Let’s get right down to it: Swedish pancakes are delightful. They are golden, buttery, chewy and thick enough to sink your teeth into, but thin enough to give you a signature Swedish pancake thin and lacy edge – like something between an American pancake and a French crepe. Topped with lingonberry jam and yogurt, or whipped cream, or just straight cream?
Ugh. I love them. This is my go-to recipe and method.
Swedish Pancakes
Lindsay’s Notes
I grew up eating them, and I’ve always liked them, but wow. 2023 has been my Year of the Swedish Pancakes. We are just making them all the time right now.
They are chewy, light, tender and fluffy and bendy. There’s enough body to sink your teeth into but they still get that signature lacy edge. They are buttery, golden, rollable, stackable, and fillable. They’re delicious hot and steaming out of the pan; they’re also delicious as a cold snack straight out of the fridge.
I LOVE THEM.
They are also incredibly easy to make. As a breakfast OR as a dinner. Exhibit A: Bjork does not make dinner in our family – we have chosen those roles for ourselves and I am so happy to be the 99% of the time dinner-maker. But last month, on more than one occasion, I drove home from a weeknight event with the girls and called him on the way home and said:
“Hi, we’ll be home in 10 minutes and I didn’t make dinner. Can you blitz up some Swedish pancakes for us?”
And we arrived at home to 3 plates of Swedish pancakes ready to go. If he can do it, really, ANYONE can do it. Bless him.
These Swedish pancakes are breakfast; these are dinner. They are as much a holiday-breakfast-level treat as they are a roll-up snack that you take to the park with your kids (see picture). THESE DO IT ALL.
The TLDR is that we make these all the time.
It’s a Forever Files recipe for me!
How To Make Swedish Pancakes
Step 1: Make your batter.
I do this in a blender to get the eggs extra fluffed up.
Step 2: Pour it in and give the pan a little tilt.
Pour the batter into the pan, and immediately give it a slight tilt so the batter spreads wider to create a thinner edge. I recommend holding both the blender to pour, AND the handle of the pan at the same time so you can almost do this simultaneously.
If this stresses you out, you don’t have to do this at all – you could just fry up the Swedish pancakes as-is and they’d be a bit thicker around the edges and still delicious. The only reason for the slight pan tilt is that it creates that signature Swedish pancake thin and lacy edge that is delightful to eat!
This example photo is off-heat, but you can see the effect of a pan tilt here. This is generally what you’re looking for:
Step 3: Cook and fold.
I like to go for a golden brown on the first side of my pancakes (1-2 minutes).
They are so thin that once the first side is cooked, you really only need 10-20 seconds on the back side.
Once they’re done, even sometimes while they’re still in the pan, I like to fold them into fourths.
PS. I spy a lacy edge! All from a little pan tilt!
Step 4: Top with lingonberry jam! (Or, whatever it is that you like.)
I’m a firm believer in a jam + creamy element.
And I’m very strongly going to advocate for lingonberry jam! What are Swedish pancakes without lingonberry jam?! It’s the Swedish way! It’s SO good – sweet, but tart, with a really nice little bit of bitterness that just tastes right against the buttery golden goodness of the pancakes.
I grew up eating it this way and I can’t recommend it enough.
If you’re not a lingonberry jam lover, my runner-up would be blueberry jam (the Bonne Maman brand is outrageously good) with strawberry jam last coming in third. I normally love strawberry jam, but it’s giving more Toast or PB&J and less Swedish Pancakes to me. But I’m just saying this because this is my website. You do you.
I can also recommend the following combinations:
- jam + Greek yogurt
- jam + whipped cream
- jam + cream (yes, just a straight drizzle of heavy whipping cream)
- fresh fruit + whipped cream
- Nutella (not traditional but I wouldn’t say no to it)
- standard maple syrup and whipped cream
Swedish Pancakes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Yield: 4 servings (about 3 pancakes each) 1x
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Swedish Pancakes
- 3 eggs
- 1 1/2 cups whole milk
- 1 cup flour
- 3 tablespoons melted butter
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
For Topping:
- lingonberry or blueberry jam
- plain yogurt
- whipped cream (or just straight heavy whipping cream – trust, it’s delicious)
Instructions
- Make Pancake Batter: Blend the eggs and milk until doubled in size, about 30 seconds. Add flour, melted butter, sugar, and salt; blend for another 15-20 seconds until combined.
- Pour and Pan Tilt: Preheat a nonstick or cast iron pan over medium heat. With your hand ready on the handle of the pan, pour a small amount of pancake batter into the pan. Immediately tilt the pan to spread the batter even wider, which will give you a signature thin lacy edge on your pancake.
- Cook: Let it sit for about 1 minute; use a spatula to pull the edges up and flip the pancake. Cook for another 15-30 seconds on the back side. You can cook to your desired level of doneness; I prefer golden brown speckles on the front side, and pale on the back side.
- Serve: Serve them flat, folded, or rolled, topped with whatever you like: maple syrup, whipped cream, fruit, jams, etc. I like to fold them and serve with lingonberry jam and yogurt.
Notes
Thickness / Milk Amounts: I really enjoy a Swedish pancake that is more on the thicker side – something that’s thin and lacy but you can really get a satisfying bite with. Plus, the thicker they are, they easier they are to flip. The 1 1/2 cups of milk will get you my ideal ratio. That said, if you prefer them on the thinner side, 1 3/4 cup or even 2 cups of milk will still give you something a bit more papery.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
Frequently Asked Questions For Swedish Pancakes
I grew up in a very Scandinavian-rooted community and I have eaten a lot of Swedish pancakes (also known as pankakkor). Here’s my born-and-raised-in-Minnesota description of what they are: Swedish pancakes are like a hybrid between a regular pancake and a crepe.
The main difference between is that Swedish pancakes are thinner and less fluffy. Regular pancakes are fluffy thanks to baking powder or baking soda giving them lift; Swedish pancakes, while thin, have a dense, egg-heavy batter with no baking powder or baking soda. They are more flat, more chewy, and less absorbent of whatever toppings you put on them.
The batter of Swedish pancakes and crepes is, from what I can tell, very similar. The most obvious difference is that crepes are made with a crepe roller and often have savory fillings. Swedish pancakes are made with a pan tilt to make them thin and they are almost always served with sweet fillings (lingonberries and cream, be still my heart).
So glad you asked! Because it’s very Swedish and BOMB DELICIOUS! Here’s the stuff I buy – and yes, I buy it in the multi-pack on Amazon and stock up for year-round Swedish pancakes!
You’ll need replacements for the eggs, milk, and butter. Here’s a vegan Swedish pancake recipe that looks great.
Yes! You can blitz this up and save some or all for later! I usually keep the batter in the fridge for 1-3 days. I keep it in glass jars and just give it an aggressive shake to get it all fluffed back up and re-incorporated before cooking.
Easily for several days. You can reheat them in the microwave, but I would recommend reheating in a skillet or even in the oven. Also: I actually love to eat these cold out of the fridge, spread with some yogurt and jam and rolled up for a quick snack or breakfast.
Yes! Use a gluten free flour (such as Bob’s Red Mill All Purpose Gluten Free 1-to-1 Flour) and you should be good to go!
Yes, but the advantage of doing it in a pan is that you have a handle that allows you to tilt the pan, getting that nice thin lacy edge. A griddle will make it go faster to make a bunch of them, but they’ll be thicker around the edges.
