple syrup

Extra coconut oil, to fry

Method:

1. Mix the plain flour, porridge oats, maca powder, ground cinnamon, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt together in a bowl and whisk well.

2. Add the almond drink, coconut oil and maple syrup and mix well.

3. Heat some oil in a frying pan. Take a spoon of the batter and add to the frying pan, cook on each side for a couple of minutes. Transfer to an oven to keep the pancakes warm while you cook the rest.

4. Great served with sliced bananas, satsumas, grapes, chopped nuts and drizzled with extra maple syrup

Biscoff and banana pancakes

Recipe by: Aldi

Serves: 4

Prep time: 10 minutes | Cooking time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

250g self-raising flour

1 tbsp caster sugar

1 tsp salt

1 medium egg

300ml milk

2 tbsp vegetable oil

4 bananas

Biscoff spread

Method:

1. Place the flour, sugar and salt in a bowl and mix well.

2. Add the egg and milk and bring together with a wooden spoon.

3. Heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil in a non-stick frying pan and add 2-3 spoons of mixture to the pan. Let the mixture run in the pan.

4. After 2 minutes, flip over with a spatula and cook for a further 2 minutes.

5. Repeat the process until all the mixture is cooked.

6. Chop the bananas into small disks.

7. Serve the warm pancakes spreading on biscoff spread and layering up with the banana disks. For that extra sweet tooth why not also drizzle over some Nutoka spread.

Berry Pancakes

Recipe by: Aldi

Serves: 4

Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

1 pack Scotch pancakes

1 punnet strawberries

1 punnet blueberries

1 punnet raspberries

1 bag of fresh mint leaves

50g milk chocolate

100g soft cheese

Method:

1. Break the chocolate into pieces and melt gently in a bowl over a slowly simmering pan of hot water.

2. Remove the stalks from the strawberries.

3. Cut the strawberries and raspberries in half.

4. Using a teaspoon, spread some soft cheese on the top half of each pancake.

5. Decorate liberally with the berries and mint leaves.

6. Using a cocktail stick and the melted chocolate, draw a face on the lower half of each pancake, not forgetting a huge smile!

Chocolate protein pancakes

Recipe by: F45

Serves: 2

Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

1 free range egg

60ml egg whites

50g chocolate whey protein powder

45g almond flour

½ tsp stevia

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp (5ml) extra virgin coconut oil

30g Greek yogurt (natural, no added sugar)

2 tsp cacao nibs

15g crushed peanuts

Method:

1. Crack the egg in a bowl and mix in the egg whites. Whisk vigorously

2. In a separate bowl, combine the protein powder, almond flour, stevia and baking soda

3. Pour in the egg mixture and mix well until all the ingredients are combined

4. Heat coconut oil in a non-stick fry pan over medium temperature and pour 1/4 cup of the mixture into the pan at a time and cook until bubbles appear in the mixture. Flip the pancake over and continue cooking for a further 2 minutes with a lid on (note – the texture in the centre of the pancake will be soft and moist)

5. Repeat this process until all the batter has been used

6. Divide the pancakes into two serves. Dish one serve of the pancakes on a plate

7. Add 15g yogurt, 7g crushed peanuts and 1 teaspoon of cacao nibs over the top

8. Refrigerate the leftover pancakes and store away the toppings for tomorrow’s breakfast

Coconut and goji berry sweet potato pancakes

Recipe by: F45

Serves: 2

Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

250g sweet potato, chopped

1 free range egg

40g quinoa flour

5ml (1 tsp) extra virgin coconut oil

100ml unsweetened almond milk

2g (1tsp) cinnamon

1 tsp baking powder

70g coconut yoghurt (unsweetened)

20g dried goji berries

10g walnuts

Method:

1. Fill a saucepan with water over medium heat and bring to the boil. Add the sweet potato to the saucepan and cook for 15-20 minutes or until the sweet potato is soft

2. Drain the water from the saucepan and transfer the sweet potato to a bowl

3. Mix in the almond milk, cinnamon, baking powder, and quinoa flour

4. Crack the egg into a bowl and whisk vigorously. Pour the egg mixture into the bowl of sweet potato and using a hand mixer blend the ingredients together

5. Heat coconut oil in a non-stick fry pan over medium temperature and pour the pancake batter into the pan in circles. (tip: for the pancakes to cook in the center, make small thin pancakes). Cook for a few minutes or until bubbles begin to appear.

6. Flip the pancake over and continue cooking for 3-4 minutes. Transfer the pancakes to a plate. Continue this process until all the batter has been used

7. Divide the pancakes into two serves

8. Dish one serving of the pancakes and serve with 35g coconut yoghurt, 10g dried goji berries and 5g walnuts

9. Refrigerate the second serving of pancakes, coconut yoghurt, goji berries and walnuts for tomorrow’s leftover

Green pea buckwheat pancakes

Recipe by: F45

Serves: 2

Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

110g frozen green peas, thawed

50g buckwheat flour

1 free range egg

100ml unsweetened almond milk

15ml rice malt syrup

2 tsp (10ml) extra virgin olive oil

1/3 tsp stevia granules

500ml water

5g cacao powder

15ml extra virgin coconut oil

50g fresh strawberries, chopped in half

Method:

1. Bring water to boil in a saucepan over medium heat and boil the peas for 8minutes or until soft. Drain the water and transfer the peas to a food processor

2. Add the buckwheat flour, stevia granules, rice malt syrup and almond milk to the food processor

3. Crack the eggs into the food processor and process until the mixture is combined

4. Heat olive oil in a non-stick fry pan over medium heat and pour 1/4 cup of the mixture into the fry pan and cook for 1-2 minutes or until bubbles begin to appear in the mixture

5. Flip the pancake over and continue cooking for 1-2 minutes. Repeat this process until all the mixture has been used

6. In a small bowl combine the cacao powder, coconut oil, rice malt syrup and stevia. Continue mixing until the mixture is well combined

7. Divide the green pea buckwheat pancakes into two serves

8. Pour half of the chocolate sauce over one serving of the pancakes. Add 25g of strawberries on top

9. Refrigerate the second serving of the pancakes, strawberries and chocolate sauce for tomorrow’s leftover

Beetroot pancakes

With Beetroot on everyone’s radar as the official superfood of the moment, why not bring the craze to your Pancake Day celebrations?

Ingredients:

120g self-raising flour, (wheat or gluten-free)

Pinch of salt

15g caster sugar

1 large egg

70ml whole milk

70ml Cawston Press Brilliant Beetroot Pressed Juice

Method:

Combine the wet and dry ingredients and whisk together in a large mixing bowl until the mixture is smooth and a vibrant purple. Lightly oil a non-stick pan and put on a medium heat. Ladle or pour 3 pancakes at a time around 9cm wide. Once the surface has bubbled up and just set (2-3 mins), flip over. Cook for 1 more minute on the other side. Remove the pancakes from the pan and repeat the process with the remaining mixture. (makes approx 9 pancakes).

Enjoy sweet: Serve with butter and maple syrup OR greek yoghurt and fruit compote/fresh berries

Enjoy savoury: Serve with fresh goat’s cheese, walnuts pieces and a dusting of cumin OR cream cheese, smoked salmon and horseradish OR sour cream, anchovy and capers

Buckwheat galettes de sarrasin

This traditional style of savoury pancake, popular in northern France, is filled with spinach, cheese and egg then folded into a square for finishing in the oven.

Makes: 6 galette pancakes

Cooking time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

For the galettes:

50g butter, melted

100g Doves Farm Organic Wholemeal Buckwheat Flour

Pinch of salt

1 egg

300ml milk

Oil, for pan

For the spinach and egg filling per galette:

25g spinach

1 tbsp cream

25g comté cheese, grated

1 egg

Butter, softened

Salt and pepper

Method:

For the galettes:

1. Melt the butter.

2. Put the flour into a large bowl, add the salt and stir to combine.

3. Break the egg into the bowl, add 150ml of milk and beat to a smooth paste.

4. Stir in the remaining 150ml of milk to make a thin batter. You can use the batter immediately or refrigerate for up to 12 hours if you wish.

5. Lightly oil a frying pan so that the oil just covers the surface and get the pan nice and hot.

6. Stir the melted butter into the batter.

7. Pour or spoon some batter into the hot pan and roll it out to the edges.

8. Cook the pancake on a medium heat for 2-3 minutes, loosening the edges, until the base is golden.

9. Turn the pancake over and cook the other side for 1-2 minutes.

10. Transfer the galette onto a plate.

11. Repeat until the batter is used.

For the spinach and egg filling:

12. Pre-heat the oven.

13. Rub some butter around the inside of an oven tray.

14. Wash and drain the spinach and put it into a saucepan over a medium heat.

15. As it starts to wilt, stir in the cream, season with salt and pepper and remove from the heat.

16. Lay out the galette(s) on a clean work surface.

17. Rub a little softened butter in the middle of each galette.

18. Arrange the spinach in a 10cm/4” circle in the middle of the galette.

19. Finely grate the Comté and sprinkle it over the spinach.

20. Break an egg into the centre of the cheesy spinach circle.

21. Fold the edges of the galette over to cover the egg white and form a square.

22. Transfer the square galette onto the prepared oven tray.

23. Bake for 5-12 minutes or until the egg is set.

24. Serve immediately.

Buttermilk pancakes

Buttermilk is a key ingredient in this recipe for light fluffy pancakes. We like to serve these warm with a little butter and fresh strawberries but you could choose lemon and sugar or simply drizzle them with maple syrup.

Makes: 10-12 pancakes

Cooking time:15 minutes

Ingredients:

75g butter, melted

125g Doves Farm Organic Self Raising White Flour

2 tbsp icing sugar

½ tsp Doves Farm Bicarbonate of Soda

Pinch of salt

3 eggs

250ml buttermilk

Butter, for cooking

Method:

1. Melt the butter.

2. Put the flour, icing sugar, bicarbonate of soda and salt into a large bowl or jug and stir to combine.

3. Break the eggs into another bowl, add the buttermilk and beat together.

4. Put a little butter into a frying pan over a medium heat. As the butter melts roll the pan around so that the butter just covers the surface.

5. Pour half the egg mixture into the prepared flour and beat until smooth.

6. Beat in the remaining mixture.

7. Stir in the melted butter.

8. Pour or scoop small mounds of the pancake mixture into the hot pan.

9. Cook the pancakes, loosening the edges, until the base is golden.

10. Turn the pancakes over and cook the other side.

11. Transfer the pancakes to a plate.

12. Repeat until the batter is used.