Pancake Day recipes: sweet and savoury treats to celebrate Shrove Tuesday

Pancake Day will be marked by millions across the world, so it's time to gather the simple ingredients together and "butter your frying pans".

Formally known as Shrove Tuesday, the day has Christian origins. It is celebrated the day before Ash Wednesday, which "marks the first day of the Christian observance of Lent, a 40-day period of abstinence that precedes Easter", said The Independent.

The day was traditionally associated with "clearing your cupboards of goods such as sugar, fats, and eggs", said the London Evening Standard, giving rise to the frying of pancakes. 

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Some will eat pancakes plain, while others will explore various flavours from sweet to savoury. But "whatever your pancake preference, what could be better than an entire day dedicated to them?"

Dutch baby pancakes with apple and toffee sauce

A Dutch baby is a pillowy, puffed-up, golden pancake. This recipe by Harry Hook is filled with hot, sticky caramelised apples and toffee sauce, topped with a dollop of Cornish clotted cream. 

Ingredients

For the pancake:

• 1 large egg
• 1 tsp caster sugar
• 50ml Trewithen Dairy whole milk
• 35g plain flour
• ½ tsp vanilla paste
• pinch crushed sea salt
• 10g Trewithen Dairy salted butter
  

For the caramelised apples:

• 1 large eating apple
• 15g Trewithen Dairy salted butter
• 2 tsp light soft brown sugar
• ¼ tsp ground cinnamon

For the toffee sauce:

• 30g Trewithen Dairy salted butter
• 35g dark muscovado sugar
• 25g Trewithen Dairy Cornish clotted cream

To serve:

• icing sugar for dusting
• Trewithen Dairy Cornish clotted cream
• 1 tsp chopped, toasted hazelnuts, optional

Method

• For the pancake, heat the oven to 220C/Fan 200C/Gas 7 and place a small (15cm) ovenproof frying pan, sponge tin, cake tin or round ovenproof dish on the middle shelf. 
• In a medium-size jug or bowl, whisk (or use a stick blender) the egg, caster sugar, milk, flour, vanilla paste and salt together to a very smooth batter.
• Using oven gloves, remove the frying pan from the oven and add the butter to the pan. Swirl the pan a few times to melt the butter, then immediately pour in the batter. 
• Return to the oven and bake for 12-15 mins until puffed up and golden.
• Meanwhile, for the caramelised apple, peel, core and slice the apple 1cm thick. Melt the butter in a small pan, then stir in the sugar and cinnamon. Add the apples and cook for 4-6 mins, stirring occasionally until just beginning to soften. Remove from the heat and set aside.
• For the toffee sauce, place the butter, sugar and clotted cream in a small pan and heat over a medium heat, stirring, until the butter and cream have melted and the sugar has dissolved.
• To serve, dust the edges of the pancake with icing sugar, then spoon the caramelised apples into the centre of the pancake, then pour over the toffee sauce. Top with a generous spoonful of clotted cream and sprinkle with chopped, toasted hazelnuts. 

Sweet sushi maple pancakes with fruit

In a change from the traditional pancake, this recipe by Maple from Canada is surprisingly simple to make, and designed to look like sushi rolls. Suggested flavour combinations include sliced banana and melted dark chocolate, fresh raspberries and melted white chocolate, and fresh mango slices with melted white chocolate.

Ingredients

For the pancake:

• 300g plain flour
• ½ tsp salt
• 3 large eggs
• 4 tbsp maple syrup (preferably amber syrup for its rich taste)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 600ml whole milk
• 50g melted butter

For the chocolate filling:

• 150ml whipped double cream
• 100g melted dark or white chocolate
• 2 tbsp pure maple syrup (preferably amber syrup)

Method

• Sift flour into a large mixing bowl. Add the salt, vanilla extract, maple syrup, melted butter and the egg
• Slowly pour in the milk and mix well until the batter is smooth.
• For best results, rest in the fridge overnight or for at least 30 mins before cooking.
• Heat a large, non-stick frying pan over a medium heat and add a little bit of oil.
• Tilt around the pan and then pour in a ladleful of pancake batter.
• Swirl and tilt the pan so that the batter spreads into a thin layer to form a crêpe.
• Cook for about 1–2 mins and once bubbles start to form, flip, then cook on the other side for another minute or so until golden.
• Repeat until you have used the whole batter.
• With a whisk, mix half of the whipped cream into the chocolate and maple syrup then gently fold the other half with a spatula.
• Slice edges of each crêpe to make them square, then place pancake on a clean kitchen towel.
• Pipe a line of chocolate filling on the edge of each crêpe.
• Place fruit along the chocolate filling.
• Carefully roll up pancakes to about 1in diameter.
• Place the sushi rolls in the fridge for 30 mins or until chilled.
• Using a pastry brush, glaze the rolls with maple syrup and sprinkle with desiccated coconut.
• Trim edges of rolls and slice with a sharp knife into 5–6 pieces and serve.

Ham and cheese stuffed pancakes

Not everyone has a sweet tooth, but that does not mean missing out on Pancake Day. Ham and cheese is a classic combination, typically in a sandwich. But this recipe from @healthy_floflo using Myprotein's Protein Pancake Mix provides pancakes with an oozing, savoury filling. 

Ingredients

• 6 scoops Protein Pancake Mix (unflavoured) 
• 170ml milk of choice
• 4 slices ham
• 4 slices Cheddar cheese

Method

• In a bowl, add the Protein Pancake Mix and then gradually add the milk bit by bit until the batter leaves a trail.
• Pour around 2 tbsp of the batter into a hot pan, add the ham and cheese slices on top and then seal with another tablespoon of pancake mix. Cook for 1-2 mins and then flip.
• Repeat until you have a stack of delicious savoury pancakes.

Vegan carrot cake pancakes

Vegans can also enjoy Pancake Day celebrations with this carrot cake pancake recipe by Romy London. Created with fresh carrots and spices such as cinnamon and ginger, these pancakes offer a burst of flavour.

Ingredients

• 200ml plant milk
• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 2 tbsp vegan yoghurt
• 2 tbsp maple syrup
• 1 medium-sized carrot, shredded
• 150g plain flour
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp ground ginger
• ¼ tsp vanilla powder or 1 tsp vanilla extract
• pinch salt
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• coconut oil to grease non-stick pan

Method

• In a jug, combine the plant milk and apple cider vinegar, stir together and set aside for 10 mins to curdle.
• In the meantime, sieve the flour into a mixing bowl and stir in the cinnamon, ginger, vanilla, salt, baking powder and baking soda.
• Once the milk has curdled, whisk in the yoghurt and maple syrup, then pour the wet mixture into the flour bowl and stir to combine until you have a smooth pancake batter.
• Grease a non-stick pan with a little coconut oil and pour your pancakes into the hot pan. Use a wooden spoon to shape the individual pancakes, and gently flip when the edges become golden.
• Serve your carrot cake pancakes with your favourite toppings. These could include protein yoghurt, maple syrup, vegan custard, crunchy nuts and seeds, nut butter, chocolate sprinkles and shredded carrot.

Caramelised apple crêpe with butterscotch sauce

A harmony of flavours is brought to life through this caramelised apple crêpe recipe by Bernard Dumonteil, head chef at Bistro Bleu. Drizzled with luscious butterscotch sauce and served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, this Pancake Day recipe will satisfy any sweet tooth.

Ingredients

For the crêpe:

• 140g plain flour
• 200ml milk
• 2 eggs
• 25g butter melted, plus a little extra for greasing

For the caramelised apple:

• 500g Granny Smith apples
• 500g cooking apple
• 300g caster sugar
• 2g ground cinnamon

For the butterscotch sauce:

• 100g sugar
• 25g butter
• 300ml double cream

Method

• Sift the flour with a pinch of salt into a medium-size bowl and make a well in the middle.
• Mix the milk and 100ml of water together. Break the eggs into the well and start whisking slowly. Add the milk and water in a steady stream, whisking constantly and gradually incorporating the flour as you do so.
• Whisk until the batter is smooth and all the flour has been incorporated. Set the batter aside to rest for 30 mins, then whisk the melted butter into the batter.
• Heat the pan over a medium heat. Very lightly grease the pan with melted butter. Using a ladle, pour roughly 2 tbsp of batter into the pan and swirl it around so the bottom of the pan is evenly coated. You want to use just enough batter to make a delicate, lacy pancake. Cook the crêpe pancake for about 45 secs on one side until golden and then using a palette knife or fish slice, flip the pancake over and cook the other side for about 30 secs until it freckles.
• Slide the crêpe pancake out of the pan and either serve immediately or stack on a plate with baking parchment in between. Continue until all the batter is used up.
• To create the caramelised apple, peel and dice the apple.
• Placing the apple and the sugar into a heavy-bottomed pan mix together and under medium heat cook until caramelised, then add the ground cinnamon.
• For the butterscotch sauce, dissolve the caster sugar with 3 tbsp water over a low heat. Bring to the boil but don’t stir at all.
• When the sugar is a dark golden caramel, whisk in butter. Remove from the heat and stir in double cream.
• To serve, fold the crêpe in half and spoon the hot caramelised apple compote on the crêpe, fold again. Add a scoop of vanilla ice cream and drizzle the butterscotch sauce on top.