The VERY inventive recipes you can try this Pancake Day (2024)

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People across the UK will mark Shrove Tuesday by tucking into pancakes tonight.

But why not challenge yourself by swapping your tried-and-tested recipe for one of these more inventive ideas instead.

Retailers Aldi and Marks & Spencer are among those who have shared creative Pancake Day recipes in the hope of inspiring amateur chefs across the nation.

Whether you fancy a stack packed with leek and goat's cheese, or want to treat the children with Percy Pigs, there are plenty of novel ingredients that can be added to give a classic recipe a twist.

And for the health-conscious who are looking to indulge, we have also included a handy guide to the ingredient swaps you can make to cut down on calories.

LEEK AND GOAT'S CHEESE

Aldi's classic pancakes with an indulgent twist.

Serves: 4 people

Prep time: 25 minutes

Cooking time: 40 minutes

Ingredients

• 25g Kale
• 50g Leek
• 100g drained tinned Sweetcorn Kernels
• 100g Plain Flour
• 2 Large Eggs
• 300ml Milk
• 1 tsp Paprika
• 25ml Rapeseed Oil
• 400g Closed Cup Mushrooms
• 1 x 200g Soft Cheese with Garlic and Herbs
• 60g Parmigiano
• 35ml Olive Oil
• Sea Salt and Black Pepper
• Extra Rapeseed Oil, to fry

Method

1. Pre-heat the oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas Mark 6.
2. Wash and thinly slice the leek.
3. Put the flour, rapeseed oil, milk, eggs and paprika in a food processor and blitz to a smooth batter. Add the curly kale and the leeks and process again until the vegetables are chopped into the batter.
4. Pour the batter into a bowl and add the sweetcorn kernels. Season with some salt and pepper and mix well.
5. Heat some oil in a large frying pan. Make four pancakes from the batter. Put to one side while you make the stuffing.
6. Wipe the mushrooms and cut into quarters. Sauté them in a large frying pan in the olive oil for a couple of minutes. Add the soft cheese and the Parmigiano. Heat through until the sauce is melted, then season with some salt and pepper.
7. Put the pancakes on a board. Divide the mixture between them, fold them over, transfer to a baking dish and bake in the oven for 15 minutes.
8. Serve alongside a crisp salad.

ESPRESSO MARTINI

BBC Good Food'sboozy, co*cktail-inspired treat is perfect for entertaining friends.

Serves:4

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

• 200g self-raising flour
• 1 tbsp instant coffee mixed with 1 tbsp boiling water
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tbsp golden caster sugar
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
• 200ml milk
• 3 eggs
• 25g butter, melted, plus extra for frying

For the toppings

• 100ml espresso-strength coffee
• 4 tbsp caster sugar
• 25ml coffee liqueur
• 130g mascarpone
• 70g 0% fat Greek yogurt
• 1 tbsp vodka
• 4 tbsp icing sugar
• 40g chocolate-coated coffee beans, or chocolate shavings

Method

1. Simmer the espresso coffee, caster sugar and coffee liqueur in a small pan until thick and syrupy, about 5-10 mins. Set aside to cool.
2. Whisk all of the pancake ingredients together in a large bowl until smooth.
3. Put a small knob of butter in a large non-stick frying pan over a medium-low heat and cook until melted and foaming. Pour 2 tbsp of the mixture into the pan and use the back of the spoon to shape it into a 8-9cm round disc. Depending on the size of your pan, you may be able to get 2 or 3 pancakes to cook at the same time. Cook for 2-3 mins on the first side, then flip over and cook for another 1 min.
4. Heat oven to its lowest setting. Stack the cooked pancakes on a baking tray and keep warm in the oven while you cook the rest.
5. Beat the mascarpone, yogurt, vodka and icing sugar together with a whisk until smooth. To serve, stack the pancakes with the mascarpone mixture in between them, then finish with a final dollop on top. Drizzle over the coffee syrup, and top with the coffee beans or chocolate shavings.

PERCY PIGS

Marks & Spencer's inventive Percy Pigs recipe transforms a childhood treat into a Pancake Day dessert.

Ingredients

• Fresh pancake batter
• Pink food colouring
• Red grapes
• Raisins
• Maple syrup
• Whipped cream
• Percy Pigs

Method

1. Divide a tub of fresh pancake batter (available in store) into two bowls
2. Add a couple of drops of pink food colouring to one to use for the face, and four or five drops to the other for the ears and nose
3. Fry as per the instructions, making one larger circle and three smaller half-circles
4. Meanwhile, roast some red grapes with a drizzle of maple syrup at 180°C/160°C fan/gas mark 4 for 15 minutes
5. Spoon some whipped cream on top of the larger pancake and place one of the smaller pancakes on top, then arrange the other two small pancakes for the ears
6. Use the roasted grapes as nostrils, and two raisins for eyes
7. Serve with Percy Pig sweets and drizzle with maple syrup

SPINACH

Sainsbury's tasty spinach pancakes are a good option for kids

Serves:4

Prep time: 20 minutes

Cooking time: 15 minutes

Ingredients

• 175g plain flour
• 1 tbsp granulated sugar
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 300ml buttermilk
• 1 medium egg
• 25g unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 100g spinach, wilted and excess water squeezed out
• 4 tsp olive oil

Method

1. Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda in a bowl.
2. In another bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, egg and melted butter. Place the egg mixture in a food processor with the spinach and purée until smooth. Mix into the dry ingredients until just combined. If the batter is too thick, add a dash of water to thin.
3. Heat 1 tsp olive oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Drop spoonfuls of the batter into the pan, spreading to make 4 pancakes. Cook the pancakes until bubbles form on the surface – about 2 minutes – then flip over and cook on the other side for another 2 minutes or until golden. Repeat to use up the remaining oil and batter, keeping the cooked pancakes warm between layers of baking parchment until you're ready to serve.

MEXICAN STYLE

Aldi's Mexican pancakes offer a spicy and savoury take on the classic.

Serves:4 people

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 25 minutes

Ingredients

• Hot Chilli Cooking Sauce
• Spicy Mex Cheddar
• Courgettes
• Beef Mince

Method

1. Use the classic pancake recipe to make the mix.
2. Grate some fresh courgette into the mix, then continue to cook as normal.
3. Brown some beef mince in the frying pan and add a jar of Hot Chilli Sauce, stir throughout.
4. Fill the pancake with the mince and roll.
5. Top with grated Spicy Mex Cheddar and bake in the oven.

CHILLI CHOCOLATE

The flavour combination of Sainsbury's chocolate chilli pancakes will impress all your loved ones.

Serves: 6

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cooking time: 40 minutes

Ingredients

• 175g plain flour
• 4 tbsp cocoa powder
• 3 tbsp caster sugar
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 1 red chilli, finely sliced
• 4 large eggs, separated
• 20g unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 300ml buttermilk
• 1 tbsp sunflower oil
• 150g blackberries, to serve
• 120g Greek-style natural yogurt

Method

1. Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda. Stir in half the chilli until everything is combined and a uniform cocoa colour. Set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, combine the egg yolks, melted butter, buttermilk and the remaining chilli. Stir into the dry ingredients until just combined and you have a thick batter. Whisk the egg whites until thick and forming soft peaks, then fold into the batter in two batches. Resist the urge to stir until all the white has disappeared – a few lumps and streaks are fine as over-mixing will leave you with flat, dense pancakes.
3. Generously brush a large frying pan with the sunflower oil over a medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to low, then add 3 large individual spoonfuls of batter. Bubbles will start to appear, but don’t flip the pancakes until the bubbles stay open and don’t fill back up with batter. This will take around 3 minutes. Flip the pancakes and cook on the opposite side for 2-3 minutes until golden brown. Transfer to a plate and keep warm while you cook the rest of the batter, adding more sunflower oil if needed. You should have enough for 18 pancakes in total.
4. When you’re ready to eat, stack three pancakes on to each plate. Serve with the fresh blackberries and a dollop of Greek yogurt.

MANGO MOJITO

Waitrose brings extra zest to Pancake Day with its Mango Mojito recipe.

Serves:4

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Cooking time: 15 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 magos, peeled, stoned and sliced
• 3 tbsp golden rum or apple juice
• 2 tbsp light brown muscovado sugar
• Finely grated zest and juice of 1 lime
• 2 tbsp shredded fresh mint
• 120g natural coconut yogurt, to serve
• For the pancakes
• 100g plain flour
• 1 medium British Blacktail Free Range Egg
• 300ml milk
• A little sunflower oil, for greasing

Method

Place the mango in a heatproof bowl. Gently heat the rum (or apple juice) and sugar in a pan, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Pour over the mango and set aside to cool. Add most of the lime zest, juice and mint to the cooled mango, then chill until ready to serve.

Place the flour and a pinch of salt in a bowl. Make a well in the centre and crack in the egg and a little of the milk. Whisk together, gradually incorporating the remaining milk to make a smooth batter.

Lightly grease a 20cm heavy-based non-stick frying pan. Add enough batter to thinly coat the pan’s base and cook over a medium heat for about 1 minute, or until golden brown. Flip over and cook the other side until golden brown.

Place on a warm plate and cover with greaseproof paper. Repeat to make 8 pancakes. Keep them warm by placing in the oven at 120°C, gas mark ½. Place 2 pancakes on each plate and top with the mango and the yogurt sprinkled with the remaining lime zest.

RICOTTA, APPLE AND MAPLE SYRUP

Lidl's ricotta, apple and maple syrup pancake stack is actually deceptively simple to make.

Serves: 4

Cooking time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

• 12 pancakes
• 40g butter
• 4 apples
• Apples, finely sliced
• 250ml maple syrup, plus extra to serve
• 80g ricotta
• 60g walnuts
• Coarsely chopped

Method

1. Melt the butter in a frying pan until softened and foaming. Then add a quarter of the apples, turning until golden brown for approximately 1 minute. Remove the apples and set to one side, then repeat the process with the remaining apples.
2. Return all of the apples to the pan and add the maple syrup, mixing well until evenly coated.
3. Heat a non-stick frying pan over a medium heat and add one of the pancakes. Cook for 1 minute on each side and set aside, then repeat with the remaining pancakes.
4. To assemble, layer up your pancakes with ricotta, glazed apples and a sprinkling of chopped walnuts. Garnish with any remaining apple and drizzle over a little more maple syrup to serve

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