Perfect pancakes from around the world

By Vicky Anscombe on 25 February 2020

Fancy adding a little something extra to your pancakes tonight? We’ve found three pancake recipes from France, Germany and the USA which will ensure your battered treats have a little more bite.

Now’s the time to take inspiration from travel and ditch the same old recipe you’ve been using for years – the American pancakes are our favourite, but we recommend having them for dinner alone, as they’re too filling as a dessert!

French crepes

These are best served with a dash of sugar and a squeeze of lemon, although, if you fancy something a bit more decadent, whipped cream and Nutella should suffice.

Ingredients:

30g unsalted butter melted (plus more for frying)
150g plain flour
325ml milk
1 large egg

Method:

Heat a shallow pan, preferably one with sloping sides, add the butter, and let it melt

Put the flour, milk and egg into a blender and mix together. Pour the batter mix into a jug and stir in the melted butter

Ladle 2–3 tablespoons of batter into the pan, then raise the pan and swirl it so the mixture coats the bottom

If the layer is nice and thin, this will cook in around one minute, so flip it, and cook for 30 seconds to a minute on the other side

Slide the pancake onto some baking parchment, add your toppings and eat at once

American fluffy pancakes

Filling and decidedly moreish, these are best saved for the weekend or as a meal in themselves – they’re far too rich to have as a dessert! Try adding a large handful of fresh blueberries to the batter before cooking for an extra kick.

Ingredients:

135g plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
2 tbsp caster sugar
130ml milk
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 tbsp melted butter (allowed to cool slightly) or olive oil, plus extra for cooking

To serve:

Method:

Sift the flour, baking powder, salt and caster sugar into a large bowl. In a separate bowl or jug, lightly whisk together the milk and egg, then pour in the melted butter

Pour the milk mixture into the flour mixture and beat until you have a smooth batter. Let the batter stand for a few minutes

Heat a non-stick frying pan and add a small chunk of butter. When it’s melted, add a ladle of batter and swirl around. Don’t worry if it seems very thick – it should be

When the pancake begins to bubble, flip it over and cook the other side. When it’s done, it should be 1cm thick and golden brown on both sides. Serve with spoonfulls of real maple syrup and extra butter

German buttermilk pancakes

These are loved by skiers as they’re the ‘perfect pre-ski breakfast’. Served with homemade buttermilk syrup, they’re an early-morning sweet treat.

Ingredients:

6 eggs
225ml milk
140g all-purpose flour
½ tsp salt
2 tbsp butter, melted

For the buttermilk syrup:

150g sugar
170ml buttermilk
115g butter
2 tbsp corn syrup
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp vanilla extract
A small amount of confectioners’ sugar

Method:

Combine the eggs, milk, flour and salt in a blender until they form a smooth batter

Pour the melted butter into an ungreased baking dish; add the batter. Bake, uncovered, at 200°C for 20 minutes

Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, combine the first five syrup ingredients; and boil for seven minutes. Remove from the heat, and stir in the vanilla extract

Dust the pancake with confectioners’ sugar; serve immediately with the syrup. This will serve eight