Pancake day can be a fun time to get creative and spend time with family and friends while enjoying some delicious pancakes.
Pancakes are a great base for a whole range of sweet and savoury toppings. If you’re ready to branch out with some new ideas, beyond the traditional sugar and lemon, take a look below at our delicious, healthier favourites for you to try this year…
The perfect base
There’s no point in having toppings without the pancakes to put them on! This perfect pancake recipe is easy to make, gives you great pancakes every time and doesn’t even force you to rest the mix if you’re in a rush. To pack an extra nutritional punch, add in extra ingredients such as quinoa, chia seeds or nuts.
Ingredients: 100g plain flour; 2 large eggs; 300ml milk; 1 tbsp sunflower or vegetable oil, plus a little extra for frying
- Put 100g plain flour, 2 large eggs, 300ml milk, 1 tbsp sunflower or vegetable oil and a pinch of salt into a bowl or large jug, then whisk to a smooth batter
- Set aside for 30 mins to rest if you have time or start cooking straight away
- Set a medium frying pan or crêpe pan over a medium heat and carefully wipe it with some oiled kitchen paper
- When hot, cook your pancakes for 1 min on each side until golden, keeping them warm in a low heat oven as you go
- Serve with your favourite topping – for some ideas, read on!
Fantastic fruit
Fruit makes a delicious and nutritious pancake topping, and when it comes to which fruits to choose, anything goes. Try making your own berry compote for a sweet, vitamin packed treat the kids will love:
Ingredients: 3 cups fresh or frozen fruit (strawberries, raspberries, cherries or blueberries are ideal); 3 tbsp orange juice
OPTIONAL ADD-INS: 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon; 1/4 tsp fresh or ground ginger; 1 tsp raw sugar; 1 tsp chia seeds (add after removing from heat)
- Place fruit and juice in a small saucepan and bring to medium heat
- Once bubbling, reduce heat slightly and use a wooden spoon to muddle and mash the fruit
- Continue cooking over medium-low heat for 10-12 minutes, occasionally mashing fruit to combine. Turn off heat and add any other optional ingredients
- Remove from heat and transfer to a clean jar or container to cool thoroughly. Store in the fridge for up to 1 week or freeze for up to 1 month.
- Reheat to serve with pancakes, oats, waffles, french toast, and more!
Get cheesy
For a savoury pancake that combines taste with essential calcium and vitamins, choose a cheese and veggie option. We love this one below, which includes superfood spinach and pumpkin seeds, which are highly nutritious and packed with powerful antioxidants:
Ingredients: 2 tbsp grated cheddar; 100g cooked spinach leaves; 1 tbsp pumpkin seeds
- Spread the spinach leaves on to the pancake and sprinkle over the grated cheddar
- Put under a hot grill for a couple of minutes to melt the cheese then top with the pumpkin seeds. Simple but oh so tasty!
Create a new favourite
If you’re wanting to try something a little more adventurous this pancake day, smoked salmon and ricotta make the perfect ingredients. This recipe is simple and quick to make but will really serve up something special. Swap out the smoked salmon for ham for an alternative option.
Ingredients: 200g spinach; 150g ricotta; juice 1 lemon, plus extra wedges to serve; 2 corn on the cobs; 20g bunch fresh dill, roughly chopped; 200g good quality smoked salmon
- Put the spinach in a colander over a sink and pour over a kettle of boiling water. Leave to drain and cool, then wrap in a clean tea towel or J-cloth and squeeze out the excess water
- In a medium bowl, mix the spinach, ricotta and lemon juice with plenty of salt and pepper
- Boil a pan of water, then add the corn. After 3-4 minutes, drain the corn and refresh under cold water. Cut the kernels off the cobs, then add to the batter with half the dill
- To serve, put 2 pancakes per person on plates and top with the ricotta mix and the smoked salmon. Sprinkle with the rest of the dill and serve with a wedge of lemon
We hope these recipes end up as new family favourites this pancake day. Why not take a photo of your crepe creations and tweet us @SovereignHealth
To find out more about Sovereign Health Care and how our Good All Round cash plan can help you and your family claim money back on your everyday health costs, visit https://www.sovereignhealthcare.co.uk/good-all-round/
https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/easy-pancakes
https://minimalistbaker.com/simple-berry-compote/