Swedish pancakes are a bit different than your ordinary pancake. More like a crepe, they are often filled with butter and jam, or dusted with powdered sugar. Compared to regular pancakes, making Swedish pancakes may seem like a lot of work. When considering the quality of the pancake, however, I think you will find they are well worth it.

A Swedish Pancake folded with jam inside and sprinkled with powdered sugar. A fruit salad of mandarin sections and grapes is served on the side.

“Aha!” Moments

Do you ever find yourself in a rut, always doing the same old thing the same old way? Have you ever, suddenly, discovered a new way of doing that thing and wondered why you never did it that way before?

Take pancakes, for example. I love pancakes! Inspired by a recent Movie Break with the film Stranger Than Fiction, I think I might even say I have a new found appreciation for pancakes. I was especially delighted with one particular quote from the film where Dustin Hoffman’s character, Dr. Jules Hilbert, is speaking to Harold Crick:

Dr. Jules Hilbert: Hell Harold, you could just eat nothing but pancakes if you wanted.
Harold Crick: What is wrong with you? Hey, I don’t want to eat nothing but pancakes, I want to live! I mean, who in their right mind, in a choice between pancakes and living, chooses pancakes?
Dr. Jules Hilbert: Harold, if you pause to think, you’d realize that, that answer is inextricably contingent upon the type of life being led… and, of course, the quality of the pancakes.
~ dialog from the movie, Stranger Than Fiction

In one of those “Aha!” moments, where a light seems to shine on something you always thought you knew but suddenly see anew, I was struck by how it is the little things in life that matter. It isn’t just the end result, or our destination, that is important. Every step along the way adds to the quality of the journey. And what better example could you ask for than pancakes? I could totally relate.

The Quality of Pancakes

When my husband and I were first married we made pancakes the only way we knew how: we opened a box of Bisquick and we followed the directions on the back. The result was an adequate pancake. Smothered in butter and syrup they were sweet and filling and we, not knowing any better at the time, were satisfied.

Years passed and I ran across a recipe that makes very good pancakes and is convenient too – Overnight Pancakes. This pancake batter can be made ahead and stored for up to a week. It makes a thinner, but more tender and subtly flavorful, pancake. Suddenly, I had a new favorite. Easy, practical, interesting and made from scratch, it is still a good choice among the many pancake recipes I have tried.

Three Swedish Pancakes folded with jam and sprinkled with toasted almond slices and powdered sugar. A fruit salad of mandarin sections and grapes is served on the side.

Then one day a friend offered to treat us to Swedish Pancakes for breakfast. For his family, these are the gold standard among pancakes. He makes them whenever he has friends or family gathered for breakfast or brunch. He considers this recipe a personal specialty.

I didn’t really know what to expect. I don’t think I had ever eaten Swedish Pancakes before, but I do like to try new things, and I love to watch other people cook. So he cooked while I hung around with my camera watching.

The pancakes he made were nothing short of wonderful! While simple enough, in terms of ingredients, the outcome was something very special. These pancakes are sweet and elegant and a delightful change from the ordinary style of pancakes I am used to making.

Beyond Ordinary

Generally, I would have to say that I agree with Harold. “I don’t want to eat nothing but pancakes. I want to live!” Still while I am living I’m going to have to agree with Dr. Hilbert too. Much does depend “upon the type of life being led… and, of course, the quality of the pancakes.” Personally, I am thankful for a life where I can share my gifts, my history and my recipes with friends and family. I am also thankful when they share theirs with me in return. Along the way I find that sharing contributes to the quality of my life and, as a happy coincidence, it also contributes to the quality of my pancakes!

With Christmas approaching, wouldn’t these pancakes be a fantastic holiday breakfast or brunch for out of town guests, or any family or friends you have the privilege to host this holiday season? Inexpensive to make yet elegant, filling and delicious, these pancakes are a wonderful treat most guests would enjoy.

And I can think of so many variations. Of course you can fill them with the traditional lingonberry sauce or fruit jam, then sprinkle them with powdered sugar. Obviously, they will be fantastic. And yet, what about topping them with a cranberry orange relish? You could serve them with pumpkin butter, a drizzle of maple syrup and a few toasted pecans. Or smother a few pancakes with Nutella and sprinkle with toasted hazelnuts. Then again, maybe just drizzle with a quick squeeze of fresh lemon and a dusting of powdered sugar. The possibilities are as great as the quality of your imagination.

Here is the recipe for Swedish Pancakes as described by the cook:

Swedish Pancakes, rolled with Marionberry Jam inside, sprinkled with powdered sugar and served on a plate with a fruit salad.

Making Swedish Pancakes

Swedish pancakes, if you don’t know, are quite a bit different than your ordinary pancake. They are more of a crepe than anything else. Compared to making regular pancakes, Swedish pancakes seem like a lot of work, but for the occasional special breakfast they are well worth it.

My 1968 copy of Better Homes and Gardens NEW Cook Book, given to me by my Uncle Stan, is where I got the basic recipe. To make Swedish Pancakes you will need:

eggs
milk
all-purpose flour
sugar
salt

This recipe will make approximately nine 8″ pancakes. (We tripled the recipe to make enough pancakes for a brunch for five with some left over. All of the pancakes were gone before dinner.)

The instructions say, “Beat eggs till thick and lemon-colored.” After that, sift and add the dry ingredients mixing gently with a wire whip. When the mix is the consistency of a thick paste, add the milk slowly as you continue to mix. The reason for mixing slowly is so that you don’t mix too much air in the batter. A batter that is frothy does not seem to cook properly.

When the batter is ready, set it aside, and prepare the frying pan. The best pans are about 8 to 10 inches in diameter at the bottom, with very low sides. The low sides make it easier to flip the pancakes. Start with the heat at medium and adjust as needed. Each pan seems to have its own quirks about how much heat it likes and how fast it will cook pancakes. Melt about half a teaspoon of butter in the pan and when melted, spread it around so that it covers the bottom of the pan. You need to add more butter for each pancake which can be a challenge with more than one pan. I pre-slice bits of butter ahead of time so that they are ready to toss in the pan without losing time fiddling with the butter knife.

Swedish pancakes being cooked in two flat skillets on a vintage aqua colored cooktop.

Pour in just enough batter to cover two thirds of the pan, and then swirl the pan to spread the batter. Let the pancake cook for about 30 seconds, and then peek under one edge. When it starts to brown in spots, flip the pancake and cook for another 15 to 30 seconds depending on heat.

Start with one pan to get the feel for making these things. They take a while to cook individually, so as you find yourself making more, you might stretch to use two or more pans at one time. I personally have had four frying pans going at once with the able assistance of one of my brothers at a family outing, but then we were trying to cook about 60 pancakes that day!

As the pancakes come off the stove, keep them in a warm oven. When all are ready, serve them hot from the oven with butter, jams (We enjoy marionberry jam from my uncle’s restaurant, The Berry Patch Restaurant in Westport, Oregon), and powdered sugar for toppings.

Personally, I like to put jam in the middle of my pancakes, roll them up, and sprinkle a bit of powdered sugar on top. Others like to put their fruit on top, and some just enjoy them plain.

Anyway you prepare them, these are a real treat.

Enjoy!