My Great Grandmother's Famous Swedish Pancakes Recipe

In case the blonde hair and blue eyes weren't enough indication, I'm Swedish, well, among other things anyway. My dad's grandmother was 100% Swedish and passed down a lot of her family's heritage to her children and grandchildren. She passed along traditions, parts of the language and most of all her recipes. Like any recipe passed down for generations, this one is authentic, delicious and a family favorite. 

Because of their delicate, delicious flavor and their similarity to crepes, I always get excited when I see crepes on the menu at a restaurant. But sadly, I am usually disappointed. It's the old rule of, never order something from a menu that you can make better at home yourself.

Anytime I make Swedish Pancakes for friends they joke with me that they are crepes and why do I call them Swedish Pancakes. I always told them they are different but couldn't really explain why. For the most part they seemed like they were one in the same. 

However, when I traveled to Paris, France recently I learned to explain the difference. I was just certain that crepes in Paris would blow my mind and cause me to think differently about my own Swedish Pancakes. I mean, I knew that my family's Swedish Pancakes were incredible but this is the French we're talking about, they're known for their crepes! So while in Paris I made a point to seek out crepes anywhere I could, from street vendors and restaurants, looking for that incredible flavor I just knew would be there. Surprisingly, I was vastly disappointed. 

Crepes in France were tough, chewy and doused in chocolate and other sugary toppings. They treat their crepes more like a dessert. My family's Swedish Pancakes are anything but chewy. They are warm, soft and can be torn apart with two pinky fingers. They are bursting with flavor, especially if you dust them with a little powdered sugar and a couple drops of syrup. The crepes I tried in Paris were bland, somewhat stale and if it weren’t for the jellies, chocolate sauce or bananas covering them would taste more like stale bread than pancakes. Paris crepes are not made for breakfast and quite honestly, the Swedish do them far better.

In my family, we always topped our Swedish Pancakes with butter, powdered sugar and syrup. But over the years, I’ve tried out a variety of toppings that are a little more healthy than my family’s staples. Don’t get me wrong, butter, powdered sugar and syrup are a great way to eat them, but you can save quite a few calories and the sugar by dropping the butter – they are so flavorful you don’t really miss it anyway, especially if you cook them in a little bit of butter you won’t need anymore. You can also drop calories and sugar by eliminating the syrup and substituting natural fruit jelly, or better yet, fresh fruit like strawberries or blueberries. A fine dusting of powdered sugar is always welcome no matter the topping you choose but is not entirely necessary. If you want a little extra sweetness however try drizzling a little honey on top.

So without further adieu, below is my family’s Swedish Pancake recipe. Guaranteed to taste better than crepes in Paris.

Ingredients:

2 Eggs

½  Cup Flour

Just Under ¾ Cup Lowfat Milk

Pinch of Salt

2 t. Sugar

Heat a medium saucepan to medium low heat. Coat the pan with a thin layer of butter. Mix all ingredients until smooth. Pour just enough batter to cover the bottom of the pan and move the pan to make sure the bottom is coated evenly. Flip after a couple minute or when light brown spots appear on the bottom of the pancake. Cook the other side for approximately one minute. Roll and top with the toppings of your choosing.