Pfannkuchen (Traditional German Pancake Recipe)

A cross between thin French crêpes and fluffy American pancakes, Pfannkuchen, or Traditional German Pancakes, are soft and fluffy with crisp edges and amazing flavor. Sweet or savory, breakfast or lunch, or breakfast for dinner, these are going to be on repeat in your kitchen!

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Pfannkuchen are traditional German stovetop pancakes. They are incredibly simple to make and taste amazing. Unlike American-style fluffy pancakes, this recipe doesn’t use baking powder or baking soda—instead, a bit of seltzer water helps make them light and airy. With their hint of sweetness, Pfannkuchen are perfect for adding sweet toppings like powdered sugar and maple syrup or savory fillings like ham and cheese or sauteed mushrooms.

What’s great about Pfannkuchen is how quick and easy they are to whip up. The batter is made from flour, eggs, milk, and a splash of seltzer water, and because there is no leavening agent, you can make the batter the night before, and have pancakes in minutes the next morning. With just a few ingredients, and a couple of minutes, you can make pancakes that are both simple and delicious!

Ingredients & Substitutions

Something I really love about this German Pfannkuchen recipe is that such simple ingredients can make such amazingly delicious pancakes. Check out the ingredients below and I'll let you know about any possible substitutions you can make.

• All-purpose flour - I have never made German pancakes or crêpes with gluten-free flour, but if that's something you want to try, let me know in the comments how it goes for you!
• Milk - I prefer whole dairy milk, but you're welcome to use a skim milk or your favorite nondairy milk. I would steer away from anything that is labeled as fat-free. Pfannkuchen don't have any butter in them, so they need the fat from the dairy and the eggs to give them richness.
• Sugar - Traditional pfannkuchen do not usually contain sugar, but I like to add a little bit, even to my savory pancakes. I feel that two tablespoons gives them just a touch of sweetness, without being sweet. That being said, you can leave out the sugar if you prefer.
• Sparkling water - German pancakes don't normally use any kind of leavening agent like baking powder or baking soda using sparkling water to give the batter a little bit of lift. I'm not advertising any specific brand of sparkling water, this is just the one that I had in the house when I made this recipe. You can use club soda, mineral water, anything with bubbles. Heck you could use 7-Up if you wanted to, thats cool.
• Eggs - The eggs are essential for not only making pfannkuchen taste good, they also give structure to the pancakes. If you don't want to use the sparkling water, or you want your pancakes to be a touch fluffier, you could separate your eggs and whip the whites to stiff peaks. Add the yolks to the batter and gently fold the egg whites into the batter at the end.
• Kosher salt - Kosher salt is added to balance the flavors. If you didn't add a little bit of salt, the pancake batter would taste flat. If you don't have kosher salt, use half the amount in the recipe.

See recipe card below for exact measurements.

Variations

What I love about all pancakes in general, other than their absolutely delicious flavor, is how easily they can adapt to and take on other flavors. Here are a few ways you can play with your food:

• Lemon - Go for the citrus flavors of lemon crepes by rubbing lemon zest into the sugar before adding it to the batter and filling them with creamy lemon curd.
• Strawberries and cream - Strawberry crepes with whipped sweetened yogurt bring dessert vibes to breakfast time.
• Churro - Fold your crepes around a dulce de leche filling and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar for a South of the border flavor.

Instructions

These are made using the traditional pancake method. Mix the wet and add the dry, but also let's add in a little fizzy water.

Step 1: In a large bowl, whisk together your milk, eggs, sugar, and kosher salt until the sugar and salt are dissolved.

Step 2: Continue whisking while adding in your all purpose flour and whisk continuously until smooth. Allow the batter to rest for at least 20 minutes, up to overnight. 

• Step 3: Preheat your oven to 150°, or as low as your oven will go.

Step 4: Heat a nonstick pan over medium heat, and add 1 teaspoon of butter. 

Step 5: While you wait for the pan to heat, add 2 tablespoons of sparkling water or club soda into the batter and whisk.

Step 6: When the butter is foamy, add ½ cup of pancake batter to the pan and swirl to cover the bottom of the pan completely.

Step 7: Cook the pancake for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the bottom is completely cooked bubbles have formed on the top and it looks set. Use a large pancake spatula to flip the pancake over. 

• Step 8: Cook on the other side for another one to two minutes and then transfer to a pancake warmer, tortilla warmer, or a plate with a bowl turned upside down over the top. Place into your oven to keep warm. Repeat with the rest of the batter.

Serving Suggestion

My husband asked me to show you his favorite way to eat these pfannkuchen, and I like him, so here you go.

Smear a whole bunch of nutella on the center of a pfannkuchen.

Roll it up. Not shown: about a cup of powdered sugar he "dusted" on top.

Eat it. I hope you were able to keep up with his technique. He ate 8 German pancakes when I took these pictures. Yes, that is an impressive amount and yes he is very proud of his performance.

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