Pannenkoeken are a type of pancake from the Netherlands. The ingredients are typical pancake batter ingredients such as flour, eggs, milk and the pancakes are cooked on the stove top. However, they look quite different from American pancakes.
The batter is spread around the entire surface of the pan they are cooked in, so they are large. This also causes them to be thin. Ultimately they are thinner than American pancakes but still thicker than French crêpes. They are usually rolled up before being eaten.
Toppings for pannekoeken can be sweet or savory. Typical sweet toppings include syrup, icing sugar, cinnamon sugar or spreads like Nutella or jam. Typical savory toppings are meats like bacon and ham, or cheese. Some toppings are even a bit of both sweet and savory, for example, gouda cheese and apples.
There’s a common misconception that pannekoeken and dutch babies are the same thing or somehow related. A dutch baby is not a small pannekoeken. A Dutch baby is small pancake that is baked in the oven, not pan fried. Dutch babies are also not from the Netherlands or Europe for that matter. They originated in the United States.
Origin & Cultural Significance
Traditionally pannenkoeken were made with buckwheat flour. It’s speculated that buckwheat pancakes were first eaten in Nepal and China where buckwheat is native, before making its way to the Netherlands where buckwheat was swapped out for the much-preferred wheat flour.
In Rotterdam, Netherlands the 29th of November is Sint Pannekoek where it’s a tradition for people to place a pancake on their heads and wish for a blessed Saint Pancake. Sint Pannekoek started over 100 years ago.
Dutch Pannenkoeken Recipe
Pannenkoeken are a type of pancake from the Netherlands. The ingredients are typical pancake batter ingredients such as flour, eggs, milk and the pancakes are cooked on the stove top.
Ingredients
- Milk – 500 ml
- All purpose, white flour - 225g
- Eggs - 2
- Olive oil - a dash
- Salt - 1 pinch
- Cinnamon – ½ tsp (Optional)
- Powdered sugar – 8g (Optional)
Instructions
- Mix all the dry ingredients together in a bowl
For a pancake with sweet toppings, add the optional cinnamon and sugar. - Add the milk, oil and eggs. Mix everything together with a mixer, whisk, or wooden spoon into a smooth pancake mix.
- Allow the batter to rest for about an hour in the fridge.
- Put some oil or butter in a frying pan and wait for it to heat up.
- Scoop some batter into the pan with a ladle.
- Gently stir the batter around the pan until it covers the entire surface.
- Fry the pancakes on medium-low heat.
- If you would like savory toppings, this is when you add them,
while the top is still wet. - When the pancake has set and the top is no longer liquid and the bottom has nice brown color, flip the pancake with a spatula. Leave the pancake on the fire until the flipped side browns. Serve.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 157Total Fat: 3gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 52mgSodium: 65mgCarbohydrates: 26gFiber: 1gSugar: 4gProtein: 7g