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5.0 from 6 votes

Traditional English Pancakes (with Lemon and Sugar)

Traditional English Pancakes with lemon and sugar are a British food classic! Perfect for brunch, dessert and, of course, Shrove Tuesday (AKA Pancake Day!) My version are super simple to make and practically foolproof. Makes 12 pancakes of approximately 20cm/8inch diameter.

Prep Time
5 mins
Cook Time
5 mins
Total Time
20 mins
Servings: 12 pancakes
Calories: 124 kcal
Course: Dessert , Breakfast , Baked Goods , Brunch
Cuisine: British

Ingredients

  • 300 g plain flour
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 3 eggs
  • 425 ml milk
  • oil for frying
  • Lemons and caster sugar (or other toppings of your choice)

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Place the plain flour and salt in a mixing bowl and mix together thoroughly (to ensure the salt is evenly distributed).
  2. Measure out the milk in a measuring jug and add the eggs. Use a balloon whisk to mix the milk and eggs together thoroughly.
  3. Pour the liquid into the flour slowly, whisking constantly to ensure the flour and liquid are well combined. You should end up with a smooth pancake batter that is roughly the consistency of double cream.
  4. Put 1 teaspoon of oil in a large frying pan and place on a high heat for 1 minute. Swirl the oil so it evenly coats the base of the frying pan and put the frying pan back on the heat.
  5. Pour 1 ladleful (See Note 1) of pancake batter into the frying pan and swirl so the batter coats the base of the pan, but doesn’t go up the sides.
  6. Place the frying pan back over the heat and allow the pancake to cook for roughly 10 seconds.
  7. Using a fish slice or a spatula (See Note 2) lift up one edge of the pancake to see if it is looking nicely cooked / a light golden brown.
  8. When the pancake is cooked nicely on the bottom, either toss the pancake or use the fish slice / spatula to turn the pancake over. (The pancake should come away easily from the pan when cooked, but if it doesn’t, simply use your fish slice / spatula to loosen it.)
  9. Cook the pancake for about 10 seconds on the second side.
  10. Again, you can use a fish slice or spatula to lift up a corner and check it is nicely browned.
  11. When the pancake is cooked tip it out onto a plate and place the frying pan back over the heat.
  12. Pour in about ½ a teaspoon of oil and swirl. Put the pan back on the heat and immediately pour in 1 ladleful of pancake batter into the frying pan and swirl.
  13. Repeat the above process to make the second pancake.
  14. Continue until you have used up all the pancake batter.
  15. Serve with lemon and sugar… or any other toppings of your choice. (See Note 3.)

Notes

  • ¾
  • ¼
  • I find a soup ladle* is the best way to get just the right amount of batter into the frying pan each time. My soup ladle holds exactly 50ml (1¾ floz / ¼ cup) of batter, which is the perfect amount for 1 pancake. If you don’t have a soup ladle, you will need to find something else in your kitchen that will enable you to measure out 50ml each time, or judge it by eye.
  • I find a fish slice* to be the perfect tool to use to lift up the corner of each pancake to check if it’s done and also to flip the pancake if (like me!) your pancake tossing skills are not too good.
  • Personally I prefer to serve these pancakes the traditional English way, with lemon and sugar… but Nutella, maple syrup and fresh fruit also work well!
  • Suitable for freezing.
  • Nutrition information is approximate and meant as a guideline only.

Nutrition Information

Calories 124kcal (6%) Carbohydrates 21g (7%) Protein 5g (10%) Fat 2g (3%) Saturated Fat 1g (5%) Polyunsaturated Fat 0.3g Monounsaturated Fat 1g Trans Fat 0.03g Cholesterol 44mg (15%) Sodium 81mg (3%) Potassium 91mg (3%) Fiber 1g (4%) Sugar 2g (4%) Vitamin A 95IU (2%) Vitamin C 0.1mg (0%) Calcium 52mg (5%) Iron 1mg (6%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 12pancakes

Amount Per Serving

Calories 124

% Daily Value*

Calories 124kcal 6%
Carbohydrates 21g 7%
Protein 5g 10%
Fat 2g 3%
Saturated Fat 1g 5%
Polyunsaturated Fat 0.3g 2%
Monounsaturated Fat 1g 5%
Trans Fat 0.03g 2%
Cholesterol 44mg 15%
Sodium 81mg 3%
Potassium 91mg 2%
Fiber 1g 4%
Sugar 2g 4%
Vitamin A 95IU 2%
Vitamin C 0.1mg 0%
Calcium 52mg 5%
Iron 1mg 6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.