I know technically I should be calling these crepes, but here in South Africa, these rolled-up sugary beauties are called pancakes or pannekoek. This recipe is for traditional South African Pancakes with Cinnamon Sugar and a good squeeze of lemon juice.
If you love trying out new dessert recipes, then you have to have a look at this South African recipe for Malva Pudding or this recipe for Milktert.
Why This South African Pancake (Pannekoek) Recipe Works
- Recipe name: South African Pancakes with Cinnamon Sugar
- Ready in: 30 minutes
- Serves: 8 pancakes
- Main ingredients: Sugar, eggs, flour, milk, butter, salt, cinnamon sugar.
- Perfect for: An afternoon weekend treat that takes minutes to prepare. That's where most of my pancake memories come from my mom making Sunday afternoon pancakes.
- Why I love it: The soft texture of these pancakes is just delicious, served warm with crunchy cinnamon sugar; this treat is hard to beat!
- Calories: 211kcal
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Jump to:
- Why This South African Pancake (Pannekoek) Recipe Works
- Key Ingredients
- Variations
- How to Make South African Pancakes
- What Is The Difference Between American Pancakes and South African Pancakes?
- Storage
- Expert Tips
- South African Pancakes FAQs
- More Easy South African Dessert Recipes
- Happy Baking, With Love, Kitty
- 📖 Recipe
Key Ingredients
- Cinnamon sugar - I make my cinnamon sugar and keep it in a clean glass jar. Just mix ½ cup of granulated white sugar and two teaspoons of ground cinnamon. Adjust the cinnamon to your taste if needed.
- Lemon juice - I always prefer freshly squeezed lemon juice to bottled, which can have a harsh, artificial flavor. Fresh is always best!
- Flour - I used cake flour, but all-purpose flour will also work.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Variations
Traditionally, South African pancakes are served rolled up, dusted with cinnamon sugar, and served with lemon juice. However, I also love adding honey to that combination! These pancakes are also great served with fresh whipped cream or vanilla ice cream. or even filled with homemade jams, like this Spiced Cherry Jam or this recipe for Clementine Marmalade Jam.
If you love pancakes, don't miss this recipe for Crepes with Honey Roasted Nectarines or this delicious Milktart Crepe Cake.
How to Make South African Pancakes
- Step 1: In a jug, mix together the milk, eggs, and melted butter. Whisk together the ingredients until well combined.
- Step 2: Sift together the cake flour and the salt in a large bowl. Slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, whisking as you go to ensure that the pancake batter is lump-free.
- Step 3: Set a large frying pan over medium-high heat, and when hot, add a teaspoon of butter. Allow the butter to melt, then pour a small amount of pancake batter into the hot pan, enough to create a thin layer on the surface. Allow the pancake batter to cook until small bubbles form. Once the bubbles have formed, flip the pancake and cook the second side for about 30 seconds to 1 minute. Continue with the remaining pancake batter.
- Step 4: Once each pancake is cooked, sprinkle two teaspoons of cinnamon sugar over the surface of the pancake. Roll up the pancake and place it on a serving plate. Continue in this way as you cook the rest of the pancake batter. Once you have finished cooking all the pancakes, drizzle lemon juice over them. Serve and enjoy!
What Is The Difference Between American Pancakes and South African Pancakes?
American-style pancakes are thick and fluffy; they are served stacked and eaten as such. While South African pancakes are thin and more crepe-like. Also, it is normal to eat just one pancake rather than a full stack; these are also rolled up and filled rather than topped with flavorings.
Storage
If you aren't going to eat all the pancakes this amount of batter makes, cook only what you need and refrigerate the remaining batter. Keep the batter refrigerated until you feel like another round of pancakes! Just whisk the batter again with a fork to ensure there are no lumps, heat a frying pan, and get cooking.
Expert Tips
- Allow the butter to cool slightly before adding it to the milk and eggs. Work quickly to whisk them together. Eggs are very heat-sensitive.
- After adding the first teaspoon of butter, it should not be necessary to add any more butter to the pan to cook the pancakes. If you see the batter sticking in the pan, add another teaspoon of butter.
- Be sure you see little bubbles forming before flipping the pancakes.
- The first pancake is usually the worst, so keep trying, and eventually you'll get the hang of swirling the batter around the bottom of the pan.
- Watch that the temperature of the pan remains constant. If the pan gets too hot, it won't be easy to control how the pancakes cook, and you may end up burning a few.
South African Pancakes FAQs
You can add savory or sweet toppings to these pancakes. You can use this basic batter recipe and choose to fill these pancakes in a variety of ways. For a sweet filling, you can choose Nutella and bananas, dulce de leche, or honey and fresh fruit. The recipe will also work well with savory fillings like savory mince or even cheese and chutney.
The uncooked batter can be kept in the fridge for about 3 days. Cooked pancakes can be kept in the fridge for about two days, but expect them to get a bit hard and not taste great. Pancakes are best eaten as close to when they are cooked as possible. The hotter, the better.
These are not thick, fluffy American pancakes because we actually call those crumpets here in South Africa! Pannekoeks are thin pancakes, a popular sweet treat all around South Africa, found on menus and at markets, but mostly in homes!
More Easy South African Dessert Recipes
If you are up for more South African recipes, see my collection of South African Desserts, where I have rounded up my favorites! Be sure not to miss the Milktart Malva Pudding.
Happy Baking, With Love, Kitty
Please leave a star rating and comment below if you tried this recipe! And if you're wondering what to try next, have a look at this Hot Fudge Brownie Sundae!
📖 Recipe
South African Pancakes with Cinnamon Sugar
Ingredients
- 200 g cake flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 2 eggs extra large
- 30 g unsalted butter melted
- 500 ml milk whole
- 50 g cinnamon sugar for dusting
- 1 lemon juiced
- butter for frying
Instructions
- In a jug, mix together the milk, eggs, and melted butter. Whisk together the ingredients until well combined.
- Sift together the cake flour and the salt in a large bowl.
- Slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, whisking as you go to ensure that the pancake batter is lump-free.
- Set a large frying pan over medium-high heat, and when hot, add a teaspoon of butter. Allow the butter to melt, then pour a small amount of pancake batter into the hot pan, enough to form a thin layer on the surface. Allow the pancake batter to cook until little bubbles form. Once the bubbles have formed, flip the pancake and cook the second side for about 30 seconds to one minute. Continue with the remaining pancake batter.
- Once each pancake is cooked, sprinkle two teaspoons of cinnamon sugar onto the surface of the pancake. Roll up the pancake and place it on a serving plate. Continue in this way as you cook the rest of the pancake batter.
- Once you have finished cooking all of the pancakes add a drizzle of lemon juice over the pancakes. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- Melt the butter in the microwave or in a heated pan, then let it cool slightly before adding it to the eggs and milk.
- Serving the pancakes with lemon juice and honey is optional.
Alex says
These pancakes were a hit! Thank you!
Julia Mack says
The perfect afternoon treat! Such an easy and delicious recipe!