Pancake Day Recipes To Suit Everyone's Diet

Pancake Day is one of the best days of the year. We all love a sweet treat (or maybe you have your savoury) and it is always good for a bit of banter around how you eat yours...

• Classic thin pancake with lemon and sugar
• Thick dessert pancakes with maple syrup
• Filled pancakes with a side of greek yoghurt and fruit

There are so many toppings that one pancake is never enough to indulge your tastes fully. Here are some of our favourites:

• Nutella
• Jam and cream
• Ice cream
• Classic lemon and sugar
• Maple syrup (you can take or leave the bacon)
• Toffee sauce
• Butter / Brandy butter (if you can get hold of it - yum!)

As you can see I have a sweet tooth but there are lots of savoury options too! Why don't you try:

• Smoked salmon and cream cheese
• Fried or scrambled egg (maybe brekkie?)
• Ham and cheese
• Bolognese with a cheesy topping
• Pizza pancake
• Pulled pork

It might be that you have intolerances and are actually unamused by pancake day. There may still be a way to enjoy the perfect pancake - just check out these recipes: Gluten-free pancakes: https://www.dovesfarm.co.uk/recipes/gluten-free-pancakes Yeast-free (banana pancakes): https://www.innerhealthyoga.co.uk/recipe/banana-pancakes-gluten-free-yeast-free Dairy-Free pancakes: https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/dairy-free-pancakes Vegan pancakes: https://tasty.co/recipe?0=%2Fthe-fluffiest-vegan-pancakes&slug=the-fluffiest-vegan-pancakes&canonicalUrl=https%3A%2F%2Ftasty.co

My top three Pancakes for Shrove Tuesday

Calories = 61 per pancake  The generic pancake and the staple of most people's dream Shrove Tuesday. Why? Because it tastes good, is easy to make and you can spice it up with whatever topping you fancy. Sometimes the best recipe is the one that gives you the most versatility and means you can meet the urgency of pancake demand upon the kitchen come tea time! They are also light on the calories compared to my other choices! Naturally, the topping you choose will add more but they don't have to be the most unhealthy choice if you are on a diet - stick to sugar and lemon.

Ingredients:

100g plain flour 300ml milk 2 large eggs 1 tbsp vegetable oil + extra for frying Serving suggestion: fresh lemon + sugar

Method:

Combine the plain flour, milk, eggs, vegetable oils and the pinch of salt in a mixing bowl. Whisk it all into a smooth batter. Ideally, you should put it to one side and allow to rest for half an hour before cooking, but you can cook straight away. Select a medium frying pan and place over a medium heat. Make sure it is suitably oiled - you don't want the pancake sticking. Once hot add in 2-3 tbsp of the batter (add more or less to preference) and cook on each side for 1 minute or until golden brown. You can keep them warm in the oven as you make more. Serve with fresh lemon wedges and sugar. Calories = 624 per serving These are my most exuberant choice. They are loaded with flavour and one pancake amounts to 624 calories so don't undertake them lightly!

Ingredients:

300g self-raising flour 1tsp baking powder 1/4 tsp salt 3tbsp caster sugar 300ml whole milk 2 medium eggs 150g chocolate chips Butter for frying Serving suggestion: whipped cream or ice cream

Method:

Sieve the baking powder, 1/4 tsp salt and self-raising flour into a large mixing bowl. Then add in the caster sugar and stir thoroughly. Then whisk the eggs and milk together in a jug. Go back to your large mixing bowl containing the flour and create a well in the centre. This is where you will pour your wet ingredients in. Whisk all of the ingredients together to create a nice and smooth batter (you don't want any lumps in it!). Fold in your chocolate chips leaving a few for decoration. Now comes the harder part (unless you are a pancake making whizz). Add a knob of butter to a non-stick frying pan and make sure the bottom is fully coated. Then add 2-3 tablespoons of the pancake batter. Cook until bubbles start to rise to the surface which is usually 2-3 minutes. Flip the pancake over using a decisive wrist action! Cook for a further two minutes or until the pancake is nicely puffed and golden brown. Repeat that until you have yourself a stack of chocolate chip pancakes to share with the family...or not! Top your pancakes with ice cream or cream and sprinkle some chocolate chips on top so it looks like you have just won matserchef. Calories = 356 There are many ways of cooking pancakes but the two most of us know are the small and dumpy ones or the flat and thin ones. These are the small and dumpy ones with the twist of adding fruit alongside your maple syrup. They are also known as American pancakes.

Ingredients:

200g self-raising flour 1 tbsp golden caster sugar Pinch of salt 1.5 tsp baking powder 25g melted butter 200ml milk Vegetable oil for frying Serving suggestion: maple syrup, blueberries, banana and strawberry slices

Method:

Mix the flour, sugar, and pinch of salt into a large mixing bowl. Then create a well in the middle and add the eggs, melted butter and milk. Whisk all of the contents together until you have a smooth batter. Oil the frying pan ready and heat to a medium temperature. Pour the batter in until you have a circle (roughly) that is 8cm across. If you have a large frying pan you can do more than one at once just make sure they don't run into each other. Cook the pancakes for 1-2 minutes or until bubbles start to appear on their surface. Then flip the pancakes over and cook for another minute. Then make your next batch. Stack them on a plate - 2-3 per serving and complete with maple syrup and a fruit selection. Or choose your favourite topping and get creative. Have a filling Shrove Tuesday and if you are giving something up for lent we hope you make the most of this final day of sugary and buttery goodness/badness (perception is everything).