Very inventive recipes you can try this Pancake Day (2024)

Crepes topped with lemon and sugar or a fluffy stack drizzled with maple syrup might be the go-to for many Brits this Pancake Day, but these recipes prove there are super simple ways to update your favourite recipes.

From gut-friendly pancakes to ones with an Asian twist, the recipes from British chefs, culinary experts and food brands will give you plenty of inspiration when it comes to cooking tonight.

It comes as a new study by Parkdean Resorts found Brits will make an estimated 157 million pancakes today, with lemon and sugar the preferred topping for 34 per cent of diners.

So, whether you fancy a vegan treat, a savoury pancake or a stack topped with indulgent Nutella, scroll down for our pick of the best Pancake Day recipes...

FOR VEGANS

Vegan Real Deal Crêpes by allplants

Makes 8 crepes

Ingredients

• 1 cup flour
• 1/2 cup almond, soy, oat (etc.) milk
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• 3 tbsp neutral oil (sunflower or coconut)
• 1/4 tsp salt

Method

1. In a bowl, combine flour, milk, water, sugar, oil and salt. Whisk until fully combined and clump-less.
2. Heat a non-stick pan over medium heat. Pour a 1/4 cup batter into the pan and swirl so the batter covers the surface of the pan. Cook for around 2 minutes until the crêpe is set and the bottom is golden. Flip and cook for another minute on the opposite side.
3. Serve warm!

IF YOU LIKE A CLASSIC TOPPING

Fluffy buttermilk pancakes with Nutella, mango and raspberries by Nutella

Serves 8

Ingredients

• 250g self-raising flour
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1 ½ tbsp. caster sugar
• 360ml buttermilk
• 2 eggs, separated
• 1 tbsp. vegetable oil
• A pinch of salt
• Butter for cooking
• A teaspoon (15g) of Nutella per serving
• Raspberries and fresh mango to serve

Method

1. Sift flour, baking powder and caster sugar into a bowl
2. Separate the eggs and mix the yolks with buttermilk, then add this mixture to the dry ingredients
3. Whisk the egg whites then fold these into the batter
4. Rest the batter for 10 minutes
5. Heat butter in a pan, then cook each pancake for around 1 minutes or until small bubbles appear on the surface
6. Turn over and cook each pancake for a further 30 seconds, until golden and thoroughly cooked
7. Top with raspberries, sliced mango and a teaspoon (15g) of Nutella per person

FOR AN INDULGENT TREAT

Venezuelan Chocolate Pancakes with Chocolate Maple Syrup by Paul A Young

Serves four

Ingredients

For the pancakes

• 25g Venezuelan 100% dark chocolate, grated
• 200g buckwheat flour, or spelt
• 1 free-range egg
• 45g light muscovado sugar
• 350ml milk
• 2 teaspoons bicarbonate of soda
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 25g unsalted butter, for frying

For the syrup

• Pinch of sea salt
• 250ml dark maple syrup
• 100g 70% dark chocolate, broken into pieces

Method

1. Place all the pancake ingredients (except the butter) in a blender or food processor and whizz until a smooth, thick batter is formed. Leave the batter to rest while you make the syrup.
2. To make the syrup, dissolve the salt in 50ml water in a saucepan over a gentle heat, then add the maple syrup and bring to a simmer. Pour on to the chocolate in a bowl and whisk well until smooth.
3. Heat a crêpe pan or non-stick frying pan until quite hot and melt a generous wedge of butter until it sizzles. Spoon a small or large amount of the batter into the pan, depending on whether you want to make American pancakes or crêpes. Leave to cook on a medium heat until you see bubbles on the surface of the pancake, then carefully turn over and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes. Place the pancakes on a plate and cover with foil until you have cooked the entire batch.
4. Serve the pancakes laced with the warm syrup – be generous as the pancakes soak up a lot!

FOR GLUTEN-FREE

Gluten free Chickpea and Turmeric Pancakes with Crushed Peas, Roast Butternut Squash and Tahini Dressing by Yes Peas!

Serves 4

Ingredients

For the pancakes

• 100g chickpea (gram) flour
• 100g frozen peas, defrosted and crushed
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp turmeric
• ½ tsp sea salt flakes & freshly ground black pepper
• vegetable oil, for frying

For the dressing

• 300g Greek yoghurt
• 1 tbsp tahini
• 4 heaped tbsp chopped fresh mint and coriander
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• zest and juice of 1 lime
• For the squash and pea filling
• ½ butternut squash, peeled and chopped into 2cm cubes
• 1 large red onion, peeled and cut into wedges
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp garam masala
• ½ tsp chilli flakes
• 250g frozen peas, cooked

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas Mark 6
2. To make the pancakes, put the flour, peas, oil, turmeric, salt and pepper into a bowl and whisk together. Add 150ml of cold water and whisk to make a smooth batter. Set aside for one hour.
3. Combine all the dressing ingredients together in a bowl, adding a little water to thin down and cover with cling film and put in the fridge to chill.
4. Spread the chopped squash and onion in a single layer in a baking tray. Drizzle over the oil, then sprinkle the cumin seeds, garam masala and chilli flakes over the squash and onion, seasoning with salt and a little pepper. Roast for 25-30 minutes, turning the vegetables half-way through until golden and tender. Take out of the oven and mix in the peas. Keep warm.
5. To cook the pancakes, heat a non-stick frying pan over a high heat and add a little of the vegetable oil. Turn the heat down to a medium heat and pour a quarter of the batter into the pan, swirling the pan so that the batter covers the base. Cook until the pancake sets, this should take around a minute, toss the pancake and cook for about 10 seconds longer. Transfer to a plate and keep warm by covering loosely with foil. Repeat with the remaining batter until you have 4 pancakes.
6. To serve, divide the roasted squash and red onion mixture between the pancakes and spoon over some dressing. Lightly fold the pancakes over and serve immediately.

FOR A GUT-FRIENDLY MEAL

Gut-friendly Paleo Vegan pancakes from Yalda T Alaoui, founder of online gut health community Eat Burn Sleep

Makes 8 pancakes

Ingredients

• 1 ripe banana
• 1 cup or 100g of ground almonds
• 2 eggs (or 2 flax eggs for vegans)
• 1/3 cup or 80ml of coconut milk (or any vegan milk)
• 2 tablespoons of coconut sugar
• 1 tablespoon of sunflower oil
• 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon of arrowroot powder (optional)
• 1/2 teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda

Method

1. Mash the banana in a large bowl or mixer. Add the eggs (or flax eggs), coconut milk, oil and vanilla extract.
2. Combine well. Add the ground almonds, bicarbonate of soda and arrowroot powder (optional).
3. Leave the mixture to rest for at least 5 minutes before cooking the pancakes.
4. Lightly coat the pan with a thin layer of coconut or sunflower oil and cook the pancakes over medium to low heat.
5. To make a flax egg: mix one tablespoon of milled flaxseeds with 3 tablespoons of water. Let it sit for 15 minutes or until the mix has a gel like consistency. Replace each regular egg with one flax-egg. It is ready to use as a vegan egg alternative full of fibre and Omega-3.

TO TRY THE LATEST FOOD TREND

Kefir pancakes by Lakeland

Ingredients

• 500ml milk kefir
• 1 egg beaten
• 2 tbsp sugar
• ½ tsp salt
• 350g plain flour
• ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda

Method

1. Place the kefir, egg, sugar and salt in a large bowl.
2. Sift the flour and bicarbonate of soda into another bowl and mix together. Add the kefir mix to the flour mix and stir together to make a thick batter. Leave to stand for 15 minutes.
3. Add enough oil to a non-stick frying pan to cover the bottom up to 1cm deep. Heat on a medium setting and, once the oil is hot, use a large spoon to add scoops of batter to the oil. Fry until golden brown, then flip carefully using a spatula – the pancakes will start to puff up as soon as they're flipped.
4. Fry on the other side until the batter is firm and cooked all the way through.

FOR PANCAKES UNDER 200 CALORIES

Spiced Apple Pancakes by The 1:1 Diet by Cambridge Weight Plan

Serves 2

Ingredients

• 60g plain flour

• A pinch of salt

• 1 small free-range egg

• 150ml skimmed milk

• Spray oil

• Ground cinnamon for dusting

Spiced apple filling

• 2 medium dessert apples, peeled, cored and sliced or cubed

• 1 tbsp water

• Artificial sweetener, to taste

• A pinch of ground cinnamon

• Grated zest and juice of ½ orange

Method

1. Sift the flour and salt into a bowl and beat in the egg. Add the milk, a little at a time, beating until the batter is smooth. Leave to stand for at least 15 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, cook the apple and water in a saucepan over a low to medium heat until the apple is tender but keeps its shape. Add artificial sweetener to taste and gently stir in the cinnamon, orange zest and juice.
3. Lightly spray a small non-stick frying pan with oil and place over a medium heat. When the pan is hot, add one-quarter of the batter. Tilt the pan and swirl the batter around to cover the base evenly. Cook until the pancake is golden brown and set underneath, then flip it over and cook the other side.
4. Slide the pancake out of the pan on to a plate and keep warm while you cook the remaining pancakes in the same way.
5. Divide the apple filling between the pancakes and roll up or fold over. Serve immediately, dusted with cinnamon.

FOR A SAVOURY MEAL

Mushroom bacon and egg pancake stack by the Mushroom bureau

For the pancakes

• 400g button mushrooms, finely chopped
• 2-3 tbsp butter
• 225g self-raising flour, sifted
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 200ml milk
• 1 egg, beaten
• 100g tinned sweetcorn, drained
• 50g cheddar cheese, grated

To serve

• Cooked bacon
• Poached egg

METHOD

1. Melt half the butter in a large non-stick frying pan over medium heat until hot. Add mushrooms and cook until tender. Spoon mushrooms into a sieve and set aside over a bowl to cool 10 minutes.
2. Place the flour and bicarbonate in a large bowl. Make a well in centre. Add milk and egg. Mix until the batter is smooth. Stir half the cooked mushrooms and all the corn and cheese into the batter, mix gently to combine.
3. Wipe the frying pan clean and heat over medium heat. Brush with a little of the remaining butter. Spoon a small ladleful of batter into the pan, cook 2-3 minutes until bubbles appear on the surface. Turn pancake over and cook a further 4-5 minutes or until cooked through. Transfer pancake to a clean tea-towel and cover loosely to keep warm while making the remaining pancakes.
4. Serve topped with remaining cooked mushrooms, add bacon and a poached egg if desired. They are also delicious topped with mushrooms and a dollop of reduced fat cream cheese.

WITH AN ASIAN TWIST

Japanese Soufflé Pancakes

Japanese Soufflé Pancakes by Tom Daley

Serves 2

Ingredients

• 2 large British Lion eggs, separated
• 65g plain flour, sifted
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 2 1/2 tbsp semi-skimmed milk
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 50g golden caster sugar
• Oil, for greasing
• Maple syrup, to serve

Method

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, plain flour, baking powder, milk and vanilla extract until smooth.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk the egg whites until stiff using an electric hand whisk, then gradually add the sugar, whisking continuously, until the egg whites are stiff again.

3. Take a large spoonful of the egg whites and add to the yolk mixture. Fold gently to combine. Repeat with the remaining egg white mixture, in batches, folding it in gently and trying to knock out as little air as possible.

4. Heat a large, non-stick frying pan over low heat until hot. Place four crumpet rings (around 8cm in diameter, 3cm high) into the pan and oil the inside of the rings and base of the pan with a little oil. Fill the rings 3/4 full with batter, and cover the pan with a lid. Leave to cook for 6 minutes on one side, before carefully flipping over, using a spatula. Cook for a further 4 minutes on the other side.

5. Remove the pancakes from the rings and divide between 2 plates. Drizzle with maple syrup before serving.

IF YOU WANT TO ADD A TOUCH OF BOOZE

Provided byPolo Bar

Ingredients

• 125g Plain flour
• 25g Caster sugar
• 1.5 eggs
• 45ml Milk
• 45ml sparkling water
• 1 teaspoon Baking Powder

Method

1. Beat the milk, water, eggs and sugar together in a bowl

2. Sieve in the flour and the baking powder

3. Beat the mixture with a whisk until thick and smooth

4. Place a little oil on the flat side of the griddle

5. Place one small ladle of pancake mix at a time on the griddle

6. When the mixture starts to bubble and is firm to touch, flip the pancake over and book for a further minute

7. Place on a tray and allow to cool

FOR GLUTEN-FREE WITH CHOCOLATE

Recipe by Fran Winberg, Head Chef atLinnaean, a cafe and beauty salon in London

Ingredients

• 100g chickpea flour
• 25g arrowroot
• 25g sugar
• Pinch of salt
• 1 stick vanilla
• 25g chocolate powder
• 200ml sparkling water

Method

1. Mix chickpea flour with arrowroot, sugar, maple syrup, cinnamon, a pinch of salt, vanilla pod and sparkling water, then add chocolate powder
2. Leave the batter overnight in the fridge
3. Pop a little coconut oil in a pan and cook the mixture on both sides until cooked through
4. Add strawberries & banana to finish