German pancakes, often known as Pfannkuchen in Germany, are thin pancakes that are easy to make and pretty versatile. I grew up eating them as a simple sweet or savory lunch and dinner – and sometimes weekend breakfast.
Unlike thick North American buttermilk pancakes, Pfannkuchen are larger and thinner but not as thin as French crêpes.
These thin German pancakes are often enjoyed sweet and topped however you like: with jam, fruit, cinnamon and sugar, or with hazelnut cocoa spread!
If you prefer the savory version, you can eat them with ham and cheese or fried mushrooms, among many other combinations. They are also the main ingredient in savory Flädlesuppe (German Pancake Soup).
In Germany, these pancakes have several different names depending on the region. I grew up knowing them as Pfannkuchen, but they are also sometimes called Eierkuchen, Palatschinken, or Plinsen.
German Pancakes vs. Dutch Baby Pancakes
Some of you searching for a German pancake recipe might actually be looking for a Dutch Baby pancake recipe, so it’s important to clarify: In our case, they are actually two different things.
Our recipe is for traditional German Pancakes called Pfannkuchen… the way they are actually enjoyed in Germany (pan-fried, relatively thin, and often served sweet with sugar or jam).
The Dutch Baby pancake, on the other hand, is baked in the oven, with puffed, risen sides, and is closer to a Yorkshire pudding than a classic Pfannkuchen.
A Dutch Baby Pancake has nothing to do with Germany other than the loose connection that it was created in the US with German pancakes (this recipe) as the inspiration.
The story goes that in Seattle, the child of the restaurateur who created the recipe mispronounced “Deutsch” (the German word for “German”) and turned it into “Dutch”.
Some Americans call Dutch Babies “German Pancakes”, which can be amusing to Germans since they are not eaten in Germany.
Undoubtedly, both are delicious in their own right. However, in our case, they refer to two different creations. So, this is not a Dutch Baby recipe… but a recipe for traditional German pancakes, just as you would enjoy them in Germany!
Ingredients
- Flour – Regular all-purpose flour works great. You can use whole wheat flour if you prefer.
- Milk – We like to use whole milk (3.5% fat), but 2% or skim milk also works.
- Sparkling Water – Use some unflavored sparkling water to make the pancakes fluffier. Alternatively, you can add a small amount of baking powder.
- Salt – You just need a pinch of salt.
- Eggs – We use large eggs. If you use medium eggs or extra-large eggs, you may have to adjust the amount of milk and flour slightly.
- Oil or butter – We like to use a neutral-tasting oil, such as sunflower oil or avocado oil. Don’t use extra virgin olive oil for this recipe.
Recipe Tips
- When making the batter, make sure to whisk well so that you don’t end up with flour lumps in your pancakes.
- In Germany, some people add sparkling water to the batter to make the pancakes a bit fluffier. If you have carbonated water on hand, you can give this a try. If you don’t have sparkling water, you can use a small amount of baking powder instead.
- Depending on the size of your eggs and how you measured your flour, you may need a little more milk to reach the right batter consistency.
- We like using a neutral-tasting oil in the pan, but you can use butter. If you use butter, watch the heat of your pan because butter can brown quickly, and that’s not what we want in this case.
- Cook the pancakes over medium heat for the best results. The first pancake will take slightly longer, that’s normal.
How to Make Pfannkuchen – Step-by-Step Instructions
First, whisk together the flour and salt (plus the baking powder if you’re not using sparkling water). Then slowly add the milk while whisking.
Whisk until the batter is smooth and free of lumps.
Then add the eggs and whisk until fully incorporated before gently stirring in the sparkling water (if using).
Then place a clean dishtowel over the bowl and let the mixture sit for about 15 minutes.
Once the 15 minutes are up, heat a little oil or butter in a medium-sized frying pan over medium heat. When it’s hot, pour in one ladle of pancake batter and lightly tilt and swirl the pan to spread the batter evenly into a thin layer.
Then cook the pancake on one side until small bubbles form, and the pancake appears more cooked.
Once it’s easy to lift the pancake with a flipper, flip the pancake and cook it on the other side until fully cooked and lightly browned.
Remove the pancake from the pan and set it aside on a plate. Add more butter or oil to the pan as needed, then repeat until you have used up all the batter.
You can enjoy the pancakes sweet with cinnamon sugar, applesauce, jam, or Nutella, or savory with ham and cheese, or fried mushrooms and onions.
For ham and cheese, add them while the pancake is still in the frying pan, but fully cooked, to allow the cheese to melt slightly. Enjoy!
Storage Tips
In our opinion, Pfannkuchen taste best when they are fresh, but if you have leftovers, you can store them in a sealed container or bag in the fridge for up to 2 days. You can roll them if you don’t have a container that is large enough.
To reheat them, you can use the microwave or a pan on the stove. If you have an air fryer and want the pancakes to be slightly crispy again, that also works.
Related Recipes
If you liked this Pfannkuchen, check out these other German recipes that tend to lean to the sweet side:
Pfannkuchen (German Pancakes)
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- a pinch of salt
- 1 3/4 cups milk, more as needed
- 3 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon sparkling water, or 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- oil or butter, for frying
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour and salt (and baking powder if using).2 cups all-purpose flour, a pinch of salt
- Slowly pour in the milk while whisking continuously (using a hand whisk or the regular beaters of your electric mixer). Mix until the batter is smooth and free of lumps.1 3/4 cups milk
- Add the eggs and mix until fully incorporated. Then gently stir in the sparkling water.3 large eggs, 1 tablespoon sparkling water
- Cover the bowl with a clean dish towel and let the batter rest for about 15 minutes.
- Heat a little oil or butter in a medium-sized frying pan over medium heat. Once hot, pour in one ladle of pancake batter and lightly tilt/swirl the pan so the batter spreads evenly into a thin layer.oil or butter
- Cook the pancake on one side until small bubbles form and the pancake appears more cooked. When the pancake loosens easily from the pan, flip it and cook on the other side until fully cooked and lightly browned.
- Remove the pancake from the pan and set it aside on a plate. Add more butter or oil to the pan as needed, then repeat until you have used up all the batter.
- Enjoy the pancakes sprinkled with cinnamon sugar or spread with jam, applesauce, or hazelnut cocoa spread, or savory with ham and cheese or mushrooms and onions. You can roll them up or simply fold them in half and enjoy with a fork and knife.
Notes
- In Germany, people often add a little bit of sparkling water to their pancakes to make them fluffy since sparkling water is very common in Germany. If you don’t have any sparkling water on hand, you can add a little bit of baking powder or omit it (and add a little more milk instead).Â
- Depending on the size of your eggs, you may need slightly more milk to reach the right batter consistency.
Nutrition
This nutritional information has been estimated by an online nutrition calculator. It should only be seen as a rough calculation and not a replacement for professional dietary advice.
Good Morning, I know I am very late, but I want to share the variation my family loves. My Dad makes them with bacon and cheese. Put the bacon to the pan and then add the batter. After flipping add the cheese.
My Mom loved Pfannkuchen filled with asparagus and ham. I like them with leftover Bolognese or even chili con carne.
Thanks for sharing your variations, Judith – they sound tasty! I like to fill my pancakes with mushrooms and cheese when I’m craving a savory version, but I know Eric would love the bacon and cheese version. /Lisa
My grandma who lived in Iowa (of German descent) made a version of these, except they were made on a griddle with thinly sliced apples placed on top as soon as they were poured. They were flipped once and cooked until apples were soft. They were never fluffy but more crepe-like. Then spread with butter and sprinkled with sugar and cinnamon and rolled up. I think it was a family recipe from Germany (Shleswig-Holstein). Delicious! I have the recipe and make them for a treat.
This is perfect
Thank you for sharing! Very similar to my Mennonite grandmother’s recipe, though hers had more eggs and no baking powder. (She was born in Manitoba Canada).
We serve them spread with butter, sprinkle a bit of sugar and splash of milk on top of the butter, then roll it up and put syrup on top. Using Roger’s syrup is also a tradition, but I personally like regular pancake syrup. Also delicious with canned peaches inside!
Thanks for sharing your version, Candace – it sounds very tasty! /Lisa
My Mennonite grandma (from Russia) had a recipe with more eggs and no baking powder, also. We always put some butter and granulated sugar on them & rolled them up. Just like that, no syrup or anything. We alway accompanied them with fresh watermelon. Honestly, the BEST combination, ever, on a hot summer day
This is how our family enjoyed them as well. Also from Mennonite heritage but located in Saskatchewan. Roger’s syrup was always in the pantry.
An old friend from northern Germany made these for me 20 years ago. She made them with a savory ground beef gravy (like in a New England “Hot Hamburger Sandwich”) to spoon over them. She said that in Germany they are also eaten sweet, with warm apple butter, fruit jam, or powdered sugar dusted on top. We had some both ways and they were excellent.
I made some myself, for the first time, tonight for Sunday night dinner with my wife and kids. The pancakes in this recipe were exactly like I remembered. We had some with the ground beef gravy and some with warmed apple butter or a dusting of powdered sugar. Excellent either way.
Thanks for sharing Mike – I’m happy to hear that the pancakes tasted like you remembered! It’s always so interesting to hear about different versions of a dish, isn’t it. In my family, we mainly enjoy Pfannkuchen sweet with jam or sugar, but you’ve reminded me to try making a savory version again. /Lisa
Some 50 years ago my grandmother taught me a recipe for what she called Palatschinken, my childhood favorite when visiting my grandparents. She didn’t put any baking powder in her recipe, so I don’t either. She served them with any variety of jams, I now serve mine in folded into fourths with fresh squeezed lemon juice and a generous dusting of powdered sugar. I made them for my daughter and she liked them spread with Peanut Butter & rolled.
Thanks for sharing Barbara! There are so many different names for pancakes in Germany, but Palatschinken is definitely a common one! I also don’t typically use baking powder when making them in Germany (I usually addd a splash of sparkling water instead), but here in Canada I sometimes add a bit of baking powder because sparkling water is not a staple in our house anymore (it was in Germany though). I’ve never tried them with lemon juice before – I usually stick to jams or cinnamon-sugar – but it sounds delicious! /Lisa
Hello,
We don’t get all purpose flour in Germany, what is it called in Germany?
In Germany I usually use the commonly available Weizenmehl 405 to make Pfannkuchen.
I have enjoyed pffannkucken since I was little having German grandparents. We ate them sweet but also used them in vegetable soup. I love them that way too.
I love them with potato salad. the onion and the tangy taste of the pancakes and salad are just awesome. My dad loved them in homemade beef broth or even with strawberry jam. I never liked them with fruit or sweets. I am actually making them tonight. I have some German style potato salad left over so German pancakes it is tonight.
Been making a version of these for some 50 years, though I’ve never used the baking powder or salt (maybe I’ll try it), and I use olive oil for the pan. One thing I do like instead of fruit is to slather butter on the rolled pancakes then pour KARO Corn Syrup over them. Delicious.
I fell in love with these pancakes when dad pastored a Mennonite Brethern church in western Kansas in the 70s. I I was in Jr High and my best friend and I made these every afternoon before evening church. I made them for my children and hubby often. Recently hubby asked me to make them. We live in Mexico now and I didn’t bring my Mennonite cookbook. Thanks for sharing your recipe!