British Pancake Recipe | Classic Thin Pancakes

Name: British Pancakes
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 8 servings
Cuisine: British
Ingredients: 120 g Plain Flour; 2 Medium Eggs; 300 g Whole Milk; 1 tbsp Unsalted Butter, melted, plus extra for frying; Pinch of Fine Salt; 1 tsp Caster Sugar; Caster Sugar and Lemon Juice, (the definitive British classic); Golden Syrup; Nutella and Sliced Banana; Strawberry Jam and Whipped Cream; Smoked Salmon, Crème Fraîche, and Chives, (for a savoury version)

British pancakes are a world apart from their thick, fluffy American counterparts - thin, lacy, and delicate with a slight chew and a golden, lightly freckled surface, they're made to be rolled or folded and eaten with the simplest of toppings. A squeeze of lemon and a scattering of caster sugar is the classic British combination, and it remains, after centuries, completely perfect.

These are the pancakes of Shrove Tuesday - made once a year in millions of British kitchens to use up eggs, flour, and milk before Lent - but they're far too good to eat only once a year. The batter takes five minutes to make, the pancakes cook in under a minute each, and the whole batch is on the table in well under 30 minutes. It's one of the most useful recipes in British home cooking and one that every cook should have committed to memory.

The batter benefits from a 30-minute rest, which allows the flour to fully absorb the liquid and the gluten to relax - this produces a smoother, more consistent batter and thinner, more even pancakes. It can also be made the night before and kept in the fridge overnight, making it an ideal prep-ahead breakfast or brunch. All ingredients are standard supermarket staples.

Ingredients

For the pancake batter

120 g Plain Flour
2 Medium Eggs
300 g Whole Milk
1 tbsp Unsalted Butter , melted, plus extra for frying
Pinch of Fine Salt
1 tsp Caster Sugar (optional)

Classic toppings (choose your favourite)

Caster Sugar and Lemon Juice , (the definitive British classic)
Golden Syrup
Nutella and Sliced Banana
Strawberry Jam and Whipped Cream
Smoked Salmon, Crème Fraîche, and Chives , (for a savoury version)

Method

Sift the flour into a large bowl and add the salt and sugar if using. Make a well in the centre. Crack in the eggs and add about a third of the milk. Whisk from the centre outward, gradually incorporating the flour from the sides until you have a smooth, thick paste.

Tip: Starting with the eggs and a small amount of milk and whisking outward from the centre prevents lumps forming. Adding all the milk at once before the flour is incorporated almost always results in a lumpy batter. Take your time at this stage.
Gradually whisk in the remaining milk until you have a smooth, thin batter the consistency of single cream. Stir in the melted butter. If any lumps remain, pass the batter through a fine sieve.
Cover the bowl and leave the batter to rest for at least 30 mins at room temperature, or overnight in the fridge. This step is not strictly essential but makes a noticeable difference to the texture and consistency of the finished pancakes.

Tip: Resting the batter allows the starch granules in the flour to fully hydrate and the gluten to relax, giving you thinner, more supple pancakes that spread easily and cook evenly. A rested batter produces noticeably better results than one used immediately.
Heat a 20–22cm non-stick frying pan over a medium-high heat. Add a small knob of butter and swirl to coat the base - tip out any excess. The pan should be hot enough that the butter foams and begins to turn golden within a few seconds.
Pour in approximately 3–4 tbsp of batter (a small ladle works well) and immediately tilt and swirl the pan so the batter spreads in a thin, even layer across the base. The pancake should set around the edges within 30–45 seconds.

Tip: Getting the amount of batter right takes one or two practice pancakes to calibrate - the first pancake is almost always a write-off as the pan settles to the right temperature. This is normal. Eat it as the cook's perk and carry on.
Cook for 45–60 seconds until the top is set and the underside is pale golden with light brown spots. Loosen the edges with a palette knife or spatula, then either flip with the spatula or - if feeling confident - toss the pancake. Cook the second side for 20–30 seconds until lightly coloured.
Slide onto a warm plate and keep warm in a low oven (120°C fan) while you cook the remaining pancakes, adding a small knob of butter to the pan between each one. Serve immediately with your choice of toppings.

Alternatives & Variations

Swap whole milk for semi-skimmed or skimmed milk - reduces fat with minimal impact on the batter
Use a light spray of oil instead of a knob of butter between pancakes - cuts saturated fat across the whole batch meaningfully
Swap plain flour for half plain, half wholemeal flour - adds fibre and a slightly nuttier flavour; the pancakes will be a touch heartier but still very good
Top with fresh fruit and a squeeze of lemon rather than sugar and syrup - cuts added sugar significantly while keeping the classic British character

Replace the eggs with 2 flax eggs (2 tbsp ground flaxseed mixed with 6 tbsp water, left for 5 mins to gel) and swap the milk for oat milk - the most neutral-tasting plant-based milk for pancakes. Use a neutral oil or vegan butter instead of dairy butter. The result is a thinner, slightly more fragile pancake that still tastes good and cooks in the same way, though it may tear slightly more easily when tossing.

Swap the plain flour for a gluten free plain flour blend - Doves Farm works well at the same quantity. The batter may be slightly thinner so adjust with an extra tablespoon of flour if needed. All other ingredients are naturally gluten free. The pancakes will be slightly more fragile than the standard version so flip carefully with a spatula rather than tossing.

FAQs

Just 25 mins of active prep and cooking, plus a 30-minute resting time for the batter. The batter can be made the night before and kept in the fridge, which makes this an extremely quick breakfast or brunch to pull together.

Rated Easy. The batter is simple to make and the cooking technique is straightforward once you've calibrated the pan temperature and batter quantity with the first pancake or two. Tossing is optional - flipping with a spatula gives equally good results.

British pancakes are thin and crepe-like - made from a simple batter of flour, eggs, and milk with no raising agent, they spread across the pan into a wide, delicate round. American pancakes are thick and fluffy - made with buttermilk and bicarbonate of soda, they puff up during cooking into a small, spongy disc. Both are delicious but they're entirely different dishes that happen to share a name.

Yes - the batter keeps well covered in the fridge for up to 24 hours. In fact, an overnight rested batter produces slightly better pancakes than one rested for 30 mins. Give it a good stir before using as the flour may have settled at the bottom.

Yes - cooked pancakes freeze well. Layer them with sheets of baking paper between each pancake to prevent sticking, then freeze in a zip-lock bag for up to 2 months. Reheat from frozen in a dry frying pan for 30–40 seconds per side, or in the microwave for 30–40 seconds. They're best eaten fresh but freeze well for a quick weekday breakfast.

Caster sugar and lemon juice is the undisputed British classic - the sharpness of the lemon and the sweetness of the sugar with the thin, slightly chewy pancake is a combination that hasn't needed improving in centuries. Golden syrup, jam, or Nutella with banana are all popular alternatives. For a savoury option, smoked salmon with crème fraîche and chives makes an elegant brunch dish.