Grandma’s Swedish Pancakes Recipe

These simple Swedish pancakes are my husband Dan’s grandmother’s classic recipe, and the perfect middle ground between a crepe and a pancake. Add sweet toppings or savory filling to personalize them to your taste. They make the ideal option for a fun family weekend breakfast.

Original post: October 2012 | Updated: December 2020 and December 2025

Why I Love This Family Recipe, and Why You Will Too

• Dan’s beloved Grandma’s Swedish pancake recipe. We make this breakfast regularly for our family.
• You’ll love the option of so many different toppings. Keep it simple with butter and syrup or go nuts with nutella, powdered sugar, berries, and, well, nuts!. (I’ve listed more options below)
• SO easy, just a few ingredients required, and you can easily make this recipe GF, dairy free or oil free with simple swaps

Ingredients for Swedish Pancakes

You only need a handful of really common ingredients to make these delicious pancakes!

Eggs

Milk – Any kind from whole milk to plant based milk

Flour – Any kind

Granulated sugar

Oil – Any type, or replace with butter

Butter – for pan. Can also just use cooking spray

How to Make Grandma’s Swedish Pancakes

Full directions are listed in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Step 1

Add eggs, milk, flour, sugar and oil to a blender or large mixing bowl. Blend/mix until combined. 

Step 2

Melt butter on a medium skillet (or spray with cooking spray) and set heat to medium-high heat.

Pour a small amount of batter (about 1/4 cup) onto the hot skillet. Allow the pancake to cook for approximately thirty seconds to one minute, or until the bottom side of the pancake begins to firm up.

Using a spatula, flip the pancake. Cook for an additional 30 seconds, or to desired crispiness. 

Serve warm with butter and syrup.

A Word from Dan

This great recipe comes from Dan’s sweet grandmother, and he was kind enough to put together a few words about what they mean to him:

My Grandma rocked. She was giving, caring, and had a genuine sweetness that could make anyone smile. I have numerous childhood memories of vacations at her house in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, and to this day my favorite foods come from her recipes. 

These thin pancakes were my absolute favorite and always eagerly looked forward to whenever we were at Grandma’s or she was visiting us. She would hover over the stove throwing out fresh, hot cakes to anyone and everyone until all our bellies were crammed full. Good times.

I call these Swedish pancakes because that’s what my awesome Swedish mormor (who passed away a few years ago and made literally thousands of these for me in her lifetime) always called them, and that’s what they will always be to me.

Recipe Notes & Tips

• I’ve found that the easiest method for keeping the pan greased is generously coating it with cooking spray between each batch.
• Make sure your pan is nice and hot before you add batter to it! Not doing this will result in a ball of inedible dough and wasted ingredients.
• Once you’ve poured the 1/4 cup of batter onto your hot pan, give the pan a gentle turn to make sure the batter is covering the bottom of the pan. You’ll have a very thin layer of batter in the pan and this is exactly what you want.
• These pancakes don’t produce the tell-tale bubbles for flipping. You just have to trust, and maybe pull up an edge just a little to peek.

What To Put On/In Swedish Pancakes

One of the many best things about these pancakes is they can be eaten flat, like regular pancakes, or filled in the middle and rolled up, like a crepe!

• Roll each pancake up with a pat of butter in the center and drizzle warm maple syrup over the top.
• Spread a bit of Nutella or nut butter and fresh berries in the centers.
• Wrap pancakes around sausage links or fill with some deli ham and cheese.
• Pour Blueberry Sauce or Mixed Berry Jam over the top, or spread it in the middle, roll up the pancake, and eat with your hands.
• Lingonberry jam is also a great option for a more authentic pairing with this Swedish recipe.
• Our boys always love a generous drizzle of chocolate syrup over the top. Of course.
• Make a “pancake ice cream taco” dessert. Use the pancake like a taco shell and build a little handheld sundae.

What to Serve with Swedish Pancakes

• Breakfast Potatoes or Air Fryer Hash Browns
• Bacon or breakfast sausage
• Fresh Fruit Salad

Substitute For Maple Syrup – 13 ideas!

Whether you can’t have maple syrup due to a dietary restriction, or just don’t have it on hand when you need it, you can find a quick and easy replacement for all your recipes in my post about What to Substitute for Maple Syrup. It’s filled with simple, excellent alternatives!

What Is The Difference Between a Swedish Pancake and a “Regular” Pancake?

Authentic Swedish pancakes are thinner and less fluffy than the traditional pancakes popular in the United States because they use less flour and no leavening agent, like baking powder.

Swedish pancakes are lighter and more delicate with a little bit of chewiness to them. They’re sort of the perfect middle ground between French crepes and a “regular” pancake.

How to Store Leftover Pancakes

Allow any extra pancakes to cool completely and place in an airtight container or on a plate covered tightly with plastic wrap. I also like to place a piece of parchment paper between each so they don’t stick together during storage. Eat leftover pancakes within 2-3 days. 

You can also freeze pancakes for up to 3 months! Follow the regular storage directions and place them in a freezer safe bag for storing in the freezer.

How to Reheat

Reheat leftover pancakes in a 350°F oven on a baking sheet for about 5-7 minutes until they’re heated through. 

You can also reheat in a skillet over low or medium low heat for 1-2 minutes per side to heat through.

I don’t like microwaving these because they come out with a slightly rubbery texture and too much chewiness.

More Delicious Breakfast Recipes

• Make soft, flavorful Homemade Bagels using only 5 ingredients and in 20 minutes from start to finish! NO YEAST or rising required!
• These Blueberry Muffins turn out great every time, they are moist and tender and totally packed with blueberries. Your new go-to favorite!
• This Breakfast Pizza is a combo of two types of meals, making it the perfect breakfast, brunch or dinner option!
• This is the BEST Breakfast Casserole and one of my all-time favorite breakfast foods to make for brunches. It is a massive hit every single time!
• Transform French Toast into a delicious and buttery  Mixed Berry Croissant Breakfast Bake!

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