A Classic Pfannkuchen Recipe For Traditional German Pancakes!
Craving something sweet but feeling a little lazy? German pancakes sound like the solution for you!
Also commonly known as Pfannkuchen in German, they are easy to make in no time at all.
These thin German pancakes can be enjoyed sweet however you like: with jam, fruit, cinnamon and sugar, or with hazelnut cocoa spread!
German pancakes have a number of other names (often dictated by region) in Germany. They are sometimes also called Eierkuchen, Palatschinken, or even Plinse.
Lisa grew up eating German pancakes and knows them as Pfannkuchen so that’s what we’re calling them.
With this recipe, you can make pancakes that are a little thinner and bigger than fluffy “North American buttermilk pancakes”.
At the same time, they are usually thicker than a thin French crepe or Hungarian Palacsinta. Here’s more on confusing names for pancakes below…
German Pancakes Vs. Dutch Baby Pancakes
Those searching for a German pancake recipe might be looking for a Dutch Baby pancake recipe so it’s important to clear the air: In our case, they are actually two different things.
Our recipe in this post is for “German Pancakes”… how pancakes are actually enjoyed in Germany.
The Dutch Baby is baked in the oven, has risen walled-sides, and is much closer to a Yorkshire pudding than a classic German pancake.
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 people call the Dutch Baby Pancake “German Pancakes” which is comical to some Germans because it really has nothing to do with Germany, nor is it eaten in Germany. Dutch Baby pancakes are an American creation.
Undoubtedly both are delicious in their own right, however, they are two creations that are quite different. So, this is not a Dutch Baby recipe… but a recipe for traditional German pancakes how they are enjoyed in Germany!
Recipe Tips/Substitutions
Before you set out to fry up some pancakes, have a quick read through these recipe tips and substitutions:
- When making the batter, make sure to mix 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. Just remember to add less milk in that case. If you don’t have sparkling water handy, don’t worry – we’ll use a bit of baking powder instead.
- You can add apples to this recipe – then you’d have Apfelpfannkuchen (German Apple Pancakes).
- We like using 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.
How to Make Pfannkuchen – Step by Step Instructions
If you’re wondering how to make Pfannkuchen, you can find the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
For those wishing to see recipe process photos, you can find the step-by-step instructions with photos in this section.
This way, you’ll have an idea of how to tackle this recipe if you are new to making German pancakes!
First, add the flour, salt, and baking powder to a medium-sized mixing bowl.
Now slowly pour in the milk while mixing with the normal beaters of your electric mixer or a hand whisk. Keep mixing until there are no lumps left.
Next, add the eggs and mix again. Then place a dishtowel on top of the bowl and let the mixture sit for around 15 minutes.
Heat a little bit of oil or butter in a medium-sized frying pan.
Once hot, add one ladle of pancake batter to the pan and lightly tilt/rock the pan around so that the batter distributes evenly in the pan and doesn’t get too thick in the middle.
Fry the pancake on medium-heat on one side until you can see bubbles forming and the pancake appears more cooked.
If it’s easy to lift the pancake with a flipper, you know it’s time to flip it.
Flip the pancake and cook it on the other side until lightly brown.
Remove the pancake from the pan and set it aside on a plate.
Now add another ladle of dough to make the next pancake. Don’t forget to add more oil or butter, as needed.
Repeat the steps until you have used up all the batter.
Pancakes in Germany are typically sprinkled with sugar and cinnamon or spread with jam or hazelnut cocoa spread.
You can roll your pancake up or just fold it over and eat it with a fork and knife – that’s completely up to you!
Storage Tips
We would recommend enjoying the pancakes fresh and only making as many as you need. They just taste best that way.
As such, we don’t recommend storing extra pancakes in the fridge since they tend to get hard but you can if you do end up having leftovers. Just make sure to consume them within 1-2 days.
You can reheat them in the microwave or in a pan on the stove.
FAQ
Pancake in German is Pfannkuchen. It is roughly pronounced like “Fan-cooH-hen”.
A Dutch Baby Pancake is an American recipe for a large, baked, rising pancake that is similar to a Yorkshire pudding recipe. A typical German pancake is a flat, pan-fried pancake similar to a crepe.
Related Recipes
If you liked this recipe for German pancakes, check out these other sweet and savory delights:
- German Potato Pancakes – Our popular recipe for yummy potato goodness!
- Kaiserschmarrn – An Austrian recipe for sweet “messed up” pancakes served with fruit compote or jam
- Swedish Chocolate Cake – A classic recipe for Kladdkaka – a gooey chocolate cake
Pfannkuchen (German Pancakes)
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- a pinch of salt
- 2 large eggs
- 3/4 cup milk, possibly slightly more
- oil or butter for frying
Instructions
- Mix the flour, salt, and baking powder in a medium-sized mixing bowl.
- Now slowly pour in the milk while mixing with the normal beaters of your electric mixer or a hand whisk. Keep mixing until there are no lumps left.
- Add the eggs and mix again.
- Place a dishtowel on top of the bowl and let the mixture sit for around 15 minutes.
- Heat a little bit of oil or butter in a medium-sized frying pan. Once hot, add one ladle of pancake batter to the pan and lightly tilt/rock the pan around so that the batter distributes evenly in the pan and doesn’t get too thick in the middle.
- Fry the pancake on medium-heat on one side until you can see bubbles forming and the pancake appears more cooked. If it’s easy to lift the pancake with a flipper, you know it’s time to flip it.
- Flip the pancake and cook it on the other side until lightly brown. Remove the pancake from the pan and set it aside on a plate.
- Now add another ladle of dough to make the next pancake. Don’t forget to add more oil or butter, as needed. Repeat the steps until you have used up all the batter.
- Pancakes in Germany are typically sprinkled with sugar and cinnamon or spread with jam or hazelnut cocoa spread. You can roll your pancake up or just fold it over and eat it with a fork and knife – that’s completely up to you!
Notes
- In Germany, people sometimes add a little bit of sparkling water to their pancakes to make them fluffy since sparkling water is very common in Germany. We don’t usually do this and know that people in North America don’t always have sparkling water on hand but you can give it a try – just remember to use less milk in that case!
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.
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
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!