Shrove Tuesday is one of those quietly persistent traditions that survives largely because it involves batter and very little self-denial. Falling the day before Ash Wednesday, it historically marked the moment to use up eggs, milk and sugar before the leaner weeks of Lent began. In practice, it has become a national excuse to eat pancakes for dinner and call it heritage rather than indulgence.
Britain tends to favour the thin, crepe-style pancake – lacy, pliable, built for the sharp bite of lemon and sugar – but the rest of the world has taken the idea and sprinted off in wildly different directions. In France, pancakes arrive doused in butter and theatricality, occasionally flambéed into crepes Suzette. America leans towards lofty, cushion-soft stacks slicked with maple syrup. Japan has turned pancakes into trembling, souffle-like towers that look engineered rather than cooked. Elsewhere, savoury variations abound, from Korean-style vegetable pancakes to endlessly adaptable brunch hybrids.
Toppings, of course, are where restraint finally collapses. The purists will insist on citrus and sugar. Others prefer rivers of chocolate sauce, honey, yoghurt or fruit, while modern pancake culture has enthusiastically embraced Biscoff, protein powders and anything that can be described as “brunch-appropriate”.
This collection reflects that glorious lack of consensus. There are dependable classics and cheerfully excessive riffs, including Mary Berry’s unfussy, three-ingredient staple, Joe Wicks’ American-style blueberry pancakes, Jamie Oliver’s verdant spinach number, and Cyril Lignac’s unapologetically rich, chocolate-filled showstopper. Whether your loyalties lie with delicate folds or towering stacks, Shrove Tuesday remains the rare culinary holiday with remarkably few rules – beyond making more batter than you strictly need.
Mary Berry’s simple pancake recipe
Whether you go for savoury or sweet pancakes – or both – Mary Berry’s easy pancake recipe is a foolproof method that uses only three ingredients. It works if a simple lemon and sugar topping is your thing, or if you like to pile on the ice cream, chocolate sauce and marshmallows.
Makes: 12 thin pancakes
Prep time: 5 minutes, plus 30 minutes rest | Cook time: 10-12 minutes
Ingredients:
125g plain flour
1 egg and 1 yolk
300ml milk
A little oil, for cooking
Method:
1. Sift 125g plain flour into a bowl and make a well in the middle. Whisk together one egg, one egg yolk and a little milk taken from the 300ml, then pour into the well. Whisk with a little of the flour.
2. Gradually whisk in half of the remaining milk, drawing in the rest of the flour a little at a time, to make a smooth batter. Stir in the remaining milk. Cover and leave to stand for about 30 minutes.
3. Heat a frying pan and brush with a little oil.
4. Ladle two or three tablespoons of batter into the pan and tilt the pan so that the batter spreads out evenly over the bottom.
5. Cook the pancake over a medium-high heat for 45-60 seconds until small holes appear on the surface, the underside is lightly browned and the edge has started to curl. Loosen the pancake and turn it over by tossing or flipping it with a palette knife. Cook the other side for about 30 seconds until golden. Slide the pancake out of the pan.
6. Heat and lightly grease the pan again before making the next pancake. Serve the pancakes as they are made, or stack them on a plate and reheat before serving. (If the pancakes are hot when you stack them they will not stick together; there is no need to interleave them with greaseproof paper.)
‘Mary Berry’s Complete Cookbook’ by Mary Berry (DK, £25).
Jamie Oliver’s super spinach pancakes
Pancakes and weekends go together perfectly, but what if there was a way to make them healthier? Jamie Oliver packs these ones with spinach to give them a vibrant green colour – and a bit more nutritional value.
Serve them with a fried egg on top for an extra-special bonus.
Serves: 6
Ingredients:
1 ripe avocado
350g ripe mixed-colour cherry tomatoes
100g baby spinach
3 spring onions
½ a bunch of fresh coriander (15g)
1 lime (juiced – plus more wedges for serving, if you like)
Extra virgin olive oil
1 large egg
1 mug of self-raising flour
1 mug of semi-skimmed milk
Olive oil
300g cottage cheese
Hot chilli sauce
Sea salt and black pepper
Method:
1. Halve, destone, peel and finely slice the avocado and quarter the tomatoes, then place in a salad bowl with a quarter of the spinach. Trim, finely slice and add the spring onions and pick in the coriander leaves, then squeeze over the lime juice. Drizzle with one tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil, season to perfection with sea salt and black pepper, toss to coat and put aside.
2. Crack the egg into a blender, add the flour, milk, remaining spinach and a pinch of salt and pepper, then blitz until smooth. Place a large non-stick frying pan on a medium heat, rub the pan with a little olive oil, then pour in a thin layer of batter, swirling it up and around the edges. Cook on one side only for two minutes, or until lightly golden, then stack up on a serving plate and repeat.
3. Top each pancake with dollops of cottage cheese, the avocado salad, and a few good shakes of chilli sauce. Really nice served with extra lime wedges for squeezing over, and a fried egg on top, if you fancy.
‘Veg’ by Jamie Oliver (Penguin Random House © Jamie Oliver Enterprises Ltd (2019 Veg), £26).
Joe Wicks’ American-style blueberry pancakes
Is there anything more satifying than whipping up a stack of pancakes?
Joe Wicks’ cookbook, Cooking For Family And Friends, features energy-boosting blueberry ones. Here’s how to make to them.
Makes: 8
Ingredients:
300g plain flour
35g vanilla protein powder
2 tsp baking powder
1 tbsp caster sugar
350ml milk
2 eggs
1-2 tbsp coconut oil, for cooking
400g blueberries, plus extra for scattering
To serve:
Zero-fat Greek yoghurt
Maple syrup
Method:
1. Tip the flour into a bowl and add the protein powder, baking powder and sugar.
2. Measure out the milk, then crack the eggs straight into the measuring jug. Give the two ingredients a good whisk until well combined. Gradually pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture, stirring or whisking as you go to avoid lumps. When all the liquid has been incorporated, give the mixture a final whisk until smooth.
3. Melt a little coconut oil in a good non-stick frying pan over a medium to high heat. When it is hot, pour in one ladleful of the batter, which will spread out across the base of the pan to about 15cm wide and 1–1.5cm thick. Fry the pancake on the first side for three minutes, reducing the temperature a little if the pancake starts to burn.
4. While the pancake is cooking, scatter about an eighth of the blueberries in a single layer over the uncooked surface of the pancake. They will be held in place by the raw batter.
5. Flip the pancake and cook for a further two to three minutes, again upping or reducing the heat as necessary – these pancakes are like most other pancakes in that the first one is often not the best. Remove the pancake to a plate and keep it warm while you repeat the process with the remaining batter and blueberries.
6. Serve up stacks of your pancakes with a few extra blueberries, Greek yoghurt and a cheeky drizzle of maple syrup.
‘Cooking For Family And Friends’ by Joe Wicks (Bluebird, £20).
Crepes suzette
“Many great dishes have been created by accident in the kitchens of absent-minded cooks and hot-headed chefs. One story of the origin of these crepes tells how a young assistant waiter was finishing off a dessert for the Prince of Wales at the Cafe de Paris, when it caught fire. What the chef was thinking in entrusting this grand finale to an amateur we can only guess. But we’re grateful he did, because we now have this wonderful, burnt sugar and orange liqueur flambéed classic. Serve the crepes with vanilla ice cream.”
Serves: 4
For the crepes:
1 cup flour
½ tsp salt
500 ml milk
1 tsp sugar
5 tbsp soft unsalted butter 3 large eggs
1 vanilla pod, seeds removed 1 tbsp vegetable oil, plus extra for frying
125 ml beer, preferably lager
For the orange liqueur sauce:
500ml orange juice
½ cup sugar
1 vanilla pod, seeds removed
2 oranges, zested and segmented
180g butter, softened
100ml Grand Marnier (orange liqueur)
Method:
For the crepes:
1. Sift together the flour and salt. Whisk together the milk, sugar, butter, eggs and oil. Whisk milk mixture into the flour mixture. Pour the batter through a fine sieve into a large mixing bowl.
2. Whisk in the beer, cover and refrigerate for about 4-5 hours, or best overnight.
3. Remove the batter from the fridge and let it stand to reach room temperature.
4. Heat a flat non-stick crepe pan to medium heat, lightly brush with a little bit of oil and pour 125ml of batter into the pan.
5. Once the crepe starts to make bubbles all over it is ready to be flipped. It should be about two minutes per side.
6. Remove the crepe from the pan, place on a platter and cover with a lid or dome to prevent the crepes from drying out. Repeat until the batter is finished.
For the orange liqueur sauce:
7. Heat the orange juice, then add the sugar, vanilla seeds and orange zest and bring to a boil.
8. Once the sugar has dissolved, whisk the butter in, bit by bit.
9. When the sauce is smooth and thickened, add the orange segments and bring back to a boil.
To serve:
10. Place the crepes one at a time into the boiling sauce. Make sure they are completely covered. Fold them in half and in half again to make triangles. Make sure you have a few orange segments inside each crepe.
11. Once they are folded in the pan, covered in sauce and very hot, add the Grand Marnier. Carefully set the sauce alight with the flame of the gas burner or a lighter, and allow it to flame briefly.
12. Serve with ice cream and the remaining sauce on the side.
Recipe by Natasha Sideris, founder of tashas restaurant, Battersea.
Air fryer blueberry pancakes
“These pancakes are super thick and fluffy and so easy to make. They’re bursting with sweet, juicy blueberries, and they’re absolutely delicious,” says Eloise Head, author of Fitwaffle’s Easy Airfryer.
Makes: 6
Special equipment:
Six 10cm silicone moulds
Ingredients:
80g (5 tbsp) full-fat (5%) Greek yoghurt
150ml semi-skimmed or skimmed milk
1 medium egg
15g salted butter, melted
1 tbsp maple syrup
120g plain flour
1 tbsp caster sugar
½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
Good pinch of salt
100g fresh blueberries
Cooking oil spray
To serve (optional):
Fresh berries
Whipped cream
Maple syrup, for drizzling
Method:
1. In a large bowl, using a balloon whisk, mix together the Greek yoghurt and milk until combined, then add the egg, melted butter and maple syrup and whisk until smooth.
2. Add all the dry ingredients and fold in until smooth and lump-free, then fold in the blueberries. Leave the batter to rest for 15 minutes.
3. Preheat the air fryer to 160C (320F).
4. Spray the silicone moulds with oil making sure the base and edges are coated so the pancakes don’t stick.
5. Scoop half a cup of batter into each mould and smooth it out evenly.
6. Air fry for eight to 10 minutes, then carefully flip them over out of their moulds and cook for another three to four minutes until golden brown and cooked through.
7. Serve straight away with your favourite toppings, if using. I love to use berries, whipped cream and maple syrup. Enjoy!
‘Fitwaffle’s Easy Airfryer’ by Eloise Head (Ebury Press, £22).
Vegetable pancakes with a chilli crisp egg
“This vegetable pancake has its origin in Korea (where they’re known as yachaejeon) and is the perfect dish to use up odds and ends of any vegetables you have lying around,” says Eleanor Wilkinson, author of One Pot, One Portion.
“Cabbage, spring onions, carrots and courgettes work really well and provide a nice balance of moisture and crunch, but peppers, potatoes, mushrooms or leafy greens are good alternatives. Depending on the vegetables you use, you may need more or less water to make the light batter so adjust as necessary.”
Makes: 1
Ingredients:
200g vegetables (eg 50g carrot, 50g spring onion, 50g cabbage, 50g courgette), sliced into matchstick-size pieces
60g plain flour
2 tsp sesame seeds
1 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp rice wine vinegar
Big pinch of salt
At least 60g water
2 tbsp sesame oil
2 tsp chilli oil
1 egg
To serve:
Sriracha, sweet chilli sauce or soy sauce and rice wine vinegar mix
Method:
1. Add the vegetables to a bowl along with the flour, sesame seeds, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, salt and the water. Stir this all together until well combined. You are looking for every piece of vegetable to be lightly coated in batter, so if any are looking a bit dry you can add some more water. This will depend on the vegetables you use and how much moisture they have.
2. Grab a large frying pan and add the sesame oil. Let this heat gently over a medium heat, then add in the vegetable mixture. Press it down into a flat layer in the pan and let it cook for five minutes on one side. After five minutes, it should be golden brown and crisp on the bottom, so take a spatula and quickly but confidently flip the pancake over. Cook for another five minutes on the other side until it’s also golden and crisp.
3. Once cooked, tip or flip the pancake onto a plate and put the frying pan back on the heat. The pancake will crisp slightly as it cools.
4. Meanwhile, add the chilli oil to the pan and crack the egg on top.
5. Fry for a few minutes until cooked to your liking, then place on top of the pancake.
6. You can finish this with sriracha or sweet chilli sauce, or make a dipping sauce with equal parts of soy sauce and rice wine vinegar.
‘One Pot, One Portion’ by Eleanor Wilkinson (Ebury Press, £22).
Biscoff and banana pancakes
Serves: 4
Prep time: 10 minutes | Cooking time: 15 minutes
Ingredients:
250g self-raising flour
1 tbsp caster sugar
1 tsp salt
1 medium egg
300ml milk
2 tbsp vegetable oil
4 bananas
Biscoff spread
Method:
1. Place the flour, sugar and salt in a bowl and mix well.
2. Add the egg and milk and bring together with a wooden spoon.
3. Heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil in a non-stick frying pan and add 2-3 spoons of mixture to the pan. Let the mixture run in the pan.
4. After 2 minutes, flip over with a spatula and cook for a further 2 minutes.
5. Repeat the process until all the mixture is cooked.
6. Chop the bananas into small disks.
7. Serve the warm pancakes spreading on biscoff spread and layering up with the banana disks. For that extra sweet tooth why not also drizzle over some Nutoka spread.
Recipe from Aldi.
Lucy Watson’s flaxseed crepes
When cooking at home for her friends, the key for Lucy Watson is finding vegan alternatives for her favourite go-to meals and treats.
“I’ve always been a pancake lover, so this crepes recipe is one of my favourites,” she says. “They’re really quick and easy, and just so useful. They taste exactly like the crepes you would have that are non-vegan; you just wouldn’t imagine that you could recreate it that well.”
Whether for breakfast, lunch or dinner, with friends or dining solo – here’s how to whip them up.
Serves: 2-3
Ingredients:
1 tbsp ground flaxseed
140g plain flour
A pinch of salt
250ml soya milk
1 tbsp vegan margarine, melted, plus extra for greasing
Lemon juice and maple syrup, to serve
Method:
1. Put the flaxseed in a small bowl and add three tablespoons of hot water. Stir well, and then leave to gel for five minutes.
2. Sift the flour and salt into a bowl and add the milk, the flaxseed mixture and the melted margarine. Whisk together to make a smooth batter. Rest the batter for 30 minutes.
3. Heat a knob of margarine in a non-stick frying pan over a medium heat and add a ladleful of the batter, then swirl the pan to coat the base with the batter. Cook the crêpe until golden, then toss it or turn it over using a spatula and cook the second side in the same way. Keep the cooked crêpes warm while you repeat with the remaining batter.
4. Serve with a squeeze of lemon and a drizzle of maple syrup. (The batter will keep in the fridge for up to three days but may need a splash of milk to loosen the mixture as the flaxseed will continue to swell.)
‘Feed Me Vegan: For All Occasions’ by Lucy Watson (Sphere, £18.99).
Courgette and oregano pancakes recipe with feta and honey
Grated courgette forms the base of these crispy fried fritters.
Inspired by Turkish mücver fritters, these savoury courgette and oregano pancakes from Sabrina Ghayour’s latest book Simply, are served with crumbled feta and a drizzle of honey.
Makes: about 16
Ingredients:
2 large courgettes
2 eggs
4 tbsp plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
½ small packet (about 15g) of oregano leaves, finely chopped
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp (heaped) pul biber chilli flakes, plus extra to serve
Vegetable oil, for frying
Maldon sea salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper
To serve:
100g vegetarian feta cheese, crumbled
Clear honey
Method:
1. Coarsely grate the courgettes into a bowl. Tip them into a clean tea towel, gather up the sides and squeeze out the liquid from the courgettes.
2. Place in a mixing bowl, add the eggs, flour, baking powder, oregano, cumin and pul biber, season generously with salt and pepper and beat together.
3. Place a large frying pan over a medium-high heat and drizzle in some vegetable oil. Using a tablespoon measure, roughly fill the scoop with the courgette mixture and without overcrowding add dollops to the pan, then gently flatten. Fry for about one minute until the undersides are nicely browned, then flip over and cook until the other sides have browned. Remove from the pan and repeat with the remaining mixture.
4. Serve the pancakes immediately topped with the crumbled feta, a little drizzle of honey and a sprinkling of pul biber.
‘Simply: Easy Everyday Dishes’ by Sabrina Ghayour (Mitchell Beazley, £26).
Green banana pancakes
Using unripe bananas reduces the sugar content in this quick-to-make recipe.
“These protein-packed, flourless pancakes can be made without the collagen, but the extra hit of amino acids in the morning is ideal for muscle-building and hunger control,” says functional nutritionist Pauline Cox.
“When bananas are green, they have less sugar content… you decide how green you want to go. Delicious hot or cold!”
Makes: 12
Ingredients:
1 greenish banana
2 eggs
1 tbsp collagen peptides (optional)
½ tsp ground cinnamon
Coconut oil or ghee, for frying
Natural yoghurt, fresh berries, chopped nuts and seeds, to serve
Method:
1. Add the banana to a blender with the eggs, collagen (if using) and cinnamon, then combine to create a smooth batter.
2. Heat a small amount of coconut oil or ghee in a frying pan, and when the pan is hot, add 3-4 spoons of batter to create 3-4 mini pancakes. Cook for 2-4 minutes until golden in colour before flipping over to cook on the other side.
3. Serve with natural yoghurt, fresh berries, chopped nuts and seeds for extra goodness.
‘Hungry Woman’ by Pauline Cox (Ebury Press, £27).
Chocolate and banana pancakes
Serves: 4
Prep time: 20 minutes | Cooking time: 12 minutes | Rest time: 15 minutes
Ingredients:
For the pancakes:
250g of flour
30g caster sugar
17g baking powder
1 pinch of fine salt
2 organic eggs
65g butter
30ml whole milk
Grape seed oil
For the accompaniments:
1 banana
12.5ml of full liquid cream with 35% fat very cold
15g vanilla sugar
A few spoonfuls of spread
Method:
1. Place a bowl in the freezer to cool it, it will be used to mount the Chantilly cream. Melt the butter in the microwave.
2. In a bowl, mix the flour, sugar, baking powder and fine salt. Add the eggs, mix gently, then pour in the previously melted butter, slowly pour in the milk, stirring gently without whisking too much, if there are any lumps left, it does not matter. Leave to stand for 15 minutes at room temperature. The device must not be smooth and especially not fall.
3. Peel and cut the banana into slices 0.5 cm thick and place them on a plate. In a chilled bowl, pour the very cold cream, start whipping it, then add the vanilla sugar. When the whipped cream is firm, keep it cool.
4. In the pan, spread a little oil with a paper towel to avoid excess fat. Pour the batter little by little into discs 10 cm in diameter, place a tablespoon of spread in the center, pour over a second layer of pancake batter to cover the spread, then leave to color overheat medium and, when bubbles begin to appear on the surface, flip the pancakes using a spatula. Let brown on the other side for about 1 minute.
5. When the pancakes are golden on both sides, put the pancakes on the plates. Cover them with banana slices and a quenelle of whipped cream.
Recipe by Cyril Lignac.
Kimchi potato pancakes
These kimchi potato pancakes are a delicious alternative to the traditional pancake –perfect for brunch or a mid-week dinner. Quick and easy to make, they can be ready in less than half an hour and are a tasty vegetarian option too.
Makes: 12 pancakes
Prep time: 20 mins | Cooking time: 3mins
Ingredients:
300g Maris Piper potatoes, chopped into 3cm chunks
150g kimchi (fermented cabbage), roughly chopped, plus extra to serve
Bunch spring onions, finely sliced
Zest of 1 lime, grated
75g self-raising flour
2 medium free-range eggs
100ml whole milk
To serve:
4 eggs
400g babyleaf spinach, washed
1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
4 tsp sesame seeds
Lime wedges
Method:
1. Cook the potatoes in boiling water for 10 to 12 minutes, until just tender. Drain the potatoes and add back to the pan for 1 minute to dry, then mash.
2. In a large bowl, add the mashed potato, kimchi ,plus any liquid that comes with it, half of the spring onions, lime zest and flour. Season with salt and pepper and stir to combine.
3. Put the oven tolow (to keep the pancakes warm, before serving).
4. In a separate bowl, lightly beat 2 of the eggs, with the milk. Add this to the potato mixture and stir until a batter-like consistency is formed.
5. Attach the pancake plates to the waffle and pancake maker and set the temperature to medium. Once the green indicator light shows, pour approximately 50ml of batter into each pancake plate. Close the lid and cook for 3 minutes, or until golden brown. Transfer to a baking tray and keep warm in the oven. Repeat with the remaining mixture.
6. Take a medium frying pan and add a little oil. Fry the remaining 4 eggs, until cooked to your liking, before transferring to a plate.
7. Add the spinach to the same pan and let it start to wilt, over a medium heat. Stir occasionally, before adding the sesame oil.
8. Serve the kimchi pancakes, with the spinach and a fried egg. Sprinkle with the remaining spring onions, some extra kimchi and a wedge of lime.