Dutch Pancakes
Dutch pancakes are not like American pancakes. They’re kind of a cross between an American pancake and a French crêpe. French crêpes are thinner and usually a little bit bigger though. I’ve grown up with Dutch pancakes called ‘Pannenkoeken’ in Dutch. In the Netherlands pancakes are often eaten for dinner. But they’re also easily eaten for breakfast and lunch as well. They’re super easy to make, you typically eat them rolled up. Dutch pancakes can be made sweet or savory. My favorite savory version is with bacon. Today I’ll be sticking with a basic pancake recipe which you can adjust to your liking.
How To Make Dutch Pancakes
You’ll need flour, milk, eggs, a pinch of salt and some oil. Optionally you can add a little bit of sugar and cinnamon. Which is what I usually add when I make them. I use vanilla sugar. (A full list of ingredients including measurements can be found in the recipe card below).
Start by adding flour, salt, sugar and cinnamon to a bowl.
Whisk the dry ingredients and make a little well in the middle. Add eggs and while whisking, add milk. Once all the milk has been added I usually switch to a hand blender to make sure there are no lumps in the batter.
Add in the oil and mix it a little bit more to make sure all the oil is incorporated into the batter. You’ll end up with a liquid batter. Cover the batter with plastic wrap and set it aside for 30 minutes.
After 30 minutes you’ll see the batter has thickened a little bit. Now it’s time to start baking, add a some butter to a frying pan. Add just enough batter to the pan to cover the bottom. I like to use a ladle and tilt the pan while pouring the batter into the pan. You don’t want a thick pancake. Only add more batter if after tilting the pan you don’t have enough batter to cover the bottom of the pan.
You will start to see the batter dry up in the pan as you’re baking the pancake. Once the batter is dry, you can flip the pancake and bake it for another minute. Once the pancake has some nice golden spots on both sides the pancake is ready to serve.
Serve the pancake hot or cold with syrup, sugar or any other topping of your choosing.
Dutch pancakes are typically eaten rolled up. Put your favorite topping on the pancake, roll it up and eat up, either use your hands or use a fork and knife to cut and eat the rolled up pancake.
These pancakes are delicious I hope you’ll like them as much as I do.
| Prep Time | 5 minutes |
| Cook Time | 30 minutes |
| Passive Time | 30 minutes |
| Servings |
pancakes |
- 2 cups all-purpose flour 250 g
- pinch of salt
- 2 teaspoons vanilla sugar optional
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon optional
- 2 eggs
- 2 cups milk 500 ml
- 1/2 tablespoon oil optional
- whisk
- hand blender
- ladle
- butter for frying
- frying pan
- long spatula for flipping the pancakes
Ingredients
Pancake Batter
Other tools
| |
- Mix flour, salt, sugar and cinnamon in a bowl. Make a little well in the middle and add the eggs and while whisking, add milk.
- Switch to using a hand blender and mix. Add the oil and mix till you've got a smooth batter. Cover the batter with plastic wrap and set aside at room temperature for 30 minutes.
- Put a frying pan on the stove at medium heat and add butter to a pan. Using a ladle, pour pancake batter into the pan. While pouring the batter, make sure you tilt the pan so you'll cover the entire bottom of the pan and get a thin pancake.
- When the pancake starts to dry out on top the pancake can be flipped. Bake the pancake till golden on both sides.
- Continue baking pancakes till the batter is finished.
- Serve the pancakes hot or cold with any topping of your choosing. Put the topping on the pancake, roll it up and it's ready to be eaten.
Please note that the cup measurements in this recipe are approximate. I have added cups for those that prefer using cups. The recipe is most accurate using weights measurements.
- Cinnamon and sugar in this recipe are optional.
- The oil in this recipe is optional. Adding it will help prevent the pancake from sticking to the pan.
- If you don't have the time to let the batter rest 30 minutes you can bake the pancakes immediately after making the batter. Best results however is after waiting at least 30 minutes.
Slice a banana in the length and put that on the raw side before you flip the pannenkoek over. Flip it over and when it is done just put some sugar on it. That’s how l like them.
Can’t wait to have some real Dutch pancakes and find some other recipes that bring back those wonderful memories of my childhood.
We sautéed sliced apples in butter and sugar and added them to the raw side. My daughter did them as a school project and we all loved them.
I totally fell in love with these when we lived in the Netherlands years ago!! I loved them with ham and cheese. So versatile as they can beaten either sweet or savory for any meal. Very handy when you find yourself without any bread made…thanks a million!!! Now if I could only find some Dutch strope…….sigh. Not molasses and not honey, just unique…..
i love these i eat them all the time
I have super fond memories of my father who came here from Holland in 1953, making these almost every Sunday for breakfast. He made them work half Hungry Jack mix and half Robin Hood flour instead of all flour. He never added sugar or salt. Once cooked, he would take a beautiful golden pannenkoeken and put a perfect strip of strawberry preserves down the middle. He’d then roll them up and cut them into bite size pieces for me (I was a little girl then). He’would finish them off with a lovely whipped cream flower on each piece. All that love made them even more delicious!! I can’t wait to make them. Thank you for all the posts here.
You’re welcome 🙂 You can omit the salt and sugar if you want. If I make them savory I leave out the sugar as well.
Every time my oma would make these for breakfast, it felt like a special holiday. Syrup and powdered sugar was my favorite growing up. Even peanut butter or strawberries. So good thank you for sharing.
How do you suggest eating them as a savory pancake? Any change of recipe? How to put on the toppings….
I would omit the sugar and add a little bit of black pepper to the batter. When making bacon pancakes I would fry the bacon first and pour the batter on top of the fried bacon. For cheese pancakes I would put the cheese on the pancake after pouring the batter into the pan. (for cheese I do recommend a non stick pan since the cheese will melt)
We add cut up apples to ours. Dice them small and add to the batter. So yummy! We also take cold ones, rolled with sugar and cinnamon to our Independence Day parade. Thank you for sharing. My mom passed away recently and I never got the recipe from her.
Sounds delicious! I’m happy to hear you like the recipe 🙂
They’re the best if fried in lard!
haha Laura, how did i find you on here….i just googled dutch pancakes!!!
I like my pancakes with lemon and sugar sprinkled over them, roll up and eat, yummy
Yes, that’s delicious! 🙂
can you make the batter the night befor breakfast?
Yes you can, I would leave it in the fridge overnight and take it out at least 30 minutes before you start baking them so it comes back up to room temperature.
My father always added cinnamon and ginger powder, vanilla extract and a shot of rum to his.
That sounds delicious as well!
I had to try making after our trip to Netherlands and having the most AMAZING ginger pannenkoeken! Used your recipe along with suggestions from my Dutch friend (left out the oil). OMG, mine were just as good as what I had overseas!! I did some with ginger and some with mini M&M’s, just for fun. Both were crazy good. Wish I could post the pix here. Thank you
I’m glad to hear you enjoyed the pancakes. The use of oil is optional so you can definitely leave it out if desired. Your ginger and M&M’s version sounds delicious as well 😀
Can i use whole wheat flour too?
Yes you can, you will just have to check if you might need more milk.
I loved these! I made them for my fiancé (whom is Dutch) and he said they are the best pannenkoeken he has had since coming to the States 5 years ago! Thank you, I am so glad I found this recipe and was able to successfully recreate one of his childhood favorites.
Hi Jana,
I’m happy to hear you and your husband enjoyed the pancakes 😀
Very much like the ones that my “German” grandparents made for me as a kid. Now I make them for my family. We spread them with applesauce then roll them up and sprinkle them with sugar. Yes, you can never make too many!
They are really delicious cold with butter and sugar. When you have 4 children you always make plenty, any left over were eaten the next day.
You can never have too many pancakes 😉
I often make “Dutch” pancakes for our grandkids when they come for sleepovers. My recipe is a little different but also very simple:
4 cups milk
5 eggs
2 cups flour
Beat the eggs into the milk, then add the flour.
Pour into frying pan using a little butter for each pancake
Flip after surface looks dry and continue to cook just a minute or so.
It makes quite a large batch.
We eat them with jams, jellies, maple syrup, haagelslag, rolled up and topped with whipped cream.
Eet Smaakelijk!
P.S. My grandkids love me☺
Sounds yummy!
We also used to squeeze some lemon juice and a sprinkling of sugar on them before rolling them up. An old classic way. Always put some butter first while they are still hot. (60 years ago when I was a 10 year old)
This was amazing ? I will now make thousands of pancakes ?!!!!!!!!!!!!
Awesome 😀 I’m happy to hear you enjoyed them and will make them more often 🙂