Let’s flip out: today is Pancake Day!

16th February 2021 | Eativity editors

Pancake Day has really crêped up on us again this year (sorry, we couldn’t resist that little flapjack crack). The day is also known as Shrove Tuesday or Fat Tuesday, and it’s the day before Lent begins, which traditionally meant making the most of one last night of pigging out before 46 loooondays of fasting until Easter Sunday. Making and eating pancakes was also seen as a great way to use up all your butter, eggs, sugar and other goodies so they weren’t hanging around the house to tempt you.

But while people generally think of pancakes as a “treat” meal because of all the sugary toppings they come with, pancakes can be healthy, too.

“The best thing about pancakes is that they’re incredibly versatile and can be topped with a range of sweet or savoury toppings,” says dietitian Susie Burrell.

Watch the sugar content of your pancake toppings

Watch your toppings

When making pancakes healthy, Burrell says the rule of thumb is to ensure that no more than a couple of tablespoons of added sugar is used in the recipe. This includes toppings.

“It can be tempting to get heavy-handed with pancake toppings like maple syrup, sugar, honey, golden syrup and other sauces,” she says. “But remember, they’re all still sugars.”

Burrell says that sticking to pancake toppings that include fresh fruit, sautéed vegies, Greek yoghurt and natural peanut butters will help keep your pancakes nutritionally balanced.

“Toppings like Greek yoghurt and 100 percent natural nut spreads like Mayver’s Peanut Butter provide a great source of protein,” she says. “This will help keep you fuller for longer and provide you with the energy you need to get through the day.”

Substitute ingredients to make a healthier pancake recipe

Mix it up

You can also modify the pancake recipe to increase its nutritional content. Substitute ingredients for oats, banana or eggs, or swap in some wholemeal flour with a pancake mix.

“Adding a dollop of Greek yoghurt as a topping is a great way to boost your dairy intake,” Burrell says. “Complementing it with fruit or a peanut butter and honey sauce helps balance the tanginess of the yoghurt. Similarly, mixing some banana into the recipe is a great way to sneak in an extra serving of fruit. If you add oats and peanut butter, the extra protein and fibre will keep you fuller for longer, too.”

To help you get your Fat Tuesday on, we’ve shared some easy pancake recipes below. Both are crazy delicious, but also a little less sinful than your usual offerings. So you’ll have a bit less to atone for come Lent tomorrow. You’re welcome.

Peanut butter pancakes with smooth peanut butter and honey Greek yoghurt

Peanut butter pancakes with smooth peanut butter and honey Greek yoghurt

Recipe by Janessa Rutter
Serves 1
Gluten-free
Sugar-free
Vegetarian

You’ll need:

For the gluten free pancakes

½ cup gluten-free flour
½ tsp baking powder
cup milk of your choice
1 tbsp Mayver’s Dark Roast Peanut Butter

For the peanut butter and honey Greek yoghurt

1½ cup plain Greek yoghurt
2 tbsp Mayver’s Dark Roast Peanut Butter
1 tbsp honey

Method:

1. In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, milk and stir until smooth. Add peanut butter to the mixed batter and stir until mixed in thoroughly.

2. Warm a fry pan on medium heat and add oil to coat bottom of the pan. Add a couple of tablespoons of mixture and cook for approximately 3 minutes until bubbles start to appear. Flip and cook for another 2 minutes or until golden brown. Repeat until all mixture is used.

3. For the peanut butter and honey Greek yoghurt, add all the ingredients into a bowl and stir until combined. The mixture will become thick as it’s combined.

4. Serve with layers of peanut butter and honey Greek yoghurt. Top with crushed peanuts.

Pom Pom Paddock cheesecake pancakes

Pom Pom Paddock cheesecake pancakes

Recipe courtesy of Lorraine Sarayeldin from Pom Pom Paddock
Makes 4 pancake stacks

You’ll need:

1 punnet strawberries roughly chopped
¼ cup maple syrup
1 PomPom Paddock pancake mix
1 tsp baking powder
1½ cup milk of your choice
1 egg
1 tbsp oil
2 tbsp butter or oil
250g cream cheese
250g double cream
Zest 1 orange
cup chocolate spread
¼ cup toasted hazelnuts, crushed
1 tsp sumac (optional)

Method:

1. Combine the strawberries with the maple syrup and cook over medium/high heat until they’re soft and juicy, then crush with a fork and set aside in the fridge to chill.

2. Place the baking powder into the dry pancake mix and give it a shake to mix, then add the milk, egg and oil and shake well to mix.

3. Use a non-stick pan and the butter or oil to cook 8 pancakes about 8cm in diameter. Then allow them to cool on a plate.

4. Place the cream cheese and cream into a mixer with a whisk attachment. Add the orange zest and whip to stiff peaks. Add a third of a cup of strawberry compote to half the mix and Nutella to the other half and mix both separately. Place in the fridge to set for an hour then spoon the mixtures into piping bags.

5. Pipe the Nutella cream over 2 pancakes and top with another pancake and pipe the strawberry cream over another 2 pancakes and top with the last two pancakes.

6. Press some crushed hazelnuts onto the Nutella cream and sprinkle some sumac onto the strawberry cream. Dust them all with some icing sugar and either serve straight away or refrigerate for an hour or so.

Raspberry, vanilla, coconut and passionfruit pancakes

Raspberry, vanilla, coconut and passionfruit pancakes

Recipe by Chef Tom Walton
Makes 4-6 pancakes (depending on size)

“These are vegan, gluten-free, super simple and so scrumptious,” Walton says. “Kid-friendly and perfect for a slow morning or breakfast in bed, I made these with the delicious, creamy Califia Farms unsweetened vanilla almond milk.”

You’ll need:

1¼ cups buckwheat flour
¼ cup almond meal or desiccated coconut
1½ tsp baking powder
Pinch ground cinnamon
1 cup Califia Farms unsweetened vanilla almond milk
2 tbsp coconut oil
1 tsp white vinegar (optional)
cup maple syrup or coconut sugar
Zest 1 lemon
1 cup coconut yoghurt
2 passionfruit
1 punnet raspberries
cup toasted coconut flakes
Maple syrup to drizzle
¼ cup coconut oil or non-dairy butter to cook the pancakes.

Method:

1. Add and mix the almond milk, coconut oil, vinegar (if using) maple and lemon zest.

2. Heat a non-stick frying pan over high heat. Add a little oil to the pan and spoon in about half a cup of pancake batter. Cook for about 2 minutes then carefully flip and cook for 2 minutes more. Repeat until all the mix has been cooked.

3. To serve, combine the yoghurt with the pulp of 1 passion fruit and spoon this over your pancakes then top with raspberries, coconut maple syrup and more passionfruit.