These South African pancakes are easy to make and extremely versatile, filled with cream, chocolate, a sprinkle of sugar and fresh berries. Thicker than crepes and slightly thinner than fluffy pancakes, these are a weekend staple around here.
Soft and Fluffy Pancakes
We love lazy weekends because those don't come around too often, there's always someone or everyone either working or busy. Any chance that we are all at home together, it's pancakes to the family table!
Made with a few key pantry ingredients; flour, sugar, eggs and milk these pancakes come together quicker than you think. Whisk all the ingredients together and pour the batter into a hot skillet and cook until you see tiny bubbles appear, at which point you are about to flip! In this recipe I am using a blender to mix the ingredients but whisking is how it all started.
The Difference Between Pancakes and Crepes
Pancakes are thicker than crepes and that's without any technicalities.
How To Make South African Pancakes
You will love this recipe because it always works, and you can make the batter thin (use less batter) or thicker by using a little more batter.
Butter: Talking about prep, melt the butter in the microwave and get a cooking brush, on your works station.
Combine: Milk, eggs and butter. In the jug of a stand blender or bowl and whisk. Blend for 20 seconds or whisk until combined.
Cook: Heat a non stick pan and add roughly ½ teaspoon of butter to cook the pancakes. This should take you through about 3 pancakes before you need to add more butter.
Brush the butter across the the bottom of the pan but wait until the pan is hot before adding the butter. The heat must be medium to high, butter will melt, pour the batter into the pan. The batter cooks for just under a minute, it will show the appearance of small bubbles, you know its time to flip it over. The opposite side always needs half the time of the fist side to cook.
Cinnamon Sugar: As they cook add cinnamon sugar and stack them until all the batter is done.
Add cinnamon sugar to your pancakes as they come out the pan, cover and keep warm while you finish the rest of the batter.
From my kitchen to yours, helping you make the perfect South African pancakes.
Use room temperature eggs and if you forget to take the eggs out, place them in a bowl and run hot water from the tap, leave them for a minute in there. Hot tap water is never as hot as boiling kettle water so the tap water won't 'cook them'.
After melting the butter in the microwave, let it stand on the countertop to cool while you prep the other ingredients. The butter should be cooled before adding it to the heat sensitive eggs because we don't want a curdled batter.
Cooking the pancakes doesn't require a lot of butter especially (and it should be) in a non stick pan. If you add about ¼ to ½ teaspoon of butter, it should be good for another 3 pancakes.
In saying that, if you see your pancake looking dry as you cook it, add a little butter to the pan.
Bubbles appearing on the surface will be a sign to turn, yes, but I prefer cooking pancakes this way;
- Pour the batter into a hot pan with melted butter.
- Now pour the batter in and immediately lift, tilt and swirl the pan so the batter is as even as it can be throughout the bottom of the pan. Place the pan immediately back on the heat, let it cook the pancake uninterrupted.
When you see bubbles, flip it over by gently sliding the egg lifter/spatula on the edges of the pancake, once you find a cooked edge hold gently it and turn the pancake over.
It becomes easier with every pancake 🙂
Batter Not mandatory but suggested: Pour just enough batter to fill the base of your pan. If your pan is small, you are looking at ¼ cup measurement, bigger pan, ⅓ cup measurement. You can also just pour your batter to cover the bottom of the pan and regulate it yourself.
It's important to work with the method that suits you best.
Heat You know how the first pancake always comes out the worst and then as you reach the end of the batter, they start looking good? Consider your heat!
Even Cooking Pancakes
Keep the heat constant. Decrease, increase and let the pan heat for a good few minutes before you start. If your butter instantly goes brown, your pan is too hot, wipe it down with tissue paper and start fresh.
Easy Storage
Keep in a sealed container in the fridge, when you are ready to cook the pancakes, give it a stir and go ahead. About 2 days is how long the batter should stay in the fridge and longer is done yes, but it's no longer as fresh. The batter is best on the day, next day your best bet.
Serving Suggestions
These South African pancakes are traditionally served warm with cinnamon sugar and lemon. Here are a few ideas with other ingredients;
- Fresh cream
- Seasonal fruit, berries, bananas etc.
- Chocolate spread
- Dusting of castor sugar
- Strawberry compote
- Blueberry compote
- Cranberry sauce
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More Pancake Recipes
- Melt In The Mouth Fluffy Blueberry Ladle Pancakes
- Beetroot Pancakes With Almond Flour (Gluten-Free)
- Almond Flour Blueberry Pancakes
- Yogurt Pancake Recipe
- Flour-less Delicious Spinach Pancakes
Let me know if you try these South African pancakes by commenting below, your star rating is most appreciated and ofcourse, if you do make it, let us see by using @anosmickitchen in your Instagram post and the hashtag #asosmickitchen
Recipe
South African Pancakes
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cups cake flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 eggs, room temperature
- 1 tbsp. sugar, granulated
- 2 tbsps butter, melted
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
- 2 cups milk (you can also use 1 cup milk and a cup water)
Instructions
- Beat the eggs: Crack the eggs open in a small bowl and whisk.2 eggs, room temperature
- Add other ingredients: Start by pouring one cup of milk into the blender, followed by the flour, salt, sugar, beaten eggs, vanilla and last the remaining cup of milk.1 ¼ cups cake flour, ½ teaspoon salt, 1 tbsp. sugar, granulated, ½ teaspoon vanilla, 2 cups milk (you can also use 1 cup milk and a cup water), 2 eggs, room temperature
- Blend: Blend the ingredients into a smooth batter. Stop halfway and use a spatula to clean the sides collecting any batter of the inside of the cup. In a high powered blender this takes a minute. Set the batter aside for anything from 15 minutes to overnight, in which case it should go in the fridge. Otherwise continue to the next step, cooking the pancakes.
- Cooking the pancakes: Heat a skillet or use a non stick pan over medium heat. The pan will be hot enough (don't pour batter on a cold pan) when you pour a few droplets of water onto the pan and you see them bubble.
- Lightly brush the pan with melted butter. Use a quarter cup measure to pour the batter into the pan and gently swirl the pan to spread the batter out a bit. The edges will cook first, you will notice they dry up a little, tiny bubbles will appear on the surface of the batter, turn it over and cook the other side. It takes about a minute to 2 minutes to cook each pancake.2 tbsps butter, melted
- Serve immediately while still warm with butter, cinnamon sugar and fresh fruit.
Bowl and Whisk Method
- Bowl and Whisk: Add the flour and salt into a mixing bowl, conbine and add the sugar. In a jug add the milk, eggs, butter and vanilla, whisk together. Make a well into the center of the dry ingredients, gradually pour the egg mix into the dry ingredients. Doing this part slowly helps to keep the batter smooth as opposed to pouring all the wet ingredients at one time and then having to smooth out the batter.
- The first bit of butter that you spread onto the pan should be enough for about 3 pancakes or more depending. However, if you find your pancake a little dry don't be afraid to slide a small dab of butter into the pan while it cooks.
- Place the pancakes on a serving tray, add a sprinkle of cinnamon sugar and freshly squeezed lemon juice or serve with your favorite toppings.
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