Ci Ci's pancakes by Paul Ainsworth

This flexible recipe means you can enjoy fluffy American-style pancakes, or thinner ones in a crêpe-style

pancakes on a plate with lemon
These delicious pancakes are perfect for the whole family
(Image credit: Issy Croker)

I devised this pancake recipe for my daughter, because we had to reduce the amount of dairy in her diet, said chef Paul Ainsworth. I've been making them with Ci Ci most Sundays since she was three years old, and they are a staple in our household. So when I started putting together my first cookbook, I knew this recipe had to be included.

Ingredients

  • 160g self-raising flour 
  • 2 eggs 
  • 210ml oat milk (or your preference of milk) 
  • pinch of sea salt 
  • 25g crunchy peanut butter
  • ½ tsp vanilla extract 
  • 15g honey 
  • 1 tsp unsalted butter, for frying
  • To serve: bananas, sliced raspberries, Greek yoghurt, maple syrup, juice of 1 lemon, sugar, for sprinkling


Method

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up
  • In a large bowl, combine all of the pancake ingredients, except for the butter, and whisk it all together.
  • Over a high heat, melt the butter in a frying pan. Once the butter is brown and nutty, add a ladleful of pancake batter and tip the pan to spread the mixture evenly.
  • Leave it to cook for about 2 minutes, then flip and cook for a further 2 minutes, until your pancake is golden brown on each side.
  • Remove from the heat and stack your pancakes on a plate to keep them warm while you repeat the process to cook the remaining batter.
  • To serve, Ci Ci and I like to fold each pancake into quarters. Eat with sliced bananas, raspberries and a dollop of Greek yoghurt and maple syrup – or you can keep things classic with lemon juice and sugar.
  • Tip: You can adjust the consistency by adding more or less milk, depending on your pancake style preference. If you like American-style pancakes, then the batter should resemble the consistency of thick, live yoghurt. Ci Ci and I prefer the crêpe-style pancakes, which are thinner; the consistency of the batter should just coat the back of your spoon.

Taken from "For the Love of Food: Recipes for Life's Delicious Moments" by Paul Ainsworth (Pavilion Books £26). To buy from The Week Bookshop for £20.99, call 020-3176 3835 or visit theweekbookshop.co.uk.


Sign up for The Week's
Food & Drink newsletter for recipes, reviews and recommendations.

Explore More