Pancake Day Pancakes
Pancake Day only comes once a year but honestly, we make these way more often than that. There's something about a perfectly thin, lacy crepe that just feels like a celebration, and the fact that these are completely plant-based makes them even better in our eyes. The batter comes together in minutes and gives you pancakes with crispy edges, a soft middle, and that classic slightly toasty flavour you want. Load them up with lemon and sugar, go full dessert mode with chocolate and banana, or keep it savoury. Trust us, once you've nailed these you'll be making them on a random Tuesday too.
Before You Start
- Large mixing bowl or blender
- Ladle
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp caster sugar
- 3 tbsp vegetable oil
- 525ml plant-based milk
- 275g plain flour
- toppings of your choice
Method
Make the batter
- Measure the flour, milk, sugar and 1 tablespoon of the oil into a bowl or blender
- Whisk or blend until completely smooth
Cook the pancakes
- Use a little of the remaining oil to grease the inside of the pan
- Set the pan over a medium heat
- Once hot, pour half a ladleful of batter into the middle of the pan
- Tilt the pan to spread the batter evenly over the base
- After 2–3 minutes, when the pancake starts to brown around the edges and the bottom is firm and golden, flip it over and cook for a further 2 minutes
- Plate up the pancake, top with your topping of choice, eat and repeat!
Tips & Variations
- Get the pan hot enough: This is the one thing that makes or breaks your pancakes. Give the pan a proper preheat over medium heat before you add any batter. If it's not hot enough, the batter just sits there and goes soggy instead of setting into that lovely thin layer.
- Rest the batter if you can: We know it's tempting to go straight in, but if you've got 20 minutes to spare, letting the batter rest makes a noticeable difference to the texture. Smoother, silkier pancakes every time.
- Don't flip too early: Wait until the edges look set and the surface of the pancake looks mostly dry before you flip. Henry always goes a little too early and regrets it. Give it the full 2 to 3 minutes and you'll get a clean flip every time.
Why This Works
The trick here is getting your pan properly hot before the batter goes in, and using just the right amount of oil so you get those crispy golden edges without anything sticking. Tilting the pan quickly to spread the batter thin is what gives you that proper French crepe texture rather than a thick, doughy pancake. We find blending the batter rather than whisking it by hand makes it extra smooth and gives you more consistent results every time.