‘I tried the internet's viral pancake recipes so you don’t have to’
From cinnamon swirl pancake to Japanese-style soufflé creations, will you be tempted to try any of these viral recipes for Pancake Day on 4 March? By Laura Wingrove I decided to put my love of pancakes to the test, by trying out all the latest cooking trends I love pancakes – they’re a year-round food for me. It seems BBC Food’s readers agree too, as our fluffy American pancakes are one of our most visited recipes every week. Pancakes are such an easy, perfect food you'd wonder why anyone would mess with a good thing? Because social media. From cinnamon swirl pancakes to the frozen batter hack, maybe they could be improved? So I decided to give some of the trending social media recipes a go. Some were surprisingly great – others utterly shambolic. Chocolate spread-filled pancakes Biting into these pancakes reveals the gooey chocolate centre Japanese soufflé pancakes This tall and fluffy style of pancake is known for its jiggly appearance, soft and airy texture inside and slightly crispy exterior. These guys are larger and thicker than traditional pancakes and there are entire cafés dedicated to them. With such a buzz around them – one video of them has 19 million views – I was really excited about this recipe. The secret to making them is to whisk egg whites to stiff peaks, and then gently fold (you don’t want to knock out the air) into your pancake batter. However, it quickly became clear that making soufflé pancakes requires a lot of skill and practice. They are cooked on a low heat with a lid on to ensure even cooking and a proper rise. Some recipes call for specialised tools like metal rings to help the pancakes maintain their shape during cooking. The one I used did not – this may be where I became unstuck. My pancakes were not tall, airy or jiggly in the slightest. It was almost comical when I lifted the lid to see my mountain of whipped egg white deflate instantly, with cartoon-style dramatic effect. I tried repeatedly to get the recipe to work but eventually had to admit defeat. Looks aren’t everything though, so I tucked in anyway, only to find they didn’t taste of much but egg white. Not particularly appetising. Flippin’ brilliant rating: 2/5 Tried and tested soufflé recipes that actually work Mary Berry’s lovely lemon soufflésHot chocolate souffléDouble baked cheese soufflés Mary Berry’s lovely lemon soufflés Hot chocolate soufflé Double baked cheese soufflés Oat pancakes With multiple million-view videos circulating on social media, oat pancakes were next on the list. The recipe itself is extremely simple: you swap flour for oats and tip them into a blender with eggs, oat milk, yoghurt, olive oil and baking powder. Blend until you’ve got your usual pancake mix consistency and then into the pan it goes. These oat pancakes went down a treat The pancakes were soft and sweet. Slightly porridge-like in flavour, but a big hit. Topped with yoghurt, honey and berries, this felt like a slightly healthier alternative to the traditional American pancake. I’ll definitely be making this low-effort recipe again – especially for breakfasts. Flippin’ brilliant rating: 4/5 More oat-based breakfast recipes Baked oatsApple, pear and berry bircherHealthy granola with berry compote Baked oats Apple, pear and berry bircher Healthy granola with berry compote Nigella’s a fan of oat pancakes too – here she demonstrates how to make them Frozen pancake batter ‘hack’ In short, this ‘hack’ is not worth the hype. I understand the appeal: you make a big batch of pancake batter then freeze it in an ice cube tray so you can whip out a couple of blocks to cook whenever the mood takes you. However, because the batter goes into the pan as a frozen block, the outside begins to fry before the rest of the batter has defrosted. And you don’t get a nice circular pancake shape. If you’re looking for an effortless, time-saving way to make pancakes in the morning, this is not it. Flippin’ brilliant rating: 1/5 This was not the time saver I hoped for Cinnamon swirl pancakes One video of cinnamon swirl pancakes has been watched 38 million times on TikTok. This one’s surely a safe bet then, I thought. These might look cool, but the flavour was a bit underwhelming for the effort involved The recipe calls for making a normal pancake batter and putting a little to one side to be mixed with soft brown sugar and cinnamon. You then put this mix in a piping bag (read: freezer bag with the corner snipped) and set aside for later. I spooned a few tablespoons of the regular pancake mix into a hot frying pan, then pipped the cinnamon mixture into a swirl on top. Once the edges began to bubble, I carefully flipped the pancake and cooked for a further couple of minutes. The result was admittedly a pretty cute-looking pancake with dark cinnamon spirals. The flavour was underwhelming though. Really not worth the faff. Flippin’ brilliant rating: 2/5 One-ingredient pancakes I was optimistic about this simple, low-cost ‘pancake’, which is made solely of milk. You simmer it in a pan until it reduces and caramelises. In the videos I saw it forms a crisp caramel-coloured layer – which you can then fold over and fill. It’s promised by TikTok creators to be sweet, crunchy and oh so delicious. Turns out there’s no such thing as a one-ingredient pancake This, friends, is not a pancake. It did not fulfil any of the crucial criteria, the most basic of which being a rollable (not to mention edible) vessel for spreads. Plus, you run the serious risk of ruining your pan. Save your milk, use it to make a cup of tea, and drink it while scrolling straight past this TikTok video instead. Flippin’ brilliant rating: 0/5 Spaghetti pancakes To make these, regular pancake batter goes into a piping bag and is then swirled into a hot pan, leaving you with long strands resembling spaghetti. I piled then into a bowl and topped with maple syrup, although some videos show toppings of cream, yoghurt, chopped fruit and grated chocolate. This method was fine but a faff to make This recipe was the epitome of novelty TikTok food videos. It looks interesting, but I’m unsure how worthwhile it really is. Unsurprisingly, it tasted exactly like a classic pancake – it was just far messier to make. Flippin’ brilliant rating: 2/5 So, will I be attempting any of these recipes again? The chocolate spread-filled numbers will be making a comeback, as will the oat-batter guys. They were both delicious but also simple to make, and that’s really what you want from pancakes. That said, on Pancake Day you’ll still find me whipping up my old faithful ham and cheese crêpes for dinner. Originally published February 2024