Swedish Pancakes

Traditional Homemade Swedish Pancakes

I’ve talked to you before about how much we love pancakes in our house. They’re a favorite weekend treat and the kids just love to help me make them. There’s nothing like a hot stack of buttermilk pancakes to get everyone out of bed in the morning. 

Sometimes we’ll mix it up with chocolate chip pancakes or chocolate crepes with different fillings. We also love German pancakes, which are kind of like Dutch pancakes that you bake all in one pan.

So, knowing our way around them as we do, I thought it was time we try our hand at a traditional Swedish pancakes recipe!

Why This Recipe Works

• Melt-in-your mouth texture. These Scandinavian pancakes are thin and rich with butter and eggs. The texture is light and airy with subtle sweetness!
• Simple to master. Easy to follow instructions may take some practice to achieve the perfect delicate pancakes, but once you get the hang of it, you will be a pro!
• Versatile: Traditionally served with lingonberry jam although you can fill or top them with all kinds of things or keep them simple with just some buttermilk syrup and fresh berries.

Recipe Ingredients

You’ll need some simple pantry and refrigerator staples for this recipe. In addition to all-purpose flour, butter, and salt, you’ll need:

Find the full printable recipe with specific measurements below.

• Eggs: These pancakes have more eggs than traditional American pancake recipes. They help give them their thin texture.
• Milk: I use 2% milk, but you can use what you have on hand. It looks like a lot of liquid, but you want the batter to be thin.
• Sugar: I add a tablespoon of sugar to the batter for a hint of sweetness. You can leave it out if you prefer a less sweet pancake.
• Vanilla: Again, I add this to enhance the flavor of the pancakes when adding sweet toppings or fillings. Leave it out if you want something less sweet.

How to Make Swedish Pancakes

This Swedish pancake recipe is super quick to whip up so you can easily make these for your family or guests in no time at all. 

1. Combine dry ingredients. Put the flour, sugar, and salt into a medium bowl and whisk everything together.
2. Whisk batter. Grab a large bowl and whisk the eggs and ¼ cup of milk until they are combined. Add in half of the flour mixture and keep whisking until everything is combined. Add the butter, another cup of milk and vanilla and keep whisking. Finally, add the remaining flour mixture and milk and whisk until you have a very smooth batter.
3. Cook pancakes. Heat an 8-inch frying pan over medium-low heat and spray with non-stick cooking spray. Pour ¼ cup of batter into the hot pan and tilt the pan around so the batter forms an even circle. Cook the pancake for about 1 minute per side. The Swedish pancakes will be lightly brown. Repeat until all your pancakes are cooked.
4. Serve. Drizzle the Swedish pancakes with buttermilk syrup and sprinkle over some berries then serve warm.

Choices of toppings are limited to your own creative imagination. Serve Swedish pancakes with one or two toppings or put out a variety and let everyone choose their own!

• Keep it simple with some powdered sugar and cinnamon pancake syrup. This is one of my favorite combinations, as is melted butter and maple syrup.
• If you want to get a little more adventurous, try topping your pancakes with homemade strawberry jam or some whipped topping and fresh fruit and berries.
• Top with Nutella or hot fudge and vanilla ice cream for an amazing dessert!
• Another favorite is mixing 2 Tablespoon of melted butter with 2 Tablespoons of fresh lemon juice. Then sprinkling powdered sugar over top.

Expert Tips

• You want a very smooth batter, so keep whisking it until smooth.
• For even faster preparation, use a blender to mix all the ingredients.
• Let the skillet heat up until it’s hot before you swirl the batter into it. This allows the thin layer of batter to start cooking as soon as it hits the pan.
• Use a long thin spatula to flip them, if you have one. It’s much easier to do without any tearing.
• Wipe the bottom of the pan out with a paper towel and spray again with cooking oil as needed. This helps your pancakes not to get overly brown from the cooked oil.

Storing

Swedish pancakes store beautifully, so you can a batch and enjoy them throughout the week.

• Storing: Let the pancakes cool completely then layer parchment paper between each one to prevent them from sticking together. Put them into a zip-top bag or a covered container and store them for up to 3 days in the fridge.
• Freezing: Unfilled Swedish pancakes can be kept frozen for up to 3 months although for the best texture use them within 4-6 weeks. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
• Reheating: Heat the pancakes in the microwave for about 20 seconds or on the skillet over low heat for about 30 seconds per side until warm. You can also place them on a baking sheet in the oven at 175°F for 5 minutes, or until warm.