10 pancake trends for 2023

Now find out olive columnist Gurd Loyal's food and drink trend predictions for 2024 and the top health and wellness trends for 2024.

10 pancake trends

1. Soufflé pancakes

Light, airy and fluffier-than-clouds, soufflé pancakes are taking the internet by storm. How do they differ from a traditional pancake? For soufflé-style results, whip egg whites to form a meringue, before gently folding into the pancake batter.

Japan is the birthplace of these soft and squidgy pancakes, but you can try them at home with this soufflé pancakes recipe from BBC Good Food. Toppings are left to your discretion; popular combinations include whipped cream and fresh berries, or icing sugar, butter and maple syrup.

2. Protein pancakes

The appetite for high-protein meals doesn’t seem to be going anywhere with social media awash with sweet and savoury stacks of protein pancakes. Hailed as a healthier alternative to traditional pancakes, flour is replaced by protein powder and ingredients such as banana, oats, cinnamon and plant-based milk are also swapped in.

Protein pancakes make a great post-workout treat, or enjoy as a healthier choice for Pancake Day. Try our protein pancakes recipe – you can make them savoury and get an extra protein boost using poached eggs, grilled streaky bacon and a dollop of soya yogurt.

3. Zero carb/keto pancakes

The ketogenic diet is essentially a very low-carb, high-fat diet. Luckily, those following a keto diet needn’t miss out, with low-carb pancake recipes replacing regular flour with almond flour and sugar with keto-friendly syrup. They’re also suitable for those on a gluten-free diet.

Fancy trying them for yourself? Recreate these keto pancakes from BBC Good Food for your next breakfast.

4. Trendy toppings

Tired of the same old toppings? Time to switch things up and embrace some unique ingredients. Drizzle pancakes in a zesty yuzu syrup for a refreshing citrus hit – with a flavour profile somewhere between tangy grapefruit and fragrant orange, it makes a welcome change from the usual lemon and sugar.

Or, swap milk chocolate shavings with blonde chocolate for a toasted caramel flavour and pair with roasted nuts and salted pretzels. You could also serve warm blood orange segments for a wonderfully sweet, berry-like flavour, with syrup spooned on top.

5. Air fryer pancakes

Definitely one to consider this Shrove Tuesday, why not make your pancakes in an air fryer? TikTok videos show home cooks lining their air fryers with baking parchment before scooping a small scoop of batter into the middle. They then layer with another piece of baking paper, repeat six times and leave the air fryer to fry.

Alternatively, some cooks are pouring batter into silicone moulds to create a muffin-pancake hybrid.

6. Pancake spaghetti

Yes, you read that right, pancake spaghetti has officially been making waves on TikTok, with views amassing 62 million. The process is straightforward: fill a bottle or piping bag with your batter, then squeeze a spaghetti-like zig-zag onto your pan on a medium-low heat. Fry until golden, then transfer to your bowl and top with chocolate shavings, a dusting of icing sugar and drizzle of chocolate sauce.

We’re not sure if this will catch on to rival the classics, but it makes for a bit of fun and is certainly something to experiment with.

7. Pancake cereal

The viral ‘pancake cereal’ trend is still going strong, with countless images and videos of these sweet morsels filling social feeds. More commonly known as poffertjes (Dutch mini pancakes), these are essentially miniature versions of your standard pancake.

To make, pour a thick batter into a piping bag or a squeezy bottle, pipe blobs into your pan and fry until golden. Use any toppings you like, such as mini oreos and ice cream, or butter, fresh berries and maple syrup.

8. Sheet pan pancakes

If you’re a nervous flipper, you may wish to experiment with sheet pan pancakes. This form of pancake sees frying pans swapped for deep baking trays to create a thicker, rectangular pancake. Toppings, such as berries, walnuts, sprinkles and swirled chocolate sauce, are arranged in separate sections on top, then baked into the batter.

The end result is a large multi-coloured pancake sheet, which can be carved up to serve as many as 10 people. A great idea if you’re feeding a crowd and prefer to let the oven do all the work.

9. Stuffed pancakes

Another trend that’s seeing no sign of stopping is the stuffed pancake stack, where toppings are fried inside the batter rather than added on top.

Pour rounds of batter into your pan, spoon 1 tsp Nutella into the middle of each pancake, then pour some batter over the top. Once the bubbles start to form, flip, plate up and enjoy pancakes with an oozing molten middle.

You could also try using chocolate chips or buttons, as well as mini oreos, banana or even sausage meat for a savoury twist.

10. Croissant pancakes

Though they resemble stroopwafels rather than pancakes, this buttery, flaky take on pancakes is slowly taking over social media feeds. Pancake batter is swapped out for two croissants, which are flattened with a rolling pin and fried in a pan or air fryer. The pancake croissants are then drizzled in honey, syrup or lemon juice, loaded with ice cream and stacked to resemble a croissant sandwich. Try a savoury version, such as chunky ham and salty gruyère.