Oven baked pancakes are a traditional Scandinavian dish. Find out how to make these fluffy delights here, complete with tangy yogurt and sweet blueberries.
A taste of Scandinavia
I don’t know if you’ve noticed but Scandinavian cooking has become a thing. It’s definitely up there on the list of food trends for 2016 and this is my first foray into blogging the cuisine!
When I started writing this post I knew only one thing, that the recipe was delicious. But, I struggled with how to describe it. In England we tend to use the the words “Scandinavian” and “Nordic” interchangeably, when in fact Scandinavian refers to anything from the Scandinavian Peninsula and Nordic refers to anything from Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland and Iceland. Confusing right!
When I first came across the concept of Oven Baked Pancakes they were sold to me as Nordic (they even appear in my Nordic Bakery Cook Book). But the more I researched these fluffy delights, I discovered that they are actually eaten in Sweden, where they serve up a savoury version every Thursday which is eaten alongside a traditional pea soup. The Nordic Bakery Cookbook even admitted that these are enjoyed on a daily basis by children in Finland! That sounds like they’re Scandinavian to me?!
Confusion over terminology aside – after all why get bogged down in the specifics when we could be eating pancakes right now – one thing I do know is that blueberries are featured in both Nordic and Scandinavian food. So, topping my oven baked pancakes with a creamy yogurt and sharp blueberries was a pretty safe bet! (And a tasty one too.)
Something Special for Pancake Day
Whether kids in Finland eat these for breakfast every day or not, having tried these I soon realised they were far too decadent to become my go-to breakfast. These had to be saved for something special like Valentines Day, birthdays or even Pancake Day.
When I was growing up as a child pancakes were literally only eaten on Pancake Day when I would proceed to stuff my face with as many as physically possible over the course of an evening. There were no leisurely brunches at the weekend tucking into fluffy American style pancakes topped with maple syrup; and savoury crepes certainly didn’t enter into my parent’s imagination. Instead when Pancake Day came around we all got up the table with a big old bag of lemons, the bag of sugar straight out of the cupboard. We would then wait patiently as my Dad delivered the pancakes to our plates, one after the other. This went on for hours until all the milk, flour and eggs in the house had been used up and we were full to bursting.
As fun as that was, I’m pleased to say pancakes are a pretty regular staple in my diet these days. Each Pancake Day I now look to try a new and exciting pancake recipe that will beat the classic lemon and sugar combo which I ate for so many years. These Scandinavian Oven Baked Pancakes really did the trick!
Oven Baked Pancakes
Now I’ll be perfectly honest, cooking your pancakes in the oven rather than on your stove isn’t going to save you time. It takes roughly an hour to get these pancakes on to your plate. But, one of the benefits is that everyone’s pancakes re ready at the same time! No more waiting as each individual pancake is delicately crafted.
You also get an entirely different texture with Scandinavian Oven Baked Pancakes. I like them best when the edges are crisp and the rest fluffy. I like them even more when the centre has a slight custard like wobble! Unlike the traditional English Pancake there is sugar in the pancake batter, so these are sweet and almost cake like.
As if the sugar in the batter wan’t enough to satisfy your sweet tooth, these pancakes are dusted with a generous helping of icing sugar.
If you’re feeling a bit more adventurous then you could even top these pancakes with lingonberries (related to the blueberry and cranberry) or rhubarb, two popular Scandinavian ingredients.
Scandinavian Oven Baked Pancakes – The Recipe
Ingredients
- 50g caster sugar
- 125g self raising flour
- Pinch of salt
- 1 egg
- 375ml milk
- 50g melted butter
- Seeds of 1 vanilla pod
- Lemon zest
- 150g fresh blueberries
- 200ml natural yogurt or quark
- Icing sugar to dust
Instructions
- Place the sugar, flour and salt into a large mixing bowl and make a well in the middle.
- Add the two eggs straight into the well and begin whisking the wet and dry ingredients together.
- As a paste begins to form, slowly start adding th emilk and melted butter to the mix, whisking well to ensure there are no lumps.
- When all the liquid has been added, scoop out the seeds of the vanilla pod and add to the batter along with the grated lemon zest.
- Whisk vigorously until light and airy.
- Let the batter rest while you pre-heat the oven to 200C and line your roasting tin with grease proof paper.
- Pour the batter into the tray and bake in the oven for 30 minutes or until the pancake is golden and just set.
- Leave to cool for a few minutes before topping with yogurt and fresh berries.
- Dust with icing just before serving.
Jon was a big fan of these Scandinavian oven baked pancakes. Although they take longer to make, they are so effortless that they are worth the wait. There’s no stress of flipping them and by using grease proof paper its impossible for them to stick to the bottom of the pan!
Why not try these delicious oven baked pancakes this Shrove Tuesday! If you do I’d love to see your pictures. Why not tag me on Instagram or send me a picture on Twitter! Enjoy.
I can confirm that indeed pancakes are eaten everywhere in Sweden after our visit late last year. I love the thought of making my own oven baked pancakes – I cannot bear the taste of oil from doing them in a pan.
So jealous you’ve been to Sweden Helen! It’s on my list of (many) places to visit 🙂 you know what I hadn’t even thought about the oil on normal pancakes. You’re right you definitely don’t get the extra grease with these oven baked pancakes. Another plus!
Love pancakes of any kind! These look so soft and delicious I would love to try them as my husband is part Scandinavian!
Thanks Shadi! You must try them and let me know what he thinks 🙂 I bet he is an oven baked pancake pro
I’m not sure about your interpretation of “Scandinavian” as Wikipaedia says it includes Denmark, Norway and Sweden and sometimes 2 other countries too. I say this as my mum is Danish and we always talk about being Scandinavian and have never used the term Nordic (I had actually assumed that meant something was Norwegian but see I was wrong on that score – you learn something new every day eh!). These baked pancakes are new to me and sound really yummy and I love the addition of the blueberries:-)
Haha its so complicated isn’t it Camilla!!! We are prbably all using the terms Nordic and Scandinavian wrong :-p all I know I’d that these are delicious! You should give them a try 🙂
I’ve never had these before but they look amazing! I really love how they are all ready at the same time since keeping the first batch warm while the others are cooking is always an issue with griddle pancakes. Love the blueberries and yogurt on top! 🙂
Thanks Sherri. It definitely makes feeding hungry mouths a lot easier! And no risk of the ones on the bottom of the stack getting dried out from being kept warm in the oven 🙂 so much easier!!!
This is such a great post! Such a yummy recipe, and really great background info! I love the ease of making baked pancakes, but I had no idea that they’re actually Scandinavian (or Nordic!) – really enjoyed reading about it!
Thanks Shelle, I’m glad you like it 🙂 where did you come across them? Is there a particular way you like to serve them?
I have never tried these before. They sound very interesting…will have to try them on the weekend.
You definitely should Gloria. I was pleasantly surprised the first time we made them and now they are my go to pancake!
Love the sound of these Emma, must try your recipe soon. My husband spent a year living in Sweden and I found their food a bit hit and miss – some gorgeous dishes, and some I could quite happily leave!! But these are definitely a winner.
Haha! I must admit flicking through the Nordic and Scandi cookbooks I feel the same without even trying some of them 😉 of you do make them let me know how they are! X
I always love new pancake inspirations. Making them in the oven is definitely less stressful, especially when you make more than one dish for breakfast. They look really great, I like it when the edges are crispy. Perfect for a decadent valentine’s breakfast!
Thanks Julia 🙂 I’m glad you like them! With less fuss in the kitchen you could definitely serve these up as a surprise on Valentine’s Day! Great idea!!!
Love pancakes and these looks so good, nice to mix up. I’m totally going to have to try these out at the weekend x