Traditional South African Pancakes Recipe (Pannekoek)

An oval plate of rolled up South African pancakes with cinnamon sugar.

5 from 32 votes

Traditional South African Pancakes Recipe (Pannekoek)

A foolproof traditional South African pancakes recipe from my granny Julia’s kitchen. These soft pannekoek flip easily, roll beautifully and are best served warm with cinnamon sugar. No milk or butter needed.

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Prep Time:10

Cook Time:30

resting time:15

Total Time:55

Course: Breakfast, Dessert, Main Course, Snack

Cuisine: South African

Keyword: pannekoek, traditional pancakes, thin pancakes, south african crepes, bazaar pannekoek, dutch pancakes, cinnamon sugar pancakes

Servings: pancakes, or up to 25 pancakes in a medium-sized pan

Calories: 237kcal

Equipment

1 large or medium frying or crepe pan

Ingredients

For the pancakes

4 eggs
1125 millilitre water
60 millilitre vinegar 4 tablespoons
250 millilitre oil neutral oil like sunflower, vegetable
600 grams all-purpose flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt

For the cinnamon sugar

125 millilitre white sugar
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon

Instructions

In a large bowl, whisk the eggs and water until the eggs are well broken up and evenly dispersed in the water. An electric hand mixer works well, but you can also use a balloon whisk.
4 eggs, 1125 millilitre water
Add the vinegar and oil to the egg mixture and beat until well combined.
60 millilitre vinegar, 250 millilitre oil
In a separate bowl, sift the flour, baking powder and salt together.
600 grams all-purpose flour, 4 teaspoons baking powder, 1 teaspoon salt
Sprinkle a third of the dry ingredients onto the wet ingredients and beat until incorporated. Repeat this process twice more with the remaining flour.
Beat until you have a smooth batter that resembles thick cream. If you notice any pockets or lumps of flour, increase the speed and beat only until they disappear.
Set the batter aside to rest for 15 minutes.
Prepare the non-stick frying pan by adding a small amount of oil. Use a piece of kitchen paper to spread the oil around the pan, ensuring only a very thin layer remains. Keep the oiled paper handy in case you need to apply more later.
Heat the pan over medium-high heat.
Add a ladle of batter to the hot pan. As soon as the batter hits the pan, swirl it around to evenly distribute it to the edges. Work quickly before the batter settles.
Still over medium-high heat, cook the pancake until the surface appears dull (with no shiny patches of batter) and the edges of the pancake start pulling away from the pan.
Gently slide the spatula underneath the pancake up to the middle and quickly and confidently flip it over. Cook until the underside is light, golden brown with a few darker spots.
Repeat for the remaining batter, regulating the heat as necessary.
Cooked pancakes can be kept on a plate covered top and bottom with foil. Alternatively, place a plate over a saucepan of simmering water with the pancakes on top to keep warm.
In a small bowl, combine the cinnamon and sugar, then sprinkle the mixture generously onto each pancake before rolling it up.
125 millilitre white sugar, 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon

Notes

The batter should resemble thick cream.
Use only a very thin layer of oil in the pan.
Cook until the top looks dull and the edges pull away before flipping.
Cinnamon sugar ratio: 1 part cinnamon to 4 parts sugar.

Nutrition