Make these delicious Traditional South African Pancakes (pannekoek) with this foolproof recipe. These thin and light crepes are perfect for a sweet or savory treat. Serve with lemon slices, sugar and cinnamon.
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These South African pancakes are tasty and delicious. They are filled with flavor and very easy to make. and are different from American or British pancakes, which are thinner and more like crepes. They can be enjoyed with sweet or savory fillings, but the most popular one is cinnamon sugar with a squeeze of lemon juice. This creates a syrupy and tangy filling that melts in your mouth. These pancakes are perfect for a cold-weather snack with the family, as they are warm, comforting, and satisfying.
If you are a pancake lover, then try my Lotus Biscoff Stuffed Pancakes, Healthy Chocolate Pancake Recipe and Fluffy Blueberry Pancake Recipe.
Why You Should Try This Recipe
- These traditional South African pancakes are quick and easy to make.
- They are filling and delicious.
- They can be served with toppings, such as Quick White Chocolate Sauce (2-Ingredient) or Easy Milk Chocolate Ganache.
- The ingredients are budget-friendly.
Ingredients
- All-purpose flour: Sift the flour to remove excess lumps and dirt. Do not use self-raising flour because it contains leavening agents and will change the texture of the pancakes.
- Salt: I used table salt for this easy South African pancake recipe.
- Baking powder: Make sure the baking powder has not expired.
- Eggs: Use large eggs for this recipe.
- Milk: Full-fat milk works best for this South African pancake recipe.
- Butter: Cool and melt the butter before mixing with the other ingredients.
Filling
- Sugar: Use granulated sugar.
- Cinnamon: Ground cinnamon and cinnamon sticks work well.
- Lemon: Fresh lemons work best.
Tips and Substitutions
- Dry ingredients: Sift the dry ingredients before mixing. This will reduce the amount of lumps and bumps in the batter and give the pancakes a better texture.
- Batches: Feel free to double or triple the recipe if you are feeding a crowd.
- Mixing: Make sure that you don't overmix the pancakes, as it will make them tough and chewy.
How to Make Traditional South African Pancakes
- Start by making the batter. Sift the flour into a bowl and add salt and baking powder. Whisk the eggs, water, oil and lemon juice in another bowl.
2. Gradually add the wet and dry ingredients and whisk until smooth and lump-free. Let the batter rest for 30 minutes.
3. Next, cook the pancakes. Heat a non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat and lightly grease it with oil. Pour a ladleful of batter into the pan and swirl it to cover the bottom. Cook for about 2 minutes or until bubbles appear on the surface. Flip the pancake and cook for another minute or until golden. Transfer to a plate and keep warm. Repeat with the remaining batter.
4. Finally, serve these Traditional South African Pancakes, sprinkle them with cinnamon sugar, and roll them up. Squeeze some lemon juice over them if desired. Enjoy them hot or cold, with whipped cream, ice cream, fruit, jam, chocolate sauce, or any other toppings you like.
Recipe FAQs
You can store any leftover pancakes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Reheat them in a microwave or oven before serving.
A crêpe and a pannekoek are both thin, flat cakes made from flour, eggs, and milk, but they differ in their origin, ingredients and cooking methods. A crêpe is a French dish that uses wheat or buckwheat flour, butter, and no leavening agents. It is cooked on a large griddle and spread thinly using a spatula or a rozell. In comparison, a pannekoek is a Dutch dish from the Netherlands that uses all-purpose flour, oil, and sometimes leavening agents. It is cooked on a smaller skillet and poured into the center and swirled around. Both dishes can have sweet or savory fillings or toppings.
Crêpes, poffertjes, and jeon are three types of pancakes from different countries. Crêpes are thin, flat pancakes from France that have sweet or savory fillings or toppings. Poffertjes are small, fluffy pancakes from the Netherlands that are served with powdered sugar and butter. Jeon are savory pancakes from Korea that are made with various ingredients and a dipping sauce.
More Delicious Pancake Recipes
Traditional South African Pancakes
Equipment
- 1 Pan
- 1 mixing bowl
- 1 Laddle
Ingredients
- 1.5 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon of baking powder
- 2 large eggs
- 1.5 cups of milk
- 3.5 tablespoon of cooled melted butter
Filling
- 5 tablespoon of granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
- 1 lemon
Instructions
- Combine flour, salt, and baking powder in a bowl.
- Next, mix eggs, milk and melted butter in a separate bowl until combined.
- Pour wet ingredients into the bowl of dry ingredients. Whisk all the ingredients until combined. There should be no lumps. You can also mix the ingredients in a blender.
- Grease a pan with oil or butter. Then use a ladle to pour pancake batter into the pan.
- Once bubbles form flip the pancakes and cook for 1 minute on the other side. Repeat with the remaining batter.
- For the filling, combine sugar and cinnamon. Fill pancakes with the mixture and roll them up. Serve with lemon slices.
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