Swedish Pancakes are thin, tender, and buttery, kind of like the yummiest cross between a pancake and a crepe. They cook up fast, roll up beautifully, and feel extra special for weekend breakfast, brunch, or even breakfast-for-dinner.
This recipe is especially close to our hearts because it comes from my husband’s great grandma Johnson, who immigrated from Sweden. It is the kind of simple, well-loved family recipe that has been made for generations, and it still turns out soft, golden, and perfectly delicate every single time.
Serve them warm with fruit, buttermilk syrup and homemade whipped cream (or use savory fillings), and you have a breakfast that feels both nostalgic and a little fancy. And if you love this recipe, you can try some of our other favorites like Easy Pancakes, Crepes, German Pancakes, and French Toast.
Why we think you’ll love them:
- Simple pantry staples. Nothing fancy here. Just a few simple ingredients and a skillet!
- Quick! They cook quickly in a skillet, which makes them great for brunch or busy mornings.
- Everyone loves them. Kids love customizing them with fruit syrup and whipped cream.
Swedish Pancakes Ingredients
- Large eggs (3): Gives structure while keeping them soft and flexible. They also help create a smooth batter that cooks up tender.
- Milk (3 cups): Thins the batter so it spreads easily into a thin layer. It also keeps the pancakes delicate and soft.
- Unsalted butter, melted, plus more for the pan (3 tablespoons): Adds rich flavor and helps the pancakes cook up with golden edges. Extra butter in the pan keeps them from sticking and adds that classic finish.
- All-purpose flour, sifted (1½ cups): Gives the pancakes body while still allowing them to stay thin and tender. Sifting helps prevent lumps and makes the batter extra smooth.
- Sugar (2 teaspoons): Adds a touch of sweetness and helps with light browning. It keeps the flavor balanced for sweet toppings.
- Salt (1 teaspoon): Brings out the buttery flavor and balances the sweetness. It keeps the pancakes from tasting flat.
- Optional syrup toppings: Homemade Buttermilk Syrup, Maple Syrup, Cinnamon Buttermilk Syrup
- Optional sweet toppings: Fresh fruit, Fruit syrup, Nutella, jam, Homemade Whipped Cream, or even softened ice cream
- Optional savory filling: Shredded cheese, eggs, ham, bacon bits, or sausage crumbles
How to Make Swedish Pancakes
BATTER. Beat eggs and add about milk. Add flour with salt and sugar. Mix in a bowl with beaters or in the blender. Add melted butter and milk. Mix in flour and milk; mix well.
COOK. Heat a skillet and wipe with some butter or oil when it is hot. Pour a thin layer of batter into the pan and tilt the pan until the batter is spread all over. When edges are bubbled and browned, it’s ready to flip.
SERVE. Serve warm and add any desired toppings.
Best pans for Swedish Pancakes?
>> For larger Swedish Pancakes, simply use an 8-10-inch pan with a flat bottom and shallow sides so they are easier to flip.
>> For smaller pancakes use a Plett (a frying pan with several round grooves, often 3 inches in diameter). You can make several small Swedish pancakes at one time.
Kristyn’s Recipe Tips
- Let the batter rest for 10 minutes if you can, it helps the flour hydrate and makes the pancakes cook up more tender.
- Use a nonstick skillet and a little butter each time, it helps the pancakes release easily and keeps the edges golden.
- Tilt the pan right after pouring so the batter spreads thin and evenly, this is the key to Swedish pancake texture.
- Flip when the edges look set and lightly browned and the center looks cooked, thin pancakes flip quickly.
- How to keep warm? Place a sheet pan in the oven and heat to about 200°F. Roll each pancake and place them side by side in a pan, or stack them on the pan, separating each pancake with parchment paper. Keep warm for up to 30 minutes.
Swedish Pancakes Recipe
Video
Ingredients
- 3 large eggs
- 3 cups milk
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus more for the pan
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour, sifted
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
Toppings
- fruit syrup, homemade whipped cream
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, beat eggs until well combined.
- Add milk, butter, flour, sugar, and salt to eggs and mix until smooth.
- Heat more butter in a 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat, or spray the skillet with nonstick cooking spray.
- Pour about ¼ cup batter into the pan and tilt the pan in circles until the batter is spread all over in a thin layer. Cook for 1-2 minutes. When the edges are bubbled and browned, it is ready to flip.
- Cook the other side until golden, about 1 minute, then transfer to a plate. Repeat to make the remaining pancakes, stacking them with a piece of parchment paper between each one to keep them from sticking.
- Serve immediately with your toppings of choice.
Notes
- Sweet: fresh fruit, Nutella, syrup, jam, whipped cream, or even softened ice cream.
- Savory: eggs, ham, cheese, bacon bits, sausage crumbles
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe FAQ
Make-ahead tip: Stack cooked pancakes with parchment between them, then reheat gently in a warm skillet or microwave before serving.
Separate pancakes with parchment paper, wrap the stack with plastic wrap, and then again with aluminum foil and label. Store in the freezer for up to 4 months. Thaw before reheating. Heat in the oven, microwave, or skillet.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.
Complete The Meal
Toppings + Fillings
Cheesecake Fruit Salad
1 hr 7 mins
Buttermilk Syrup
10 mins
Homemade Whipped Cream
15 mins
How To Make Maple Syrup
18 mins
More Pancake Recipes
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This recipe was first shared October, 2011.
Yum – I had to top mime with chocolate chips, so good we made them twice!
forget original pancakes, these are the best kind of pancakes ever! thank you so much for sharing this recipe!
These Swedish pancakes turned out amazing!!! I thought they would be the same as crepes, but they are a little different. For the filling, I used a combination of pickles, fresh pressed garlic, and mayo. They were savory and sooooo good!!
This is what I told my sister after trying this recipe:
“So, a friend took me for breakfast at a Swedish restaurant about a month ago. She ordered coffee and Swedish pancakes (crepes, really) at the recommendation of the waiter. Awesome choice. I kept thinking about those pancakes and wondering when I will buy myself a breakfast there again. Then today, the genius idea occurred to me that I could google the recipe and try them at home for myself and my people. Wow! Wow! Wow! Swedish pancakes will be served in heaven!
For a while, I couldn’t keep up with the demand of the little mouths at the table, then I couldn’t keep up with my own demand. I kept eying the last four but kindness won the day. I left them for my hubby.”
Update: I’m making them for the third time in four days, by popular demand. And the syrup is awesome!!
These were great. Super easy and quick to make.
Hello, I stumbled across your page looking for a way to modify my “Swedish Pancake” recipe that my grandma taught me.
Random- but my grandma is my Grandma Johnson! wonder if its the same person? She lives out in Conway SC, Mary Elizabeth Johnson. My dad is Aurthur..
Long story- I don’t use a recipe per say I just put all the ingredients together- BUT my pancakes are not coming out right since moving out to Colorado- I know there is a flour change but I cant seem to get it right would you be able to modify this for high altitude? Also – your recipe is bidding Cardamom? We add Cardamom to our Swedish pancakes.
We roll them up with whipped cream inside and either use fresh fruits or we cook up some berries and make a hot sauce. Fond childhood memories that I am happy to share with my kids…. Please help with the modification!!!
Hi Stacy! How fun that you make Swedish pancakes too! And that yours is from your Grandma Johnson too. We love this recipe and it is definitely a family favorite. I imagine you could modify for high altitude. We don’t have to modify for high altitude here in AZ, so I’m not sure exactly what you would need to do. But I’d suggest searching for high altitude modifications online. I’m sure that someone has some general “high altitude modification” tips that you could apply to and experiment with for this recipe! Best of luck!!
These were amazing, we filled half of them with ham and cheese then finished the second half with the TO DIE FOR buttermilk syrup. We had one question – what is the purpose of the baking powder in the syrup? What does it do? Thanks a lot for this amazing recipe.
I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe!! So, that actually is supposed to say baking soda. Looks like we have a typo in there for the buttermilk syrup. The baking soda reacts with the buttermilk and makes it foamy and delicious! We will get the recipe card updated. You’ll have to try the syrup with the baking soda and see how you like it! 🙂
Love this recipe! One of the best ones I’ve tried.
Love this recipe!!. Good balance of flavors . Some use 4 eggs which gives it more of the scrambled egg taste. We like this version better. I made the buttermilk syrup recently and like it as well. But my favorite way to eat these is with small amount of butter , powdered sugar and lots of fresh lemon juice squeezed straight from the lemon. Thank you for posting it.!!
Mmmm the lemon juice and sugar is SO good with these! I’m so glad you enjoy this recipe. Thanks for giving it a try!
Excellent recipe. They turned out perfectly….wow!
Yay!! So glad you loved them!