Best pancakes to make with your grandchildren
27th January 2020
With Pancake Day just around the corner on 25 February, it is a great opportunity for grandparents and their grandchildren to enjoy some quality time together.
You can have lots of fun making pancakes together and the great thing about this activity is that if you’re less able and rely on aids such as brand-new walk in showers and baths, this is a non-strenuous activity.
Read on to find out the best recipes to sweeten up your pancake day, from classic crepes to more alternative mixtures.
Bubbly pancakes
This unique type of pancake is thick and fluffy and is highly recommended by Kay & Luke, who share new recipes every week via their blog Flawless Food.
While their version of bubbly pancake includes sparkling wine, this ingredient can be replaced with lemonade as this will give a similar result.
Kay & Luke think making pancakes with grandchildren is a great way to spend time together: “We think it is great bonding time doing something they can both enjoy eating together afterwards. It offers fantastic memories to last a lifetime.”
Ingredients
This is the recipe recommended by Flawless Food.
- 2 eggs
- 240 ml of milk
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 240 grams plain flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 50 ml lemonade
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 lemon squeezed juice
Banana pancakes
Gluten-free banana cakes can be whipped up with 10-minutes and can be enjoyed at breakfast to start your day off or as a delicious snack.
This type of pancake is something Lucy Burton, the food writer and recipe developer behind London-based baking blog Pudding Lane, highly recommends grandparents make with grandchildren.
She said: “I find that simple two-ingredient banana pancakes go down really well with children - mash up one banana per person, then add one beaten egg and a pinch of baking powder. They’re naturally gluten-free which is great for those with coeliac disease or an intolerance. You can also add things straight into the batter while it’s cooking, which allows kids to get creative - try fresh berries, chocolate chips and dollops of peanut butter.”
Lucy added that grandparents cooking with their grandchildren this Pancake Day will help them get interested in food from a young age.
“Cooking together is a great way to bond and also to get children more interested in food - I always find that kids are much more likely to try new foods if they’ve been involved in the preparation of them. Cooks old and young should get their hands in there and get involved!”
Ingredients
- 1 large banana
- 2 medium eggs (beaten)
- pinch of baking powder (gluten-free if coeliac)
- splash of vanilla extract
- 1 tsp oil
- 25g pecans for topping (roughly chopped)
- 125g raspberries/fresh berries for topping
Classic pancakes
If you’re not much of a cook that doesn’t mean you can’t cook a classic pancake with your grandchildren as this recipe couldn’t get any easier.
According to Craving Home Cooked, you just need to ensure you don’t over mix the batter and instead only mix until the big lumps are gone. You should then add your batter and butter to your frying pan and cook over medium-low heat.
The classic pancake is not too sweet but is soft, fluffy, moist and most importantly very delicious. With this type of recipe, you can enjoy sweet or savoury toppings.
Ingredients
- 125g plain flour
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 egg
- 1 tbsp melted butter
- 300ml whole milk
- Oil for frying
- Butter, lemon and sugar (to serve)
Chorizo and spring onions pancakes
If you want to give your pancakes a savoury twist, then there are lots of ideas for fillings and toppings. From ham and cheese to salmon, there’s so many to choose from!
Nicky runs the food blog Kitchen Sanctuary and she recommends a chorizo and spring onions savoury pancake.
She said: “I just added chorizo and spring onions, then sprinkled some cheese on the pancakes in the pan before flipping. Everything else goes on top.
“The chilli butter is a must, along with a good drizzle of golden syrup. Maple syrup works too, but I think golden syrup works the best.”
Ingredients
For pancake batter:
- 1 x 15cm (6") length of chorizo chopped into small chunks
- 1 3/4 cups (210g) plain (all-purpose) flour
- 1 tbsp (yes, tbsp, not tsp) baking powder
- pinch of salt
- 1 large egg
- 1 1/4 cups (300ml) milk full or half fat
- 8 spring onions (scallions) finely chopped
- 1 tsp unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup (50g) grated cheddar cheese
For chilli butter:
- 4 tbsp (60g) salted butter slightly softened
- 1 green chilli finely chopped (I like jalapenos)
For fillings/toppings:
- 8 rashers/strips streaky bacon fried and chopping into small pieces
- 4 tbsp golden syrup
Apple pancakes
Apple pancakes are healthy, wholesome and the perfect breakfast option for you and your grandchildren to try this Pancake Day.
The pancake will only take five minutes to make and is particularly fitting to eat during winter or autumn. Tina shares her everyday breakfast recipes on her blog The Worktop and she talks about why this particular recipe is so healthy.
“There is no refined flour in this apple pancake recipe. Instead, the base ingredient is mainly whole wheat flour.
“Whole wheat pancakes are better for you than pancakes made with white flour. Using whole wheat flour makes these apple pancakes healthy because whole wheat flour contains nutrients and fibre that is typically missing in processed white flour.”
Ingredients
- 1 cup whole wheat flour (wholemeal, or use spelt)
- 1/2 cup oats
- 2 tablespoons quinoa flour
- 3 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup milk
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 medium apple (you will need 100g grated apple)
- 1/2 cup raisins (very loosely packed)
READ ALSO: Tips and advice for grandparents
This news article is from Handicare UK. Articles that appear on this website are for information purposes only.
