Who says pancakes are reserved only for weekend breakfast treats? Not us.
Whether it's for breakfast, brunch, dessert or a snack – we've got sweet and savoury favourites inspired by global flavours, from lemonade pancakes with colourful sprinkles to Adam Liaw's sweet mango pancakes and fluffy falafel pancakes.
Wondering how to make great pancakes from scratch? Well, you'll never look back from these easy pancake recipes – there's something for everyone.
Syrnyki (Ukrainian breakfast pancakes)
Fluffy and golden, and loved by children for their irresistible sweetness, these Ukranian pancakes are traditionally made with tvorog, an Eastern European fresh cheese. Anna-Mariia Mykytiuk's recipe, shared on Season 8 of The Cook Up with Adam Liaw, uses ricotta instead, for a recipe we can all make. These pancakes are made by using your hands to flatten pieces of a think batter into patties, and frying them in butter. Delicious with sour cream and berries!
Blinis with turmeric cream
Looking for a low-stress but impressive canape to serve at your next gathering? Try these blinis from Adam Liaw, topped with turmeric cream, salmon and dill, and get the blender to do all the work of making the batter for you.
Carly Findlay's giant pancake
One pancake to feed four people? Yes indeed, with this go-big recipe baked in a frying pan. After the batter is added to the pan, dollops of peanut butter and chocolate-hazelnut spread are dotted on top and swirled around a little, then the pancake is baked for ten minutes or so until golden. (Alternatively, you can leave out the PB and spread, and use jam or fruit instead).
Dutch baby pancake with mortadella and rocket
Golden brown and crisp at the edges, soft in the centre, oven-baked Dutch baby pancakes are texturally delightful to eat. They arrive out of the oven magnificently puffed up and then subside helpfully into a bowl shape that will carry any topping you fancy, says Helen Goh, who shares this recipe for a savoury version.
Buttermilk pancakes
"The trick to a light, airy pancake is to not overwork the batter. A few lumps are fine," says Chris Theodosi, who shared this recipe on The Cook Up. Another of Chris's tips is to have multiple frying pans on the go at the same time, so you can cook as many as possible simultaneously, then sit down to enjoy them stacked up and served with butter and maple syrup!
Swedish pancake cake
Also known as pannkakstårta, Swedish pancake cake is a traditional Swedish dessert made from layers of thin pancakes filled with whipped cream and fruit. Typically the filling includes lingonberry or berry jam and fresh berries. Here, Adam Liaw has filled his, made of 8 or so thin, crepe-like pancakes, with whipped cream, mixed berries and mixed berry jam.
Gluten-free blueberry buckwheat pancakes
These buckwheat pancakes from Helen Tzouganatos serve up double the blueberry and double the decadence with a rich coconut-blueberry cream that's drizzled in maple syrup.
Hazelnut chocolate hotcakes
Is a hotcake a pancake? It is: the names are somewhat interchangeable, both made with batter and cooked in a pan, although the name hotcake is more popular in the US and the UK than in Australia, and is often used for a slightly thicker style of pancake. Here, pancakes made with a cocoa batter get extra chocolate star-power with a dusting of roughly chopped hazelnut chocolate before they cook, and then a sauce made with milk or dark chocolate and cream drizzled over the stacked packed cakes to serve.
Chocolate three in the pan
'Three in the pan' is a traditional mini pancake cooked, as the name suggests, by putting three dollops of batter in one pan. The buckwheat and chocolate pancakes in this Dutch recipe are served with a rich salted chocolate and maple syrup sauce.
Lemonade pancakes
"My aunty taught me this one, and it’s become my go-to. Super simple. As far as toppings go, I like to re-create my childhood cafe favourite," says Rae Johnston of the recipe she shares on The Cook Up with Adam Liaw, easy three ingredient pancakes served with colourful sprinkles, ice-cream and maple syrup.
Adam's mango pancakes
These dim sum-style mango crepes can be made well in advance and refrigerated until ready to serve. Use a good nonstick pan or crepe pan for excellent results. Feel free to skip the food colouring if you don't have any, they taste just as good without it.
Falafel pancakes
Two favourites come together in this recipe from Adam Liaw, with falafel ingredients blended and cooked into fluffy savoury pancakes, served with pickles, salad leaves and tahini sauce.
Looking for more? Check out the pancake recipe collection.
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