Pancakes (thin, Pancake Day style)
Works in the UK and the US. This version uses UK words and measures (hob, grams, gas marks); the US version uses stove, cups and °F. · US version of this page
Thin, lacy pancakes for Shrove Tuesday or any day: whisking a smooth batter and cooking safely in a hot pan.
- Makes 8
- About 40 min
- Hob
- Best for: KS2 (ages 7–11)
- Vegetarian
Ingredients
- 100 g plain flour – contains gluten
- 2 medium eggs – contains eggs
- 300 ml milk – contains milk
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil, plus a little for the pan
- 1 lemon, cut into wedges
- 2 tbsp caster sugar, for sprinkling
Need a different amount? Use the recipe finder to change the servings.
Equipment
- digital scales
- measuring jug
- sieve
- large mixing bowl
- balloon whisk
- non-stick frying pan (about 20 cm)
- ladle
- palette knife or fish slice
- kitchen paper
- plate
Safety first
- Wash your hands with soap for at least 20 seconds, tie back long hair and put on a clean apron.
- Ask about allergies before anyone cooks or tastes. This recipe contains: gluten, eggs, milk.
- Wash your hands after cracking eggs.
- Do not eat raw dough or cake mixture – raw flour and raw egg can carry harmful bacteria.
- Turn pan handles inwards and keep the area around the hob clear.
Allergens: Cereals containing gluten, Eggs, Milk. Always read every label and ask about allergies before anyone cooks or tastes.
Method
- Sieve the flour into the bowl and make a dip (a well) in the middle.
- Crack the eggs into the well (check for bits of shell). Add a little milk and whisk, slowly pulling in the flour. Keep adding milk a little at a time until the batter is smooth and as thin as single cream. Stir in the tablespoon of oil. Wash your hands. (Younger children: Pour in the milk a little at a time while an adult or partner holds the bowl, and whisk until smooth.) (3 min)
- Leave the batter to rest while you lay out the plate, lemon and sugar. (10 min)
- Teacher-led: Wipe the pan with a little oil on kitchen paper and heat it over a medium heat until hot. Turn the pan handle inwards.
- Teacher-led: Pour in a small ladle of batter and tilt the pan so it covers the base thinly. Cook until the underside is golden, then loosen the edge and flip it with the palette knife. (1 min)
- Teacher-led: Cook the second side, then slide the pancake onto the plate. Repeat with the rest of the batter, adding a little oil to the pan when it starts to stick. (1 min)
- Squeeze over some lemon, sprinkle with a little sugar and roll or fold each pancake.
What this recipe teaches
Weighing and measuring, Whisking, Preparing fruit and vegetables, Using the hob safely, Shallow frying and stir-frying, Presenting food. Steps marked “Adult” are always done by an adult; steps marked “Teacher-led” are done by an adult for primary-age children.
Nutrition per serving
| Energy | 437 kJ / 105 kcal |
|---|---|
| Fat | 3.6 g |
| of which saturates | 0.9 g |
| Carbohydrate | 15.3 g |
| of which sugars | 5.3 g |
| Fibre | 0.5 g |
| Protein | 3.9 g |
| Salt | 0.08 g |
Worked out from the raw ingredients (optional ones and pinches not counted) using CoFID 2021 (McCance and Widdowson’s Composition of Foods Integrated Dataset, Public Health England). Brands vary – check labels. Figures for semi-skimmed milk (the recipe finder shows the other choices).
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0: McCance and Widdowson’s The Composition of Foods Integrated Dataset 2021, Public Health England.
Eatwell Guide groups in this recipe: Fruit and vegetables; Potatoes, bread, rice, pasta and other starchy carbohydrates; Beans, pulses, fish, eggs, meat and other proteins; Dairy and alternatives; Oil and spreads. Learn about the Eatwell Guide.
Foods high in fat, salt or sugar sit outside the Eatwell Guide – enjoy them less often and in small amounts.
Curriculum links
- KS2 D&T – Cooking and nutrition: “understand and apply the principles of a healthy and varied diet”
- KS2 D&T – Cooking and nutrition: “prepare and cook a variety of predominantly savoury dishes using a range of cooking techniques”
Try the interactive lesson
Step by step: a quick safety check, questions marked by Classfern, timers for each cooking step, then an honest look at how it went – a teacher or parent judges the cooking, and learners rate their own work. Photos of the finished dish stay at home.
Use the code your teacher gave you – never your name. Progress is kept on this device.