Perfectly Simple Pancakes
Celebrate Pancake Day in style with these Perfectly Simple Pancakes! All it takes is a few ingredients, including cinnamon and sugar for sweetness, and lemon juice for zing – you’ll be whipping up this batter every weekend.
Pancake day crêpe’d up on you? Don’t worry we’ve got you covered with these Perfectly Simple Pancakes. With just 5 ingredients and a trusty frying pan, you’ll have a stack ready in no time. We’ve heard that our recipe has sparked a debate: are they pancakes or crêpes? Whatever your opinion, one thing is certain – these perfectly simple pancakes are a delicious way to satisfy your cravings.
UK vs USA Pancakes vs Crepes
A few people have been debating whether or not these perfectly simple pancakes are indeed pancakes. So we thought we’d do a deep dive into the batter bowl to learn more about the different pancakes.
Traditional UK pancake recipes usually only require flour, eggs, milk, and sometimes sugar and salt. Baking powder is usually not used in UK pancakes, which gives them a thin, flat texture with a slight crispness on the outside and a soft texture on the inside. We use a touch of baking powder in out recipe to lighten the batter, and keep them soft and delicate.
American-style pancakes usually also include flour, eggs, milk, sugar, baking powder, and salt, but are mixed to a thicker batter. Buttermilk is often included giving them a thick and fluffy texture that’s soft and airy throughout. These added ingredients help give USA pancakes the signature fluffiness that makes them so difficult to resist!
Crepes on the other hand are cooked super thin and slightly crispy on the outside. The difference in texture does not necessarily make one type of pancake better than another; it just depends on your personal preference.
What the flip?
When it comes to toppings, UK pancakes usually come topped with lemon juice and sugar. On the other hand, USA pancakes can be served with either sweet or savoury toppings like syrup, butter, whipped cream, fruit, bacon or eggs. Again, this is largely dependent on personal preference – some people may prefer sweet toppings while others may prefer savoury ones.
And that’s it.
If you give this recipe a try, we would love to hear about your experience and get your verdict. Are you Team Crêpes or Team Pancakes? Don’t hesitate to share your thoughts with us and make sure you tag #theculinarycartel on Instagram so we can see what you come up with.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why should I let my pancake batter rest?
Resting allows the gluten in the flour to relax and the baking powder to activate, improving the texture and flavour of pancakes. Resting for at least 10-15 minutes before cooking can make a significant difference in the quality of your pancakes.
Why does the first pancake flop?
We’ve all faced it – that first, fateful pancake. Somehow always doomed to be a pile of disappointment! But why does this breakfast staple fail us time and again? The answer remains as elusive as an uncooked centre…
Perfectly Simple Pancakes
- Total Time: 20 - 25 minutes
Description
Celebrate Pancake Day in style with these Perfectly Simple Pancakes! All it takes is a few ingredients, including cinnamon and sugar for sweetness, and lemon juice for zing – you’ll be whipping up this batter every weekend.
Ingredients
- 250g flour
- 250ml cold water
- 250ml milk
- 1 tsp / 5 ml baking powder
- pinch of salt
- 2 large eggs
- 25g Butter, melted, plus more as needed for cooking
Instructions
- Sift the flour, baking powder and salt together and make a well in the flour.
- Mix the milk, water, eggs and melted butter together. Pour the wet ingredients into the well in the flour, and whisk until the batter is smooth. The butter might cool and leave a few buttery lumps in the batter – don’t stress about these, they will melt once the pancakes are cooked.
- The batter should be roughly the consistency of double cream/heavy cream. Add 2-3 tbsp more water if needed to loosen it up.
Chefs tip: If you have the time, set your batter aside for 20-30 minutes to rest. This allows the flour to fully absorb the liquid and relaxes the gluten. This will improve the texture of the pancakes. - Cook on medium heat in a nonstick pan, coated with a knob of butter. I use a 30cm pan, and just over ¼ of a cup of batter per pancake – try to keep the pancakes about 1mm thick.
- Place the pancakes onto a plate then sprinkle over a generous amount of cinnamon, sugar and lemon juice. Keep stacking the pancakes up, adding more cinnamon, sugar and lemon juice between each layer. This will melt into the layers, making them extra delicious. Place the plate in a warmer or a low oven, with a clean cloth over the top to keep it nice and warm.
- Serve them up as is, or add your own favourite toppings like berries and whipped cream.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Breakfasts
- Method: Frying Pan
- Cuisine: Sweet Treats
4 Responses
Magnificent! These are a different level of French pancakes with the cinnamon/sugar and butter on these tender pancakes. Thanks 😊
Thanks Sharona! Glad you enjoyed them
I see it so often, but why do some recipes list ‘ml’ for dry ingredients such as baking powder?
Millilitres, or mls., is a liquid measurement?!!
Surely for e.g., 1/2 tsp, 1tsp, ( like you do in the US version of the recipe!!) would be a far easier and sensible way to measure it!!
You wouldn’t suggest using a litre of flour, or 250grms of water, would you!!😉
Come on, start a movement, banish describing solid ingredients in mls!!😀
(And I’m a mechanic!!😉)
You are right, corrected that! I always try to remember to add both