28 April 2022

Swedish Pancakes - Pannkakor

Swedish Pancakes - Pannkakor / www.delightfulrepast.com

Swedish pancakes came about because a friend asked if I could pick up an order of Swedish pancakes from a local restaurant for her visiting grandchildren because it was one of their favorites. And I, of course, said "Why don't I just make some?"

So I read all about how they differed from crepes and then adjusted my carefully formulated crepes recipe accordingly. Some people use no sugar in Swedish pancakes, but others use crazy amounts of the stuff! Let me assure you the lone half tablespoon of sugar in my recipe is plenty for a sweet pancake.

Lingonberry jam is the traditional accompaniment and cannot be improved upon. The small sour berries make a delightfully tart jam that goes so well with a meal of Swedish meatballs as well as with Swedish pancakes. Some say it is raspberry jam that is "authentic."

But any berry jam will work. That and a light dusting of powdered sugar and a little whipped cream never go amiss. Wonderful for breakfast, but also great for dessert. In fact, they are the dessert following pea soup for a traditional Thursday night Swedish dinner.

And my British readers will notice straight away that Swedish pancakes themselves are the same as British pancakes! But the traditional accompaniment to British pancakes is a tiny sprinkle of sugar and a squeeze of lemon. Scrummy!

Do leave a comment and tell me about your favorite pancakes—Swedish, British, American, or otherwise—because I love them all! 


Swedish Pancakes - Pannkakor / www.delightfulrepast.com

If you like it, please Pin it and share it!

Swedish Pancakes - Pannkakor


(Makes 12 8-inch pancakes)

1 2/3 dip-and-sweep cups (8.33 ounces/236 grams) unbleached all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs
2 1/4 cups (18 fluid ounces/532 ml) milk
2 tablespoons (1 ounce/28 grams) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled

1 In 1-quart glass measure, vigorously whisk together flour, sugar, and salt.

2 In a bowl, whisk eggs together, then whisk in milk and melted butter.

3 To get a really smooth batter, whisk no more than half the milk mixture into the flour mixture until smooth before adding the rest. Whisk well. The batter (about 4 cups) should be about as thick as heavy cream. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours.

4 Use a 10-inch nonstick fry pan (I love this tri-ply stainless steel pan!) with flared (not straight) sides to make 8-inch pancakes. Put a tiny piece of butter in the pan and brush it around as it melts. Heat the pan over medium heat until it is thoroughly heated (droplets of water sprinkled onto the pan will sizzle and disappear immediately), about 3 minutes, depending on your pan and your stove. 

Tip: People are always saying the first pancake is just a tester. But your very first pancake will be perfect if you just have the patience to heat your pan properly. Don't waste your batter in an insufficiently heated pan. And remember to gently stir the batter before using it. Give it a stir before each pancake. Tender and seemingly delicate, the pancakes are really quite easy to handle.

5 Here it is now, The Swirl: Holding pan off heat, quickly pour into the center of the pan 1/3 cup of batter, and immediately begin swirling, tilting and rolling, the pan until the batter covers the bottom of the pan evenly. Cook until lightly browned on the bottom and looking dry on the top, particularly the edge. The time will vary, depending on your pan and your stove; 1 to 1 1/2 minutes is about right for mine. Using both hands, lift the edge with your fingers and turn it over. The second side will need less time, about half, to cook.

Tip: I use a 1/3-cup measure, from my stainless steel measuring cup set, for just the right amount of batter. And I use a mini silicone spatula to start lifting the edge, then take hold of it with the thumb and index finger of both hands and quickly flip it over. To remove the finished pancake from the pan, just tilt it over the plate you're stacking them on and let it slide out.

6 Repeat until all the batter is used. This recipe makes precisely enough batter for 12 pancakes. For immediate use, stack pancakes and keep covered. Or stack on a plate and store, wrapped, in the refrigerator until ready to use, up to 2 or 3 days; may also be frozen for up to 2 months. Allow frozen pancakes to thaw completely before unwrapping, separating, and reheating.

7 Serve with lingonberry jam or another type of berry jam, a dusting of powdered sugar, a dollop of whipped cream, or whatever you like.

Disclosure: We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon .com and affiliated sites. We are a ThermoWorks affiliate, earning a small commission at no cost to you on purchases made through our links. This helps cover some of the costs of running the blog. Thank you for your support. 

Jean

If you liked this post, please Pin it and share it!

39 comments:

ellen b. said...

My 'Dear' has been making Swedish pancakes for our family for years and it's one of those things that you can't mess with since the memories of what they taste like rule. Yours look delicious on a plate!

Vee said...

My husband, a Swede, did not care for Swedish pancakes because they didn't have enough oomph to them. We settled on Finnish pancakes—Pannukakku. Now he loved those and so do I! Prior to learning about those, I liked Dutch babies best. So much variety in the pancake world. Certainly plenty to keep one content with whatever recipe is chosen.

Thomas "Sully" Sullivan said...

Fave pancakes? I’ve heard them described a number of different ways, but what’s in a name? In my domicile, I simply call them pecan corn fritters. They are, however, a basic buttermilk pancake with corn and pecans in generous profusion. Copious amounts of butter added in chunks while the pancakes are still hot is essential. And, of course, maple syrup. Cold OJ or pink grapefruit juice, also essential. Sausages to taste. As with many meals, this one depends on timing from griddle to tastebuds…

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Thanks, Ellen! No, you can't mess with an old family recipe. That just wouldn't be right! 😁

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Vee, you must tell me more about the Finnish pancakes! And what did your husband like to put on them?

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Sully, that sounds delicious! There's just something about the combination of pecans, sausage, and maple syrup!

Cheryl said...

I have made plain-old-pancakes for years, having tweaked the recipe in my 1970s Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook until it pleased me. When the grandkids come for a sleepover, we always have pancakes for breakfast and Ron and I tag team . . . I make the batter; he fries them on the griddle. We make lots! There is a line in the movie Gettysburg in which Major Taylor tells Robert E. Lee, "We have flapjacks in small mountains." Ron usually says that sometime in the pancake-making process.

Your Swedish pancakes look delicious. I should venture out of my plainness and try them. But not on sleepover days. :)

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Cheryl, thanks for sharing your pancake story! Yes, I hope you'll try the Swedish pancakes, but NOT on sleepover days—can't mess with such a sweet family tradition!

TONY said...

The only Swedish phrase I know is: "Det finns inget dÄligt vÀder, bara dÄliga klÀder."
I think that translates as ," there’s no such thing as bad weather, only the wrong clothes.”
Will that do for commenting on your wonderful looking pancakes? I hope you can accept the compliment!!
Your Swedish pancake looks great, Jean. Well done for being adventurous in your cooking. I like that!! All the best, Tony

Kitchen Riffs said...

I've made plenty of pancakes and crepes, and never met one I didn't like. Never made Swedish pancakes, though -- need to remedy that. Soon! These look great -- thanks.

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Thanks, Tony. I love trying new things. These should freeze very well, so I should get busy and make a couple batches for the freezer. Thanks for teaching me a Swedish saying—only thing I know in other languages is food terms!

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Thanks, John. Do it soon. I see you inventing a drink with lingonberries!

David Scott Allen said...

Love these — I have a Swedish friend who often made these for us — and lingonberry jam is de rigueur! Thanks!

Jeanie said...

I've never had a Swedish pancake -- they always sounded hard. But your instructions are excellent. So, do you eat them warm? Because I know you talked about them in the fridge. And if so, do you heat them again?

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Thanks, David. Yes, I'm stuck on lingonberry jam now, will never be without it!

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Thanks, Jeanie. I hope you'll try them soon. They really are easy. They cook quickly and you get into a rhythm. But you can make them ahead and leave at room temp if you'll be serving in a couple hours or put them in the refrigerator. Then reheat them just before serving.

Sherry's Pickings said...

i'm not a massive fan of pancakes but i don't mind the occasional crepe! and i can even take a pikelet or two on the odd occasion :-) I must be weird; not a fan of pasta or pancakes or bread or ...

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Sherry, no, that's not weird. Actually, I envy you. We'd probably all be healthier without those things or, at least, without so much of them!

Anne said...

mmmm your pancakes look lovely. Yes, they are much like British pancakes, but I have never added sugar to my mix, the sweetness always comes from the toppings. I love sugar and lemon, but my family favourite is Nutella (Chocolate hazelnut spread) and bananas. With a little cream on top.
#pocolo

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Thanks, Anne. The bananas would be wonderful with the Nutella. I'll remember that for guests. I prefer the sourness of lemon or lingonberries myself. A little cream on top of most things is always nice!

Denise at Forest Manor said...

Oh Jean, these look delish!! I have already pinned the recipe. :D So far, my favorite kind of pancakes are buttermilk pancakes with butter and maple syrup -- blueberry pancakes are a close second. I've been meaning to try the Dutch Babies -- just haven't gotten around to that yet. My husband and I are both pancake (and waffle) lovers, so I must try your recipe for Swedish pancakes. It seems like they would be good with fresh berries such as strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries, as well.

Thank you for sharing this, Jean, and have a terrific weekend!

Hugs,

Denise

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Thanks so much, Denise! Yes, they are very good with fresh berries, too, but I have to tell you, I am hooked on that tart lingonberry jam! Hope you two are having a lovely weekend.

Dee | GrammysGrid.com said...

I wonder if I'd like these as I don't care for regular pancakes :) Thanks so much for linking up at the Unlimited Link Party 76. Pinned.

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Dee, thank you, and I think you might like these. They are a completely different texture than regular pancakes. Let me know if you try them!

Phil in the Kitchen said...

This isn't fair, you've made me very hungry and given me a serious craving for pancakes. They just look so inviting. As for my favourite, though, that's a very hard choice. When I was very young food in our house wasn't great (understatement) but classic British pancakes were an occasional treat and lemon and sugar was definitely my favourite way to eat them. But then in the 1970s it was Dutch pancakes that became THE thing to eat in London for me, usually from a place in the Kings Road. (Not Dutch Babies - they're very different and I'm told that they're not really Dutch). Later I was obsessed by the buckwheat Galette Bretonne ComplĂšte with ham, egg and cheese. But if you include the Indian Dosa in the pancake hall of fame, then that might be the best of the lot for me.

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Phil, you always wow me with your culinary experiences! Now I have to learn about Dutch pancakes, and the Galette Bretonne, and I've never tried dosa. Well, I'll add them to my ever-growing list of must-try dishes!

Stephanie 139a said...

They look delicious - and I'd be happy to try with any jam if there's any tasters! Thanks for sharing with #PoCoLo

Thisiswhereitisat said...

Oh yum they look delicious and I need to try them x #pocolo

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Thanks, Stephanie. Much appreciated.

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

TIWIIA, thanks. I hope you'll try them soon!

Sherry's Pickings said...

oh yum delicious!

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Thanks, Sherry!

Chris David said...

Really delicious recipe. I love it yummy!!! It's really awesome

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Thanks. Tried to comment at Beck & Bulow, but comment was rejected as spam, despite doing the captcha thingy.

Miz Helen said...

Thanks so much for sharing your awesome post with us at Full Plate Thursday, 587. We sure have enjoyed featuring your post this past week and hope you will come back to see us again some time!
Miz Helen

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Thanks so much, Miz Helen! It's an honor to be featured on Full Plate Thursday! See you soon.

kitty@ Kitty's Kozy Kitchen said...

I make German Pancakes from an old Farm Journal cookbook. They were a favorite of my kids for their birthday breakfast and now my grandchildren love them. I’ll have to try your recipe.

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Kitty, thank you. I hope you will and let me know how you liked them.

French Ethereal said...

So good, Jean!!! I love crĂȘpes and do make them now and again, but okay... Now I HAVE to try Swedish pancakes!!! Thank you for the recipe and I am happy to share your recipe (and post) at tonight's Share Your Style #348 for you. <3

Happy summertime to you,
Barb :)