Pancakes are such a great breakfast – they can be made in advance, keep well in the fridge for a few days, and are just as delicious savoury as they are sweet. Try pancakes for dinner with ham and eggs, tomato and avocado or simply plenty of cheese. Read on for some of our pancake top tips and a simple recipe.
What is Pancake Day?
Pancake Day, or Shrove Tuesday, is the last day before Lent. In the UK and Ireland, it’s traditional to eat pancakes on Shrove Tuesday (hence the name!), and is when pancake races (where you attempt to run as fast as you can while flipping pancakes) are held. Lemon and sugar is the traditional topping for pancakes in the UK.
When is Pancake Day 2025?
In 2025, Pancake Day is Tuesday March 4th.
What sort of pan should you use to make pancakes?
You can make pancakes in all sorts of pans – cast-iron, enamel, carbon-steel – not just a traditional crêpe pan. If your cast-iron pan is seasoned well, properly heated and lightly greased, then the pancake shouldn’t stick. However, we wouldn’t recommend using a non-stick pan where the coating is flaking off – these can be even stickier than cast-iron pans.
Do you need to rest pancake batter?
Lots of recipes will call for resting pancake batter. This helps flour hydrate, and makes the batter slightly smoother and thicker. It’s not completely necessary, especially if you mix the batter in a blender, since that makes the mixture very smooth. However, a well hydrated dough gives you very slightly more tender pancakes. Plus, it can be convenient to make the pancake batter in advance.
How do you flip pancakes without tearing them?
Although it looks and feels incredibly cool to lift a pancake into the air with a delicate flick of your wrist, it’s definitely not the easiest way! The first thing is to not try and flip a pancake until it’s ready. The edges should be dry and lightly golden, and it shouldn’t look wet. If you’re not sure, pull up one side of the pancake very slowly. It shouldn’t feel super fragile or doughy.
When ready, we’d recommend using a thin, flexible spatula to loosen the pancake on all sides, and underneath. Then, use the spatula to pick up one edge of the pancake from the pan, pick up the edge with your fingers, then flip it over to the other side, taking care not to touch the hot pan. Or, transfer the edge of the pancake to a chopstick, as demonstrated by Pastry Living here, and use the chopstick to flip over the pancake to the other side.
How to make pancakes
We tested a whole range of pancake recipes, and found that this ratio of flour, water and egg gives you a pancake that is easiest to spread in an even layer around the pan. If the batter is too thick, or the pan is too hot, then the pancake won’t spread evenly. If the batter is too thin, it will spread evenly, but then can overcook quickly.
The sugar in the recipe below is optional – you don’t really need it if you’re using a very sweet filling, like Nutella, but it can be nice if you use something more savoury like ricotta or Greek yoghurt.
Method
Add all the ingredients to a blender jug, starting with the liquid ingredients (egg, milk and butter) then the flour, salt and sugar, if using
Blitz until completely smooth – it should be thickened and slightly foamy on top
Optionally, rest the batter in the fridge for anywhere from one hour to a whole day, for the batter to thicken slightly
When ready to cook, preheat your pan over a medium heat. The pan is ready when butter brushed on it sizzles, but doesn’t brown. It might take longer than you expect to get to temperature, but try and be patient!
Remove the pan from the heat. Add about 3–4 tablespoons of batter to the pan, then pick it up and swirl around so you have a thin, even pancake. Don’t worry if you go up the sides a bit. If you have holes in the pancake, drip a little batter into them to seal them up. If the batter cooks too quickly to swirl easily, turn the heat of the pancake down
Place back on the heat and cook until the very edges of the pancake are dry and crisp. If this takes longer than a couple of minutes, or the edges seem to glue to the bottom, then the heat was too low. Turn the heat up slightly and wait a few more minutes – or you might need to discard this pancake and start again
When you’re ready to flip, cautiously slide a thin, flexible spatula under the pancake and around the edge, making sure it’s ready to release all the way around
Use the spatula to lift up the one edge of the pancake, then use your fingers flip the pancake all the way over
Cook the second side until it’s no longer tacky, and has a few golden brown spots
Transfer the pancake to a plate, and repeat with the remaining batter. You will need to re-grease the pan, but not after every pancake, only after every third one or so
Serving suggestions
Pancakes are traditionally served with sugar and lemon as Dominic Chapman does in his simple recipe. They can make a delicious dessert, as Marcello Tully shows with his banana and toffee pancakes, but they can also be used in savoury dishes: Shaun Hill adds chard and dill to his pancakes and serves them with smoked salmon.
How do you avoid lumpy pancake batter?
One of the easiest ways to make lump-free pancakes is to use a blender to combine all the ingredients. It takes seconds - just dump all the liquid ingredients to the blender, then the dry ones, and blitz. It even gives you an easy way to pour the liquid directly into the pan!
How do you store leftover pancakes?
Keep any leftover pancakes in the fridge for up to three days, well-covered. The one on the bottom, if it’s on a plate, might stick to the ceramic, but they shouldn’t stick to each other too much. You can also freeze the pancakes, well-wrapped. If you want to defrost them in small batches, put a piece of baking parchment between some of the layers to divide them up.
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