Traditional Swedish Pancakes (Pannkakor) (2024)

Swedish pancakes (Pannkaka [singular] or Pannkakor [plural] in Swedish) are one of the most well-known Scandinavian delicacies, and rightfully so. Tender, buttery and often served with butter and lingonberry jam, there is much to account for their popularity.

The good news is that Swedish pancakes are easy to make and require no special equipment other than a 8 or 10 inch nonstick pan. They are also incredibly versatile and can be enjoyed with a variety of different toppings and/or fillings ranging from the traditional lingonberry jam and butter to fresh berries and whipped cream or even savory fillings like smoked salmon or ham and cheese.

You are going to love these authentic Swedish pancakes! Ready to get started? Let me walk you through the process start to finish and share lots of tips and tricks for making foolproof pannkakor at home in your own kitchen.

Why This Recipe Works

This is sure to become your go-to recipe for Swedish pancakes because:

• This recipe for pannkakor is easy and forgiving. Several of the recipes I tried during the testing process were fussy and often ended with fragile, torn pancakes. These, on the other hand, are delicate and tender but still easy to maneuver without any ripping or tearing.
• These Swedish pancakes contain just the right amount of sugar and a hint of vanilla extract creating the perfect backdrop for butter, lingonberries or whatever else you decide to serve with your Swedish pancakes.
• The instructions are simple and easy to master once you get the hang of it!

The Ingredients

• All purpose flour forms the base of this recipe.
• Milk and and a couple of large eggs provide richness and some structure, and a splash of water helps the batter to be just the right consistency. You will notice that there is more liquid in this recipe (a combination of water and milk) as compared to a standard American pancake recipe. That facilitates getting these pancakes nice and thin, more like a crepe than a traditional American pancake.
• A modest amount of sugar brings a touch of sweetness and a little browning, and vanilla extract adds it's quintessential comforting flavor notes.
• Finally, a bit of salt balances out the sweetness of the pancakes.

For the exact amounts and detailed instructions, please visit the recipe card at the bottom of the post.

How to Make Swedish Pancakes

• Use a blender to mix your batter ingredients. This creates an incredibly smooth, lump-free batter every time and couldn't be easier. Just put everything in, let it whirl about and you're done. No blender? No problem! Simply whisk all of the ingredients in a large bowl REALLY WELL by hand. We want the batter to be as smooth as possible.

• Rest the batter for at least two hours or up to two days. This will help ensure that your pancakes are uniform in texture and as tender as they can be. I recommend mixing the batter the night before if you are making pannkakor for breakfast so that it's ready to go when you are.
• Use an 8 or 10 inch nonstick skilet to make your Swedish pancakes (mine is a 10 inch skillet). While you can purchase a special pan called a "plett" for making small Swedish pancakes that are just 3 inches in diameter, it is just as common these days to see Swedish pancakes in a larger form, more like a small crepe. Choosing this modern, bigger pancake shape also means you have one less piece of special equipment to buy....a small nonstick skillet will do the job just fine.
• Use a heat proof silicone brush to brush the skillet with melted butter prior to cooking each pancake. This imparts delicious flavor and just the right amount of browning to the pancakes.

• Lift and swirl that skillet! Lift the heated skillet off of the burner before you pour the batter into the skillet. Once you pour the batter in, swirl it around so that it coats the bottom of the pan evenly. Continue swirling until the batter is just set. Then return the skillet to the heat. Cook for 30 seconds or so.

• Carefully flip the pancake with a nonstick spatula. Gently loosen the edges and slide the spatula underneath. Quickly flip the pancake over so it can brown on the other side. Let the pancake cook for another 30 seconds.

• Use that nonstick spatula to remove the pancake from the skillet and transfer it to a heatproof plate. Cover with foil and transfer to a 200 degree oven to keep warm if you plan to enjoy them immediately.
• Repeat with remaining batter.
• Fill as desired and serve or cool and store for later (see the FAQs section below for refrigerator and freezer storage instructions).

Expert Tips for Making Swedish Pancakes

Once you get a hang of the process, making Swedish pancakes is pretty simple. A few important tips to keep in mind:

• Monitor the heat of your pan. You may need to adjust the heat down slightly if your pancakes are browning too quickly.
• Wipe out the pan with a paper towel as needed in between pancakes. The surface of the pan may start to collect overly browned butter or cooked batter as you go, which you don't want to impart to the next pancake.
• Learn to perfect the "lift and swirl" technique with the batter when you pour it into the skillet. This is the most important aspect of making Swedish pancakes that are round and an even thickness throughout. Watch the video linked below to get a better idea of what this looks like in action.

FAQs

Filling and Topping Ideas for Swedish Pancakes

The Swedish pancake is really a blank canvas waiting for your creative filling and topping ideas. Here is a list to get you started:

Sweet Filling and Topping Ideas

• The traditional way to serve Swedish pancakes is with lingonberry jam and butter. I like to mash equal parts lingonberries and butter together with a fork and tuck a little of this lingonberry butter inside each warm pancake before folding into thirds lengthwise. I then top the filled and folded pancakes with additional lingonberry jam.
• Any jam works in place of the lingonberry jam. Try raspberry, blueberry, strawberry or cloudberry!
• Top the pannkakor with fresh berries or peaches, a sprinkle of powdered sugar and whipped cream or ice cream for something that is a bit more dessert-like.
• Spread a little Nutella or other chocolate-based spread inside each pancake and fold into quarters. Serve with fresh strawberries, a sprinkle of powdered sugar and an extra drizzle of Nutella if you like.
• Serve them American style with butter and real maple syrup.
• Make a pannkastårta or Swedish Pancake cake! Layer cooled pancakes with jam and whipped cream and finish with a layer of whipped cream and fresh berries. Cover and chill and cut into wedges just like you would a regular cake. This makes a lovely afternoon or after school snack!
• You can also serve the pannkakor cold with a little pastry cream or lemon curd tucked inside. For example, in the recipe pictured below, I've spread a little vanilla pastry cream inside each pancake, folded it into quarters and spooned a homemade blueberry compote on top. Depending on the season, strawberry rhubarb, apple, pear or peach compote would all be delicious options. Or try this recipe for roasted strawberries over the top!

Savory Filling and Topping Ideas

If you want to fill you Swedish pancakes with something savory, reduce the sugar in the recipe to 1 ½ teaspoons and omit the vanilla extract. From there, the sky is the limit! Consider these savory filling combinations:

• Smoked salmon with cream cheese, chives, red onion and capers
• Ham, and/or roasted asparagus and cheese
• Sauteed mushrooms and/or spinach or with cheese

Pop any savory Swedish pancakes into a 300 degree oven or the microwave to melt the cheese, if necessary. All of the above are also delicious topped with a fried egg or scrambled eggs!

Video

Need some help with that "lift and swirl" technique? Watch this video for a little help getting it down.

Looking for more classic Swedish recipes? Give these a try:

I'm so excited for you to make traditional Swedish pancakes at home! I hope you love them as much as I do.

If you loved this recipe, give it a star review! Also, snap a picture of your Swedish Pancakes and share it with me onInstagramusing the hashtag #truenorthkitchen and tagging me @true_north_kitchen.

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