Swedish Pancakes [+Video] - Oh Sweet Basil (2024)

Swedish Pancakes are a cross between a crepe and a pancake. They have a delicate texture and my gosh, they are delicious!

I honestly think that Swedish pancakes are superior to every other crepe-like recipe. I’ve said it, I’ve done it, I’ve angered the world. But truly, other than our buttermilk brown butter crepes (would you like the recipe?!) these are the best breakfast from around the world. In my humble opinion. Most Swedish pancake recipes call for only milk but their milk seems to be more full fat so adding sour cream achieved that extra flavor we lack in the states, but you can totally use all milk instead.

Culinary Heritage

I’ve been really intrigued by the idea of getting to know your heritage and ancestors lately. There are so many amazing stories that we are learning, like pulling handcarts across the United States and being trapped in horrendous snow storms with no food or even shoes, yet writing faith-filled journals about trust in God and His love. Amazing!

Recently I decided that if I was ever truly wanting to get to know someone I’d visit them where they live and eat what they eat and walk where they walk. So, I’ve decided I need a trip to Europe.

It’s settled. I need to go.

And in the meantime, I’m discovering recipes that my ancestors used, like these Swedish Pancakes!

What is a Swedish Pancake?

A Swedish pancake is a thin, crepe-like, pancake is that is lacy and tender and traditionally served with lingonberries or lingonberry jam. In fact, they are even sometimes called Swedish crepes. They can be rolled up for folded into quarters and eaten with whatever toppings you love.

What is the Difference Between Swedish Pancakes and Regular Pancakes?

Swedish pancakes are lighter and thinner than regular pancakes, or “American pancakes” we will call them. We are no strangers to the best pancakes on earth, and if you dig in and compare the two recipes, you will see that Swedish pancakes have more milk than flour and more eggs and butter. The batter for Swedish pancakes will be thin and pourable where the batter for American pancakes is quite thick and almost has be to spooned onto the pan or skillet to cook.

Are Swedish Pancakes the Same as Crepes?

Though similar, they are not the same thing. Swedish pancakes are lighter and fluffier and don’t hold us as well with wet fillings like crepes do. Crepes are a little more dense and chewy.

What Do I Need to Make Swedish Pancakes?

A Swedish pancake recipe is pantry friendly, and every ingredient will likely be either in your fridge or pantry. So there shouldn’t be any excuses for not making this pancake recipe! Haha! WARNING: Your kids might want you to make them every weekend from now on!

• Flour: just regular all purpose flour is all you need
• Baking Soda: acts as a leavening agent to give the pancakes their fluffiness
• Milk: You want full fat whole milk. The fat in this recipe is key to getting the right texture and fabulous flavor!
• Sour Cream: adds a little more fat to develop the rich flavor
• Eggs: use large eggs
• Sugar:You can totally control the sweetness of these pancakes here. Use the full amount listed for sweeter pancakes or scale down to as little as 2 teaspoons for less sweet pancakes.
• Butter: I prefer to use unsalted butter and you’re going to want the butter the be melted.
• Salt: enhances all the flavors

The measurements for each ingredients are available in the recipe card at the end of this post. This is just meant to be an overview of the ingredients needed.

How to Make Swedish Pancakes

1. Mix: Add all the ingredients to a bowl and whisk everything together to create the batter.
   • PRO TIP: You could also add all the ingredients to a blender and give them a few good pulses until just combined if you prefer!
2. Cook: Butter a crepe pan or nonstick skillet and pour a little batter into the pan.
3. Flip: When bubbles start to form on the top of the pancake, flip the pancake over and brush with melted butter.
4. Serve: Flip the pancake onto a plate, brush the other side with butter and sprinkle with sugar and squeeze a little fresh lemon juice on it. Roll it up and eat!

All of these instructions are included in the recipe card down below so keep scrolling for all the recipe details.

How to Serve Swedish Pancakes

Traditional Swedish pancakes are topped with just a little sugar and lemon juice and served with lingonberries. Well, lingonberries are a little hard to find here in Utah (unless I have a trip to IKEA planned!), so we like to top ours with diced strawberries.

I’ve also hear of people using whipped cream, powdered sugar, maple syrup, or other fresh fruit as toppings. It all sounds fabulous to me! Our buttermilk syrup (aka syrup of the gods) would also be a delicious topping. You can keep it simple or load it up a much as you want!

Are Swedish Pancakes Healthy?

Wellllllll, can you call any pancakes healthy really? But honestly, Swedish pancakes aren’t horrible. Let me break down the nutrition for you comparing these pancakes with a few others:

Swedish Pancakes (per pancake): Calories – 108; Fat – 6g; Protein – 3g; Carbs – 11g

Buttermilk Pancakes: Calories – 204; Fat – 6g; Protein – 7g; Carbs – 30g

Dutch Baby Pancakes: Calories – 231; Fat – 13g; Protein – 9g; Carbs – 18g

Finnish Pancakes: Calories – 100; Fat – 4g; Protein – 4g; Carbs – 12g

So you can judge for yourself if that is healthy or not depending on what type of diet you might be following. If you’re following the diet of eating a delicious breakfast, then this is a recipe for you!

Storage Tips

Storing: Swedish pancakes store extremely well in a ziploc bag in the refrigerator. Let them cool completely before storing them. They will keep for 4-5 days.

Reheating: When you’re ready to eat them, warm them up in the microwave for 20 seconds or on the stove top in a skillet.

Freezing: These pancakes also freeze very well. If you have leftovers after cooking them, allow them to cool completely and then layer them in a ziploc bag with parchment paper in between them. They will keep for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to eat them, pull them out and let them thaw in the fridge overnight.

In all my research for the best Swedish pancake recipe, they always used full fat or cream for the milk and I have to say, that this is the key to tastiest Swedish pancake! We cannot get enough of these pancakes in our house! They are a new Saturday morning tradition!

More Pancake Recipes:

• Buttermilk Pancakes
• Dutch Baby Pancakes
• Finnish Pancakes
• German Pancakes
• Sheet Pan Pancakes

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