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    Home / Breakfast / Pfannkuchen

    Pfannkuchen

    Thin, tender German pancakes cooked golden in butter and served rolled with applesauce, sugar, or jam — the breakfast that northern Germany grew up on.

    ⏱ 10 minPrep time
    🔥 20 minCook time
    🍽 4Servings
    🏷 BreakfastCategory
    ☆☆☆☆☆No ratings yet
    German Pfannkuchen pancakes with applesauce and powdered sugar

    Thin, golden and tender, German Pfannkuchen are the crêpes of the north — a simple batter of flour, eggs and milk cooked in butter until lacy at the edges. Rolled, folded or stacked, they’re breakfast, lunch or dessert depending on the filling.

    Note that in Berlin the same word means a jam doughnut; elsewhere these pancakes rule the pan. Serve them with applesauce, jam, or a shower of sugar and cinnamon.

    German recipes →

    Step by stepInstructions

    1. Whisk the flour, salt and sugar. Beat in the eggs, milk, vanilla and melted butter until the batter is smooth.
    2. Let the batter rest 15 minutes.
    3. Heat a small skillet over medium heat and melt a pat of butter.
    4. Pour in a thin layer of batter, tilting the pan to coat the bottom.
    5. Cook 1–2 minutes until golden, flip, and cook 1 minute more.
    6. Stack the pancakes, keeping them warm, and serve with applesauce, jam or cinnamon sugar.

    💡 Chef tips & storage

    Resting the batter relaxes the gluten for more tender pancakes. The first one is always the test pancake — thin batters need a well-buttered, hot pan.

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    Recipe details

    Prep10 min
    Cook20 min
    Servings4
    CategoryBreakfast
    PublishedAugust 17, 2026
    Emily — the cook behind My Comfort Recipes

    Hi, I'm Emily 🧡

    Hi, I'm Emily — the cook behind My Comfort Recipes. Simple, tested comfort food for real weeknights, written down the way grandma would. Pull up a chair. More about me →

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